Las Vegas Sun

March 29, 2024

Raiders’ Gruden on Oakland Coliseum: ‘It’s a real football stadium’

Gruden

Bill Nichols / AP

Raiders head coach Jon Gruden is shown after a loss against the Indianapolis Colts, Sunday, Oct. 28, 2018, at the Oakland County Coliseum.

ALAMEDA, Calif. — Coach Jon Gruden was talking about quarterback Derek Carr Monday and the future of the franchise when he noted, “I think he’s really excited about where we’re heading.”

If Carr has the answer as it pertains to where the Raiders will play their home games in 2019, there are a lot of people that would love to have that information. That includes the head coach and the local fan base.

The Raiders are scheduled to play in their new stadium in Las Vegas in 2020. There is no such clarity about 2019 after the city of Oakland filed an anti-trust lawsuit last week against the Raiders and the NFL over the move. Raiders owner Mark Davis then rescinded a rent offer to play another year in the Coliseum, their home since 1995 and also from 1966 through 1981.

At the same time, Davis said at the NFL owner's meetings that he had not ruled out the possibility of playing in Oakland for another season.

It makes for a strange week going into the home finale, with the Raiders hosting Monday Night Football on Christmas Eve against the Denver Broncos.

"I'm real sensitive about hearing that," Gruden said at his weekly press conference the day after a 30-16 road loss to the Cincinnati Bengals. "It's going to be a great atmosphere, Monday night, Christmas Eve, Denver coming to town. I get excited thinking about it ... hopefully we can get it all resolved and continue to play here."

Carr, who was not available for comment Monday, joked with the CBS broadcast crew at his production meeting the Raiders could play at Fresno State, his Alma mater. He also defended the Coliseum last week against detractors, saying, "People talk trash about it, but I love it ... it's ours."

The Coliseum also holds some charm for Gruden, as it was his home base for his first head coaching job with the Raiders in 1998 through 2001. After the Raiders beat the Steelers 24-21 last week, Gruden made a trip to greet fans in the Black Hole, something he did on occasion during his first tenure.

"It's a real football stadium. It's dirt, grass. It's got tradition," Gruden said. "It's where some of the best games in the history of football have been played. It's where some of the best players in the history of the world have played football games at.

"You're walking around before the Steelers game and you see Franco Harris and Lester Hayes and you think about some of the battles they had in that place. Reggie Jackson lighting the torch (in honor of Al Davis). I mean, there's a lot of things that happened in that stadium."

Gruden was coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2008 and remembers being at Texas Stadium, the former home of the Dallas Cowboys, when it was scheduled to be closed for their new stadium in Arlington.

"I remember sitting in the locker room, looking around, thinking, 'Man, there were some real good coaches and players who played here,' " Gruden said. "I like the old stadiums. I like traditional joints, to be honest with you. But I'm also excited about the future of the Raiders, who are we kidding? It's a sentimental time."

While Gruden and his staff are focused on the Broncos and which players may or may not be available, he could slip in a little nostalgia after game preparation is complete.

"We've got to deal with the day to day aspect of playing the game and maybe the night before the game we'll sauce up a video for the guys and give them a true respect of where they're playing again," Gruden said.