With the basketball game against the 49ers just two days away, Raiders coach Tom Louderback announced the team’s lineup: 6’3” George Fields at center, Wayne Crow and Tom Flores, both 6’1”, at forward, and 6’0” Charlie Hardy and 5’9” Tony Teresa at guard. On the bench would be John Harris, Jack Larscheid, Jetstream Smith, and Ron Warzeka.
Oakland Tribune
Today, the Raiders removed the word “acting” from Bud Hastings’s title and made him the team’s full-time general manager. Hired as the assistant GM last June, he had filled the top spot on an interim basis since Chet Soda’s resignation on January 2.
The 43-year-old Hastings said the restructuring of the ownership group had resulted in “a definite clarification of management policies.”
“The owners will determine policy and leave the management of the club in my hands,” he said. “The experience gained during our first year of operation makes us feel we’re geared now to do a much better job.”
The team filled another open spot by hiring former Chicago Cardinals guard Bob Maddock to coach the offensive line, replacing the recently departed Ernie Jorge. Maddock, 40, had played nine games for the Cardinals over two seasons before moving on to coaching stints in the college ranks, the All-America Football Conference, and the Canadian Football League. For the last three seasons he had been employed by the Saskatchewan Roughriders.
Hayward Daily Review
Oakland Tribune
Pro Football Reference
San Francisco Chronicle
San Francisco Examiner
The Raiders lost another draft choice to the competition today. Tony Polychronis, a guard out of Utah, signed with the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League. He had been chosen by the AFL’s Twin Cities franchise and by the NFL’s Giants as a redshirt last season and his AFL rights had eventually been assigned to the Raiders. In making his choice, he said simply that the Canadian team made the best offer.
Oakland Tribune
San Francisco Chronicle
The Raiders were trumped by the team across the bay today when the 49ers signed San Francisco State halfback Charley Fuller to a contract. Fuller had been the Raiders pick in the 19th round of the most recent draft but chose to stay in San Francisco with the team that chose him in the 16th round of the NFL draft. No reason for his choice was given.
Hayward Daily Review
San Francisco Chronicle
San Francisco Examiner
In Prescott Sullivan’s column in today’s San Francisco Examiner, former Raider co-owner and general manager Chet Soda was quoted as saying his fellow owners hadn’t lost quite as much money as had been originally reported. Back in December, there were stories saying the owners had lost about $400,000, or $50,000 per owner. Soda explained that the figure didn’t take into account typical business practices, that his own losses were closer to $15,000, and that his fellow owners’ losses were probably in that neighborhood, too.
“When losses are written off as a tax deduction against other income,” he said, “none of us will be hurt too much.”
Elsewhere, it wasn’t likely that the Raiders were going to meet the 49ers on the gridiron any too soon, but the teams announced they would take their rivalry to the hardwood on the 21st at a court in Pleasanton. Further details were unavailable at the moment.
Oakland Tribune
San Francisco Examiner
Eddie Erdelatz had two spots open on his coaching staff and was hard at work trying to fill them.
“We’ve had applicants, of course,” he said, “and we are checking them out, but at this point we haven’t made a decision and the jobs are still open.”
The work of the staff continued, though, and the three men were busy watching the game film from 1960, evaluating strategy and players.
Up in the front office, acting general manager Bud Hastings was working on a preseason schedule for 1961. Adding a potential twist to his plans was news that the 49ers were planning to play just one of their five games at home in Kezar Stadium, going on the road for the other four.
Though that would give the Raiders more solo exhibition dates at home, Hastings said his team would probably play only one game at home, too, though he wasn’t committing to that plan yet.
“The primary point about playing preseason games away is the financial consideration,” he said. “If you can schedule these contests in cities or locations where there are no professional teams, generally you can count on very good interest in the one game. We’ve found that where you play seven league games at home, there’s not as much interest locally in the exhibition as there is in the league contests.”
While the 49ers plan would free up Kezar, Hastings said the team was committed to playing in Candlestick Park.
“We prefer Candlestick,” he said. “The response from a spectator’s standpoint has been very good. The fans told us the seating was much better, that the seats were much more comfortable with arm and back rests. As a matter of fact, in several recent letters from fans, quite a point was made of the comforts of Candlestick Park.”
Hastings was still waiting to hear if would get the general manager’s position on a permanent basis. The owners hadn’t made a decision yet, but signs were pointing in that direction.
Oakland Tribune
San Francisco Examiner
The AFL’s hot stove league was in full swing. Yesterday, it was Hugh McElhenny, today is was Joe Kapp. The ex-Cal standout was a big hit in his second season as quarterback for Calgary in the Canadian leagues but was quoted as wanting to return to the States where his exploits would be seen by a wider audience. Like McElhenny, Kapp was considering playing out his option in 1961 to get free agent status the following season. Naturally, the Raiders came up as a possible destination and one that Kapp seemed amenable to. The Raiders response was necessarily noncommittal.
“We could only negotiate a contract with Kapp if he were a free agent,” said acting general manager Bud Hastings.
Oakland Tribune
San Francisco Examiner
The word made the rounds today that ex-49er halfback Hugh McElhenny could be in a Raider uniform for the 1962 season. One of the NFL’s top breakaway threats during his nine-year tenure in San Francisco, he had slowed down the last couple of years and was traded to the expansion Minnesota Vikings last week. Now, with the change, he was taking stock of his football future, considering whether it was time to play out his option this season or quit altogether. If he played out his option, he would be free to sign with anyone in 1962 and that’s where the Raiders came in.
When asked about the possibility, he said it “would really be a great idea if it could be worked out, but the chances seem remote.”
Raider officials were quick to point out they had nothing to do with the rumors.
“We haven’t talked to him,” said acting general manager Bud Hastings. “We can’t under league rules against tampering with players in the other two leagues. It carries a $5,000 fine. We can only negotiate with free agents.”
Player personnel director Wes Fry echoed his boss’s thoughts. “It’s against the AFL constitution,” he said, “and we simply don’t tamper. Of course, if McElhenny did play out his option and then came around, we wouldn’t drive him from the door.”
Oakland Tribune
San Francisco Chronicle
Ernie Jorge resigned his post as offensive line coach today, citing “the length of the pro season, the number of games, and the traveling” as his reasons. He had been hired by Eddie Erdelatz last February after having served under him at the Naval Academy in the 1950s and was the first of the four assistants he hired. Jorge said he still wanted to coach and would “listen to any and all offers.” The news left the Raiders with just two assistants, Marty Feldman and Tommy Kalmanir, following last week’s departure of Ed Cody to Washington State.
Hayward Daily Review
Oakland Tribune
San Francisco Chronicle
A week ago, the Raiders lost assistant coach Ed Cody and today it was learned they almost lost another. Offensive backfield coach Tommy Kalmanir announced that he had been recruited by an unidentified NFL team, but had decided to stay with Oakland after the team gave him a pay increase. “I wrestled with the temptation,” he said, “but I have faith in Oakland and the Raiders organization. I’m higher on the Raiders now than at any time since the club formed. We have a fine potential team coming up for 1961. With the draft choices we’ve signed, I’m confident we’ll turn out a good offensive ballclub.”
Oakland Tribune