Jim Otto, Hall of Fame Center and Oakland Raiders legend sadly passed away on May 19. He was 86-years-old.
Otto was one of the most decorated players at the position. He was named to the All-AFL first team nine times, a nine-time AFL All-Star, and a three-time Pro-Bowler.
Raiders Release Statement on Jim Otto
Otto helped lead the Raiders to an AFL championship in 1967. Following his passing, the Raiders released a statement about Otto. They had high praise for the late legend, referring to him as the “personification of consistency.”
“The Raiders Family is in deep mourning following the passing of Jim Otto…The Original Raider. The personification of consistency, Jim’s influence on the American Football League and professional football as a whole cannot be overstated,” the statement reads.
“His leadership and tenacity were a hallmark of the dominant Raider teams of the 1960s and 70s, and his ferocious work ethic and talent enabled him to start a remarkable 210 consecutive league games for the Oakland Raiders. Considered undersized when coming out of the University of Miami, Jim handled the first snap in franchise history and went on to be selected as the AFL’s All-Star center for the entirety of the league’s existence.”
Teams Upset Over Tom Brady’s New Deal
Tom Brady is often regarded as the greatest NFL player ever. His resume reads seven-time Super Bowl Champion, 5-time Super Bowl MVP, and three-time NFL MVP. And that just scratches the surface of his career accolades.
This fall he will return to football. But this time, it will be off the field as the lead broadcaster on Fox NFL Sunday. But some are not thrilled about Brady being in the booth. Brady is also part-owner of the Raiders which some owners feel could be a conflict of interest.
“There are some teams, I’ve talked to them, that are vehemently opposed to Tom Brady being an equity partner, being a part owner of a team and broadcasting games,” NFL Insider Tom Pelissero said on The Rick Eisen Show.
“They simply don’t want to have it, they’re not going to let him into production meetings, they don’t want somebody on talking about their team who’s owner of another team.”