Raiders: 3 reasons hiring Antonio Pierce was the right move

Pierce is bringing back "The Raider Way"

As mentioned, Pierce is a lifelong Raiders fan so he has a large amount of respect for the Silver and Black as evidenced by the way he led the team. After every win, Pierce would lead the team in a Raiders chant while the team smoked cigars and partied but made sure to never step on the logo in the middle of the locker room. 

So when the Raiders beat the Broncos in the final week of the season Pierce exclaimed “We don’t want to be liked, we want to be respected.” legends such as Marcus Allen and Charles Woodson, who were in the locker room, were quite happy at the return of the “Raiders Way”. 

Pierce is not just talking, however. His team is backing it up on the field as evidenced by the 63-22 embarrassment of the Chargers that led to the firing of their head coach Brandon Staley. Still trying to score throughout the entirety of the game despite the large lead, some questioned the sportsmanship of such a choice. 

However, as Pierce said himself, they don’t want to be liked and that win gave the Raiders some more respect around the league. Following it up with a win over the Chiefs in Kansas City just endeared him to the Raiders fans even more. 

For years the Raiders have attempted to be something they are not. Whether it’s hiring McDaniels in an effort to replicate the Patriots winning ways or bringing in Jon Gruden trying to capture old glory, none of them worked. 

Long term, Pierce may prove to have been a flash in the pan who couldn’t cut it as a head coach. However, right now, the Raiders feel like the Raiders again, and that alone is enough to make this the correct hire.