Opportunity Knocks in Napa
The first day of Raiders training camp in Napa hadn’t yet officially begun when Jay-Z’s, “Hard Knock Life” started to play over the team’s loudspeakers.
It was a fitting selection by the DJ. The entire pro-football world has its eyes on Wine Country this season, thanks to HBO’s “Hard Knocks,” a popular inside look at an NFL camp. The five-episode reality show featuring the Raiders debuted August 6 and will conclude on September 3.
For HBO, selecting the Raiders must have been an easy call. Both coach Jon Gruden and general manager Mike Mayock had successful careers as football analysts, essentially becoming TV stars in the process. In their first year together in Oakland, they’ve been aggressive in rebuilding the team, distributing massive contracts to free-agent players. They also had three first-round draft picks, which is exceedingly rare.
Mayock made it clear, however, that the Raiders didn’t want Hard Knocks at the Napa Valley Marriott. Training camp is a time to bond as a team he said—time to focus on their craft, rather than the limelight. He called HBO’s show an intrusion, albeit one they’d have to deal with.
Quarterback Derek Carr, yet another character of intrigue on the Raiders, changed the narrative quickly after Day 1 of practice. “People get to see us in our real environment,” says Carr. “And I think that’s a good thing. It’s not a distraction.” Though Carr admitted he thought the show would be a nuisance at first.
Behemoth offensive tackle Trent Brown, who is the highest-paid offensive lineman in NFL history thanks to a new contract, agreed. “There’s cameras around every day,” says Brown—all 6-foot-8 and 380 pounds of him. “It’s just a few more. We still gotta come out here and go to work.”
Brown was brought in to protect Carr, who has displayed ability when he isn’t being pummeled by opposing defenders. This appears to be a make or break campaign for the QB, as the team prepares to move to Las Vegas next season. Gruden is notorious for treating quarterbacks like trading cards, and the club can release the highly paid Carr next offseason and only suffer a slight financial penalty.
The already substantial pressure on Carr—and everyone else—only increased with the aggressive moves by Mayock and Gruden, most notably acquiring wide receiver Antonio Brown, whom the Raiders made the highest-paid WR in the NFL in March. Brown is a future Hall of Famer, and a classic diva wide receiver. If the offense breaks down and Carr can’t deliver him the football, Brown won’t stand for it.
But if the Raiders can coalesce and earn a winning record, they’ll be heroes to their fans and one of the best stories in the NFL. This season, more so than past Wine Country training camps, opportunity has come knocking in Napa.
The NFL Loves Napa
The Raiders will leave Oakland for Las Vegas in 2020, but team owner Mark Davis hasn’t decided where to hold training camp in the future. The ideal setup at the Napa Valley Marriott could have something to do with that.
The team stays at the hotel and practices at Redwood Middle School, which is conveniently located directly behind their rooms.
Former Raiders linebacker and current football analyst Kirk Morrison raved about the Napa location, saying it was the best he’s been to. “Being able to walk from your hotel room to the practice field,” says Morrison, “You didn’t have to drive. When you came to Napa, you parked your car and you literally watch it accumulate dirt for two weeks—because there was no reason to leave. Everything was right here.”
Morrison added another reason Mark Davis may want to stay: Wine Country weather. “What’s unique about Napa—you’ve actually got two climates. In the morning, you can be fully clothed in long sleeves and then have an afternoon practice and it’s about 95 degrees.”
In fact, the location is so coveted, other teams, such as the Rams and the Cowboys are interested in moving in, according to NFL sources, including Morrison. “If the Raiders ever do leave here, trust me, there’s going to be a lot of teams that would love to come here and have a very comfortable training camp.”
North Bay Raiders
The Oakland Raiders have always spent the summer in the North Bay. Back in the ‘70s and early ‘80s, Santa Rosa was the location rather than Napa, it’s current training camp home.
Stories of the team regularly violating curfew in Santa Rosa to go out on the town are well circulated throughout the league. Not every player over-indulged, but the late Hall-of-Fame Raiders quarterback, Ken Stabler, is said to have studied the playbook by the light of a jukebox.
Fast forward to 2019, and the habits of pro athletes have shifted. Though Napa is a world-class tourist destination, offensive coordinator Greg Olson says his players aren’t as likely to skip curfew for late-night excursions. “The mindset has changed throughout the league, and certainly the amount of money that these guys have at risk—players are just so much more aware of taking care of their bodies and making sure they can extend their career.”
