Respect for Raider Fans I have a love/hate relationship with
Raider fans. I love them because they exemplify what it’s like to
be a true fan of a team, win or lose.
Respect for Raider Fans
I have a love/hate relationship with Raider fans.
I love them because they exemplify what it’s like to be a true fan of a team, win or lose. I hate them because they lose all perspective on football when it comes to their team.
No NFL franchise has been worse in the last four years than Oakland, and Raider fans don’t blink an eye when reminded of this fact. Just like listing a prior felony on a job application (which I suspect an alarming percentage of Raiders fans have done), these people have no problem admitting that they root for the worst team in the league.
But, if you had asked many Raider fans how the team would perform before the start of the past few seasons, they would say in all seriousness, “playoffs.”
Somewhere Jim Mora just woke up in a cold sweat screaming, “playoffs?! Playoffs?!”
Love is blind. But luckily for Raider fans, their ridiculous optimism is redeemed by their passion.
Two things occurred at the season opener this past Sunday against Detroit (my team, so don’t think you have been alone in cheering on losers) that made me gain a new level of respect for their rude behavior.
I was sitting in the press box during the second quarter, talking to some writers from Detroit, when one leaned over to me and said, “I have a buddy in the crowd who said he’s seen five Raider fans taken away in handcuffs … and a few Lions fans on stretchers.”
(Note: Raider games are not for kids. They are for grown adults who can run when the situation dictates.)
The other moment that made me admire/fear these fans was when the Lions capped off their 36-21 win with a late touchdown. While partying in the end zone directly in front of The Black Hole, running back Tatum Bell and teammates were showered with beer, bottles and even a Raiders hat (which Detroit receiver Roy Williams picked up and wore while walking back to his sideline). The attitude was consistent from pregame to postgame.
“Oh man, I love these fans,” Williams told me after the game. “We can’t have a ‘Blue Hole’ in Detroit, but it would be real fun and really exciting. You know, the fans can be intimidating. I got pushed out of bounds and one of the fans tried to break my neck. He grabbed my helmet and twisted it around. So, I love the fans, great fans, probably the best fans in the NFL.”
There you have it Raider fans. For better or worse, you tried to break the neck of a visiting player, and he still wishes he could take you home to Detroit.
Not that it will be his fault, but I have a bad feeling about Jeff Garcia and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this year. The offensive line is so bad, Garcia might as well run the ‘swinging gate’ as an offensive formation.
JaMarcus Russell signed the richest rookie contract in NFL history last night with the Raiders. ESPN reported that before this past weekend, the last time the two sides had serious negotiations was August 20. Nothing says a team has its priorities straight like taking a three-week break from negotiating with the No. 1 pick in the NFL draft. I mean, the team was only 2-14 last year and threw a total of seven touchdowns. Seven.
It’s stuff like this that makes me think Al Davis is rolling over in his grave right now.
Wait, he’s still alive?
Buffalo Bills backup tight end Kevin Everett suffered a serious spinal injury in a game against Denver on Sunday. Doctors announced he will probably never walk again.
Sports provides so much enjoyment to so many people that it is devastating when the game takes almost everything away from an athlete. Especially when you consider that Everett’s last play involved pretty textbook– form for a tackle. Football can be a brutal game, and if anything, the league will learn from this and look into taking more steps to ensure player safety.
TBP’s thoughts and prayers go out to him and his family.
