Oakland Raiders: A Response Column

Dave Metrick recently wrote an Oakland-Raiders-Dear-Raider-Fans-Your-Team-Sucks-">article about his distaste for the Oakland Raiders.

Dave is usually a pretty insightful writer, but he failed to offer much intelligence in backing up his reasoning this time.

I'm a Patriots fan, but I know how to give credit where it's due. The Oakland Raiders have a superb franchise.

It's a matter of circumstance that they've suffered from a poor record over the last few years. Coaches have been hired that didn't know what they were doing, and Al Davis has been in "quick-fix" mode, rather than looking at the big picture.

Lucky for Raider Nation, that changed last year when he hired Lane Kiffin. This guy is a young, smart mind that is going to mold this team over the next decade and bring it back to its glory days.

JaMarcus Russell was only the beginning. I'm sure that they will make a great pick in this year's draft, and the system that Kiffin is going to implement will become more and more evident as time goes on.

As far as Raider fans go (Dave mentioned his distaste for Oakland's fans as well)...just because they go out of their way to show their allegiance in a different manner, doesn't say anything about them as people. Raider fans are exactly what a sports fan should be... inspired.

They're inspired to follow their team, through thick and thin. They're inspired and optimistic about their team’s chances at the beginning of every season. They're inspired about showing their fan-hood to the world with the utmost passion.

What's wrong with that?

If you feel the need to offer Bleacher Report an article about how much you despise a franchise, a fanbase, a coach, an owner, or anything of the like... please do so with some kind of intelligence, and show us that you know what you're talking about. Give the people something to consider, so that they can offer a reason to disagree.

Now, to talk about football a little...I'd like to mention that the Patriots and the Raiders have a rivalry which is only beginning. Oakland hasn't had much of a chance to get back at New England since the "Snow Bowl"... the game in which the "Tuck Rule" was invoked and gave the Patriots a chance to win the game.

I think it's safe to say that the Patriots will be an elite organization in the AFC for years to come, and Oakland is well on their way. We could be in for a real treat in the second decade of the 21st Century. As more teams continue to cement their places in football history, potential classics will begin to occur week-in and week-out every season.

I don't know about you all, but I LOVE FOOTBALL!!! ...and I don't care which team you cheer for, or how your team is doing. We are blessed and privileged to have such entertainment to look forward to.

Cheers Bleacher Report.