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CAITLIN CLARK GAME-WINNER ๐Ÿ”ฅ

Are the Oakland Raiders Good Enough for My Son?

Jason HerresMay 29, 2009

For most Americans, December 7 is a day which will live in infamy.ย  For me, it is no differentโ€”the year was 1981.ย  My dad came home from work one Friday and said โ€œIโ€™m finally taking you to your first NFL game on Monday.โ€ย  โ€œThe Raiders? Versus the Steelers!?!โ€ I said.ย  โ€œYes,โ€ came the answer.

My head exploded.ย  As an 11 year old, a pro football gameโ€”Monday Night Football no less, on a schoolnightโ€”was like a birthday, Christmas, and the last day of school all at once.

The first thing I saw when I ran up, grabbed the railing and looked down on the field was a 40 yard Bradshaw pass intercepted by Lester Hayes (I think he caught it with his elbow and a little stickum) After watching the Raiders win 30-27 in overtime, I began to bleed silver and black, and still do to this day.

I had already been an acolyte of the Raiders, and had a pennant from the โ€˜80 Super Bowl, but this was my Raid-mitzvahโ€”the day I became a man.ย 

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As I sit here nearly 20 years later, and prepare to take my son to his first NFL game, I find myself asking many questions:

Do I gently make sure heโ€™s a Raiders fan? ย Give him wistful glances everytime we pass my Raiders authentic jersey?ย ย Squeeze his hand when the highlights are on ESPN?

Or do I let him choose his own NFL team? ย Could I stomach it if he chose the Broncos or Chiefs? Or worseโ€”the Niners?ย 

As a parent, we constantly evaluate our kidsโ€™ friends, their meals, their toys, clothes, and activities.ย  Why do we do that?ย  We want them to grow up with the best of everything.ย  So, should I bring that same commitment to excellence to his choices of fandom?ย ย  If soโ€”hereโ€™s how it would look:

The Raiders have a good history, three super bowl victories (in five appearances), 13 Hall of famers, and a rabidly loyal fanbase.ย ย  Few teams can claim as much.ย 

Could I let him be a Steelers fan? Their last two Super Bowls were sketchy at best.ย  He could end up in jail.

Could I let him be a Patriots fan? Theyโ€™ve admitted cheating.ย  Would he apply their ethics to his tests at school?

Could I let him be a Lions fan?ย  Just kidding.

Could I handle him being a Seahawks fan? Maybe, but it appears to be a lifetime of pain.ย  No one wants to see their child suffer.ย  In the rain. All day. Every day.

The question comes down toโ€”which team is worthy of my sonโ€™s love and dedication?

Whichever team it is, heโ€™ll have to defend them, take abuse for them, and share in their victories.ย  Itโ€™s a big choiceโ€”and the question isโ€”do I leave it up to him?ย 

My father left it up to meโ€”largely because he wasnโ€™t a big football fan, but wanted me to have the choice.ย ย Howย do I keep from influencing my kid toward fulfilling my dream of watching my team with my boy next to me.ย 

Or is this one of those dang-blasted โ€œdo the right thingโ€ things, where I let him make his own choice, fall down and skin his own knee, and see what color the blood is?ย 

CAITLIN CLARK GAME-WINNER ๐Ÿ”ฅ

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