Oakland Raiders: Keep Moving On...A Change Is Gonna Come

Damali Binta Yael's Pep Talk

You can read what you want and say what you want, but I love the story of the little Hebrew boy who killed the giant, Goliath. All the Hebrew boy had was a smooth stone, and an unseen power.

Goliath is a "type" of hindrance, struggle, bad media, or opponent. David is the one who is not perceived to be strong enough, or smart enough to defeat the enemy. David, too, in this article, is a "type."

In the story in the Good Book, it is clear that the naked eye only saw a man with five smooth stones. Those with a deeper way of seeing things, saw a man assisted by an unseen power.

My favorite team is the Oakland Raiders because when I was younger, I saw that the team was great in more than just football, but in giving a certain type of young man an opportunity to achieve and succeed.

I never forgot that special quality of the coaching staff and owner, Al Davis.

Here's my point. That same Good Book says something like this, "Cast your bread on the waters...it will return to you."

Al Davis and the Oakland Raiders have cast their bread on the waters. Davis and his coaches gave guys a chance that others shoved away, dumped on, and pushed in a pit like Joseph's brothers did to him.

Now the miracle (yes, I said, miracle) is that some of those guys are "praying" for the Raiders to come back up to the top of the NFL, just one more time before they leave this side.

Oh yeah, I am getting deep on you. I am not going to dilly-dally around this issue. Some of those old-timers are praying, pulling for the Raiders, to do it again, just one more time before they get transformed to another dimension.

Some of those old guys are like an "Elijah" waiting for a faithful "Elisha" so that he can pass on their power and gift to the younger generation. Who are those old guys?

You answer that by doing your research.

Huh, I've done mine and I can tell you right now, some of those guys are actually praying for the Oakland Raiders to keep moving on up, and they believe wholeheartedly (tamim—a Hebrew concept) that "a change is gonna come."

Some of those old guys knew that Al Davis and the Oakland Raiders gave them an opportunity to have some good days, in the midst of their bad days. They remember how their opportunity to play with the Oakland Raiders helped move them up and out of shotgun houses into marvelous homes when they were in their youth.

Yeah, some of those guys are still sitting around somewhere, maybe on a cart, in front of a store (or old metal building, or liquor store), but they are pulling for the Raiders, wholeheartedly with a "tamim" attitude, single-minded, and focused on just one thing in their sober and sane moments—just do it again, Al Davis.

Those old-timers are looking at their aged bodies, their broken dreams, and their mistakes and they are saying to you, me and the public:

Forgive us if our life after football ain't what you think it ought to be, but one thing we know, we are saying, Oakland Raiders, I believe a change is gonna come.

They are saying, "Do it for me, boys, before I set my foot in a six-foot grave. I forgive you and you forgive me, and let's just keep on moving up..."

I am going to tell it like it is. It may not be only the cheerleaders who are cheering the Raiders to victory. It may not be just you or me.

It may be some old guy, who was once celebrated as a hero on the playing field, who may have fallen short and stumbled during his youth, but who may be looking back over his life and saying, "Just let me see the Oakland Raiders, rise to the top, ONE MORE TIME, before I close my eyes."

You can say what you want, but sometimes, in this life, you need a little help with your one smooth stone, like the little Hebrew boy got help from an unseen power.

So, I am going to be a type like Samuel, and say to you, Is there another who you have not presented to me?

I am going to say, go get him and find him (that old man) and present his story to the young Oakland Raiders, so that they can be inspired to greatness, again.

Who is that old man who is praying and saying, "A change is gonna come?"

Whoever he is, I can feel him pulling for the Raider Nation, right now!

Afterthought: I had a most unusual experience on July 31, 2009. Here is the scenario. I know an old-timer who is pulling for Oakland. I envisioned him the morning of July 31. Then I met a young college football player who wants to play in the same position as the old man. The young man's name contains a set of letters. Here is my pattern recognition.

1. The old man's grandson's name has the letter "_yron."

2. The old man's nephew's name has the letter "_yron."

3. A pro sports writer who has been interested in writing about the old man has a name with letters "_yron."

4. On  Jul. 31, I actually met a young man who wants to play in the same position as the old man, and he has a name with the letters "_yron."

Now let me wrap this up, tight, by telling you that Al Davis, the Oakland Raiders, and the former Raiders (the old men) are a "type" of David in my story. The conclusion of this allegory is they are going to use one of their five smooth stones, throw it, and hit that uncircumcised "Goliath" right smack in his head....and then use his sword and decapitate him." Victory!

Q.E.D. (a type of "proof" is complete)

Ok. You can relax now and listen to Sam Cooke's "A Change Gonna Come." click here =)

Postlude:  Now read SR's article Committed to One Purpose