Oakland Raiders: Declaration of Faith

In the last few months, a number of articles and a number of people have questioned who, what and why people flock to the Raider Nation.

As it is, for some it is sunk into their blood, a generational thing. I've heard that for some it is now into its third generation. I'm responsible for at least two second generation kids growing up with this team.

Some simply enjoy the underdog. You might say that stage came into effect about the time Tom Flores left LA and we'd been hunting for a coach. Art helped, but once Art was gone we had to wait for Gruden—and now, we are hoping Kiffin is the next heir to the throne.

Some are fans of the dark side of life. They embrace it for different reasons. Location, the fun of togetherness, the camaraderie, the friends, a way to blow off steam.

If you are a member of the Raider Nation and have ever been to a game, you know what i'm talking about. It's one big party. Even more of a point, some fans actually show up for a Sunday home game early Friday, just to prepare for the weekend.

There is one question that gets asked, repeated, and like a good rumor, embellished. What if the Raiders are losing? What about Al Davis? What about—?

That's just it. One thing that separates Raider fans from others is loyalty. One local store I shop at, the owner is a bronco fan, a pleasant guy, and had to shake his head one time. I asked him what was wrong.

He said he couldn't understand it. His team went 7-9. He stocked up on Bronco items—and got stuck witih about 75,000 dollars worth of merchandise.

On the opposite end, he ordered in about 10,000 dollars worth of Raiders stuff. And to date, about 90 percent of it is gone, even though the Raiders went 4-12.

Probably the statement that explains it best is when the Bronco fan is glad, the Raider base is faithful. That's gotta hurt in Bronco territory.

Don't get me wrong. We love it when the Raiders win. Sure, we've had tough years. We celebrate when we win, and sometimes, get pretty gloomy after losses. Different fans might take it up different ways. Me, I throw darts. Overhand. And I have a lot of cards, of different teams.

My aim is improving.

So I simply tell people, if they haven't seen me with my cap, or driving my car, or seen the house, I am a member of the Raider Nation.

Like every family, some will complain about different things. But deep down, we are all family. From Aunt Esther, to Uncle Charlie, from Dave and John at the Raider Cast, to Griz Jones, the Godfather.

From JayCee a continent away, to Amanda, AKA Black Widow. And from the Gorillarilla, to Sidewinder, two of the hardest working fans. These make up my brothers, sisters, friends, and family.

You can say what you will about the Raiders. We will continue to support them thick or thin, as you would support your own team.

But remember, if there's ever an empty feeling, or feeling like your faith is weak, you can join us. You won't go to hell.

But you might have fun.

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