Oakland Raiders Need Faith, Family, Football, Forgive, Forge Forward

(Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)

Richard Seymour said it first: Faith, Family, Football. That's a good list.

This morning I thought, "Let's use alliteration and add to the list: Faith, Family, Football, Forgive, Forge Forward."

Energy needs to be released. What type? All types.

At his first press conference with the Oakland Raiders, Seymour was wise enough to make his beliefs and priorities made public. That's a good thing.

Others should try doing the same, because it looks like Seymour is emerging as a leader in his squad.

In order to release the positive energy we need from henceforth, we need to go through the most secret places in our memory bank and closets, pull out the skeletons who once had flesh on their bones, and ask for forgiveness.

It certainly won't hurt to try something new.

Just in case you don't trust the process, then come up with your own method, but get the purging done, right now.

We don't want anyone on our Raider Nation ship to cause a hindrance or storm. So, if you don't belong with us, jump ship, or let some of our captains or pirates, dump you off so we can reach our destination, and you can reach yours which may be different.

Our destination is victory. Our conversation is to pump up the team. Our priorities are made public, just as Seymour made his public: Faith, Family, Football.

We have learned that "Faith is the substance of things hoped for, and the evidence of things not seen."

We know that much has been accomplished through the exercise of faith.

We know that family is first. We will embrace our loved ones with positive affirmations, and we will continue to love and adore them. We will forgive and exhort them. We will ask for forgiveness if we have unknowingly hurt them.

Then, there is the game of NFL football which is a microcosm of the game of life. We will forge forward (for we are now free to do so since we have purged and disciplined ourselves), and we will grab, hold on and squeeze victory.

And as one of our Bleacher writers proclaim: Let it be written, Let it be done.

Finally, I exercised a show of faith on yesterday when I drove 180 miles round trip to leave a message and three Bleacher Report articles on the Oakland Raiders. And, after I returned home safely, my loved ones in Cleveland, Ohio, said they saw two beautiful rainbows, one bright and strong, and the other more faint.

What did it mean to me? A covenant. A promise fulfilled.

Why do I think so? It is because of our faith: it is our hope, our evidence.

Have a wonderful and powerful day, Raider Nation.

BUCKLE UP YOUR CHINSTRAPS, RAIDER NATION.

Again, BUCKLE UP YOUR CHINSTRAPS.

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