The Top 10 Reasons to be an Oakland Raiders Fan

The Oakland Raiders have struggled the past few years, but there are still many reasons to be a fan.
Some are more important than others, but all are valid reasons to cheer for the Silver and Black!

10. The Raiderettes

A friend of mine always yells "send in the cheerleaders" any time his team is playing poorly.
If you're going to send them in, I say send in the Raiderettes!

Our girls have always been beautiful, talented, and diverse, creating their own "commitment to excellence" over the years.

9. Great Nicknames

When it comes to great player nicknames, no team beats the Oakland Raiders.

"The Snake," "The Assassain," "The Mad Bomber," "The Stork," "The Ghost," "The Man from Mars," "The Weasel," "The Soul Patrol," "The Tooz," "Foo," "The Black Angus," and "Black Blood" are just some of the colorful nicknames of Raiders past.

8. Our Fellow Fans

To quote Bill Murray in Stripes, "I want to party with that guy!"

There is nothing better than being a part of a passionate, loyal, crazy fan base that is Raider Nation.

7. The Greatest Plays

When it comes to the greatest plays in NFL history, the Raiders seem to have been a part of many of them.
"The Holy Roller," "The Ghost to the Post," "The Sea of Hands," "The Snow Job," "The Heidi Game," and "The Immaculate Deception (Reception)" are but a few of the great moments in football history the Raiders have been a part of.

6. Great Rivalries

The Raiders have had long standing rivalries dating back to the AFL days with the Chiefs, Broncos, and Chargers (aka "Queefs," "Donkeys," and "Dolts").

The AFC West may have been down in recent years, but a resurgence seems imminent.

Regardless of records, though, these games are always hard fought and passionate.

5. Media Hatred

Anything Jay Mariotti dislikes, I'm proud to be a part of!

Jay and his ilk have had a personal problem with our Raiders for years.

Whatever the reason for the hatred on the media's part, it only serves as a catalyst in bringing Raider Nation together and making our bond even stronger.

4.The League Hates Us

When it comes to phantom penalties and misinterpretation of rules, it seems as if the Raiders get "tucked" more than any team in the league.

When, as they've done historically, the Raiders are able to defeat the officials as well as the opposition, it makes victory all that sweeter!

3. Championships

The Raiders have won three Lombardi trophies. While that's not the most in history, it's as many as the rest of our division have combined to win.

Raiders 3
Donkeys 2
Queefs 1
Super Chokers 0

2. Al Davis

With the passing of George Steinbrenner, there is no question who the most iconic owner in professional sports is.

Al Davis made football what is, and love him or hate him, he's what made this team into the one we follow today.

He is a true legend in the National Football League.

1. The Present and Future

With a solid draft, nice free-agent acquisitions, and an improved coaching staff, the present looks good and the future even brighter for the Oakland Raiders.

This team is loaded with young playmakers who should be the foundation of what makes the Raiders successful for years to come.

Not only has the talent level improved, this is also a team a fan can be proud for their work off the field as well.

Conclusion

I could have added many other reasons to be a Raiders fan, and I appreciate your comments of what I missed and what I got right.

One final note: The reason I didn't include Sea-Bass and Lechler is because, for the last few years, they've been two of the only bright spots. I still love them but just hope to see Sea-Bass kicking more extra points and only see Lechler come on the field to hold for those extra points!