From reading reactions to my last column about rivalries, it is clear that most football fans don’t realize the extent of the San Francisco 49er and Oakland Raider rivalry.
Now, I'm not saying that it is the most high-profile rivalry in the NFL, or even close to it—but I'd like to shed some light on the under-the-radar bitterness between the two teams.
As with most great rivalries, there is unfathomable love for one team and absolute loathing for the other. It doesn't help that fans for both squads live in close proximity to one another in the breathtaking Bay Area of Northern California.
And by close, I mean Oakland is a mere 12 miles across the Bay Bridge from San Francisco.
Yet even closer are the friends and neighbors (heck, the wives and husbands!) whose allegiances are split. While it's true that you're more likely to find clumps of Raider fans in East Bay towns like Richmond, Danville, and Vallejo, there are just as many diehard fans supporting the Maroon and Gold in the North and South bay, like in San Mateo, Palo Alto, and Santa Clara.
Some areas, though, mixed loyalties, and here is where you find a majority of the heated rivalries. Take San Jose, for instance. Located in the South Bay (so, geographically speaking, 49er territory), San Jose is home to a plethora of proud Raider fans.
The 49ers are currently in the progress of building a new stadium in Santa Clara. While suggestions for a name change have been floated, I couldn’t help but laugh at the idea of the “Silicon Valley 49ers.”
Ladies and Gentlemen, we now have the nerds of the NFL.
One hardly ever sees Niner jerseys (especially in the era after Rice, Young, and Montana) on fans outside of Monster Park—but Raiders tops are easy to spot.
Still, both teams share a similarity: The fans have an unwavering loyalty to their team despite disappointing seasons.
Both Bay Area teams failed to make the playoffs this season, but the true supporters in Northern California never leave their teams behind.
Locals joke that you don’t want to be in Oakland when they lose; Raider fans storm the streets, looking for cars to smash and mayhem to cause.
You don’t want to be in Oakland when the team wins either, because fans are wont to smash beer bottles in celebration.
While this Bay Area rivalry may not get the national attention or credit it deserves, the fans on both sides do their part to ensure bitter loathing for each respective team.
Many outsiders would argue that the teams don’t even play in the same conferences (AFC West for Oakland; NFC West for San Francisco), so the rivarly couldn’t possibly be as fierce as the between other NFL teams.
But the lack of games between the two squads ensures a big turnout when they finally do play each other. The built-up tension can end in a banner win or embarrassing loss on either side.
The Raiders lead the series 6-5. The rivalry stems from 1970, when the SF Niners dominated the turf to clinch the NFC West Title (their first).
Super Bowl XXXVII in 2003 was a big deal for Northern California football fans. It had been eight years since a Bay Area team was in the big game (SF in 1995, who beat the Chargers)—and both Niner and Raider fans were geared up for kickoff.
I was at a watching party in Santa Clara, with a considerable number of San Francisco and Oakland fans. The San Francisco fans wanted nothing more than for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to slaughter the Raiders.
At one point, I asked the Niners fans in the room why they didn’t want to root for the Raiders. After all, I said, “It’s all in the Bay Area anyway…”
Dead silence, a couple eye-rolls, and snickers were the quick reply.
The Niners fans were so passionate about the Raiders losing that they would have rooted for any other team in the Super Bowl—the Seahawks, the Cowboys, the Rams, anyone.
If you want to make peace with fans in the Bay Area, try some sport other than football. The San Francisco Giants and Oakland Athletics don't share a notably heated rivalry, and the whole Bay can bask in the glory of the Golden State Warriors.
I passed a memorable bus stop advertisement a few years ago. It read, “No Nation is strong enough to defeat the Faithful.”
If that doesn’t scream "RIVALRY!"...I don’t know what else would.
24 comments Last one added 21 days ago — Leave a Comment
Anonymous about 1 year ago
You make me laugh. Raiders fans are morons and their toughguy 'image' is overblown. Ever been to a 49ers/raiders game at the 'Stick? You will see some of these Raider Nation clowns pout in their seats and get bottles thrown at them for their disrespectful and ill-timed rants against the Niners. Niner fans are mostly die-hard. More than I can say for the Raiders. That's why they black out games EVERY year.
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Anonymous about 1 year ago
San Mateo and Palo Alto are not the South Bay. That's the Peninsula. Niners territory is the North Bay, Peninsula, and South Bay. Raiders territory is in all the undesirable parts of the East Bay.
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Bryan Goldberg about 1 year ago
Is it just me, or did the term Peninsula come about in order to better separate the really nice parts of the Bay Area (Woodside, Menlo Park, Los Altos, Palo Alto, etc.) from all of the people who live in those cheap houses that "only" cost $1,000,000 in and about San Jose.
As far as your point goes, the same yuppies who drive BMW 330's and go to Sharks games without knowing how Icing works... they are Niner fans. Which is fine. Since I'm a Niner fan.
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Anonymous about 1 year ago
then why are the niners moving if they sell out everygame????? i guess they are not diehard fans in san francisco they dont want to even built a new stadium HAHAHA
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Anonymous about 1 year ago
Not only are the Raider fans in the East Bay, they are World Wide!!!!!!!
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Anonymous about 1 year ago
SAN JOSE 49er country? Wrong again FOO! This is huge A RAIDER SET / HOOD. First of all we DWARF FRISCO all by ourselves as the 10th Largest city in AMERICA and bow down to NO ONE! WE are our own territory and it does not take long here to recognize. San HO is old school Raider loyalty and we remember when they, the 9 Girls, could not win a game in the 7O's and before, and San Jose was all Raider loyalty and it still is. Yeah you have some New Jack 9er band wagon fans. But Paint the South Bay and San HO Silver and Black BABY. ( Oh yes and Jim Plunket is from our neck of the woods.) WE ARE DOWN WITH AND CLAIM SILVER AND BLACK. AND WE HOPE YOU DON"T LIKE THAT!!
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Anonymous about 1 year ago
you are an idiot.
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Anonymous about 1 year ago
bunch of annonymous drivel.
"you will see raider fans get bottles thrown at them"
Don't you mean you will see some limp-wristed bottle-lobs at raider fans?
Hopefully you wiped the chit off of the bottles first.
And how is that a dig on raider fans anyway, that frisco fans throw bottles at them at the game for yelling at the team?
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Doc Lew about 1 year ago
Did this guy just say that the A's and Giants aren't rivals??? Wow. talk about being ill informed. You won't see any self respecting A's fan rooting for the West Coast Cubs.
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Anonymous about 1 year ago
one, it's not a guy. and two, she said NOTABLE rivalries. there are many people who like BOTH the a's and giant's.. it's not like other teams when you like either/or.
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Anonymous about 1 year ago
A quote from your article, "you don’t want to be in Oakland when they lose; Raider fans storm the streets, angry, and looking for cars to smash and mayhem to cause. You don’t want to be in Oakland when the team wins either, for fans smash beer bottles and break things in happy celebration"
I've been a Raiders season ticket holder since 1981, and I've never seen anyone smashing cars in Oakland, either after a win or a loss. However, I do remember seeing on television after the 49ers won their first superbowl in 1980......49er fans were shown in the North Beach area of SF, on Broadway, overturning cars WITH PEOPLE IN THEM. Innocent people minding their own business, just driving down the street, having their cars overturned by this "mob". You're probably not old enough to remember that, but I sure do. They were also setting parked cars on fire.
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Tori Willis about 1 year ago
steelers won in 80. raiders won after that, niners won after that.
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Anonymous about 1 year ago
your all pretty dumb, raiders do have a large criminal following, but thats only because our colors are so bad ass and cool so sometimes you get that loser "dude" or "ese" or "gee" that is just a complete ignorant idiot and never in his life appreciated the true competetive nature and life lessons that can be learned from sports much less some of these idiots never even played sports as kids witch can be attributed to their criminal behavior now, yes im a RAIDER fan born and raised in the heart of south central L.A. in 1979 I grew up going to see my RAIDERS at the coloseum, there were idiots then and there are idiots now, who cares im done onthe subject of idiot raider fans besides last i saw games on sunday my Raiders arent the only team with a bunch of thug looking fans who look like they just paroled!
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Richard Irby about 1 year ago
If you polled Raider Fans I am sure there are alot of them that would say that they hated the 49ers, most would. But don't fool yourself, when it comes to Raiders fans it is still about winning football games and we don't play the 49ers enough for them to be true rivals. I believe more of the Raider Nation would pick Denver, San Diego or KC as a true rival. Heck I have more distain for the Seahawks because they used to be in our division. Bragging rights around the Bay are nice but it isn't the bottom line.
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John Fennelly about 1 year ago
In the 80's, the 49ers were the team of choice for the frontrunners. People wore Niner hats, jerseys, et al in every city in America. They did the same for the Jordan Bulls. That fad dried up when Montana and Rice left and the team hit skid row a few years later.
The Raiders have always had fans across the country. For all types of reasons. They wore black. They represented the outsiders, the renegades, the rebels. Now every team has a black jersey (including the Kansas City Royals!) so those days of making a statement are also gone., but those fans are not.
In addition, when it comes to criminals, the Bengals are the team of choice these days anyway!!
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Anonymous about 1 year ago
To bad the raiders suck and the niners have 5 superbowls and are undefeated in them while the raiders have lost 2. and all of our hall of famers especially Rice Young Montana Lott will wipe the floor with raiders hall of famers.
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Anonymous about 1 year ago
dats why the niners have beat the raiders 2 times in a row in the last 8 years. a raiders fans they love to talk shit because their team has alway been second class the greatest fanchise in nfl 5 SB no losses and the greatest QB,WR, DB to ever play the game not to mention the greatest coach of all time.
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Bald Raider about 1 year ago
Anonymous 49er fan said, "To bad the raiders suck and the niners have 5 superbowls and are undefeated in them while the raiders have lost 2"
To that I comment.......the 49ers have found the sure-fire, guaranteed way to insure that they stay undefeated in Superbowls. They don't play in any. If you never play in them anymore, you can't lose one.
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Anonymous about 1 year ago
the 1st comment was a load of cr*p because you cant take bottles into the stadium.. The Coliseum or The Stick. the guy who wrote it was an obvious geek.
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Anonymous about 1 year ago
Your a Dumb@ss obviously, none of the games last year were BLACKED OUT...They were all televised one way or another...have you been to a game lately??? at the D!ckStick or in Oakland??? Your team fans have been out numbered the last two years at both Stadiums, regular and pre-season...you must have had the bottle thrown at you..for not knowing your facts....Just like the Raiders Have more wins over the 49ers no matter which way you look at it...pre-season...regular season.....the only thing a 49er whinner can gloat on is in the past OVER A DECADE AGO!!! all but one of their wins were in
the 80's, one in the 90's...if you want to go on about the PAST who was the most winningest team to date?.....THE OAKLAND RAIDERS...the only real wins the 40WHINNERS had Were in the 80"s....as of lately both teams suck, but who's going to come out next year???TOP DOLLAR say's the 49ers aren't!
'
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Anonymous about 1 year ago
Where do all the 49ers go for their GOLDEN YEARS.... to the RAIDERS...
Jerry Rice-Raiders
Roger Craig-Raiders
Ronnie Lott-Raiders
Jeremy Newberry.....Need I go on...there are many others.....
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Aaron Abke 21 days ago
Thats because Al Davis offers monster contracts to all the washed up 49er veterans who helped us win 5 shiny Championship trophies, because he wishes he WAS us. Instead you guys just use our almost-retired hall of fame players to get to a 4-12 record. Feel great about that Raider fans. Your team is a joke
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Anonymous about 1 year ago
For all those 49er idiot fans(mainly the one a few lines above)....the Raiders have been around 13 years less than the 49ers....Raiders came out in 1963..the 49ers 1950 but to that idiot above who say's the WHINNERS have 2 more wins over th Raiders CHECK YOUR HISTORY B!TCH...Raiders have more wins over any team...even with this decades losses...they still are the most winningest team...
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Aaron Abke 21 days ago
Raider fans have to be the biggest joke of all NFL fans. The only reason there's 'a Raider nation' anywhere in California is because theirs so many beaners in San Jose its ridiculous. Most Raider fans don't even know much about football, and God knows their not fans because they love watching their team win. The raiders have lost 11+ games in 6 straight seasons now, thats the first team to ever be that horrible. Al Davis can't draft a good player to save his life. The Raiders aren't a football team, their a gang of illegal immagrents who buy Raider jersey's so they can feel like badasses. Raider fans are the joke of the NFL, their the most hated franchise in Football aside from the Cowboys. And the Raiders will never, NEVER have more Championships than the 49ers, or more hall of fame players. They will always be stuck living in our shadow, wishing they were the Red and Gold
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