Oakland Raiders: A Superior State Of Mind

This message is addressed to any man who puts on the silver and black.

I'm not sure anyone from the organization will ever fix their eyes on these words, but the faint hope is that by chance, this message gets to at least one of you and catches on like a fire across the Tundra.

You've sat through old reels of the glory days, you've heard old guys talk about how things were back in the day and every hallway adorns a famous quote that speaks of excellence, but you don't buy in.

Your guard is up; something is different and there is an unusual feeling about the air. It may have to do with the number of sheets of your contract or the lack of numbers at the end.

You find yourself having mixed feelings, but you're still excited that you made it! On the other hand, you have been bombarded with statistics on the average length career of a football player. A lawyer is telling you that you need to watch out for yourself and the league is full of career advice.

I like you put my pants on before I put on my shoes. I like that you take pride in my work. I like that you understand the meaning of team work and how success is accomplished through the very same things that got you here.

I don't let a boss get me down. In fact, I use it for motivation to do better.

Again, for some reason, you've allowed your mind to be polluted with negative thoughts about the business side of the game. Remember the fun you had as a kid, then the competitiveness throughout adolescence and then the dominance in the big games?

You are a rare talent who is physically gifted and extremely intelligent for getting yourself in this envious position of doing what you love. You deservedly receive all the accolades you could ever want, but remain humble and hungry.

Be true to yourself, don't hold back and allow the burden of regret fill your void. Look around because you're not alone; there are 52 other people with similar obstacles that need to get overcome. Respect them and stand by them, unwavering in the face of adversary.

Never mind the negative writings and statements the media says about you and your new home. They are irrelevant to your success and will be casting bets on your demise.

Your home is a noble one; you have joined the motley crew of the silver and black. It is time the baton is passed on to you. Represent it well as the many greats before you have.

It's true that a team is measured by its championships and legacy. A total of four championships have been won (1AFL/3NFL) over your career. Your house has seen 21 playoff seasons, 15 Division Championships and four Conference Championships, all of which fueled the global fan base around the world.

During its 50 year-tenure, it has amassed a reputation for being unconventional and unruly. It has a reputation for being extremely physical to the point of being called criminal. It is made up of misfits who the national media deemed not worthy of a football jersey.

They had a couple things going for them. Owner and GM Al Davis has been seen as a maverick, an innovator, and someone who was color blind and only saw football players. 

He was an owner who stood up in defiance of the whole league for what he thought was best for his team and his players. He developed a group of players who merely bought into the philosophy of wining isn't everything... it's the only thing.

The Art of War by Sun Tzu says if you put your soldiers into situations they cannot run from, they will have a superior state of mind, giving them the advantage because they know there is no retreating. There are only the choices of victory or death.

The analogy relates to the field of battle and few houses own the Legacy left behind during epic battles fought on the grid iron as is the case with yours.

With nowhere to go but up, you find yourselves cornered and alone. Hold your head high, for you don't have the liberty to retreat and wait for another more favorable moment.

This is it; will you fight honorably or will you cower and give way to your enemies? It is better to regret the things you have done than the things you have not.

Give it your all and don't lie to yourself. Your people will see right through you. We hunger like you to win, but it's your burden and privilege to bring us back.

It is up to you now. Not next year, not after a new contract, but now.

What will you do? We are watching, our teeth are grinding in anticipation to your commitment and dedication.

One that will render you the best at your position and bring glory back to a glorious group of rebels who all have one thing in common: Passion, nonconforming and most importantly, the will to win!

Remember all the great warriors that came before you and the blood and sweat they shed for the colors you wear. Not to mention all the hard work to get here.

Set your sail so you can ride the wind made up of millions of hardcore fans who if they could, would be there right next to you bleeding. They still believe in the old ways of wining by having a superior state of mind, speed and the reckless physical abandonment that strikes fear in the opponents mind. 

There are 31 teams in the NFL and then there are the Raiders.