I Became A Raider Fan − 25 January, 1981
Really, I wasn't serious about liking football until high school, but this is the day I became a Raider fan.
During the playoffs, My uncle's Keith and Paul would talk about the teams and they had their favorites in Dallas and Philadelphia. They hated the Raiders and since they were a wild-card team, my uncles never took them seriously.
I loved the colors Silver and Black, together. I liked Jim Plunkett and Cliff Branch, and that was pretty much all I knew of the team. They asked me who I thought would win and I said, "Raiders!" They all laughed and said that the Raiders wouldn't make it past San Diego with a backup Quarterback. They liked his improbable run but he was inexperienced as a playoff QB. All the typical armchair QB'ing that two ex-football players talk about and I find myself doing now that I'm older.
On Super Bowl Sunday, I watched as the Raiders completely dismantled the Ron Jaworski-led Eagles. I've been a fan ever since. My uncles never really talked about my prediction and I couldn't make them eat crow because I basically picked them because their colors were cool. (I was only 7 after all).
But I remember everyone in Pennsylvania that I knew hyping up the Eagles, it was Eagles this and Eagles that, everywhere you turned. I've always gone for the underdog and the Raiders were it. I started rooting for them and was happy again when they won their 3rd Super Bowl 3 seasons later. They were once again underdogs against a powerful Thiesman-led Redskins team. During that Super Bowl, I was spending time with my Aunt in Albany and I saw tons of Redskin and Raider fans flying to the game.
I could never root for any other team. I go to Packer pre-season games sometimes because my fiance loves them, but she knows who my team is. I now have a Raider tattoo in case she forgets.
During the playoffs, My uncle's Keith and Paul would talk about the teams and they had their favorites in Dallas and Philadelphia. They hated the Raiders and since they were a wild-card team, my uncles never took them seriously.
I loved the colors Silver and Black, together. I liked Jim Plunkett and Cliff Branch, and that was pretty much all I knew of the team. They asked me who I thought would win and I said, "Raiders!" They all laughed and said that the Raiders wouldn't make it past San Diego with a backup Quarterback. They liked his improbable run but he was inexperienced as a playoff QB. All the typical armchair QB'ing that two ex-football players talk about and I find myself doing now that I'm older.
On Super Bowl Sunday, I watched as the Raiders completely dismantled the Ron Jaworski-led Eagles. I've been a fan ever since. My uncles never really talked about my prediction and I couldn't make them eat crow because I basically picked them because their colors were cool. (I was only 7 after all).
But I remember everyone in Pennsylvania that I knew hyping up the Eagles, it was Eagles this and Eagles that, everywhere you turned. I've always gone for the underdog and the Raiders were it. I started rooting for them and was happy again when they won their 3rd Super Bowl 3 seasons later. They were once again underdogs against a powerful Thiesman-led Redskins team. During that Super Bowl, I was spending time with my Aunt in Albany and I saw tons of Redskin and Raider fans flying to the game.
I could never root for any other team. I go to Packer pre-season games sometimes because my fiance loves them, but she knows who my team is. I now have a Raider tattoo in case she forgets.
