My Second Raider game − 10 December, 2000
My first Raider game didn't go too well, but I was happy that I got a chance to see the Silver and Black play with my own eyes.
This story is about the Raiders game in 2000, in which they clinched the AFC West division.
While working at Doubleclick.net in NYC I found a guy, Eric Barber, that was also a Raider fan. After we talked a few times and felt each other out with Raider trivia, we both decided we were true fans. We started looking into tickets on Ebay. We got tickets to the Raider versus Jets game - In Oakland! The whole thing was that both of us got to see the Raiders as a visiting team. We wanted to see the Raiders at a home game.
I made arrangements to fly to Oakland on Saturday. Eric made arrangements with Doubleclick to work in San Francisco on Friday. (That way Doubleclick paid for Eric's flight and hotel the whole weekend.)
I showed up on Saturday and he picked me up at the airport in his 'Doubleclick-paid' rental Camaro. :) We drove through San Francisco that day and got back to the hotel. I pulled out my Raider blanket (the same from my first Raider game story) and showed him. Unfortunately, Eric was allergic to dog hair. Oops. It got so bad that we actually went to the hospital on Sunday morning because he couldn't breathe but we didn't figure out till a day later.
Anyway, we hung out in San Francisco on Sunday, The game was a Sunday Night ESPN game, we even went to Raider Image (A Raider store in Oakland). When we drove to the Coliseum it was like mecca for us. We parked the car and hung out in the parking lot. Most people think Raider fans are idiots and hoolighans. Of course, if you walk in the parking lot wearing a Chiefs, or Broncos uniform you'll get hassled, but no one is going to beat you up. Raider fans just like to taunt and scare the yuppies and past incidents in LA have given them a bad name.
That day, Eric and I stopped at random cars and trucks and struck up conversation with a ton of people. We even played football with a bunch of various people. I met so many friends that day. When they found out we came all the way from NYC just to see our first Raider home game they adopted us and treated us so well.
We went to the pro-shop and I bought a ton more stuff that was stadium specific. We got to our seats and saw Wayne Chrebet warming up. I walked up to the railing at the bottom of the seats and screamed, "Hey Wayne, I came all the way from NYC to see you get your ass stomped tonight!" He shook his head and smiled, then dropped his next pass. It was awesome! :)
People started filling in around us and it was just like the parking lot. People were telling us stories about other games and helping us out with stadium customs and stuff. Then, as darkness fell, we heard ACDC, the announcing of the lineup began. The stadium was crazy, I never heard something so loud. Eric and I and the entire stadium watched the entire game standing up from that point on. I saw Tim Brown catch passes from Gannon. I saw Eric Allen run an interception back for a touchdown. I also saw the Raiders defense hold Curtis Martin, who gained 203 yards the previous week against Indianapolis, carry 17 times and gain 11 yards rushing for the entire game. I also saw the Raiders improve to 11-3 and clinch their first playoff berth and AFC West title since returning to Oakland in 1995
After the game, we got our AFC WEST CHAMPION shirts from the pro shop and went back to the hotel. At the aiport the next day, I met a girl who was a Jet fan and was at a bar after the game and alot of Jets players were there. Ray Lucas was there trying to pick her up and when he went to the bathroom, some other Jet players said, "He's one of our QB's, he sucks so bad!"
I went back home and smiled the whole way. I saw Raider fans on the plane and we toasted the whole way home.
I sincerely thank all the Raider fans at that game for making us feel like we really belonged there. I've been to 3 Packer Games since living in Wisconsin, my Fiance is a Packer fan, and I can tell you that the hospitality among Oakland Raider fans runs circles around Packer fans. Don't get me wrong, they are nice to you, but it just didn't feel like a party. However, I'll give them the benefit of the doubt in that I have yet to go to a regular season Packer game.
This story is about the Raiders game in 2000, in which they clinched the AFC West division.
While working at Doubleclick.net in NYC I found a guy, Eric Barber, that was also a Raider fan. After we talked a few times and felt each other out with Raider trivia, we both decided we were true fans. We started looking into tickets on Ebay. We got tickets to the Raider versus Jets game - In Oakland! The whole thing was that both of us got to see the Raiders as a visiting team. We wanted to see the Raiders at a home game.
I made arrangements to fly to Oakland on Saturday. Eric made arrangements with Doubleclick to work in San Francisco on Friday. (That way Doubleclick paid for Eric's flight and hotel the whole weekend.)
I showed up on Saturday and he picked me up at the airport in his 'Doubleclick-paid' rental Camaro. :) We drove through San Francisco that day and got back to the hotel. I pulled out my Raider blanket (the same from my first Raider game story) and showed him. Unfortunately, Eric was allergic to dog hair. Oops. It got so bad that we actually went to the hospital on Sunday morning because he couldn't breathe but we didn't figure out till a day later.
Anyway, we hung out in San Francisco on Sunday, The game was a Sunday Night ESPN game, we even went to Raider Image (A Raider store in Oakland). When we drove to the Coliseum it was like mecca for us. We parked the car and hung out in the parking lot. Most people think Raider fans are idiots and hoolighans. Of course, if you walk in the parking lot wearing a Chiefs, or Broncos uniform you'll get hassled, but no one is going to beat you up. Raider fans just like to taunt and scare the yuppies and past incidents in LA have given them a bad name.
That day, Eric and I stopped at random cars and trucks and struck up conversation with a ton of people. We even played football with a bunch of various people. I met so many friends that day. When they found out we came all the way from NYC just to see our first Raider home game they adopted us and treated us so well.
We went to the pro-shop and I bought a ton more stuff that was stadium specific. We got to our seats and saw Wayne Chrebet warming up. I walked up to the railing at the bottom of the seats and screamed, "Hey Wayne, I came all the way from NYC to see you get your ass stomped tonight!" He shook his head and smiled, then dropped his next pass. It was awesome! :)
People started filling in around us and it was just like the parking lot. People were telling us stories about other games and helping us out with stadium customs and stuff. Then, as darkness fell, we heard ACDC, the announcing of the lineup began. The stadium was crazy, I never heard something so loud. Eric and I and the entire stadium watched the entire game standing up from that point on. I saw Tim Brown catch passes from Gannon. I saw Eric Allen run an interception back for a touchdown. I also saw the Raiders defense hold Curtis Martin, who gained 203 yards the previous week against Indianapolis, carry 17 times and gain 11 yards rushing for the entire game. I also saw the Raiders improve to 11-3 and clinch their first playoff berth and AFC West title since returning to Oakland in 1995
After the game, we got our AFC WEST CHAMPION shirts from the pro shop and went back to the hotel. At the aiport the next day, I met a girl who was a Jet fan and was at a bar after the game and alot of Jets players were there. Ray Lucas was there trying to pick her up and when he went to the bathroom, some other Jet players said, "He's one of our QB's, he sucks so bad!"
I went back home and smiled the whole way. I saw Raider fans on the plane and we toasted the whole way home.
I sincerely thank all the Raider fans at that game for making us feel like we really belonged there. I've been to 3 Packer Games since living in Wisconsin, my Fiance is a Packer fan, and I can tell you that the hospitality among Oakland Raider fans runs circles around Packer fans. Don't get me wrong, they are nice to you, but it just didn't feel like a party. However, I'll give them the benefit of the doubt in that I have yet to go to a regular season Packer game.
