My first game was at the Oakland Coliseum in late 1998. A cold rainy, crappy day way up high in the nosebleed seats. I can’t remember much about that day, it was deserted in the stands and the Raiders got shut out by Dan Marino’s Dolphins. It was a discouraging and painful day with 6 interceptions by Miami. The Raiders were dismal and I forgot about football for years.
The next time I watched football was at the local movie theater. We got a pitcher of beer and watched the Raiders on the big screen in Super Bowl XXXVII against the Buccaneers. Needless to say, I left that day dismayed, feeling like Oakland could never catch a break, why bother…
Many years went by. Then one day in 2009 visiting the in-laws in Ohio I noticed that Oakland was on TV, against the Bengals. I felt that the Raiders were sure to lose, but against all odds, they won! Suddenly I felt a taste of victory and I decided that I needed to start rooting for the Raiders.
Fast forward to 2010, home game against the hated Chiefs.. Sellout crowd at the Coliseum was electric and the vibe was explosive, unlike anything I’ve ever experienced before. Every KC possession was greeted with roars of rage, demoralizing them and weakening their spirits. The game was neck and neck, a very even match up. When the Seabass kick won it in overtime, the place almost exploded, Raider chants echoed for ages afterward, it was a victory that filled my brain for weeks.
Winning in the NFL seems almost like a drug and after that game I think I will forever be an addict…