An open letter to Raider Nation

By Os Davis  |   Tuesday, May 13, 2008  |  Comments( 51 )

Oakland Raiders
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Dear Raider Nation,

Because there’s a bit of a lull in the offseason “action” while surely all you silver-and-black supporters are still paying attention to everything Raider-related, it’s time for a confession from this writer:

I love Raider Nation!

Seriously. Now wait a second before you start whipping up a response punctuated with the symbols at the top of the keyboard, hear out the "Os Hole" on this one.

First of all, there’s the club itself. You can’t possibly be a proper Raider Hater unless 1) you’re a dyed-in-the-wool fan of the Broncos, Chargers, Chiefs or possibly the Seahawks if you date that far back, or 2) you hate football. Your guys are one of the, what, four franchises that immediately spring to mind with mention of the term “professional football history.” I’d put the Raiders in there with the Green Bay Packers, Dallas Cowboys and maybe the Pittsburgh Steelers. And take a look at that list again: Your Raiders are the only AFL franchise of the lot.

So the storied glory of the Raiders now and probably forever is based on what? The famous “OK we cheat” line and the bad-boy reputation? Dudes, that was the '70s. The quoted is now a venerated commentator and video-game pimp far removed from the Bill Belichick-like hatred he once inspired throughout the league. The quotees certainly haven’t taken on the aura of borderline criminal play in the 21st century. (Unless by “borderline criminal,” you mean “recent borderline criminal neglect of the offensive line.”)

So then, the Raider mystique is all about…? Three titles, the last won in 1984 in freaking Los Angeles? Four partial seasons’ worth of Bo Jackson? Fading memories of Kenny Stabler? The “Just Win, Baby” mantra?

Nah. Tell you what: I sincerely believe that much of the Raider fascination – and all NFL fans are fascinated with the Raiders in one way or another most of the time – is founded in you all, the fans, quite possibly the ones who created the whole “Nation” thing Red Sox backers and others have shamelessly adopted since.

Or, as talking-bust Madden himself might put it, “That Raider Nation is a heck of a 12th man.”

Really. No sarcasm, no irony, honestly.

With your undying, generally cynicism-free belief in your team – come on, a bunch of y’all have been weekly reminding RealFootball365.com that the silver and black are certain to appear in Super Bowl XLIII when you should realistically be happy with an 8-8 in ’08 – the Raider Nation is America’s one version of British soccer worshipers, but in a good way. It’s like a college cheering section, but with a more mature viewpoint.

And gear like this is simply awesome.

We love how passionate you guys are. We love how you comb RealFootball365.com for the errors and perceived weak arguments.

A short time ago, comments were disabled on RealFootball365.com while the site was undergoing update. What did this writer miss most? From Raider Nation, that’s easy: The insightful commentary, the humorous fact spouting, and the abuse.

Mostly the abuse.

Nothing makes me “lol” more frequently than the stuff you guys dish out to me. We’re talking stuff like:

Paul: “What do you expect from Os Hole? Did you see his Lame A$$ posts on draft day?”

The Shape: “Hey, @ss Davis, what’s your problem, why are you hating on Raider Nation?”

The Franchise: “Os what gives? Another article from you in the same week? Your limit is 1, but we all prefer 0.”

Incidentally, I forget who originally dubbed this writer the "Os Hole," but may I finally thank you? I’ve never laughed at myself so hard in my line, and I’ve gotten many a laugh in telling folks that one.

Just one question, Raider Nation: Why do you see our stuff as hating? Because this ain’t a Raider fan Web site, we writers are called upon to be “objective.” Now, defining whatever that semantically incorrect word means aside, it surely implies that a heavy dollop of skepticism need be applied in my work to any NFLers, particularly a team that’s racked up a 19-61 record over the past five seasons.

You’re in love, so you can’t see the flaws, but sometimes we do. Like when, super stud availability aside, you draft for flash over need. Like when you overpay known slackers and ne’er-do-wells. Like when your owner ignores his very promising young head coach; Al Davis probably hasn’t given Lane Kiffin the time of day since Week 1 last year.

You can’t see the flaws, and why should you? You shouldn’t let an "Os Hole"interfere with the Black Hole’s pull, absolutely not: True fandom is priceless.

Keep up the good work, Raider Nation. And stay tuned: Maybe tomorrow you can rip me a new "Os Hole" on the O-line.

Yours sincerely,

Os Davis

Respecting 32 ‘Nations throughout the year at RealFootball365.com
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About Os Davis

Os Davis has taken a twisted route to get to RealFootball365.com in his nearly 17 years in professional writing, working in any number of capacities in the sportswriting, news reporting and film criticism worlds. In print media, Os has served as editor at a few publications, including Albuquerque's...
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CommentsComments: 51  |  Sign Up  View all comments
No.1
SILVERANDBLACK4LIFE		02:01 AM
05/13/2008
Jury is still out on whether or not the Raiders overpayed "known slackers and ne'er-do-wells." The Raiders have a long history...
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No.2
RaiderSensation		02:26 AM
05/13/2008
Os, I think you have the Raider Nation confused with Jets fans. We are not blinded by loyalty, we see things for what they are....
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No.3
02:38 AM
05/13/2008
I think you are totally right on at least one point. The Raider Nation is the first and only "Nation" and all others who try and...
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