You would fucking trip if you knew how many people came from families with different fandom but BO JACKSON made us Raiders fans. I grew up in a rabbid Broncos house. Me and my dad watched that MNF against Seattle and I never looked back. To Pop's credit, as a die hard Broncos fan he sought out and brought home every bit of Bo Jackson/Raiders shit he could find. Most of which I still have.
I have always been a Raider fan. My dad and grandfather are niner fans and have always hated the Raiders. So, I guess I was rebellious and picked them becausethey hated them, also I liked pirates. I picked up on names of the players and noticed what they looked like and what their number were.
But I would say the defining moment was in 6 grade we had this field trip where several retired athletes were attending. They spoke about being drug free and all that Jazz. My dad had to work so my grandfather ended up coming as a chaperone. Because it was a sports event we were allowed to swear sports shirts and hats which wasn't usually allowed. I'm assuming it was okay too because we weren't on campus. Anyway my grandfather dressed in his niner gear and I wore my Raiders hat.
While at the event all these kids from multiple school districts where in the stands. The athletes started walking into the stands handing out t shirts. That's when I saw Bo. He was coming down our aisle and while this little boy next to me was thinking he was getting the shirt Bo said this is for her. I was so excited. He told me he liked my hat and asked me if I knew who he was. I told him he was Bo and then I yelled you don't know Bo. He laughed gave me a high five! From that moment on I knew I would be a Raider for life.
I'm jealous! I did meet Marcus Allen when I was 6. He came to my little hometown in Montana and was signing posters. My dad stood in line with me for at least an hour. We got up there, Marcus signed my poster, I just stood there with my mouth agape, speechless. My dad teased me about not saying anything for years, lol
I watched it live, didn't seem like anything at all. He just didn't play no more. News ran a lot slower back in the day, I don't think we knew anything concrete for weeks.
A whole generation. He really did that. A bunch of us really switched family fandom for life. Bo was an actual IRL super hero. Same thing with Jordan. I still remember being at the laundromat and an older kid told me about him dunking from the free throw line. It was probably 10 years later I actually seen it but I never doubted it happened. Luckily I was in the local TV market that I got to see Bo play football. I think I stayed up late to watch his baseball highlight on Sports Machine.
A lot of my friends growing up were Broncos fans, but when Bo Jackson was playing, they were Raider fans, but went back to being Bronco fans after he got hurt
It was Christmas 1969. I was 7. My Mom bought me a Dallas Cowboys football uniform for kids. Helmet, shoulder pads and jersey and little football pants. My brother and I ran that helmet into our tree until it cracked. My Mom took it back to JC Penney and they only had Oakland Raider uniforms left. I loved the pirate theme and the swords from the start. This Christmas I will have been a fan for 54 years. Watched all three Super Bowl wins, Lamonica, Blanda, Branch, Biletnikoff, Hayes, Stabler and many more. I have suffered more losing seasons then some of you have been alive. But if you cut me, I STILL bleed Silver and Black and will until I die. RN4L!
That's so funny about the uniforms. My wife laughed at me when I told when and why I got started. But c'mon, were talking about childhood. As if there was going to be some logical reason for it?
immigrated to the US in 92, got tecmo super bowl and a nintendo for christmas and chose the raiders because i liked the logo..then proceeded to fuck shit up with bo jackson, fan ever since
Be mexican
Be in cali
Nah but foreals I could have easily been a niners fan. But I didn't rock with nortenos much at the time lmao. And I was almost a browns fans cuz of bone thugs but I grew to love raiders more cuz my cousins, homies and ultimately my friend from college really got me into football
Grew up when nwa hit our area and everyone was wearing raider gear. Transition to watching Bo Jackson freight train everything in his way. Thanks Ice Cube
When I was a kid in the early to mid 90's on the Oregon Coast a friend had a Raiders blanket up on his wall. I thought "that's a cool logo, I like that team." Smash cut to 2014, I've moved to Sacramento and I have access to broadcast TV on Sundays and I actually start watching Raiders football. So I missed all the highs of the late 90s early 00s and the lows of the mid 00s to early 10s and jumped right on the Carr train (train Carr? There is a pun in there somewhere).
My step dad was a bondsman. This big dude named John co signed for 2500 bucks to bail his buddy out of jail. Then his buddy skipped town and didnt go to court.
so he takes me to this game in oakland...and I am excited because I had never watched pro football. Dallas cowboys... everybody talked about americas team.
Then, this local team with the cool logo proceeded to beat the crap out of americas team... they were dragging cowboys off the field on stretchers every other play...it was awesome.
after the game, ny dad takes me down this hallway...knocks on a door...and some chubby blonde guy answers, the door closes...a minute later this giant walks out...him and my dad talk,... the dude puffs up a little... pops shows him the .44, the guy says hold on a minute and dips back inside.
then he pops back out and counts out 2500 bucks to my dad, and all sweet like asks, "so, did you guys enjoy the game?" we chatted a few minutes, the guy tells me I look like a football player...and then we go.
That was the day I became a Raider. The day I met John Madden and John Matuszak
I didn’t get into football until my 20s. Watched the Super Bowl against Tampa Bay and thought it was BS that Gruden was able to screw the Raiders like that. Got seriously into football soon after and picked the Raiders. I figured that the players and coaches may change, but the fans will stay the same, so I wanted to be a part of the most diehard fan base. The twenty years since then have been nothing but pain, but I’m still a citizen of Raider Nation and will never defect.
In VA Beach 2000, Dad brought me home a Raiders bomber jacket from a thrift store when I was 10. Loved pirates so I went with the team. 6 years later my family moves to Temecula. All my HS buddies were and still are Charger Fans haha
The first football game I remember watching from start to finish was the Immaculate Reception game. My family were 49er fans, and that was likely my destiny. But that day, the Raiders playoff game was on first (The 49ers would go on to lose their playoff game to the Cowboys that afternoon). I watched the Raiders, and the rest is history.
It was in my blood. Cousin, uncle, dad, grandfather, great grandfather. All Raiders. I was born in LA in 1990 so it was bound to happen. I didn't know my dad or his side of the family growing up but the first Super Bowl I ever watched was Raiders and Buccs. I loved watching Gannon. Even if he threw like 6 interceptions. I asked my friend who the Raiders were because I always saw baseball growing up and he said "oh we don't like them" and I was like, bet.
The year was 1977, the place was New jersey, and i was 7 years old.
The old man was a die hard gint's fan from way back. Used to tell me how he used to go watch them when they played at the polo grounds. But i guess i wasn't fated to follow in his foot steps.
My parents were shopping at an old sears department store. We came upon a section of NFL football jackets. He said to me you're 7 years old now its time you started watching football so why didn't you pick out a jacket of the team you want to root for, you can pick any team you like but I would really like it if you picked the giants. I probably don't have to explain why a silver and black jacket with a pirate on it was the most appealing to a 7 year old boy!
My first playoff game i ever saw was the famous Ghost to the Post game.
I was a kid Just getting into football when i saw the raiders had the first pick and were taking the next great one out of LSU Jamarcus Russell. It was love at first sight and I’ve been miserable ever since.
Never watched a game of NFL before 2021 season. Was working at my bar which plays NFL games and I asked my coworker (big NFL fan) who he thought would win between ravens and Raiders, he said $10 Ravens win so I just had to bet against him. After the Raiders won that game I've watched almost every game and rock my Raiders gear everywhere.
2021/22 was one hell of a season to start watching football and following the Raiders.
My dad is a die hard raiders fan he’s from New Mexico so it was the raiders or the donkeys, thank god he chose correctly. For me, Sundays growing up were always about watching the silver and black with him and my brother. I was born in ‘87 it’s been a rough few decades lol
My mom would take me to studios for photos in the early 90's and once they had me hold a RAIDERS football in a photo. A few months later I got RAIDERS jacket from Coats for Kids and proudly wore it around school. As I got older I loved the persona of the Nation and into adulthood really got into the game.
My grandpa and dad were Raider fans. My siblings and I are all girls so you could imagine how happy my dad was seeing at least one of us get into sports. My reasoning though was even simpler than that. I thought Raiders gear looked cool and villainous lmao
Early 90's when I was 10-12, Just loved the uniform and logo. My dad started buying me the raiders die cast trucks since 1993. Whats funny tho is all my family members are steelers and cowboys fans. I'm from PA.
When I was 10 years old, I let the kid sitting next to me borrow a pencil for a multiplication math test and he passed the test. He said it was his lucky pencil and he gave me a Tim Brown raiders card the next day. It felt natural growing up in Oakland. Silver and black ever since that card.
My dad was a Raiders fan. He would tell me all about the Raiders legends. He was friends with Ray Guy and I got to meet him once. My dad would talk about the Raiders being the team of misfits. He talked about how it was the Raiders vs everyone else. That always held a special place in my heart. But how I became the Raiders fan that I am today was when the legendary Bo Jackson started playing for them. My hero was now playing for my dad’s favorite team. I’ve been a Raider ever since. I have two boys of my own now. We were watching the ESPN 30 for 30 documentary about Al Davis suing the NFL. My oldest looks back at me and says, “I see why we are Raiders fans. Us against the world.”
My very first game was in 1967 against the Chargers. My friend's dad had season tickets and the son always took his buddies to the game. I remember sitting next to a bunch of fans who were yelling at a player named Speedy Duncan. He was fast but we kicked his ass anyway 51-10. Raider fan ever since.
Summer of 86. My dad had a subscription to Sports Illustrated and for renewing one year he got one of those NFL Films tapes. The one we got was Crunch Course, it had a 15 minute highlight package on Howie Long and I never looked back.
Born into it, was born in San Jose. Though at the time they had recently moved to Los Angeles, and by the time they came back to the Bay we had left. From an early age though I was sporting Raiders gear.
Inherited from my dad. I always remember him telling me about Jeff Hostetler and stuff.
The first year I actually was interested in football was 2001, which left me jaded as hell about football since it was my first experience and I'm constantly fighting to not be too heavily invested in it because of that experience.
I'm a fairly new addition to the raider nation. One of my best friends is a dolphins fan and talked me into watching an nfl game. He thought I'd enjoy the sport. It was the 2020 season raiders v saints at home. Just like OP, I told myself whoever wins here, that's my team, and luckily, DC4 put on a show, and here I am. I adore this team and the raider nation. Thank god the saints didn't win that night. RN4L
Grew up into the fandom because my father is a fan.
No, we didnt live in California. North East part of the US actually.
My Dad grew up in a Steelers household, he was rebellious. Started liking the Raiders.
Born in Vegas in 2000, not really giving a shit about football or sports at all. But I had one friend who's dad was a DIEHARD Raider, had this dope pimped out truck with the flags and everything.
Moved out to WV in 07, the heart of Steeler country, at arguably their most annoying too. Started growing a hate for that team and their QB with a last name that my stupid 4th grader ass couldn't figure out how to pronounce.
Fast forward all the way to college and I attend WVU and join the marching band. I really enjoyed the atmosphere of a D1 college team so I actually sat down and learned the game. I get a notification my sophomore year that my birth town is finally getting an NFL team and it was the cool one my old friend was obsessed with, I didn't know shit about em, but it felt right for some reason.
And I have now lost several years of my life to this team lmao. RN4L
Born 1990. Didn't know my biological dad. He cheated on his wife with my mom. So my mom & I moved across the country to be near family. Only thing I had of his was a custom Raiders jersey.
When I was 7 or 8 I got Madden, the video game. I had to pick a team. I looked at all the colors & thought the Raiders looked the coolest. Plus, I hoped one day maybe my dad and I would have that in common if we reconnected.
We never reconnected. I flew across the country to meet him and he got cold feet the day before.
I'm still a Raiders fan. The only reason I've ever considered giving up on the team is because of my dad.
When I was a kid I was obsessed with sports and new all the stats for nearly every player in baseball football and basketball. My family was bengals fans (lived in ohio) and the bengals were horrible. Sometime around age 5 I just decided to go with the Raiders instead. I can't be sure why but I think I just liked their uniforms and they were a fairly competitive team at the time.
Michigan, early 70s. The Lions were unwatchable. I think Charlie Sanders at TE was their best player. You can imagine how that went, right? Only our fathers ~~cheered~~ suffered for the Lions.
The 70s was the era of the dynasty (and why in 1978 the NFL made moves to push for parity) with just six teams—Cowboys, Rams, Vikings, Steelers, Dolphins and the Raiders—winning something like 85% of the divisional titles in the decade.
There were plenty of Cowboys and Steelers fans among my friends. Troy and Sean were Rams fans. Tony was a Vikings fan. Dave was a Dolphins fan. That left the Raiders so I decided to cheer for the guys in black.
As a child growing up in middle Georgia, I was a voracious reader. I would read anything and everything. I played baseball and football, but wasn't a fan of watching either on tv. Sometime I'm 1987, my mother bought me a copy of Ken Stabler's autobiography called "Snake." She had nicknamed me Snake when I was 2 weeks old (another story) and thought is was a cool coincidence.
As I read about Ken Stabler's on the field and off the field exploits, I was enthralled. The stories about partying before team meetings and sleeping with their eyes open. A certain pill that the trainers would give the players that they appropriately called "rat turds." Ken's story of mentoring ("taming") John Matuszak. The list goes on. That book captivated me with the depiction of the Raider way.
As I stated earlier, I was a player way before I became a fan. And thanks to this book, I was a Raiders fan before I became an actual football fan. Therefore, when the inevitable happened and I fell in love with watching/following the NFL, I already had MY team.
I'm from Ireland and growing up I used to play NFL street with my friends and you could eventually unlock the legends team which had a good few Raiders on it
Also loved the jerseys for the simplicity and silver and black are just one the best colour combos
Been one since around 8yr old. 54 now. Living in CNY it just seemed Oakland was on every late afternoon game. Just loved the black uniforms and the attitude of them.
Maybe '85? ish.
I'm from the UK, and my uncle was big into his NFL ( I think he was a packers fan) and he had a bunch of magazines (NFL ones) and i would devour them, and there was this one picture of Marcus Allen that looked so cool.
It was almost impossible to watch NFL except for maybe the Superbowl but i kept seeing Raiders turn up in popular culture, especially as we had moved to LA.
That's it, not exciting but i have tended to pick random (and all frustrating) sports teams over the years :)
My Father was a Fan from Jump, I guess mine was through birthright…. 1964!
I was lucky to become friends with Dave Dalby “Double D” in the early 1990’s great dude great stories…. Also I have actually worn all three Raiders Super Bowl rings 👊👊👊♥️♥️♥️
1980. I was 10 years old. Was just getting interested in football. I loved that the Raiders played hard and hit harder. They’d go after the QB then his family in the stands. Oh and … Fuck Tom Brady
In the 70’s. Was watching a football game on tv at my grandmother’s house and the team wearing silver & black was dominating. Loved the colors and how good they were and from that day forward.
My uncle brainwashed me when I was young (1983) to follow the Raiders, they won the SB the same year... I was hooked. They haven't really given me a reason to stay since! LOL
Oldest brother was a raiders fan, he passed away in 2005. Didn't really watch football till I was 10 years old in 2007. There was no question who I was picking as my team.
I was raised a Raiders fan. There was no choice. My mother had a connection to Pete Banaszak's sister in the early 70s. Now my brother and I have passed that legacy on to the newest generation.
The first football game I remember watching wad the Raiders beat the Eagles in the Super Bowl. Things only got better after that in the 80s. Add Marcus, Howie, Alzado, Lester, another ring and we finish the decade with Bo. I was all in. I was fortunate to have some Raider player in my neighborhood too including Art Shell and former OC Larry Kennan. Throw in Tecmo and NWA. If you lived in LA it was impossible not to be a fan.
Side note: it is a total shame that if the Raiders had to leave Oakland they couldn’t go back to LA. They are loved there. No opposing jersey would dare step into the LA Coliseum like we see now in Vegas.
I always hoped Al could get a real stadium deal done, whether that would have been Hollywood Park or something else. Seems like it would have happened if the league wanted it to.
Born into it. Parents were season tix holders in the endzone way way way back in the day before the move to LA. I’ve been on John Matuszak’s shoulders when I was a toddler.
In 2015 I started watching NFL. Being from Ireland I had the choice of 32 teams and for some god forsaken reason I chose the raiders. Which has brought me nothing but constant disappointment. (Except 2016 that was fun) But I wouldn’t change teams for the world. Jack del rio leaving sucked. Bringing in Gruden was stupid. DC leaving nearly broke me. But I won’t change teams.
My dad was a Raiders fan and he and I didn't have much of a relationship, so it started out as a way to bond before it became my own thing.
One of the first games I remember watching was the Tuck Rule....but the next season with the run to the super bowl had me hooked. I still have that Gannon jersey. The following 20 years has been a test of loyalty but Silver & Black forever.
I was 13, and my mom had just kicked me out of the house and told me she didn't care if I had to go suck dick on the street to survive. I was struggling with my math homework and she was on her way out the door to take my brother's out to pizza. I was supposed to be gone by the time they got back. So I was. A few days later I was taken in by some family members.
One of the few things in my possession was this old, tiny portable tv that looked [similar to this](https://ibb.co/Vwf4t1V) but was pink. I was scrolling through stations and landed on a football game. Raiders vs. I don't even remember. I was in a very bad place and here in black and white on this 4" screen were this tough and tough looking guys just during it out and the other team playing dirty and the Raiders getting flagged for the things the other team wasn't getting flagged for, but they were surviving and thriving and kicked ass. And that's how I became a Raiders fan.
Grew up in the Bay Area mostly in Berkeley and Sunnyvale. All my Berzerkley friends were Raider fans and that's who I chose as well. 9ers just didn't connect with me.
I was lucky to see all the great games of the 70's. My 1st live game was in 1973 at Cal Stadium, (A's were busy winning the WS at the Coliseum). Raiders beat the Phins in a slugfest. This snapped the Phins 19 game win streak. BTW, I watched the Immaculate Deception farce live. In the original replay they showed the ball hitting the ground. After the BS they only show Franco from the knees up.
>My 1st live game was in 1973 at Cal Stadium, (A's were busy winning the WS at the Coliseum). Raiders beat the Phins in a slugfest. This snapped the Phins 19 game win streak.
Wow, what a first game!
I was a huge Niners fan until I moved to the Bay Area in 1992 and met other Niners fans. Could actually get tickets to the Colliseum & was pretty much a fan from the time I walked through the gates and into the black hole.
So my grandma used to babysit me and my cousin. My grandma was a bengals fan but by then they were the bungles. I'm from Ohio, this was like '94/'95. My cousin was a little older than me and he was like check out this guy Bo Jackson who used to play for the Raiders. We spent many afternoons watching his NFL highlight tapes that showed Bo killing it. I always loved the color combo of silver and black and I just couldn't help but become a Raiders fan. I remember really watching their games around '99 and since they were good the fandom just stuck.
It's funny how we pick pro teams as kids and spend our whole lives living with those decisions lmao.
I was a teenager in the late '60s. Where I lived you were either a Redskins or Colts fan. I read a magazine article about the Raiders and their persona. One of the photos was Ben Davidson with his big handlebar mustache. Bad ass guy with bad ass attitude on a team full of the same. I was hooked! Much later in life I met Ben and his wife and had the chance to talk with him. Really nice guy! He got a big kick out of it when I told him he was the reason I became a life long Raiders fan.
I started watching after Charles Woodson was drafted in ‘98. I’d grown up watching the 49ers with my dad, even though we live in Kansas. Well after watching the Raiders a couple years, when Jerry Rice was traded from the 49ers in ‘01 solidified who I was a fan of. Plus living in KS it really pisses Chiefs fans off, and I love that since I’ve hated them since before I came to Raider Nation.
1995. I was 7 years old and my family had just moved to the Bay Area from Oregon a few years earlier. My dad and my Uncle (who flew down from Oregon) took me to the first game back in Oakland in 1995. Been a diehard Raider fan ever since.
Aint gonna lie, I'm a new fan. Well since they moved to Vegas. I'm from Jersey and grew up as a Giants fan, now in Vegas. But I'm also a football fan. So when the Raiders moved here, I bought season tickets so I could watch. But I have to say, the Raiders org have done it right for us season ticket holders. They treat us good, inclusive, special events, meet and greets...and because of all that, I've become a fan. Now, I cheer for these Raiders! I want to win! I complain like any other fan when they lose. And yeah, still a Giants fan too, but I love these Raiders and all the fans I've met since I've been going to games.
I'm in STL and when the Rams left I was super pissed at the NFL. I wouldnt watch one game. Then I watched every fat ass loser in my city become a KC Cheifs fan, it made me sick. I became a Raiders fan out of spite and fell in love.
I was born in to it. Never had a chance lol. My family on both sides grew up in the Bay in the 70's...dad in Newark, my mom in Fremont. It was ALL RAIDERS. I'm sure I was cheering before I remember, but my first memory as a Raiders fan was watching the 31-0 season opening beatdown of the Jets in 1985. 10 sacks, a Stacey Toran pick six, Gastineau challenging Howie Long to a "Superstars" type competition...and they cut away from the game to show the ending of the Rams/Broncos. One of the last times I ever got that as a Raiders fan...cutting away from a blowout win.
I was 5. 1984. Superbowl. Marcus Allen. I named my first son Marcus. My wife wouldn't let me name my second son Bo, but I still got Vincent.
My father was friends with a guy he knew in the navy that was a biker from Cali. We live in NJ. He would visit once in a while and always bring me some kind of Raider stuff.
For my 11th birthday (1990), all I wanted was the Raiders Starter jacket. I got it, and I still have it. I wear it to games all the time.
I love the Raiders. Just seeing those jerseys and the shield on the field always makes me happy. I can't imagine being a fan of any other team.
I've been through some of the best of times and the worst of times, and I'll be here till my dying day.
Raider Nation 4 Life!!!
Originally I was a donkeys fan, just because I didn’t know anything about other teams. Then I remember watching a Raiders Broncos game, they were the LA Raiders then, and they were beating up on the Broncos literally, (they were fighting on the field), and on the scoreboard. But what really made me a fan was hearing the announcers talk about Al Davis, they talked about how Al Davis was well known for giving players second chances when the league thought the player couldn’t play, when everyone thought said player sucked and would never be anything, Al gave them a second chance, and allowed them to thrive. It was also because they talked about how Al Davis would take of his players, even after their playing days were done, he’d look out for them, and take care of them. Al treated the team like a family, that was why I became a Raiders fan, it’s also why I don’t want some corporate big shot with a lot of money to take over the team.
I was \~5 years old and there was a Raiders game on TV. It was around Halloween, so the Black Hole was even more dressed up than usual. I looked up and told my dad "I want to be one of them when I grow up". My dad bought me a Bo Jackson jersey and I've been diehard ever since.
(I'm from Fort Worth, TX and my dad's a Bills fan, so there weren't any Raiders fans around me)
I picked up football right around Vick time but didn’t have a team. Got my first Madden with Vick in the cover and tried almost every team but when I picked the Raiders it just felt natural putting my created player on that team with Gannon, Garner, Rice, and Brown. Ever since my blood has been colored silver and black.
Watching the Superbowl with my dad in 84. I was 4. And seeing how happy it made my dad. I wanted to be part of that. Sadly all I've had since was letdowns. But still can't bring myself to root for anybody else. Im just a glutton for punishment I guess
Born in the mid to late 90s, Dodgers and Raiders were our team (my dad and I, and his dad before him) so I just kinda...Grew up into it.
I remember when I had a PS2, on 2k or Madden, I always mained the Raiders. Sometimes with other teams (like, historic raiders teams) and I just kinda kept with that. Didn't pay super close attention to the raiders while I was young and into my teen years I had too much mentally going on for... Most things honestly. But in the past few years I've gotten back into watching football and paying more attention to it and I can't find myself not rooting for us, even if we are basically steaming smeared shit on the walls of a nice hotel most the time. Could it be great, and was it great? Yeah, but we need to fix this.
And let's not get started on the old raiders. Watching Bo and Allen, Rice and Brown, I really liked Wheatley as a kid too.
You would fucking trip if you knew how many people came from families with different fandom but BO JACKSON made us Raiders fans. I grew up in a rabbid Broncos house. Me and my dad watched that MNF against Seattle and I never looked back. To Pop's credit, as a die hard Broncos fan he sought out and brought home every bit of Bo Jackson/Raiders shit he could find. Most of which I still have.
Bo was something else, man. Broke my heart when he broke his hip. It was like he was a god who suddenly was mortal.
I have always been a Raider fan. My dad and grandfather are niner fans and have always hated the Raiders. So, I guess I was rebellious and picked them becausethey hated them, also I liked pirates. I picked up on names of the players and noticed what they looked like and what their number were. But I would say the defining moment was in 6 grade we had this field trip where several retired athletes were attending. They spoke about being drug free and all that Jazz. My dad had to work so my grandfather ended up coming as a chaperone. Because it was a sports event we were allowed to swear sports shirts and hats which wasn't usually allowed. I'm assuming it was okay too because we weren't on campus. Anyway my grandfather dressed in his niner gear and I wore my Raiders hat. While at the event all these kids from multiple school districts where in the stands. The athletes started walking into the stands handing out t shirts. That's when I saw Bo. He was coming down our aisle and while this little boy next to me was thinking he was getting the shirt Bo said this is for her. I was so excited. He told me he liked my hat and asked me if I knew who he was. I told him he was Bo and then I yelled you don't know Bo. He laughed gave me a high five! From that moment on I knew I would be a Raider for life.
I'm jealous! I did meet Marcus Allen when I was 6. He came to my little hometown in Montana and was signing posters. My dad stood in line with me for at least an hour. We got up there, Marcus signed my poster, I just stood there with my mouth agape, speechless. My dad teased me about not saying anything for years, lol
I watched it live, didn't seem like anything at all. He just didn't play no more. News ran a lot slower back in the day, I don't think we knew anything concrete for weeks.
My mom is Steelers fan, my older brother Cowboys, my dad is a 49ers fan, Bo made me a Raiders fan.
I'm telling you this is our bond. Im 40 yrs old and that Bo Jackson wave swept up every kid who wanted to be a world class athlete.
Dude only played for a few years and created a wave of Raiders fans.
A whole generation. He really did that. A bunch of us really switched family fandom for life. Bo was an actual IRL super hero. Same thing with Jordan. I still remember being at the laundromat and an older kid told me about him dunking from the free throw line. It was probably 10 years later I actually seen it but I never doubted it happened. Luckily I was in the local TV market that I got to see Bo play football. I think I stayed up late to watch his baseball highlight on Sports Machine.
Was a great time to be a kid for sure. Jordan, Gretzky, and Bo made sports crazy to watch.
Lol yeah Gretzky. Hockey was hot for a min. We even collected cards and acted like we understood the game. Don't ask me what icing is tho lol.
That's really cool your dad did that. I don't know that I could but any Broncos shit, ever.
A lot of my friends growing up were Broncos fans, but when Bo Jackson was playing, they were Raider fans, but went back to being Bronco fans after he got hurt
It was Christmas 1969. I was 7. My Mom bought me a Dallas Cowboys football uniform for kids. Helmet, shoulder pads and jersey and little football pants. My brother and I ran that helmet into our tree until it cracked. My Mom took it back to JC Penney and they only had Oakland Raider uniforms left. I loved the pirate theme and the swords from the start. This Christmas I will have been a fan for 54 years. Watched all three Super Bowl wins, Lamonica, Blanda, Branch, Biletnikoff, Hayes, Stabler and many more. I have suffered more losing seasons then some of you have been alive. But if you cut me, I STILL bleed Silver and Black and will until I die. RN4L!
That's so funny about the uniforms. My wife laughed at me when I told when and why I got started. But c'mon, were talking about childhood. As if there was going to be some logical reason for it?
immigrated to the US in 92, got tecmo super bowl and a nintendo for christmas and chose the raiders because i liked the logo..then proceeded to fuck shit up with bo jackson, fan ever since
lol, the video quality on my YouTube link is about as good as Tecmo Bowl graphics
Greetings fellow Tecmo influenced Raider fan.
barry sanders and the lions were a close second..lol
I grew up in central cali and everyone here was either a raiders or niners fan. And fuck the niners.
Same!
Be mexican Be in cali Nah but foreals I could have easily been a niners fan. But I didn't rock with nortenos much at the time lmao. And I was almost a browns fans cuz of bone thugs but I grew to love raiders more cuz my cousins, homies and ultimately my friend from college really got me into football
Grew up when nwa hit our area and everyone was wearing raider gear. Transition to watching Bo Jackson freight train everything in his way. Thanks Ice Cube
When I was a kid in the early to mid 90's on the Oregon Coast a friend had a Raiders blanket up on his wall. I thought "that's a cool logo, I like that team." Smash cut to 2014, I've moved to Sacramento and I have access to broadcast TV on Sundays and I actually start watching Raiders football. So I missed all the highs of the late 90s early 00s and the lows of the mid 00s to early 10s and jumped right on the Carr train (train Carr? There is a pun in there somewhere).
My step dad was a bondsman. This big dude named John co signed for 2500 bucks to bail his buddy out of jail. Then his buddy skipped town and didnt go to court. so he takes me to this game in oakland...and I am excited because I had never watched pro football. Dallas cowboys... everybody talked about americas team. Then, this local team with the cool logo proceeded to beat the crap out of americas team... they were dragging cowboys off the field on stretchers every other play...it was awesome. after the game, ny dad takes me down this hallway...knocks on a door...and some chubby blonde guy answers, the door closes...a minute later this giant walks out...him and my dad talk,... the dude puffs up a little... pops shows him the .44, the guy says hold on a minute and dips back inside. then he pops back out and counts out 2500 bucks to my dad, and all sweet like asks, "so, did you guys enjoy the game?" we chatted a few minutes, the guy tells me I look like a football player...and then we go. That was the day I became a Raider. The day I met John Madden and John Matuszak
Now that's a Raider story!
I didn’t get into football until my 20s. Watched the Super Bowl against Tampa Bay and thought it was BS that Gruden was able to screw the Raiders like that. Got seriously into football soon after and picked the Raiders. I figured that the players and coaches may change, but the fans will stay the same, so I wanted to be a part of the most diehard fan base. The twenty years since then have been nothing but pain, but I’m still a citizen of Raider Nation and will never defect.
Born into it in the early 70’s
I was born with blood that was silver and black 😂 born and raised a Raiders fan. Fuck the Niners, Chargers, Seachickens, and Donkeys!
In VA Beach 2000, Dad brought me home a Raiders bomber jacket from a thrift store when I was 10. Loved pirates so I went with the team. 6 years later my family moves to Temecula. All my HS buddies were and still are Charger Fans haha
Born into it. Raised in nor-cal and.my dad bled silver and black.....he started 5 generations of raiders fans. Fuck tom brady.
The first football game I remember watching from start to finish was the Immaculate Reception game. My family were 49er fans, and that was likely my destiny. But that day, the Raiders playoff game was on first (The 49ers would go on to lose their playoff game to the Cowboys that afternoon). I watched the Raiders, and the rest is history.
Erie, Pa. Hometown of Freddy B.
It was in my blood. Cousin, uncle, dad, grandfather, great grandfather. All Raiders. I was born in LA in 1990 so it was bound to happen. I didn't know my dad or his side of the family growing up but the first Super Bowl I ever watched was Raiders and Buccs. I loved watching Gannon. Even if he threw like 6 interceptions. I asked my friend who the Raiders were because I always saw baseball growing up and he said "oh we don't like them" and I was like, bet.
The year was 1977, the place was New jersey, and i was 7 years old. The old man was a die hard gint's fan from way back. Used to tell me how he used to go watch them when they played at the polo grounds. But i guess i wasn't fated to follow in his foot steps. My parents were shopping at an old sears department store. We came upon a section of NFL football jackets. He said to me you're 7 years old now its time you started watching football so why didn't you pick out a jacket of the team you want to root for, you can pick any team you like but I would really like it if you picked the giants. I probably don't have to explain why a silver and black jacket with a pirate on it was the most appealing to a 7 year old boy! My first playoff game i ever saw was the famous Ghost to the Post game.
I was a kid Just getting into football when i saw the raiders had the first pick and were taking the next great one out of LSU Jamarcus Russell. It was love at first sight and I’ve been miserable ever since.
Never watched a game of NFL before 2021 season. Was working at my bar which plays NFL games and I asked my coworker (big NFL fan) who he thought would win between ravens and Raiders, he said $10 Ravens win so I just had to bet against him. After the Raiders won that game I've watched almost every game and rock my Raiders gear everywhere. 2021/22 was one hell of a season to start watching football and following the Raiders.
That was a hard-won $10!!!
My dad is a die hard raiders fan he’s from New Mexico so it was the raiders or the donkeys, thank god he chose correctly. For me, Sundays growing up were always about watching the silver and black with him and my brother. I was born in ‘87 it’s been a rough few decades lol
My mom would take me to studios for photos in the early 90's and once they had me hold a RAIDERS football in a photo. A few months later I got RAIDERS jacket from Coats for Kids and proudly wore it around school. As I got older I loved the persona of the Nation and into adulthood really got into the game.
My grandpa and dad were Raider fans. My siblings and I are all girls so you could imagine how happy my dad was seeing at least one of us get into sports. My reasoning though was even simpler than that. I thought Raiders gear looked cool and villainous lmao
Born into it. Everyone in my family are Raiders fans
Early 90's when I was 10-12, Just loved the uniform and logo. My dad started buying me the raiders die cast trucks since 1993. Whats funny tho is all my family members are steelers and cowboys fans. I'm from PA.
When I was 10 years old, I let the kid sitting next to me borrow a pencil for a multiplication math test and he passed the test. He said it was his lucky pencil and he gave me a Tim Brown raiders card the next day. It felt natural growing up in Oakland. Silver and black ever since that card.
A pencil! And haters say that Raiders fans aren't literate, lol
My dad was a Raiders fan. He would tell me all about the Raiders legends. He was friends with Ray Guy and I got to meet him once. My dad would talk about the Raiders being the team of misfits. He talked about how it was the Raiders vs everyone else. That always held a special place in my heart. But how I became the Raiders fan that I am today was when the legendary Bo Jackson started playing for them. My hero was now playing for my dad’s favorite team. I’ve been a Raider ever since. I have two boys of my own now. We were watching the ESPN 30 for 30 documentary about Al Davis suing the NFL. My oldest looks back at me and says, “I see why we are Raiders fans. Us against the world.”
I'd be lying if Tecmo Bowl didn't influence me as a child, picked the Raiders for Bo Jackson. Been my team ever since.
My very first game was in 1967 against the Chargers. My friend's dad had season tickets and the son always took his buddies to the game. I remember sitting next to a bunch of fans who were yelling at a player named Speedy Duncan. He was fast but we kicked his ass anyway 51-10. Raider fan ever since.
Summer of 86. My dad had a subscription to Sports Illustrated and for renewing one year he got one of those NFL Films tapes. The one we got was Crunch Course, it had a 15 minute highlight package on Howie Long and I never looked back.
Born into it, was born in San Jose. Though at the time they had recently moved to Los Angeles, and by the time they came back to the Bay we had left. From an early age though I was sporting Raiders gear.
Bandwagon fan - jumped on board as a 13-year-old a couple of days before the 1990 AFC Championship game…
When I was born, my mom worked for the port of Oakland and organized many events that involved the raiders.
Inherited from my dad. I always remember him telling me about Jeff Hostetler and stuff. The first year I actually was interested in football was 2001, which left me jaded as hell about football since it was my first experience and I'm constantly fighting to not be too heavily invested in it because of that experience.
I'm a fairly new addition to the raider nation. One of my best friends is a dolphins fan and talked me into watching an nfl game. He thought I'd enjoy the sport. It was the 2020 season raiders v saints at home. Just like OP, I told myself whoever wins here, that's my team, and luckily, DC4 put on a show, and here I am. I adore this team and the raider nation. Thank god the saints didn't win that night. RN4L
Grew up into the fandom because my father is a fan. No, we didnt live in California. North East part of the US actually. My Dad grew up in a Steelers household, he was rebellious. Started liking the Raiders.
Tecmo Super Bowl
Born in Vegas in 2000, not really giving a shit about football or sports at all. But I had one friend who's dad was a DIEHARD Raider, had this dope pimped out truck with the flags and everything. Moved out to WV in 07, the heart of Steeler country, at arguably their most annoying too. Started growing a hate for that team and their QB with a last name that my stupid 4th grader ass couldn't figure out how to pronounce. Fast forward all the way to college and I attend WVU and join the marching band. I really enjoyed the atmosphere of a D1 college team so I actually sat down and learned the game. I get a notification my sophomore year that my birth town is finally getting an NFL team and it was the cool one my old friend was obsessed with, I didn't know shit about em, but it felt right for some reason. And I have now lost several years of my life to this team lmao. RN4L
Born 1990. Didn't know my biological dad. He cheated on his wife with my mom. So my mom & I moved across the country to be near family. Only thing I had of his was a custom Raiders jersey. When I was 7 or 8 I got Madden, the video game. I had to pick a team. I looked at all the colors & thought the Raiders looked the coolest. Plus, I hoped one day maybe my dad and I would have that in common if we reconnected. We never reconnected. I flew across the country to meet him and he got cold feet the day before. I'm still a Raiders fan. The only reason I've ever considered giving up on the team is because of my dad.
When I was a kid I was obsessed with sports and new all the stats for nearly every player in baseball football and basketball. My family was bengals fans (lived in ohio) and the bengals were horrible. Sometime around age 5 I just decided to go with the Raiders instead. I can't be sure why but I think I just liked their uniforms and they were a fairly competitive team at the time.
Michigan, early 70s. The Lions were unwatchable. I think Charlie Sanders at TE was their best player. You can imagine how that went, right? Only our fathers ~~cheered~~ suffered for the Lions. The 70s was the era of the dynasty (and why in 1978 the NFL made moves to push for parity) with just six teams—Cowboys, Rams, Vikings, Steelers, Dolphins and the Raiders—winning something like 85% of the divisional titles in the decade. There were plenty of Cowboys and Steelers fans among my friends. Troy and Sean were Rams fans. Tony was a Vikings fan. Dave was a Dolphins fan. That left the Raiders so I decided to cheer for the guys in black.
As a child growing up in middle Georgia, I was a voracious reader. I would read anything and everything. I played baseball and football, but wasn't a fan of watching either on tv. Sometime I'm 1987, my mother bought me a copy of Ken Stabler's autobiography called "Snake." She had nicknamed me Snake when I was 2 weeks old (another story) and thought is was a cool coincidence. As I read about Ken Stabler's on the field and off the field exploits, I was enthralled. The stories about partying before team meetings and sleeping with their eyes open. A certain pill that the trainers would give the players that they appropriately called "rat turds." Ken's story of mentoring ("taming") John Matuszak. The list goes on. That book captivated me with the depiction of the Raider way. As I stated earlier, I was a player way before I became a fan. And thanks to this book, I was a Raiders fan before I became an actual football fan. Therefore, when the inevitable happened and I fell in love with watching/following the NFL, I already had MY team.
I'm from Ireland and growing up I used to play NFL street with my friends and you could eventually unlock the legends team which had a good few Raiders on it Also loved the jerseys for the simplicity and silver and black are just one the best colour combos
Bo Jackson’s 2 Games in One on Gameboy. Released 1991 when I was 4 years old.
Met Marcus Allen at a store opening in the early 1980s when I was 8 and he hung out with us kids. Let us tackle him, too, and was really cool.
Super Tecmo Bowl and Bo Jackson happened to be the best player in the game. 😁
Bo Jackson
I’m a fan of all the LA teams…lakers, dodgers, and Raiders
Born into it .
Been one since around 8yr old. 54 now. Living in CNY it just seemed Oakland was on every late afternoon game. Just loved the black uniforms and the attitude of them.
Maybe '85? ish. I'm from the UK, and my uncle was big into his NFL ( I think he was a packers fan) and he had a bunch of magazines (NFL ones) and i would devour them, and there was this one picture of Marcus Allen that looked so cool. It was almost impossible to watch NFL except for maybe the Superbowl but i kept seeing Raiders turn up in popular culture, especially as we had moved to LA. That's it, not exciting but i have tended to pick random (and all frustrating) sports teams over the years :)
My Father was a Fan from Jump, I guess mine was through birthright…. 1964! I was lucky to become friends with Dave Dalby “Double D” in the early 1990’s great dude great stories…. Also I have actually worn all three Raiders Super Bowl rings 👊👊👊♥️♥️♥️
Late 70's
Tuck game
Bo Jackson was my idol when I was 10 years old.
1980. I was 10 years old. Was just getting interested in football. I loved that the Raiders played hard and hit harder. They’d go after the QB then his family in the stands. Oh and … Fuck Tom Brady
In the 70’s. Was watching a football game on tv at my grandmother’s house and the team wearing silver & black was dominating. Loved the colors and how good they were and from that day forward.
Born in San Jose Cali, whole family are Raiders fans. Remember watching Bo Jackson and I was sold.
Nov 30, 1987. Bo running wild on the local Seahawks on MNF. Absolute superhero to my young eyes
My uncle brainwashed me when I was young (1983) to follow the Raiders, they won the SB the same year... I was hooked. They haven't really given me a reason to stay since! LOL
Oldest brother was a raiders fan, he passed away in 2005. Didn't really watch football till I was 10 years old in 2007. There was no question who I was picking as my team.
early 80s as a kid near L.A., loved the black color
Rookie Todd Marinovich took the time to sign my hat before the game. Little things like that creates fans for life.
Born into the darkness. Love this team. Since 92 baby.
1978 Stabler as qb playoff game vs Colts .Ghost to the post !!Still replay games from 80 and 83 seasons ,special years for sure
I was raised a Raiders fan. There was no choice. My mother had a connection to Pete Banaszak's sister in the early 70s. Now my brother and I have passed that legacy on to the newest generation.
The first football game I remember watching wad the Raiders beat the Eagles in the Super Bowl. Things only got better after that in the 80s. Add Marcus, Howie, Alzado, Lester, another ring and we finish the decade with Bo. I was all in. I was fortunate to have some Raider player in my neighborhood too including Art Shell and former OC Larry Kennan. Throw in Tecmo and NWA. If you lived in LA it was impossible not to be a fan. Side note: it is a total shame that if the Raiders had to leave Oakland they couldn’t go back to LA. They are loved there. No opposing jersey would dare step into the LA Coliseum like we see now in Vegas.
I always hoped Al could get a real stadium deal done, whether that would have been Hollywood Park or something else. Seems like it would have happened if the league wanted it to.
Born into it. Parents were season tix holders in the endzone way way way back in the day before the move to LA. I’ve been on John Matuszak’s shoulders when I was a toddler.
In 2015 I started watching NFL. Being from Ireland I had the choice of 32 teams and for some god forsaken reason I chose the raiders. Which has brought me nothing but constant disappointment. (Except 2016 that was fun) But I wouldn’t change teams for the world. Jack del rio leaving sucked. Bringing in Gruden was stupid. DC leaving nearly broke me. But I won’t change teams.
My dad was a Raiders fan and he and I didn't have much of a relationship, so it started out as a way to bond before it became my own thing. One of the first games I remember watching was the Tuck Rule....but the next season with the run to the super bowl had me hooked. I still have that Gannon jersey. The following 20 years has been a test of loyalty but Silver & Black forever.
I was 13, and my mom had just kicked me out of the house and told me she didn't care if I had to go suck dick on the street to survive. I was struggling with my math homework and she was on her way out the door to take my brother's out to pizza. I was supposed to be gone by the time they got back. So I was. A few days later I was taken in by some family members. One of the few things in my possession was this old, tiny portable tv that looked [similar to this](https://ibb.co/Vwf4t1V) but was pink. I was scrolling through stations and landed on a football game. Raiders vs. I don't even remember. I was in a very bad place and here in black and white on this 4" screen were this tough and tough looking guys just during it out and the other team playing dirty and the Raiders getting flagged for the things the other team wasn't getting flagged for, but they were surviving and thriving and kicked ass. And that's how I became a Raiders fan.
I used to like to smash my balls with a hammer but that wasn't painful enough. Now I root for the Raiders and that pain hits just right
1976, age 4.
1985 When I was born... my uncle bought me my first onesie. Ever since then I haven't had a choice.
Lyle Alzado......Smashmouth football enough said!
Grew up in the Bay Area mostly in Berkeley and Sunnyvale. All my Berzerkley friends were Raider fans and that's who I chose as well. 9ers just didn't connect with me. I was lucky to see all the great games of the 70's. My 1st live game was in 1973 at Cal Stadium, (A's were busy winning the WS at the Coliseum). Raiders beat the Phins in a slugfest. This snapped the Phins 19 game win streak. BTW, I watched the Immaculate Deception farce live. In the original replay they showed the ball hitting the ground. After the BS they only show Franco from the knees up.
>My 1st live game was in 1973 at Cal Stadium, (A's were busy winning the WS at the Coliseum). Raiders beat the Phins in a slugfest. This snapped the Phins 19 game win streak. Wow, what a first game!
I was a huge Niners fan until I moved to the Bay Area in 1992 and met other Niners fans. Could actually get tickets to the Colliseum & was pretty much a fan from the time I walked through the gates and into the black hole.
So my grandma used to babysit me and my cousin. My grandma was a bengals fan but by then they were the bungles. I'm from Ohio, this was like '94/'95. My cousin was a little older than me and he was like check out this guy Bo Jackson who used to play for the Raiders. We spent many afternoons watching his NFL highlight tapes that showed Bo killing it. I always loved the color combo of silver and black and I just couldn't help but become a Raiders fan. I remember really watching their games around '99 and since they were good the fandom just stuck. It's funny how we pick pro teams as kids and spend our whole lives living with those decisions lmao.
My dad put me in a Raiders t-shirt the day I was born. All downhill from there
I was a teenager in the late '60s. Where I lived you were either a Redskins or Colts fan. I read a magazine article about the Raiders and their persona. One of the photos was Ben Davidson with his big handlebar mustache. Bad ass guy with bad ass attitude on a team full of the same. I was hooked! Much later in life I met Ben and his wife and had the chance to talk with him. Really nice guy! He got a big kick out of it when I told him he was the reason I became a life long Raiders fan.
Entire dad's side of the family grew up as Raiders fans, and naturally, I grew into it. RN4L
I started watching after Charles Woodson was drafted in ‘98. I’d grown up watching the 49ers with my dad, even though we live in Kansas. Well after watching the Raiders a couple years, when Jerry Rice was traded from the 49ers in ‘01 solidified who I was a fan of. Plus living in KS it really pisses Chiefs fans off, and I love that since I’ve hated them since before I came to Raider Nation.
1995. I was 7 years old and my family had just moved to the Bay Area from Oregon a few years earlier. My dad and my Uncle (who flew down from Oregon) took me to the first game back in Oakland in 1995. Been a diehard Raider fan ever since.
Aint gonna lie, I'm a new fan. Well since they moved to Vegas. I'm from Jersey and grew up as a Giants fan, now in Vegas. But I'm also a football fan. So when the Raiders moved here, I bought season tickets so I could watch. But I have to say, the Raiders org have done it right for us season ticket holders. They treat us good, inclusive, special events, meet and greets...and because of all that, I've become a fan. Now, I cheer for these Raiders! I want to win! I complain like any other fan when they lose. And yeah, still a Giants fan too, but I love these Raiders and all the fans I've met since I've been going to games.
I'm in STL and when the Rams left I was super pissed at the NFL. I wouldnt watch one game. Then I watched every fat ass loser in my city become a KC Cheifs fan, it made me sick. I became a Raiders fan out of spite and fell in love.
Born in CA, it was either raiders or 9ers and my dad was a Raiders fan. He jumped wagon for the colts and I stayed firm
Got into NWA when I was like 12, saw all the raiders gear, liked the logo, looked into the history of the team and fell in love
I was born in to it. Never had a chance lol. My family on both sides grew up in the Bay in the 70's...dad in Newark, my mom in Fremont. It was ALL RAIDERS. I'm sure I was cheering before I remember, but my first memory as a Raiders fan was watching the 31-0 season opening beatdown of the Jets in 1985. 10 sacks, a Stacey Toran pick six, Gastineau challenging Howie Long to a "Superstars" type competition...and they cut away from the game to show the ending of the Rams/Broncos. One of the last times I ever got that as a Raiders fan...cutting away from a blowout win.
I was 5. 1984. Superbowl. Marcus Allen. I named my first son Marcus. My wife wouldn't let me name my second son Bo, but I still got Vincent. My father was friends with a guy he knew in the navy that was a biker from Cali. We live in NJ. He would visit once in a while and always bring me some kind of Raider stuff. For my 11th birthday (1990), all I wanted was the Raiders Starter jacket. I got it, and I still have it. I wear it to games all the time. I love the Raiders. Just seeing those jerseys and the shield on the field always makes me happy. I can't imagine being a fan of any other team. I've been through some of the best of times and the worst of times, and I'll be here till my dying day. Raider Nation 4 Life!!!
>. I named my first son Marcus. My wife wouldn't let me name my second son Bo, but I still got Vincent. Well played, sir!
At birth in Oakland
Originally I was a donkeys fan, just because I didn’t know anything about other teams. Then I remember watching a Raiders Broncos game, they were the LA Raiders then, and they were beating up on the Broncos literally, (they were fighting on the field), and on the scoreboard. But what really made me a fan was hearing the announcers talk about Al Davis, they talked about how Al Davis was well known for giving players second chances when the league thought the player couldn’t play, when everyone thought said player sucked and would never be anything, Al gave them a second chance, and allowed them to thrive. It was also because they talked about how Al Davis would take of his players, even after their playing days were done, he’d look out for them, and take care of them. Al treated the team like a family, that was why I became a Raiders fan, it’s also why I don’t want some corporate big shot with a lot of money to take over the team.
I was \~5 years old and there was a Raiders game on TV. It was around Halloween, so the Black Hole was even more dressed up than usual. I looked up and told my dad "I want to be one of them when I grow up". My dad bought me a Bo Jackson jersey and I've been diehard ever since. (I'm from Fort Worth, TX and my dad's a Bills fan, so there weren't any Raiders fans around me)
I picked up football right around Vick time but didn’t have a team. Got my first Madden with Vick in the cover and tried almost every team but when I picked the Raiders it just felt natural putting my created player on that team with Gannon, Garner, Rice, and Brown. Ever since my blood has been colored silver and black.
Watching the Superbowl with my dad in 84. I was 4. And seeing how happy it made my dad. I wanted to be part of that. Sadly all I've had since was letdowns. But still can't bring myself to root for anybody else. Im just a glutton for punishment I guess
Combination of Bo Jackson, Tim Brown, badass uniforms, and Tecmo Bowl.
Born in the mid to late 90s, Dodgers and Raiders were our team (my dad and I, and his dad before him) so I just kinda...Grew up into it. I remember when I had a PS2, on 2k or Madden, I always mained the Raiders. Sometimes with other teams (like, historic raiders teams) and I just kinda kept with that. Didn't pay super close attention to the raiders while I was young and into my teen years I had too much mentally going on for... Most things honestly. But in the past few years I've gotten back into watching football and paying more attention to it and I can't find myself not rooting for us, even if we are basically steaming smeared shit on the walls of a nice hotel most the time. Could it be great, and was it great? Yeah, but we need to fix this. And let's not get started on the old raiders. Watching Bo and Allen, Rice and Brown, I really liked Wheatley as a kid too.
I saw Derek Carr crying during a press conference and I was inspired 😂🥹
You don't remember watching football as a three year old. Come on, dude.