So I'm here in New York wearing Raiders gear on the morning after a Raiders defeat of the New York Jets.
I Love The Smell of Victory in The Morning!
Yes, the Oakland Raiders overcame fatigue, penalties and plain old buzzards luck (can't kill nothing and nobody's dying) to win in overtime 16-13 over the Brett favre led Jets.
I was there on that Monday Night when Brett, playing a day after his father died, lit up the Raiders defense in a game that would become the classic Brett Favre moment. I won't call this weekend's Raiders win vindication, but I do feel it'll go down as a Raiders classic and possibly a season changing game.
The fact that I'm here in New York visiting just adds to the joyous outcome. I watched the game while surrounded by Raider-Haters in the person of family and old friends. I'd forgotten that we'd ended the Jets Super Bowl aspirations two years in a row in the playoffs this decade. I overheard someone mention after Feely's 52-yard field goal that it was finally pay back time for the "Heidi Bowl" game. Yeah, I suppose the Raiders have been a thorn in the Jets side for many years. Even my young pop warner aged nephew called to tell me that the "Raiders got lucky." They train'em young here too.
So it is with pride and joy that I wear my Raiders colors and strut around New York this morning to see the long faces of Jets fans in pain. A pain as old as the Heidi Bowl and as hard to swallow as a SeaBass 57-yd field goal splitting the uprights in over-time. Trust me when I say the Jets fans felt they'd win the game from the opening kick-off.
The Oakland Raiders record may only be 2-4 as of today, but with few AFC teams dominating, it gives a glimpse of hope to a Silver and Black organization that's seen a season of controversial shake-up. Rumor has it that the win was so uplifting to the Raiders that owner Al Davis immediately wrote a check to fired coach Lane Kiffin to cover the balance of his contract along with a letter of apology.
NOT!
R A I D E R L E G E N D
