R-A-I-D-E-R-S!
Got a call from my no-nonsense, tough as nails Raiders client service representative to inform me that I'd just won a #89 Amari Cooper jersey. I've received many gifts from the Raiders in the past, but never have I actually won anything Raiders. It was a welcome surprise to a wonderful Easter weekend. Heck, I even enjoyed my visit to the fiery Pentecostal Easter celebration being held at a huge convention center. Had to give thanks for the jersey and all the blessings that life offers.
If you've never received a call informing you that you've won something then I should tell you, it's as joyous as driving down the road in a brand 'spanking' new car. You feel like the spotlight of lucky success has just shined its light down on you, if only for a moment. And you bask in the glory of it all. You immediately want to share it, not the prize but the news of your triumph. Nothing says "YOU DAH MAN" like a winning ticket or prize. Especially when the prize is from your Favorite Sports Franchise.
Don't get me wrong, I love the Golden State Warriors. Been a suffering fan of the gold and blue since I got to Cali. back in the 1980's and my aunt gave me a surprise birthday party with Warriors players Mickey Johnson and Sleepy Floyd in attendance. I WAS DAH MAN then. Going to Warriors games with free courtside seats. Special access to guests post-game area outside players locker room. Back then I was having a hard time just giving tickets away. Now I can't get a sniff of the Upper Rooms at the Coliseum without borrowing from my 401K. Ain't that nothing, gotta steal from myself to see a basketball game. But I'm ecstatic to see the Warriors on top of the NBA.
Yep, love the Dubs. Also, excited to see baseball season begin here in the Bay this week. My Giants, injured pitchers and all, should be contenders. A World Series championship for the A's or Giants would be most welcome, again.
But seeing the Oakland Raiders win the AFC and take out the NFC champion in the Super Bowl would be the best moment of my modern day sports life. Is it possible that my winning an Amari Cooper Raiders jersey is an omen of things to come? Yes, I'll take it as a sign, a sign that the Raiders are destined to have a winning season to top all seasons.
2018 is gonna be a silver and black block party that'll make the 2017 Fly Eagles Fly tour look like a bird watchers convention. We're talking Raiders fans from all walks of life coming out to reunite and be a part of something that began way back when Al Davis first joined the franchise in 1963 as head coach. We're talking an upcoming season of historic and monumental proportions. A season where every game, every down played is a countdown to the franchise leaving town. If the team still wants to leave for that desert oasis in Nevada after winning it all, they'll have my blessings, just as long as the Lombardi(s) stay in Oakland. Because this season, it's our year dammit!
Hear that NFL; the 2018 football season will see a Raiders team that is playing for more than just a damn Lombardi. They're playing for a city and its loyal fans who know the clock is ticking for when their house is no longer a home to the silver and black. The greatness that is their football franchise will become no more than a memorable slogan around town. But they'll show up and support their Raiders to the end; win, lose or tie. Because that's what Oakland Raiders fans do.
I'll be there this season, at the Coliseum wearing my newly won #89 Cooper jersey, Black! Because as a Raiders fan on football Sunday, Where Else would you rather be than suited up in battle fatigues at the game yelling and screaming for your nation, the Raider Nation.........soldiers one and all!
Where Else, Huh! Where Else?
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