At some point, likely after many adult beverages the night before, it seemed like a good idea. College buddy and ESPN colleague T.J. Berka and I were heading to the Raiders-Lions game with seats next to Oakland’s infamous “Black Hole” — and I was going to go dressed in the Honolulu blue of the Detroit Lions.
Raiders’ fans, in case you are living in a sports black hole of your own, are not known for being gracious hosts. And they’re a little bit nuts. Exhibit A is the guy in the Jason mask sitting next to Berka in the video above. The guy showed up that way with his 6-year-old kid, and at some point his kid shouted something to the affect of “Nobody gets out of Oakland alive!”
Overall, I really don’t have a problem with Raider fans, in fact I embrace most enthusiastic fans. However, on a previous trip to see the silver and black, I witnessed a Chargers’ fan beaten to the ground in the men’s bathroom by at least five guys, who proceeded to kick and stomp on the dude until all he could do was whimper. It was that scene that began playing in my head on the train to the game as car after car began to fill with Raiders fans.
As it turns out, there was not much to fear — though if you’re considering doing this I would not advise sitting in the upper deck or in the Black Hole. I was called an asshole, I was told to fuck off, I heard plenty of “Fuck you Detroit!” I had several people tell me I was going to die, and maybe just as many say they were praying for my safety (and they appeared to be quite serious). But aside from a really drunk girl in my section punching me in the jaw — she meant it as a joke (I think) and got a little overzealous — there was no physical abuse. Of course, I did not use the bathroom at the Coliseum and and never did more than a mini fist pump, some abbreviated clapping and the occasional five to Berka when cheering for the Lions.
But the overall atmosphere the Raiders provide is like nothing I’ve experienced at a pro football game. It’s loud in there. Fans in our section did not sit down during play the entire game. And people are dressed to intimidate. I could be a Raiders fan if I had a larger Halloween wardrobe.
The result of the game didn’t hurt my opinion of the day either: Lions 28, Raiders 27. I can deal with a little verbal abuse for reasonably-priced tickets, two Megatron TDs right in front of me and witnessing the Lions achieve their first winning season since I was in college.
(The winning catch I couldn’t catch. That’s half of Megatron on the far left)
(What would have been an NFL-record 65-yard kick to win it for the Raiders)
Cheers
Tags: Chris Grandstaff, Detroit Lions, Oakland Raiders, T.J. Berka
