The Raider is an Autumn Wind

Hey friends. I appoligize for not getting an entry up last week.

I am a Raiders fan. I'm pretty sure if you really looked at my blood closely it would be silver and black. I have been a Raiders fan since I was in junior high. I have seen some great teams. There were teams in the early 90's that I really thought would go to the Super Bowl. The late 90's were really tough to take as a fan but then they got Rich Gannon and Chucky. Those were great years. When they finally made it to the Super Bowl I truly thought I had died and gone to heaven. Even with the Super Bowl loss times were great. Players have come and gone but through it all there has been one constant. Al Davis.

I don't know what I'm supposed to think of Al Davis. He's my team's owner. For better or for worse he's the face of my team. Am I supposed to love him or hate him. He has done a lot of great things for the league and for my Raiders. On the other hand he has done a few questionable things.

Moved the Raiders from Oakland to Los Angeles.
Moved the Raiders back to Oakland.
Threatened to move the Raiders back to Los Angeles.
Hired Art Shell than fired Art Shell than hired Art Shell than fired Art Shell
More bad free agent signings than I can mention.

I'm torn as to how I'm supposed to feel about him. He gives out horrendous amounts of money to bad free agents and I want to jump ship to another team. He trades away John Gruden and I want to cry. But than something strange happens. I watch a game and I see him in his white jump suit http://espn-att.starwave.com/i/magazine/new/al_davis_a.jpg I hear him talk at a press conference. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y3XAohGHEv8. I am hooked. He is so different than the other owners in professional sports. He keeps things interesting. He makes me believe that this really will be the year they win the Super Bowl. I start to believe that he will get the team back to the top. Al Davis has this way of pulling me in. I should give up on him but I just can't.

I can't give up on him. I feel invested in him. When the Raiders win the Super Bowl and I truly believe they will in my life time, I can't wait to see the commissionair hand Al Davis the trophy. I want to be able to say I never gave up on him. Bad move, year after year I stuck by him.

Just Win Baby. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MKbYjyKOoR4