Oakland Raiders: Ask Raider Nation
Nov 24, 2013; Oakland, CA, USA; General view of a United States flag on the field at O.co Coliseum during the playing of the national anthem as part of Salute to Service month festivities before the NFL game between the Tennessee Titans and the Oakland Raiders. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Every week on Wednesday, I will post this segment, “Ask Raider Nation.” It is a segment dedicated to Raiders Fan’s who want to give their opinion on what’s happening in the world of the Raiders. All interested fan’s should email me to let me know they would like to have their views heard. Just Blog Baby and Fansided have a huge fan-base, so it’s a chance to communicate to the world.
Up first is 41-year-old Steve Boyd. Steve resides in Maine, and he is married with two children. A police officer by profession, Steve watched his first Super Bowl on January 22, 1984, between the Oakland Raiders and Washington Redskins. He chose the Raiders as his team, and he has never looked back. Here’s what Steve had to say about the Oakland Raiders:
“I have been watching the moves the Raiders have made this year with a lot of interest. I feel like GM Reggie McKenzie has a plan that a lot of us don’t quite understand. He has brought in some excellent free agents to be mentors for our current young guys and for the new class that we will bring into the organization in May. These moves are a welcome sight to me. We have not had this much leadership from quality players for quite some time.”
“The trade for Matt Schaub is what I had been expecting. This trade is being compared, by some, to the Carson Palmer trade. I disagree strongly. A sixth round pick never usually makes the roster and yet our sixth round pick this year will be our starter. I say we see this year play out, and we stop bashing McKenzie for the moves he has made. I would like to see us draft WR-Sammy Watkins or try to bring in WR-DeSean Jackson. Our quarterback has some quality young receivers to throw to, but we need a couple of proven leaders in that position group.”
“My all time favorite personal RAIDERS moment was being able to go to a game in Oakland, CA. Being on the east coast makes it very difficult to get to a game. I walked into the Oakland Coliseum on December 6, 1998. I was wearing a Howie Long jersey and my Raiders hat. The sea of people wearing silver and black was absolutely insane. If I would have been a dolphins fan…… I might have been a little bit nervous. We did not fare so well in that game but for me, the experience of the whole RAIDERS mystique was incredible.”
How about that Raider Nation, great thoughts from Steve. I would personally like to thank Steve for taking the time to submit his thoughts for this segment. I definitely got goose-bumps just thinking of walking into the Oakland Coliseum with my Silver and Black gear on. Although the Raiders lost that game to quarterback Dan Marino’s Miami Dolphins, you at least got to see Raiders WR-Tim Brown catch 9 passes for 104 yards and 2 touchdowns. You’ll always have that memory of being a part of history.
Do me a favor Steve, stay safe out there, and remember that family is more important in life to you than your job. Thank you for the support you give to the Oakland Raiders, the pride you have for Raider Nation, and thank you for keeping people safe out on the road.
Again, if anybody out there in Raider Nation would like a chance to have their thoughts heard, simply email me with your request at shane030702@gmail.com, or follow me on Twitter @EC4Life1012. Thanks for all the support, and Go Raiders!