Oakland writer’s campaign for Raiders: “Send them back” to L.A.
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If you love the Raiders, or if you love mocking the Raiders, don’t miss this terrific column in the East Bay Express, which indicts Al Davis thusly:
Like most autocratic rulers, his first three decades were his best.
The column also takes aim at Raider Nation, or what’s left of it:
Even the fans who make up the Raider Nation (population shrinking) have done the incredible; they’ve managed to make the color black un-cool. Aging outlaw wannabes, bearded meth manqué, and the old ladies who love them, shouting obscenities at the opponents and then attacking the visitor’s spectators because the only catharsis they can get is beating up fans of winning teams. It’s a fan base drowning in the recent past, eagerly sharing stories to a dwindling listening audience about athletes who rocked the AFC West.
The solution? Put the Raiders out of Oakland’s misery, and into ours:
Put it all together: non-responsive leadership, a commitment to glitz over gumption, a panting fan base ready to commit a beatdown on anyone who looks at them sideways and it all adds up to ... Los Angeles.
Great writing, but no thanks.
-- Bill Shaikin