The fast crowd your momma warned you about

Hello kids...



First off, I'd like to state how absolutely giddy I am...I watched the highlights reel for the Broncos game last night and I felt like a proud momma. I'm not going to say anything more that could lead to a jinks-ing, but watching JaMarcus Russell stress like he did on the field last night made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.



Second, and my topic for this morning: How scary are Raiders fans?! The dynamic between the players and the crowd is something like a cyclical creep-fest. Last year I tried to convince myself that our longtime rivalry with Davis' brood was overrated and I actually liked Josh McCown. I figured, 'Hey, young quarterback, tons of rookies this season--no reason for this animosity beyond Shanahan's childish lack of "dissipation." ' Wow, I was wrong. While the Broncos may have let it go slightly, that guy in the full body armor...oh, and that guy with the severed Bronco fan's head...and that one with the crazy face paint that didn't blink and his buddy that was chanting curses at our offensive line--they're not over it. And here's what I mean by cyclical--the nutso fans fuel the nutso players and vice versa. That family in the stands that looks like they raided the local Halloween store yells and roars at the field, prompting Hall to sling that adorable Eddie Royal around by his jersey on a late hit, further prompting said family to gnash their teeth and boo the referee. It's like The Mighty Ducks' Bash Brothers meets HellRaiser, the way they egg each other on. At one point in the night, Ditka commented that Raider's fans are the greatest fans he's ever seen...sure, if by 'greatest fans' he means the kind you don't want to meet alone in a dark alley. And I don't even know if Al Davis can walk anymore, yet every time the camera panned that Smeegel look-a-like, I almost wet myself.



So, moral of the story: If you for some reason as a Broncos fan (you hit your head really hard, were kidnapped, etc etc) find yourself going to a Broncos/Raiders game in Oakland...learn some sort of martial arts or hide a sharp object in your sock.




PS: I would like to cite that Rob Ryan looked very lovely with his new haircut, and I'm very impressed at what lies beneath. And shut up--he donated it all to Locks of Love...I'd die to meet whoever ends up with that wig.

Yours Truly,

Stace