Report from Oakland

[SoCal Bong]

My recap from Sunday as I posted to the Patriots Tailgate Club late last night:

Woke up early at 5am which should be illegal on Sundays.

Left from Irvine for LAX at 6am and checked in for my Southwest flight smoothly. Arrived at the gate to see a whole bunch of Raider fans. I was wearing my jersey under a jacket that was partially zipped so it was visible but not obvious. Got some looks but no one said anything and I just kept to myself, listening to some Patriots and Raiders podcasts on my iPod.

On the flight were probably 20 or so Raiders fans and just three of us Pats fans. Talked to some of the Raider fans sitting near me and they were cool. Some of them fly up to Oakland for every home game, and when they continue to do that even when their team was been eliminated from playoff contention probably a month ago, you have to give them props for their dedication.

Arrived in Oakland and took the BART Shuttle bus over to the Coliseum which is the closest BART station. On the way, we got stopped at an intersection by the Hilton as the police were escorting a bus and probably a dozen cars. As they headed straight toward the Coliseum, I'm figuring this must have been the Pats or Raiders though I'm not sure which. The Pats were staying down in San Jose earlier this week to practice so I'm not sure whether they would move hotels just for one night when its saves only about an hour of drive time. It could have also been the Raiders since some teams do stay in hotels the night before a home game.

Got to Jillian's and found our Pats fans there at the bar. Many familiar faces from the San Fran game back in October and a bunch of new ones too.

After getting our fill of food and drink it was time to head out. While the plan was to stay "undercover" in terms of Pats attire until we got into the stadium, it really wasn't necessary as we hardly saw any Raider fans coming in from San Fran.

At the stadium we found our section just as the Pats were just finishing up their warm-ups.

There was just a light drizzle coming down so we were optimistic that conditions would hold up and it would be a great day for football. We followed the Jets and Dolphins scores by phone but I don't think any of us realized how close each of those teams were to losing and helping out the Pats. Oh well...

At the first TV timeout, Randy Moss was shaking hands and hugging a lot of Raider players on the field that he probably hasn't seen in two years. The crowd however booed loudly everytime Moss or Jordan made a play which there were plenty of.

The Pats offense started off fast and as we were sitting in the end zone that the Pats were playing toward in the first quarter, it was great to see those three early TDs happen right in front of us.

Aside from a brief break late in the 1st quarter, the rain never really stopped and actually began to fall harder.

Watching the game highlights right now as write this, I don't think TV viewers really got a good idea of how much rain was actually falling. The field held up surprisingly well and I was a bit surprised there weren't more turnovers.

By the 3rd quarter many fans had already left and by the end of the game only the angry bitters one remained.

For the most part Raider fans didn't get in our faces or get personal with their comments. Mostly just a lot of yelling and cursing. There were a few things thrown our way but security was on top of it and removed the culprits right away.

About half way through the 4th quarter we made our way down to the lower rows at midfield right behind the Pats bench. Bitter Raider fans yelled their lungs out at the Pats and Belichick with silly, old-news chants like "18 & 1", "Cheaters", etc.

Kelly Washington in particular enjoyed interacting with the home team fans. He got the Black Hole riled up with some friendly taunting before a kick return and on the sideline he was telling them all to go home (with a smile on his face). Lamont Jordan and Richard Seymour were also quite entertained by the friendly hospitality they received from the silver and black that stayed to the end.

Our group shrunk down to just 6 of us by the end and thanks to the blowout, getting back on the BART was easy as most of the fans were already dry at home.

At SFO Airport many flights were delayed due to a security alert but fortunately I was able to get on stand by for an earlier flight.

While walking through the terminal, Roosevelt Colvin and I crossed paths. I told him "good game" and "good to have you back". Not sure why he wasn't on the team charter flight back to Boston but I didn't want to be to nosey or bother him for an autograph or picture especially because I don't think anyone else recognized him and doing that will often draw attention and attract others to do the same.

Another great day for Pats fans and I hope that the rest of you that were at the game enjoyed it as much as we did in 148.

Many more photos will be posted at the Patriots Tailgate Yahoo Group.

Go PATS!!!

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

Field reports are much appreciated.

 

[PATSYLICIOUS]

Thanks for the report, good read. Glad y'all weren't harrassed/harmed.

 

[Joker]

what great fans you and your people are...thanks a bunch for the shots

 

[T-ShirtDynasty]

Love these reports too, thanks! Nice shots as well.... question... why would one go to a Patriots/Raiduhs game wearing a Cowboys jacket? Just seems odd to me.

 

[Angry Man]

Thanks for the report. Always a joy to read these.

 

[PatriotDynasty_12]

Good seats and pictures!

 

[italian pat patriot]

i love those reports-how many Patriots Fans were there ?

 

[Fanfrom1960]

Nice report and pix, thanks. "It Never Rains in (Southern) California", right? Great song:singing:

I kept looking out the window for the rain you guys were getting, but just a few drops at my place. Getting it today though. Always nice to beat the Raiders!

 

[harrylime70]

Great to get a first hand report. Glad you got to see a win and had no trouble there.

 

[chris_in_sunnyvale]

This was my wife’s and my first game in Oakland since the Pats visited in 2002. Like that night, we sat in the 2nd deck corner of the endzone (above where Welker scored his TD). We took the BART train and got to the stadium about an hour early. The rain hadn’t started so we sat in our seats and watched the warmups. Kelly Washington went out of his way to rile up the Raiders fans in the near endzone well before the game (and did so on every Pats kickoff, of which there were plenty). One thing was clearly apparent watching the warmups: Randy Moss was not going to have any drops. He was catching everything thrown his way, mostly with his hands outstretched, no body catches. The rain started trickling down about 30 minutes before the game, but it appeared we would be spared any heavy stuff. As kickoff approached, the fans started filing in, but still there were huge swaths of empty seats. The game sold out, but I find that hard to believe because I can’t believe that many people would eat their tickets. A nice guy about my age sat next to me and asked if this was our first Raiders game, so I told him that we were Pats fans and that this was our first since the previous game. He smiled and joked, “We still remember the Tuck Rule game well, so be careful,” but then went on and lamented how the Raiders still blew opportunities in that game and that it wasn’t all on the refs. As the captains came out for the coin toss, the rain started coming down in earnest; Great timing.

Before the game, I wondered how the fans would react if the Pats started running away with the game. Would they be mellow or would they start looking for Pats fans to torment and threaten. I got my answer early: Dejection, resignation, disgust at their own team and often they just got up and left. Honestly, it was hilarious! It started with the kickoff when the Raiders returner hesitated in his endzone before taking it out and getting downed inside their 10. The fans around me started booing immediately. When Russell missed his receiver badly on 3rd down, the fans tore into the home team again. When the Pats drove and scored, lots of sighs and comments like, “Typical,” were heard. After another 3-and-out by Oakland and the TD to Moss, the fans had pretty much given up. When Morris broke free for his long TD run, I stood up with my arms raised shouting, “YEAH!” and nobody said a word to me. Between the rain and the poor performance of their team, the fans just didn’t have it in them to protect their turf. When Oakland finally got their first first-down, the fans derisively cheered. Right after that they scored on the long TD pass, but the Pats marched right down the field and scored to quiet the crowd once again. The fans got briefly into it again when they returned the kickoff for a TD, but when Hobbs returned the favor, comments like, “Oh my God!”, “Are you kidding me?” and “Of course that was going to happen,” filled the air as the balloon was burst once again. By halftime a ton of fans had already left as we had quite a few empty seats around us.

During halftime, the rain let up so we hoped we’d have a dry 2nd half. Then as the special teams came onto the field for the kickoff, the rain started hard again; Unbelievable. Plenty of fans were still getting food and didn’t return until after Moss had scored again. One guy in front of me came back with his hot dog, looked at the scoreboard and said, “They scored again?”, ate his dog, said goodbye to his buddy and left. About midway into the quarter when it was apparent covered seats were open and not waiting for people to return from the halftime concession stand logjam, we moved for cover as most fans had done the same. From then on it was pretty uneventful as the game was well in hand. Janikowski getting his PAT blocked garnered another round of sarcastic remarks. Jordan got his long TD and when his name was announced, he heard it from what few fans remained. The missed 2pt conversion drew more derision. By the time the game ended the stadium was pretty empty. Getting onto BART after the game was never easier and that includes plenty of Red Sox/A’s games over the years. There were plenty of Pats fans making the walk to BART and not one was harassed. Very quiet train ride home as the rain and poor play by Oakland sapped the energy out of the fans.

It was the coldest, wettest day in the Bay Area so far this fall/winter. I never dreamed I’d be out in it. I definitely never dreamed I’d enjoy being out in it so much. Thank you, Pats for making it so.

Regards,
Chris

P.S. When I wore my red #12 throwback jersey to the Pats/49ers game and blended in with the home fans, a friend joked, “Will you be wearing a black Brady jersey to Oakland?” On Saturday in preparation for the bad weather, I asked my wife if I had a poncho to wear. She said she bought me one years ago and have worn it, although I don’t remember it. She dug it out of a closet. I’ll give you one guess what color it was

 

[SoCal Bong]

Normally group tickets would have been up in the 300 level but we got lucky as these seats became available late and the ticket sales rep I was working with contacted me before anyone else had a chance to snag them up.

At the same time, tickets were selling for a fraction of face value last week but it would have been nearly impossible to get 30+ seats together so the extra expense was probably worth it.

Fans who sit in the upper levels usually witness or even get victimized with much worse behavior so we were also fortunate to be in the lower levels for that reason as well.

There were certainly Pats fans throughout the stadium but not a lot, or at least not a lot that you could tell by appearance. Most football fans are familiar enough with Oakland’s reputation that they either don’t go at all or if they do, not to wear anything that shows that you are supporting the visiting team.

It’s actually outside the stadium that things are the most dangerous as there is far less security and police. If you’ve ever walked over the bridge that connects to the BART station, you know that if something goes down there, there isn’t anywhere to escape to and though I saw one pair of cops on the way in (over a stretch that goes at least a couple hundred yards) I didn’t see any on the way out which is when people are far more drunk and likely to start something up.

I was hoping to hear the experiences of other Pats fans that were at the game since I’m sure there were plenty of differences. Didn’t anyone else here attend the game?

 

[Gwedd]

Thanks from me for the report as well. It's always great to hear reports and experiences from the far outposts of Patriots Nation.

Respects,

 

[Pat the Pats Fan]

SoCal Bong and Chris,

Thanks for the commentary on the game. Having attended Pats games in other stadiums (Skins, Ravens, Eagles, and Jets) it is always interesting to hear how the fans treated you.

 

[DaBruinz]

Just to add to SoCal Bong's report. I was up in the club section almost directly behind him. In my row, and the row in front of me were 8 people from New England. However, only 1 of them was a Pats fan. The rest were Raider fans, but they were all pretty cool.

The only time that there was an issue was when my brother and I were walking around the 1st concourse. There was some Raider knucklehead pushing and shoving and yelling at any and all Pats fans. Other than that, things were pretty good.

The kick coverage team needs work. Granted, its got several people on it who don't normally play there, but its still hurting.

I could clearly see Meriweather getting held on the Johnnie Lee Higgins run and was amazed that the Side Judge stood there like a stooge and didn't throw a flag. I guess he felt sorry for the Raider. The Raider fans around me begrudgingly agreed that is was clearly a hold.

The BART was pretty easy and going to and from Oakland Airport was also easy.

I had a blast and was just disappointed I couldn't make it down to meet with SoCal and the rest of the OCPF, though I thing SoCal and his wife are the only two that I would have known.

 

[Fanfrom1960]

Normally group tickets would have been up in the 300 level but we got lucky as these seats became available late and the ticket sales rep I was working with contacted me before anyone else had a chance to snag them up.

At the same time, tickets were selling for a fraction of face value last week but it would have been nearly impossible to get 30+ seats together so the extra expense was probably worth it.

Fans who sit in the upper levels usually witness or even get victimized with much worse behavior so we were also fortunate to be in the lower levels for that reason as well.

There were certainly Pats fans throughout the stadium but not a lot, or at least not a lot that you could tell by appearance. Most football fans are familiar enough with Oakland’s reputation that they either don’t go at all or if they do, not to wear anything that shows that you are supporting the visiting team.

It’s actually outside the stadium that things are the most dangerous as there is far less security and police. If you’ve ever walked over the bridge that connects to the BART station, you know that if something goes down there, there isn’t anywhere to escape to and though I saw one pair of cops on the way in (over a stretch that goes at least a couple hundred yards) I didn’t see any on the way out which is when people are far more drunk and likely to start something up.

I was hoping to hear the experiences of other Pats fans that were at the game since I’m sure there were plenty of differences. Didn’t anyone else here attend the game?

I wimped out and watched it on TV. Always more fun to be there, though, and with the Raiders in the state they're in, I'm sure tickets were more affordable than usual. That bridge to BART is a piece of cake after Red Sox games, sounds different after a Raiders game. The cameras did show a few types as below. Did you run into any of them?

 

[SoCal Bong]

Just to add to SoCal Bong's report. I was up in the club section almost directly behind him. In my row, and the row in front of me were 8 people from New England. However, only 1 of them was a Pats fan. The rest were Raider fans, but they were all pretty cool.

Did they have a sign that said "Maine (hearts) Raiders"?

We saw them in the front row of the level above us near the end of the game and commented on how weird that was.

Sorry we missed you btw.

As for the crazy costumed Raider fans, yeah there were a bunch of them but the ones I saw were very civil - taking pictures with kids and even Pats fans.

In a lot of cases, it was the younger females who had the loudest and most vulgar mouths as they basically have immunity and would never be harmed no matter what they say. Then again I guess a catfight could break out but that's pretty rare to see at a sporting event.

 

[DaBruinz]

Did they have a sign that said "Maine (hearts) Raiders"?

We saw them in the front row of the level above us near the end of the game and commented on how weird that was.

Sorry we missed you btw.

I was actually seated in the last row of Club section 249. If you look at the picture you posted and go to the top right hand area under the overhang, all the way in the back is where I was.

I didn't actually see the people with the Maine sign. The people around me were from Connecticut and Rhode Island.

 

[TealSox]

I was actually seated in the last row of Club section 249. If you look at the picture you posted and go to the top right hand area under the overhang, all the way in the back is where I was.

I didn't actually see the people with the Maine sign. The people around me were from Connecticut and Rhode Island.

Awesome. I was right there in section 149.

Good to see the Pats fans showing up. I saw a Bruschi jersey, a couple Moss (pats) jerseys, Adalius Thomas jersey, a Bledsoe, three Brady jerseys and a nice Andre Tippett jersey.

I stayed with a couple Raider fans till there was only 4 minutes left in the 4th quarter. Unfortunately, I was tailgating for so long that I missed the first two TDs. I didn't think the scoring would start so quickly.

I got to my seats just in time to see the third TD and then got disappointed at the Higgins TD, so I went to get a beer. Of course, while I was gone, I missed the back-to-back kick off returns for TDs.

For the Pats fans that got heckled by my buddy, I apologize. It was pretty much PG-13 stuff and because he was drinking so much, it was funny what would come out of his mouth, moreso, than offensive.

Guess this is the last game I'll be attending unless they make a trip to SD for the playoffs. For that to happen, a lot of stars have to align.

 

[Dragda]

There were a lot of empty seats. I wore trash bags to stay dry. It was cold and very windy. I got crapped on by a gull.

But it was good to see Jordan, who was booed every time he touched the ball, to have a good afternoon and a score.

The Raiders tried different things to defend the pass, but they just aren't very good.