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I also went to the game, as I have every time the Pats came to the Bay Area in the last 17yrs. Like Dragda said, Raiders fans can talk tough, but they rarely look to start trouble. You can reliably wear Pats gear, root for the team and cheer loudly for good plays on both sides of the ball without incident. As is true at *any* stadium, trouble will be found if you start taunting the fans around you or start yelling chants like "Cambell sucks", "Raiders suck", etc.
I have to give SoCal Bong big props for arranging the group tickets. Despite my late realization the Pats were coming to Oakland (the change in the 6yr rotation screwed me up), he still had 2 tickets available in a prime location...5yd line, 25 rows up, Pats sideline. Unfortunately I didn't have a chance to meet the man as my wife and I arrived just as Seymour was getting flagged for slamming Brady after the whistle and we left promptly at game's end to get home to our kids. SoCal Bong...I tip my cap to you...as should everyone else you set up with those great tix. The large contingency of Pats fans in our area was a great sight.
The weather was beautiful...sunny (and hot) during the first half, then comfortable in the 2nd half as the clouds provided some relief. Everybody stood during the action the whole game. We had a crazy Raiders chick behind us screaming, "F*** Brady!", "Come on, Campbell!", "Campbell...you suck! Sit down!". Glad she was gone midway through the 4th (along with most of the fans). A few guys tried starting some "F*** The Patriots" (clap clap clapclapclap) chants, but even the majority of Raiders fans around us rolled their eyes at such immature antics as their efforts died quickly. There were a few cheers when Mayo was on the ground, but it's always the vocal minority of losers (like the chick behind us) who are heard over the silent majority.
Halftime was spent in line getting nachos and a Pepsi. As I was looking for napkins before heading back to my seat, I heard scattered cheers from Pats fans waiting for food, watching Ridley score early in the 3rd
Our vantage point offered some great views: The two outs to Ochocinco were beautiful throws on great routes. The pass to Welker at the one and the TD to Branch were also beautifully executed. We also had a good view of the overturned PI call...indeed they just got tangled up and there was no interference. I just wish Brady hit Welker on the deep post early in the game as that ball fell incomplete right in front of us. It's also obvious why Brady licks his chops when he thinks he has Gronk one-on-one...the guy is an absolute monster in person, bigger than anyone (LB or DB) trying to cover him.
The fans turned hard on Campbell as the game progressed. The pick to Pat Chung looked as awful live as on TV. After the pick to Big Vince, the collective groan could be heard in San Francisco. In the 4th as the Raiders continued to run the ball despite being far behind, fans were imploring Campbell to speed things up...shades of McNabb in SB39. After the Raiders punted on 4th down with about 7 minutes left and down a ton, fans started filing out en masse.
Since the stadium was 2/3 empty at the final gun, getting onto BART was a breeze. In 2002 when the Pats lost 27-20 in the Revenge of the Tuck Rule game, it took an hour to cross the BART bridge from the stadium to the station. This time it only took 15 minutes. Train home was fairly empty as we moved through the crowd to the front car (of 10) where nobody was waiting. Was home by 6pm as hoped. And then it was an evening of catching up with the highlights and commentary on ESPN and the local news.
Pics from the game. View them in reverse order.
Regards,
Chris
