Raiders Lose Their Mystique--and Prove They’re Only Human

When I thought about the Raiders’ problems, the first thing that came to mind was Hollywood and money. My argument was going to be that the Raiders had become more interested in fame and pursuit of greenbacks than to want to win another Super Bowl. In other words, they lost their drive. This is not the case.

The real reason for the Raiders’ problems comes from the loss of the Raider mystique. With many of the players doing videos, commercials and TV roles, the American public, and especially the other teams around the NFL have come to the same conclusion. They’re human.

When the Raiders played in Oakland, only the local fans knew that they really belonged to the human race. Everybody else pretty much believed the rumors that they lived in cages and were fed raw meat. Even Oakland had its own mystique. Players feared the fans just as much as they feared the Raiders.

The L.A. fans are just as good as the Oakland fans but are unable to make much of an impact on the game because they are so far away from the field.

In the long run, it looks as if Oakland has won. The Raiders are average; they have lost their mystique.

SHAW KOBRE

Santa Rosa