Raider Fans Should Have Reason to Smile

Dear Art Shell,

Just once I’d like to see you smile. Your team won when the ball hit the crossbar and you looked like you lost your best friend.

Come on, Art, show some emotion. Look happy, act positive (John Madden did) and we’ll see you at the Super Bowl.

MARK BERGLAS

Irvine

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After watching the Raiders for three quarters against the Oilers, I asked the guy in front of me to put on his huge, sight-blocking hat.

STEVE DUE

Inglewood

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I must agree with Art Shell in his gloating over the media “experts” who claimed the Raiders had no running game.

Only problem is, until two weeks ago, Shell didn’t know where it was.

MICHAEL HANNIN

Woodland Hills

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It is important for all those who call themselves Raider fans to note a few things:

1. The Raiders historically have their best years under adverse conditions.

2. Jeff Hostetler is a winner--something we’ve lacked since Jim Plunkett.

3. Forget the statistics (they don’t apply when speaking of the Raiders). We’ve got the best defense, man for man, in the NFL. The offense will catch up to it over the remainder of the year.

4. It’s not where a team starts but where it finishes that counts.

One final thought for all the naysayers: Will you say that you knew it all along when we smoke the Cowboys in Miami in January? I thought so.

KEVIN LYONS

Los Osos