It's getting to that time of the year again... - Page 3

Originally Posted by auminer

Hey! NICE! The posts so far have been about pro ball, but it's good to see college ball getting represented, too. GEAUX TIGERS!!

Ya, for the past few years, the stadium was our tornado retreat, we'd go there when tornados were reported since there hadn't been a touchdown there in years.

At least we got upgraded to college, before you know it we'll be in the pros...

I must be the only Bucs fan. I've been following the Bucs sense their first game (1976). Also was a season ticket holder for over ten years. Go Bucs!!

Originally Posted by bigburtchino

I'm here in L.A. the major market city with no football team. Seems like we now have fans representing every team in the league. No wonder, almost everybody is from somewhere else! Not me born right here and from sports family. In our family the super bowl is a long standing national holiday, the rest of the country may or may not know that! The Rams you would think were our natural choice. On their rare good years they got a thumbs up and that's about it. The Rams were a "Grapes, Crackers, Cheese and A Fine Wine Team. The Raiders are a Chile and Beer Team, no picnic for us! We have always been a Raider Nation family. Denver was always second choice, so some years we just couldn't loose! I'm slightly older than the Raiders, so I remember just about every season. They started really bad, nobody thought they would be around more than one or two seasons. Then a man named "Al" was hired as head coach, well the rest is history. Love him or hate him, he was good at at least two things (winning/making money).

When they came to LA in 1982, the football gods must have been family friends. I did not buy season tickets that year (I didn't think they would move). Al obviously knew about publicity and marketing, bad publicity is better than no publicity. When the Raider nation comes to town to play football, you know we are there. 1983 to 1993 I bought season tickets, helped start one of the largest Raider tailgate clubs. It was some of best times of my life. Met some great people, real silver and black fans. Games were not just a day, two teams played football. They became events, lasting two sometimes even three days. Road games could turn into vacations and playoffs wondered if I was ever going home. Had just about every type of chili you can think of. Learned to drink myself sober or so I thought.

I stopped attending the games for a lot of reasons. Started my own business in 1991, Divorce cost and takes a lot out of you, Raiders quit winning (so it seemed), have 10 Million and your city can have the Raiders TOO! What really got to me was the fan violence at games (home & road). Raider fans started seriously hurting people just because they rooted for the other team. Just wasn't fun seeing this $hit. Started really bothering me after a 1990 game at LA. We were playing the Pittsburgh Steelers, old school, blue collar football team. The Raiders and The Steelers doesn't get any better than that, for a true football fan. Unfortunately it turned out to be not much of a game. The Steelers got beat 20-3, that was final score. The game was noted as one of the NFL's ugliest events ever. Not for what happened on the field, but in the stands. There was fights almost the entire game, fan against fan. The ugliest came late in the fourth quarter, a Steeler fan started going section by section. Taunting the Raider crowed, the game was essentially over. He made it half way around the coliseum. When he got to fifty yard line, on the Steelers bench side. People started physically assaulting him, these were full "knock you out punches". Only one person was charged, a man that stomped on his head. I saw at least ten men hit this guy, he was tossed onto the field, like a "BEACH BALL". He landed right behind the Steeler bench. The first person to render him medical assistance (The Steelers team trainer and doctor). He lived, spent days in intensive care and made me question myself, my team and my city.

It's only a game people. We are way to civilized for this (I thought). It reminded me of history books i had read (christians being feed to the lions). The Raider Nation is still just as rowdy as then. Fans are still beating the $hit out of each other. The good thing about not having a team in LA anymore. Almost all of the games are on TV, no blackouts here. I'll watch my NFL games at home from now on. I still go to football games, but only college games now!

USC or ucla ?

Both, come on it's LA, the land of anything and everything! If the Trojans are marching on and most of the time, they are! On occasion the Bruins football team puts one together. Been to many Rose Bowls, liked it better before the moving of bowls to determine National Champion. I know it's better as far as a #1 & #2 match-up for the championship. What I didn't like loosing the old traditional #1 pac 10 (now pac 12) and #1 big 10 is expected to be in the Grand Daddy of them all. Texas and USC in 2006 a was a very good game, but TEXAS in the Rose Bowl. Earlier we even had Washington St. Vs. Oklahoma in 2003. This year they change it all up again, never dull with the BCS system.

Now if we talk hoops, there only one barn and that one, Wooden built!

Which Manning would that be?

Originally Posted by phred59

hasnt been easy being a denver fan. i have seen them play in 6 superbowls (wasnt watching football yet for their first one) and lose 4 of them. it was nice to see elway get a couple on his way out though. hopefully manning can get 1 more before he is done. i think if its going to happen, its gonna have to be this year. but i probably said the same thing last year too lol