In times like these, find a happy place.
After a tough loss I like to find something that makes me feel good. No it’s not comfort food or guilty pleasures. It’s good old fashion division rivalry hatred. Nothing makes me feel more at home and comfortable than hatting on Oakland. It’s sad really how the once proud silver and black who were the terror of the AFC have fallen on such hard times, it takes away from the fun were your most competitive rival wears powder blue and is called the super chargers (try saying it without a lisp, impossible), but hey as long as we beat them down, I’m not complaining. They are the model for every antagonist in sports movies. The villan always wears black even going back to old westerns.
The Raiders just Stink!
As we prepare for the week ahead I want us all to reflect and think of found memories, seems fitting around the hollidays. But I don’t want your holliday cheer unless it involves a holliday raider hater moment. This show is for fans, by fans and also about fans. We want more feedback! Please dig deep this week and tell me a favorite Raider Hater Moment. Here’s some fuel for the fire.
-Legendary Bronco QB John Elway while on the rebound from his divorce begins “dating” a raider cheerleader. Guess he took the fans that screamed obsinities to heart (let’s go with “screw the raiders”). He’s now engaged to marry Oakland Raiders cheerleader Paige Green.
Not bad John, not bad.
-A rookie is born, Denver’s Eddie Royal and Jay Cutler pick the Raiders aparts 44-14 in the 2008/2009 season. Royal, whose NFL debut couldn’t have been stronger. Royal caught 9 receptions for 146 yards and 1 TD to become the NFL’s leading receiver through Week One. He repeatedly shook loudmouth Raiders CB Deangolo Hall off his routes, burning the former Pro Bowler for repeated catches. Cutler was nearly flawless, finishing with a 137.3 QB rating, 299 yards and 2 TS’s.
-Snowball fight: Raiders cornerback Charles Woodson allegedly threw a snowball in the crowd and offensive tackle Lincoln Kennedy tried to fight some fans after being hit with a snowball after a Broncos overtime win in 1999 at Mile High Stadium. That’s a fight your not going to win.
-Sharpe hurt: A feud between former teammates Shannon Sharpe and Bill Romanowski turned ugly when Romanowski, with the Raiders, wrestled on the ground with Sharpe at the end of an incompletion in 2002 and dislocated Sharpe’s elbow.
Watch out when he starts swinging.
Shanahan fired: When Oakland fired Mike Shanahan, below, in 1989, Al Davis didn’t know he added fuel to the Broncos rivalry. Shanahan, who was always upset over a large sum of money he said Davis owed him (rumor has it, it’s 200 bucks), had a 21-7 career record against Oakland.
Should have just paid the man.
- Shanahan invents “freezing the kicker” and a fad is born: Sebastian Janikowski gave the Raiders an apparent overtime win with a long field goal in 2007. But Shanahan called a timeout moments before the kick. Janikowski missed the second attempt and Denver ended up winning.
-Big tie: One of the first great moments for the franchise came when kicker Jim Turner booted a game-tying field goal in a 1973 “Monday Night Football” game and the Broncos tied the Raiders 23- 23.
I love when tough skeletons pout.
-Moses down the sideline: In the first quarter of the 1977 AFC Championship Game against Oakland, receiver Haven Moses’ 74-yard touchdown gave the Broncos a 7-3 lead they wouldn’t relinquish.
-The taunt: Perhaps no legend in the rivalry has lasted longer than a quote from Broncos linebacker Tom Jackson. With the Broncos beating the Raiders in the 1977 season, Jackson told Raiders coach John Madden, “It’s all over, fat man!”(Boom!)
Doing what Raiders do, penalties and arguments.
-Controversial call: Broncos running back Rob Lytle fumbled in the 1977 AFC Championship Game against the Raiders. The only problem was the officials ruled it was still Denver’s ball. The Broncos went on to win and go to the Super Bowl.
So it’s Rivalry Week, what sticks out in your mind?
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6 Responses
Drew December 15th at 8:23 pm
So Bruce Gradkowski has ruled himself out this week, knee injury sustained last weekend will keep him out which means Russel is back in. Good news for us!
Carie December 15th at 9:54 pm
Ah! This is something everyone can get behind. According to the Urban Dictionary a ‘Raider Hater’ is “A true football fan, not a band wagon rider, who will always root against the Raiders any time any day. A true Raider Hater can be most recognized by their intelligence and ability to stay out of jail and not riot after loosing.” Look up Raider Hater on the internet and you will be overwhelmed by websites devoted to the hatred of this once feared, now follied team. My favorite Denver/ Raider Hater moment comes from the book ‘77: Denver, the Broncos, and a Coming of Age’ where Terry Frei talks about Coach Red Miller whipping the Broncos up to defeat the Raiders in epic fashion after previously going 6-26-2 against this rival. A lot of colorful language was used and it was quite enjoyable to read, even for this newbie to the Bronco Nation.
Drew December 15th at 10:06 pm
well played Carie, I like it. By the way Sharpe and Atwater are on the ballot for hall of fame this year but they need votes. Sharpe is 11 down on the list and Atwater is 17 (closer to bottom) vote now. http://www.fanschoice.com/
Drew December 15th at 10:09 pm
Also this is the first home game since Barrel Man died, I hope there will be some tribute fans going to this game. Grab a photo if you can and e-mail us hosts@broncoscast.com or post them on our facebook site.
Woody December 16th at 12:27 pm
My favorite Raider Hater memory:
Back in high school I used to have a track coach/trainer, Randy Huntington, who also was a trainer for Trace Armstrong of the Oakland Raiders. I heard that Armstrong was going to be at one of our workouts so I thought it’d be a good day to sport my “Raider Hater” t-shirt. Armstrong was basically off doing his own thing the whole time, but Randy later told me not to wear the t-shirt to anymore workouts.
Drew December 16th at 7:13 pm
Well played Woody…
So now Oakland has announced Charlie Frye will be the Raiders’ starting quarterback in Sunday’s game against the Broncos.Frye will get the nod over JaMarcus Russell. Frye has played in just two games over the last three seasons; and though he has started both of them, he did not have much success in either appearance. The Raiders signed veteran quarterback J.P. Losman on Tuesday as an insurance policy in light of knee injuries to starter Bruce Gradkowski.