Home is Where the Heart Is
The infamous Black Hole.
I had fully intended on taking a new spin on my submission this week. Something a little more concrete, something with a little more facts and maybe some statistics. I didn’t want to bombard you all with my sappy, keep your heads up, positive attitude. But, I can’t help it, that’s really who I am in real life. And so after Sunday’s Chiefs game, the deal was sealed.
Raiders fan are born and bred all over the world. Of course, there is something to be said about rooting for your “home team”, but that does not ring true for even some of the most diehard sports fans. I think that in order to be a true fan, you connect on more levels than just location. I am a prime example of that. I am originally from Kansas. Who is my home team? The Kansas City Chiefs. Gross. I was raised a Raiders fan in the most Raider hating place. My dad had been a fan all of his life, and he passed on his wisdom to his children. My brothers, sister and I have always fully embraced it. Chiefs-Raiders games were always our favorites to watch. We always wanted to give them a beat down, especially in Kansas City. What a beautiful rivalry. All throughout school, if the Raiders ended up falling short on a Raiders- Chiefs game day, my dad would call the next day a “Raiders Holiday” and let us stay home from school. It was brutal out there! Raiders fans have so much pride and you can’t hide it, even if you will be the most hated.
Kansas City Chief’s quarterback Matt Cassel lies motionless as Chief fans cheer.
I’m sure you’ve all heard the back and forth between fans and players regarding the so called “booing” of Cassel when he took a big hit. How could you not hear about it? It’s been all over, embarrassing each other over and over again. What a shame. Who is right and who is wrong does not matter. You will not find out the true answer to this. Some people were probably booing, and some people were probably holding their breath. Chiefs fans are frustrated, and that may be the only thing we have in common with them. But, there is a difference between booing a player based on performance and booing a player that lays hurt on the field. And, what I do know is that we would never boo one of our own upon taking a big hit in hopes that the back-up would be able to take his place. That is not who the Raider Nation is. We support our team in good times and in bad. If they have on a Raiders uniform, you better believe we have their back. And if one of our own takes a hard hit, you better believe that there will not be a clap or a cheer in sight to be mistaken for a classless act.
It’s disappointing that it came to this for Kansas City. I really don’t think that any good comes from it. And may I just point out that this is what happens to teams whose fans lose hope in them. When the team gets so derailed, when so many promises are broken and there is no light at the end of the tunnel. They turn against each other. Let’s not do that. Keep the shade open so that light shines through no matter how small it seems at times.
The point of all of this? I’m reminded how proud I am to be a Raiders fan from Kansas. We may be known to be loud, uncompromising, and passionate to a near fault, but dammit, we are family!
Can you really wear the Chief’s colors as proudly as this man does?
And on a side note, we don’t share the same colors with McDonald’s. And on a final side note, the Chiefs stadium is actually located in Missouri, but no Chiefs fan in Kansas will ever admit that. And one more thing, “fair weather” is not only used to describe a Spring day in Kansas…. if you catch my drift.
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I am Amandas Grandfather, I am a Chiefs fan but will always love her! John, Topeka
Well Mr. Atchley, your granddaughter has a unique talent for being able to express herself through written word. Thankfully (for us), she also had the sense to become part of the Raider Nation. Thanks for the comment.