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Raider fans are the problem

Bob Weaver | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 13 years, 4 months AGO
by Bob Weaver
| September 3, 2011 9:00 PM

I possessed 49er season tickets for 35 years, prior to moving to Northern Idaho. The problem with violence of fans is escalated anytime the Raiders play. Each year the Niners play the Raiders in preseason, probably as a cost savings to save on transportation. Unfortunately many Raider fans are from lower economic backgrounds and can only purchase preseason tickets that season ticket holders do not want. Raider fans have a mystique of rowdiness, drunkeness etc. that they try to live up to whether the game is in Oakland or Candlestick.

Many season ticket holders sell or give away their meaningless preseason game tickets as they see them as an unnecessary evil of purchasing the season ticket package. Raider fans can acquire these free or discounted tickets easily. Their sole purpose and goal at a game is to fight and get drunk. This is nothing new; Raider fans have had this mindset for decades. A normal Niner game is and can be a family affair attended by families, wives and children. Travel to Oakland and very few families are in attendance because of the fear of violence. Raider fans are proud of this as is seemingly Al Davis, majority owner of the Raiders. Every home Raider game involves drunkeness and fighting in the parking lot.

Tailgating either in the RV parking lot or out of your trunk is an essential part of enjoying an NFL or NCCA game. 98 percent of all those in the parking lot are responsible football fans. Are there stats about preseason game incidents, involving mostly non-season ticket holders, compared to NFL regular season games which the real season ticket holding fans attend.

There is a standing joke in the Bay area that Niner fans are quiche-eating wine sippers while Raider fans are the deviant, drunken ones who are compelled to live up to it.

Reduce preseason games to two and increase regular season games to 18 and there would be fewer problems as few preseason tickets would be available.

Raider home games are rarely sold out as the typical Raider fan is blue collar and cannot afford a full couple of season tickets. This and of course the fact the Raiders are miserable and have not been in playoffs in recent memory make tickets available.

I go to the Seattle-Niner game in Seattle each year wearing Niner shirt and jacket, and never have problems besides friendly heckling. That is the way it should be and is at Candlestick when the Niners play anyone but Raiders and sometimes Cowboy fanatics but that is a different story. Why deprive law-abiding football fans of enjoying football and tailgating because of a few renegade Raider pukes. It costs $25 + to park at Niner games. Monitor the law breakers not the ones merely having a good time with friends and family. If they are too drunk to drive after games DUI them. We used to BBQ after game as well to beat traffic, avoid the drunks and at times sober up ourselves. I hope the NFL does not overreact and regulate.

Bob Weaver is a Twin Lakes resident.

Weaver

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ARTICLES BY BOB WEAVER

September 3, 2011 9 p.m.

Raider fans are the problem

I possessed 49er season tickets for 35 years, prior to moving to Northern Idaho. The problem with violence of fans is escalated anytime the Raiders play. Each year the Niners play the Raiders in preseason, probably as a cost savings to save on transportation. Unfortunately many Raider fans are from lower economic backgrounds and can only purchase preseason tickets that season ticket holders do not want. Raider fans have a mystique of rowdiness, drunkeness etc. that they try to live up to whether the game is in Oakland or Candlestick.