Google Image Search: Word & Picture #205

Today's Word:
"Oakland fans"

Today's Picture:

Interesting that when you Google-Image-Search "Oakland fans", a picture of Pittsburgh Steelers fans comes back. Google, you are broken.

I am going to pick up where I left off before Thanksgiving: the trip to Oakland for the Raiders\Chiefs game. Fans of football are pretty much the same... except in Oakland. Raiders fans make every game day Halloween. There are some people you see on TV all the time. They wear full-body costumes. I tried to take pictures with a few of them.

Here's me pretending to be tough next to a creepy guy.

The guy above handed-out his own posters. I am not joking. The poster had his MySpace account on the poster. Apparently, his target market is high schoolers. I guess Facebook is too classy for a man with a skull belt.

Here is a picture of me saying, "take a picture with me so I can make fun of you on my blog":

I like this picture because you can see me holding the poster the guy gave me in picture #1. The guy in the picture above bought his necklace at Tiffany's of Oakland. I bet no one dresses up like this for a Golden State Warriors game.

This one just makes me so happy:

I don't think these people know each other. I don't know any of them. But now, we will be forever joined on my blog.

These people accused me of being "incognito".

Their direct quote was, "I think we have a incognito here." I am not sure what they meant, but I assumed it to be one of two things:

• They smelled the Kansas City on me or
• They did not know how to use the word "incognito"

They were on to me. But I was onto their chain-link fence over coat. Paris Hilton will be wearing one next year. You watch.

And here comes the scariest Raiders fan of all:

AAAAAAAAAAAAAaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhh! Take off the mask! Take off the mask! This is the guy who got us our tickets.

It was retro-uniform day when the Raiders played the Chiefs. I thought it was ironic that I grew up in Kansas City, but now live in Austin... and the Chiefs had the state of Texas on the side of their helmet. I appreciate them going out of their way for me. Here is a photo:


Schully was able to get us great tickets thanks to Oakland starting quarterback, Bruce Gradkowski. We sat with Bruce's sisters for the game. It was exciting because Bruce was the backup for Jamarcus Russell... who was having a terrible season. Russell started the Oakland\Chiefs game, but Bruce was put-in in the 3rd quarter. The entire stadium erupted when Bruce got in the game, mostly because they were relieved the "Russell Era" was over in Oakland and partly because they were excited to see what Bruce could do. With KC leading by 6 points, Bruce almost led the team to a comeback. But dropped passes killed his winning drive and the Chiefs won.

After the game, I got to meet Bruce briefly and thank him for the tickets. He was a nice dude. But he dressed like a newspaper delivery boy from the 1920s. I hope Bruce does well the rest of the season, but I also hope his sisters give him normal clothes for Christmas. Gradkowski Sisters - get your brother a hoodie.

I was also stoked that I got to meet Paul Hackett. Coach Hackett is working for the Raiders. He was the offensive coordinator for the Kansas City Chiefs when I lived in KCK. He was also head coach of the USC Trojans before Pete Carroll stole his thunder.

The week after the game, Bruce was named the starter for the Raiders. Backup quarterbacks everywhere: see what happens when you give me tickets to your game? Brodie Croyle, I'm calling you out. Where are my tickets, Jon Kitna? Rex Grossman, you need me.

I had a blast at the Raiders game. I will always root for the Raiders...

... when they are not playing Kansas City. And I will always root for Bruce Gradkowski, even when he plays the Chiefs.

Thanks, Schully, for a memorable weekend. Fu-gee, pa-do, 11-one.

In Summary: Smell the Kansas City on me, Facebook is too classy for a man with a skull belt, Rex Grossman needs me.