My Oakland Raiders Story
Posted 03-28-2008 at 07:50 PM by JayCee
A slightly cut version was already up on raiders.com, but for those who haven't read it yet, this is the story about how I became a Raider fan.
Special thanks to WookieRaider for the help, raiders.com for the awesome prize and of course my Dad, Boon H. Chew.
As a fan I put all my heart and the entirety of my soul into each and every game. I read every article and post on fan boards. I watch or listen to every game the Raiders play no matter what the time difference. I cheer from the tops of the highest mountains when we score and I slide into desperation when we do not. My soul aches from deep, deep inside when we lose and soars with happiness and like the mighty Phoenix, I am a fan, reborn, made stronger by every win.
My History as a fan of the Silver and Black began almost a decade before. It was 1997 when I first became a citizen of the great Raiders Nation. My Father took me to an American sports bar in my hometown of Bonn, Germany. All night I stared, transfixed, in awe of the spectacle playing out on the huge screen before me. I was amazed by Napoleon Kaufman and Tim Brown. Unfortunately it was a bitter defeat against the Tennessee Oilers. I was proud though because I knew from that moment on I would be cheering for the Silver and Black until the end of days.
A number of years later, after our 2002 Super Bowl defeat, my Dad and I talked about that night in the sports bar when I was first initiated into the Raider Nation. He said he’d never seen such a glint in my eyes before. It was a thing we both could share, our thing, and though I never saw him in tears before that night, at that tender moment I did!
In 2003 he bought me my first ever Raiders jersey. It was Christmas Eve. I opened the little parcel with youthful excitement. I could not believe it, were my eyes deceiving me, Number 26, Kaufman. I was speechless. I remembered the moments at the sports bar, what we shared together, him and I. It was just the two of us and our beloved Raiders. He soon after moved to another country half way across the world. It was the last Christmas I spent with my Father.
To this day, whenever I put on my Raiders jersey, I feel pride, poise and passion. There is a commitment to excellence as a man, a son, and a fan. What the Raiders have given me is deeper and more meaningful than I can explain in these few short sentences. It has helped define how I live my life, who I am, and what I can become if I believe.
To become the Raiders fan of the week would mean the world to me. It would complete my dedication and passion to the team that has forever changed my life, the team that made me believe in me and the team that, whenever I watch them, makes me feel like I am once again, that young man, standing next to my Dad, sharing our special moment.
Forever, will I bleed Silver & Black!
Me and the prize (a Raider Nation flag and a Ted Hendricks autographed photo)
Special thanks to WookieRaider for the help, raiders.com for the awesome prize and of course my Dad, Boon H. Chew.
As a fan I put all my heart and the entirety of my soul into each and every game. I read every article and post on fan boards. I watch or listen to every game the Raiders play no matter what the time difference. I cheer from the tops of the highest mountains when we score and I slide into desperation when we do not. My soul aches from deep, deep inside when we lose and soars with happiness and like the mighty Phoenix, I am a fan, reborn, made stronger by every win.
My History as a fan of the Silver and Black began almost a decade before. It was 1997 when I first became a citizen of the great Raiders Nation. My Father took me to an American sports bar in my hometown of Bonn, Germany. All night I stared, transfixed, in awe of the spectacle playing out on the huge screen before me. I was amazed by Napoleon Kaufman and Tim Brown. Unfortunately it was a bitter defeat against the Tennessee Oilers. I was proud though because I knew from that moment on I would be cheering for the Silver and Black until the end of days.
A number of years later, after our 2002 Super Bowl defeat, my Dad and I talked about that night in the sports bar when I was first initiated into the Raider Nation. He said he’d never seen such a glint in my eyes before. It was a thing we both could share, our thing, and though I never saw him in tears before that night, at that tender moment I did!
In 2003 he bought me my first ever Raiders jersey. It was Christmas Eve. I opened the little parcel with youthful excitement. I could not believe it, were my eyes deceiving me, Number 26, Kaufman. I was speechless. I remembered the moments at the sports bar, what we shared together, him and I. It was just the two of us and our beloved Raiders. He soon after moved to another country half way across the world. It was the last Christmas I spent with my Father.
To this day, whenever I put on my Raiders jersey, I feel pride, poise and passion. There is a commitment to excellence as a man, a son, and a fan. What the Raiders have given me is deeper and more meaningful than I can explain in these few short sentences. It has helped define how I live my life, who I am, and what I can become if I believe.
To become the Raiders fan of the week would mean the world to me. It would complete my dedication and passion to the team that has forever changed my life, the team that made me believe in me and the team that, whenever I watch them, makes me feel like I am once again, that young man, standing next to my Dad, sharing our special moment.
Forever, will I bleed Silver & Black!
Me and the prize (a Raider Nation flag and a Ted Hendricks autographed photo)
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