From the Coliseum to Vegas: A Lifelong Raider Fan's Journey
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Hey my fellow souls! My new book is live - Many Lives, One Soul: My Journey to Becoming Whole
Marc Tagliaferri
August 24, 2024
Well, it's that time of year again.....
Well, it's that time of year again.....
Raider football is about a week away. It’s time for us to get ready to go down to Los Angeles and reclaim the territory that belongs to the Raider Nation, and we're gonna start out at the Chargers' house. Yes, sir. Yes, sir.
So let me set the stage for my blog. It was a beautiful, sunny day with a little bit of rain in Los Angeles at the Memorial Coliseum in 1985. That was the last time I saw the Raiders play live in California. I was 13 years old. They were hot.
They had just won the division, coming off some tough games against—I think it was Denver—going to win the division. They were defending Super Bowl champions. They were ready to go. New England was coming to town. They had beaten New England earlier in the year, throttled them in New England.
You know, everything was looking good. I couldn't wait to go. I was going with my uncle, his girlfriend (whom I called my aunt at the time), and my grandfather. My grandfather, Edmond Tagliaferri, was a Ram fan. He loved Eric Dickerson, but don't misunderstand—he loved Marcus Allen too, just like me. Huge fans. So, anyways, my grandpa went with us, which was awesome because I really loved my grandfather, and I miss him. He was a good man.
So, anyways, before I talk about that game, I gotta tell you about earlier in the year. I went to the game, and I saw them play the Chargers, which is kind of funny that we're gonna open with the Chargers because, as I've said before, my grandma just loves those Chargers. Anyways, so I'm at the game, and they're playing the Chargers earlier in the year. I believe I was sitting in the west end zone because when I went to the game against New England, I was in the east end zone. But so I'm there, and we're watching the game, and it's a pretty good game, and the Raiders win. But I really can't remember a whole lot, but what I do remember is, we had a safety named Van McElroy, number 26.
Man, I'm telling you, I don't know why he hasn't been mentioned for anything. This guy was tough. Tough, smart. I mean, he was always on cue. Well, on that day, they threw the ball to Lionel James, who was also number 26, a running back.
Very good player. Very good. Strong, smart. And, man, Van just lit him up in the end zone. It was awesome.
Now, the funny part is I go to jump up and cheer, and I've got my big brother from the Big Brother Association there. I go to stand up and cheer, and an old-school blow-up doll lands right on my head. I mean, split legs. You talk about a 13-year-old... well, I was about 12 then, maybe 13. It was so embarrassing. It was crazy. But, thankfully, there were a couple of very nice ladies behind us, and they were kind and helped me get through the rest of the game. But I just wanted to tell you something funny, man.
Raider games are something else. You know, they're fun. There's all kinds of excitement. It's always been that way. So, anyways, now I'm gonna move on to kind of the depressing part but not.
So we're at the game. It's a great game. It's going back and forth. New England gets the lead early. The Raiders come back, and they're looking good.
They look like they're gonna win the game, but it actually doesn’t happen. We actually lose the game, and it sucks. I really thought the greatest Super Bowl that was never played would have been the Los Angeles Raiders versus the Chicago Bears that year. I think that would have been even better than that Monday night game when the Dolphins beat the Bears that year. I think the Raiders-Bears game would have been by far the best Super Bowl that had ever been played but never got played.
So, and I'm very biased with that. But if you can remember, if you're old enough to remember those two teams during that time frame, you might agree, honestly. So, yeah, I just wanted to say that. I think it was a great time.
But now we've got this new group that's in Las Vegas, and, you know, AP is doing a great job, the general manager, the whole franchise seems to be in sync, the players. You know? It reminds me of the old-school vibe. And not just because everyone's been talking about that, but because they're actually doing it.
You can see it. You can see the camaraderie on the sidelines, the way the players are treating each other, the whole thing. It looks a lot different than the past 25 years to me, and I've definitely been a die-hard Raider fan the whole way, man. Those 2-14 and 4-12 seasons sucked, like back to back.
Man, dude, I'm telling you. And some of the situations that we went through, you know, but I held in there just like a true fan would. I enjoyed the NFL. Trust me. It's a beautiful thing, but I definitely stayed a Raider fan.
So, I just wanna say that I'm very excited about the Raiders. I'm excited about this year coming up. To be honest with you, I'm pretty sure they're gonna make the playoffs. I've predicted them on Deuce's Two Cents—where I'm trying to do a sports show that I'm really excited about—that I think the Raiders are gonna win the division. They're gonna finally eclipse the Chiefs, and I think that's gonna be a great thing.
I think it'll be good for the league. You know, if you think about it, we beat them twice in two years, so we split those games. It’s really not too far off, really not. So I think it’s possible, and I’m excited. It’s a very exciting time to be a Raider fan right now.
They've got a lot going on. They’ve got a running back, Zamir White. They’ve got this young receiver, Tucker, coming up. You know, of course, we've got Davante Adams, Brock, the new tight end, Myers at tight end, that line. I mean, I can’t mention everybody, but, wow, the line is just coming together.
The defense, you know, we signed Wilkins. Jenkins is in there. Butler’s in there. I mean, linebackers flying around. And if I'm correct, back in 1985, there was a Reggie McKenzie on the team, and he was one of my favorites.
He was a great player. And last night, I happened to notice that there was another McKenzie on the team. So we've got a little bit of, you know, family blood in there, right? I mean, it's a beautiful thing.
The Raiders are an amazing organization. And it’s really fun for me, all these years to hear people all over the country talk trash. I mean, you get an upstart team that's doing well, you know, and that's good for their franchise. And they act like the Raiders haven't ever done anything. And it just kills me to listen to their fan base talk when, in reality, the Raiders have set the tone for everything.
They hired the first-ever African American coach in Art Shell, who’s also one of our greatest linemen to ever play. And that night they beat the Jets, I think it was on a Monday night, and Eddie Anderson intercepted the ball. Yes, sir. They also had the first Hispanic quarterback coach to win a Super Bowl in the great Tom Flores. I mean, come on, man.
And to add to that, they were the first franchise to ever have a CEO who was a woman, named Amy Trask. So what aren’t the Raiders doing? They've had a rough 25, 30 years because things haven't gone their way, yeah. But you know what? They're still there. They're still representing, and everyone's hating because you know they're great. You know the greatness of the Raiders.
And if I may throw something personal in, in 1995 and 1996, there was a head coach named Mike White. Well, I didn't know him for a long time. I only played one year at Newport Harbor High School as a running back, but he was an assistant coach there because his son played. He was a wide receiver, and he was a great man. And it only goes to show me how great the Raider organization is. And as I struggled in my life, it was always good to know the people that I knew were a part of the organization, even if it was, you know, a fleeting thing. But still, the greatness of the Raiders is amazing.
So, for everyone out there, you've got your new little teams winning, and everybody's all excited about it. Enjoy that. Enjoy it because you deserve it. But why be hating on the Raiders? Why?
Because when they win, the league is right. When they are the Raiders, the league is in a better state. You know, there are just certain franchises, and there are a few more in the NFL. I'm really not in the mood to talk about them right now because I want to focus on the Raiders. But when the Raiders are hot, man, there ain't nothing like it.
So I believe that our general manager, the staff, the owner Mr. Davis, AP, and company, with Crosby and everyone—Hey, Mitch, come on, man. I'm there for you, brother. You remind me of the old days. I love it.
So, anyways, I just want to say, go Raiders. I can't wait for the season. I can't wait for everything to come, and I hope I see another trophy raised. And if I don't, in my time on this earth, I'll let you know that I'm thankful for what I did see.
Thank you for '76. Thank you for the beginning of it. Thank you for '81 when you were the first wild card team. You lost earlier that year to the Eagles. You had a quarterback come down, and Plunkett came in and pulled it off.
Kenny King down the sidelines. And, hey, I gotta tell you, I met Kenny King, and that is one awesome man. Awesome. Very kind. Very nice to me. He even let me look at a Super Bowl ring, which I do have replicas of, but not like the one he had on his hand that day. My cousin played at Washington, and Don James was the coach. And that's how I met Kenny King because he was there to see Don James when we were there to see my cousin.
But, anyways, I gotta say, man, in '84, whew, when you got that Redskins team, man, that was a tough team. They played them earlier in the year too, but that squeak pick by Squire. What a team, man. What a team.
So all I can say to all the Raider Nation out there is, doesn't it feel great to see it again? Isn't it good to see the old swag back in the building? Anyways, with that, I appreciate everything that the Raiders have provided for me.
The fun, the laughs, the joy, arguing with people about them. You know, I wear Raider stuff almost every day. I gotta say, man, I've had a unique life, and I've traveled many places. And sometimes I wondered if it was real, but every time I could put a Raider hat on or every time I could put a Raider jersey on, I knew it was real. I knew I was in that Coliseum. I knew I was home. It didn't matter how lost I was. As long as I could see that shield, I knew it was real. So I thank you, Raider Organization, all the players, everyone involved in the whole situation, even the ball boys. Thank you.
So I'm gonna leave it at that. A very biased blog, but that's the way it is. Go Raiders!
Play video for some old school Raiders!
raider video.mp4"Stay blessed, stay true to yourself, and always remember, you’re never alone on this incredible journey. Wishing you an abundance of peace, love, and an overflow of good vibes until our paths cross again. Thanks for being a part of this adventure with me. Until next time, Deuces!"
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