BLOGS FROM THE NATION

WRITTEN BY: QUEEN D

queend@bleedsilverandblack.com 

A Man kneels down to pray for the gift that has been bestowed upon him and we mock him… This man who comes into our house as the enemy he stands before us, and behind him I see a sign that depicts him kneeling with a quote that says “Welcome to Hell” ….

As a Raider fan, for the longest time we have had to fight off the stereo types that people have bestowed upon us, and for so many years we do our best but then there are those like the one who created this sign that take us right back to where outsiders want to keep us.

Recently The Black Hole organization has gone as far as hiring a PR firm to put a good spin on us to try and turn our good name around which you can find on yahoo sports for further details; Point is that the last few years, more importantly last few games that I’ve been in the Black Hole my first thought to myself was, “Wow what has the Black Hole turned into?”  It’s reputation has changed from being Notorious in its own right to being...

Tags: bleed raiders, bleed silver and black, broncos, chargers, just win baby, queen d, raider nation, raiders

AL THE WAY

QUEEN D

QUEEND@BLEEDSILVERANDBLACK.COM 

Al The Way…

No, the title is not a typo, it says what it means, it is and always will be Al’s way…

We as fans have become a custom to using Al as the one to blame for all of the faults, for all of the mistakes, the go to guy for backlash because it was his way, and he made sure that everyone knew that, so where does that leave us? To take the blame on ourselves? To own up to our own mistakes? 

There will never be a “Post Al Era” because he will forever be this team, however with that said… We are now in a new era of football, as Raider fans, as the Raider Organization and the NFL as a whole. For the Raider Nation we are now in the “Wait and watch to see what happens” time… Will Mark Davis be able to truly understand that he is NOT his father and that things will not work the same way? I pray that he is intelligent enough to know that we need stability and that he doesn’t try to come in to be the hero and...

Tags: al davis, bleedsilverandblack.com, mark davis, mr davis, queen d, raider, raider fans, raider nation, raiders

Pride, Poise and Perfection... 

WRITTEN BY QUEEN D

QUEEND@BLEEDSILVERANDBLACK.COM

Today is unlike any other day; I was awaken at 7am this morning with a text that said...
"Al Davis passed away at 5am this morning" and at that moment I knew, it would never be the same.

It is no secret that I had my anger towards him based on the decision that was made between him and Tim Brown, or trading Gruden for one of the biggest disappointments to our franchise. I held that grudge until this morning, with the reception of that news that grudge went with his passing.

Many Raider Fans were frustrated with the last 7-8 seasons, that is no secret but , that's frustration it sticks with you and eats away, many of us blamed Al for the decisions he made, for the downward spiral and many of us never wanted to understand why...Why he made the decisions he did.

Al Davis cared about one thing and one thing only... HIS RAIDERS... His dream was to make an organization that would change history, that would supersede what anyone knew as just a game. He created the Raiders, and for the most part the...

Tags: al davis, bleedsilverandblack, gruden, mr davis, queen d, raider, raider fans, raider nation, raiders, tim brown

WRITTEN BY: QUEEN D

They Say better late than never…

In the late hours of August 12, 2010 I sat back and watched what could be the turning point of a Nation.  Oakland invades Arlington to take on the Dallas Cowboys in what felt like just any regular season game, besides the unfamiliar faces attached to recognizable numbers, the silver and black was still the same and with that the urgency of greatness in the horizon. 

Preseason for the Nation brings this sense of familiarity, the feeling of being one with the men on the field, watching a return to the stage we’re meant to be on.  This is the time to separate the boys from the men, the weak from the strong and the slacking from the determined.  These are the moments that set the tone for what needs to be done, for the road that WILL be traveled. 

The leaders went out and did what they always do – Dominate. The first 3 quarters gave the chance to see exactly who does and doesn’t fit on the offense,  Mr. Jackson shouldn’t have any problem weeding out his roster after the first 3 quarters.  The Raiders D came through...

Tags: bleedsilverandblack.com, cowboys, hue jackson, jack tatum, oakland, one nation, preseason, queen d, raiders, raiders defense, raiders legacy, the assassin

WRITTEN BY QUEEN D

FIRST PUBLISHED ON BLEEDSILVERANDBLACK.COM

So the saying seems to go every year,  “There’s always next year”  At least we can take some solace in the fact that once again San Diego has yet to make it to the promise land and succeed.  That at least could make us all smile. 

So here we are once again playing the waiting game 8 months of wonder.  If what is being mumbled around the media waves is true, Cable will stand to see another day.  I do not want to see yet another coaching change but at the same time we should have paid attention last year and not hired Cable in the first place.  He does not have the mental capacity to take us all the way.  He wasn’t able to control our Offensive line and with the O-line being such a huge part of the offense, how do you feel you can control an entire game when you can’t control just one element of it? Yes our record improved from the time of Kiffin to when Cable took over, but yet we ended up with the same record this year as we had last year. I guess...

Tags: al davis, bruce gradkowski, coach cable, gradkowski, jamarcus russell, peyton, queen d, raider, raider fans, raiders

WRITTEN BY QUEEN D

FIRST PUBLISHED ON BLEEDSILVERANDBLACK.COM 

The last two weeks we have shown our “Tale of Two Cities” coming out with fire, heart, passion and dedication against Philadelphia and coming out with confusion and nothing else against New Jersey.

It’s no longer a situation where we need to learn to play all 4 quarters, it has come to the point to where we have to learn to play all 16 games! We do not get to pick and choose which ones we play and which ones we let slide, we are not at that level on the food chain. If we expose just one of our weaknesses  one week its exposed for the rest of the season.    

We came out with fire for Week 1 in our battle against San Diego on Monday Night Football and barely won in Kansas City and from there it was a progressing down fall. The fight in someone doesn’t change that drastically in that amount of time. Something else is going on that is coming down from the play calling. The players can only play with what they’re given at that point the blame lies higher up...

Tags: cable, jamarcus russell, jets, justin fargas, ny jets, raider fans, raider nation, raiders, russell

WRITTEN BY QUEEN D

FIRST PUBLISHED ON BLEEDSILVERANDBLACK.COM 

The last two seasons those who have not been able to make it out to the coliseum have noticed this growing trend. No its not blacking out the coliseum by everyone getting in their black attire, It’s what those at home trying to watch the game call a “Black out”.   The NFL and their lovely team of overly paid employees came up with a scheme to black out all home games for teams  that do not reach their quota of tickets sold per game. Which is only suppose to extend to a 75 Mile range, yet those who are outside of that are still finding themselves viewing the game selected and not the game that is usually in their market. The point to this? Well we all ponder that same question…

During these times and our struggling economy it is ridiculous for the NFL to expect sell outs especially when not only are you raising ticket prices but the venues are raising the money for parking due to their contractors or whatever the case.  People who drive from out of town and surrounding cities are paying higher gas prices. These...

Tags: 75 mile black out, black out, nfl, raider fans, raider nation, raiders

WRITTEN BY: QUEEN D

FIRST PUBLISHED ON BLEEDSILVERANDBLACK.COM ON OCTOBER 5TH, 2009 AT 11:59PM

On Sunday September 27,2009 The Raiders took the field with every intention to win as they did on October 4, 2009. The only problem was that only lasted for about 60 minutes COMBINED. It is no secret that for as long as we can remember now our biggest adversary is... OURSELVES. Winning the big games while losing the games that we seem to be a bit over confident on. We have stars emerge out of the most horrendous productions, and then slack off when it comes down to the wire.  Football is a 4 quarter game, 60 Minutes of PURE PLAY. Maybe you have to be home watching on television to see that, or playing on Madden to realize this, whatever the case someone needs to wake up and realize this. 

Defense has come out and played hard and when they are on the field for 85% if not more of the game you definitely have to give them credit for that. They played hard against Houston and other than a couple missed plays (big plays) they did way better than I would have expected. The players...

Tags: coach cable, janikowski, justin fargas, louis murphy, queen d, raider fans, raider nation, raiders, russell, texans

WRITTEN BY: QUEEN D

bleedsilverandblack.com

Published: September 24, 2009 @ 7:41am 

Depending on who you are and what category you fall under two things come to mind when you hear the word “Committed.” 

If you are an outsider looking in on the Nation the census points towards some sort of mental disorder. How can you be a fan of something for so long in regards to a team that has had a losing season for 5 years? Why take the time to dress yourself up for a team that has yet to prove itself in the last decade?

For those of us within the Nation have a very definitive answer for that. We, the fans of the Nation are COMMITTED TO EXCELLENCE. We hear Committed and to us that means dedication, nothing less. As a fan we may come off as eccentric but in reality we just have something in our blood that runs strong, some call it passion… I call it faith. 

We have this infamous reputation of being the NFL’s most notorious fans, some would say heathen like. The same as with anything one projection can influence the view of an entire culture. 

 ...

Tags: bleedsilverandblack, bleedsilverandblack.com, commitment to excellence, committed, kansas city, louis murphy, mnf, nation, new tuck rule, oakland, queen d, raider nation, raiders, russell

Tags: al davis, broncos, chargers, dallas, gradkowski, gruden, jamarcus russell, jeff garcia, raider fan, raiders, raiders preseason, russell, saints, san francisco

Tags: bruce gradkowski, chaz schilens, dallas cowboys, darrius heyward-bey, greg ellis, jamarcus russell, louis murphy, necole key, oakland raiders raider fans, preseason, preseason 2009

Written by: QUEEN D

In this day and age with technology we are all locked and tuned in to what the daily update is. With the season just about to begin as fans we want any and everything we can get our hands on. 

On the brink of a new season and a new way of life as it seems, Kirk Morrison is not only ready but determined. With Morrison and Howard as the obvious standouts at the LB position, they have refused to settle there. Workouts and preparations are a part of their daily routine. Quotes from Morrison via twitter have been swarming around as preseason approaches. 

Statements such as; 

“Rise & Shine. Off to go get right this AM. Not looking forward to tire flips and med ball throws. But I got 2 pay the cost 2 be the boss.”

 “Monday morning. Time to start the week off right. Working to become great, not just average. 8 days left. The anxiety is starting to build.”

And probably the best quote by far:

“If I see another Steelers ring I’m gonna throw it in the trash. I gotta get one of those ASAP. Raider Nation its time.”

A...

Tags: bleedsilverandblack, bleedsilverandblack.com, espys, kirk morrison, queen d, raider nation, raiders

WRITTEN BY: QUEEN D 

SEVERED HIATUS

We’re more than ¾ of the way through the off season and how quiet it has been. With the organization keeping things under wraps and not doing things according to usual practice, they’ve made it a bit difficult for some to do their jobs.  Only the season will tell but I’m presuming that will pay off in a big way.  The Championship is in our sights, in 8 months we’ll be standing atop the biggest stage there is in sports. Second guessing that statement? If you’re a Raider fan there should be no second guessing that.  Now of course reality must play into that, but at the same time if we don’t believe we can achieve that goal we’ll be an under achieving team forever, and I’m sorry but think what you want over the last few years but the Raiders are NOT under achieving in any way. Circumstances happen and we may have preformed lower than expectations but we do not aspire to be less than perfect. If you do, what’s the point?  Why even go out there? Why risk their bodies? Why as fans support? Because regardless,  at the end of the...

Tags: al davis, chaz schilens, darrius heyward-bey, heyward-bey, raider fans, raider nation celebration, raiders, zack miller

The Nation came together all over the country for one common theme. Gatherings extended past Northern and Southern California. Draft parties stretched across the country from the Northern United States down to Texas and up through South Dakota. All different themes with different people from different walks of life flocked to witness who would follow Russell and McFadden to complete the trilogy.

Cincinnati's time is is up and with the 6th pick they choose Andre Smith and the Raiders are now on the clock...

The Nation at a stand still eager with anticipation, Goodell makes his way to the podium and with the 7th pick in the 2009 Draft the Oakland Raiders select...

Silence and Confusion hit the minds of the fans as Darius Heyward-Bay's WR name was announced. Many different thoughts running wild. Most of us knew before Saturday that Crabtree would more than likely NOT be a Raider but with that the many opportunities were endless. With Darius Heyward-Bey being projected to go 29th overall, most fans did not exactly see this pick coming to Oakland. 

When the camera panned to Heyward-Bey via video, he sat in his living room awaiting the announcement, although a little different than...

Tags: 2009 nfl draft, 3rd goal, 3rdngoal.com, bleedsilverandblack.com, darrius heyward-bey, harleys, queen d, raider, raider fans, raiders, release party, socal draft party

Written by: QUEEN D

Tags: cte dinner, justin fargas, marquis cooper, nnamdi asomugha, oakland raiders, queen d, raider fans, raiders

Written by: QUEEN D 

Tags: corey smith, marquis cooper

Tags: 2009 nfl draft, al davis, brian robiskie, drew carter, johnnie lee higgins, raider nation, raiders, raiders wide receivers, terry robiskie

 <img src="http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d163/teddawg/RAIDER%20NATION/blogpicextended.jpg">

To some people they say too little too late, winning the two final games  of the season, a surge in the offense, the entire team running all together as one…  We ended the season on a high note and there is no better way to start a new season than with 2 consecutive wins! So with that I want to thank the men who came out and played their hearts out for us the fans! The ones who left their hearts out on the field. Everyone left a little piece of themselves out there just as it should have been.

This year was not as we would have expected but through all of the drama and mistakes on the field we definitely had others out there that always give their 110%.

We tend to forget that there are 2 teams out there every week, whether its on the field or its in a Raider Image or different events “Footballs Fabulous Females” are always giving what they’ve got.  I want to make it a point to acknowledge the women on the field.  These women put their lives on hold for 8 to 10 months (depending on the season) in order to...

Tags: erica arana, footballs fabulous females, jana white, oakland raiders, queen d, raider nation, raidercast, raiderettes, raiders

This week I'm going to keep it simple.

The team came out and played just that way... AS A TEAM and got the job done. Russell came out and not only took control of the game but kept it. The entire team came out and did what we've wanted to see this season, come together, focus and put their determination and frustrations into positives on the field. A Home win to close out our season at home was definitely a nice send off into the 2009 Season...

This week I just want to focus on the accomplishments and accolades announced in the last week.

Beginning with Shane Lechler and NNAMDI ASOMUGHA for being announced to the 2009 Pro Bowl. Not only has Nnamdi finally received the knod (other than 2006 when he was unable to attend) but he will be Starting! Shane has done such a great job at representing the Silver and Black and now with Nnamdi to accompany him, The Raider Nation will be represented with definite and True Pride and Poise.

Nnamdi also has another accomplishment to add to this season and that is once again being an honoree for the Commitment To Excellence Award that he...