Raiders Week: A Call to Action

It's that week again.

You know which one I'm talking about.

It's the one where you pull into a parking space at QUALCOMM Stadium and to your left is some guy in silver and black face paint and then in the parking space to your right pulls in a Chevy Suburban with Oakland Raiders window flags hanging out. Then about seven people get out yelling ‘This is our Town!"

A few years ago I attended this game with a few buddies of mine, and one of them happened to be a Raiders fan.

My tailgating was just not the same. I knocked back a few brews and took a few shots, but something about this whole situation didn't feel right. In fact, I believe more people came up to my buddy and offered him food and drinks then did my fellow Chargers fans brethren. I think more than anything, I was sick to my stomach seeing what looked like more Raiders fans than Chargers fans.

I so hate this game.

Needless to say, after Carson Palmer and Denarius Moore hooked up for 2 touchdowns and an Oakland Raiders win, it was probably the worst post-game walk to the car I can recall. "Raiders...Raiders...Raiders! is all I could hear. Even during the game, it was hard to hi-five someone when the Chargers did something good, without getting in the way of a Raiders fan.

I won't be attending this year's game, but I am sure that it will be much the same. And so I urge you all that will be in attendance, wear your colors proud and boldly. While you are their flipping your carne asada and a Chargers fan strolls by, offer him a little taquito. While you and your buddies are about to do group shots, invite that other group of Chargers fans down the way and make it an even goupier group shot. And keep doing with another group until there is a Super Group Shot. But it doesn't have to stop there. Take this attitude into the stadium. When the Chargers score (and they will score a lot) stand up and scream to the heavens. And thank the football gods that they gave us Philip Rivers and Jason Varrett. When Melvin Ingram sacks David Carr for the 3rd time, shout out with all of your lungs and let those Raiders fans know that this is not the day.

But let it not end after this game. It needs to continue for the rest of the season and beyond.

I call to action on this Sunday the 25th of October in the year and so 2015 the day that Chargers fans take back QUALCOMM Stadium.

It's time home feels like home.