Unofficially, the Oakland Raiders fan base is called “The Black Hole,” after an area of the Oakland Coliseum’s stands that has earned a reputation as the NFL’s rowdiest, craziest, and loudest. It’s one-of-a-kind, to say the least, what with the Oakland Raiders having the most passionate and dedicated fans in the NFL and the Coliseum being the only stadium in which they have a dedicated fan section.
But now, no matter where you sit in the stadium or if you’ve ever been to a game before, you’re part of the Raider Nation. If you cheer for the Raiders, you’re a part of a much larger group known as Raider Nation.
Why were people drawn to it, and where did it all begin? No one knows for sure, but legend has it that NFL great Al Davis was the catalyst. The Raider Nation backs him because of his demeanor and because he tackles problems head-on without worrying about the consequences. Players and spectators alike were drawn to his anti-authoritarian, us-against-the-world stance when it came to the NFL and its rules and regulations.
Others argue that the team’s bad boy reputation, which began with their 1960 debut as the eighth charter member of the American Football League (AFL), when they went on to win one championship and three division titles, is what sparked the initial surge in support and subsequent steady growth in attendance.
Some supporters may have been drawn to the Raiders because of the team’s aggressive and sometimes violent on-field demeanor. In my perspective, that is what has attracted and maintained the audience for the previous half-century.
Even though the modern Raiders don’t play as they did in the past, NFL fans’ memories of those glory days are still fresh in their minds. If you want to know if the criticism bothers a Raiders supporter, just ask one. According to the majority of Raider faithful, this is par for the course. Because of their past, supporting the Raiders isn’t without its difficulties.
Why does the NFL hate the Raiders?
Fans of the Raiders, who are widely considered the NFL’s most hated team, also receive a lot of flak for their allegiance to the franchise. NFL fans may have turned against the Raiders because of the team’s penchant for dirty play, which included using thumb tacks tied to the inside of the players’ shirts. That is to say, they engaged in dishonest behavior.