All I Want for Christmas

Is a picture of Dwight Freeney without his shirt on. Or, Dwight Freeney without his shirt on.

Raiders vs. Colts

It finally dawned on me how to describe what I'm feeling about this game. It feels like I've been cheating on my husband (the Raiders) with my lover (the Colts) and the two are about to meet and . . . I have to choose between them.

The problem is, I love them both very much and while I can't really choose between them, I have more loyalty to my husband (the Raiders) since, we've had a longer relationship -- through highs and lows, for better and for worse, and we've toughed it out and are as strong as ever.

The boyfriend (the Colts) is exciting and new and he's always great and does the right thing but, we've never had to survive any adversity until this year. The two met three years ago but, the husband was in a pretty weakened condition and the boyfriend was strong so it really wasn't a matchup to stress over but this year, they're more equally matched and, whoever wins the matchup will dash the post-season hopes of the other.

That's what makes it even harder . . . how can I watch my husband have his hopes for this season shut down like that? Even though I know, his chances really aren't that great . . . I just hate seeing his hopes dashed.

But, how can I bear seeing my exciting new-ish boyfriend beaten by my husband when  I know that my boyfriend actually has a real shot at doing something post season? Knowing it's a lose/lose situation because even though my husband wins, he has no chance of going post-season so, all he's accomplished is stripping my boyfriend of his chance (though, in a real husband/boyfriend scenario, that might be all the husband wants).

So, here I sit, bummed. What I'll do is go to the game and cheer for both teams but no matter who wins, I'll be happy and bummed. I LOVE my Raiders but the chances of them going to the post-season are slim-to-none, despite their optimism so, to see the Colts chances of a post-season dashed by a loss to the Raiders will be heartbreaking.

Does that make me an undevoted or bad fan? I don't think so . . . the funny thing is, I would never admit to my Raiders that I felt this way but . . . I would admit it to a Colt. What does that say?

December 19, 2010

I hate when I encounter Raider fans who live up to the stereotype. The Colts game was a nail biter so I got to the Raiders game around the beginning of the second quarter. When I got there, there was a guy sitting in my seats. I told him that he was in my seats and he said, "No I'm not." I said that he was and he said, "Too bad, I've been sitting here the whole game." I told him that didn't matter and that they were my seats.

He then told me that I had to show him my ticket to prove it. I told him that I actually didn't have to show him my ticket.  He said that they were his seats and I pointed out that the ticket hanging around his neck showed that they weren't, in fact, his seats. He said, "So, what? They're not your seats either." and flat out refused to move. His idiot friends sitting in front of us turned around and told me that my tickets were fake (even though they hadn't seen my tickets) and that they'd never seen me there before and that he wasn't going to move, etc.  They were amazingly idiotic.

So, I went and got a security guard who made him move. I had seats 1 and 2 and he moved to seat #2. I told him that was my seat as well and that he had to get out of it and he, again, refused. So, I got the same security guard and they made him move. The stupid idiot asked why I had two tickets and I said, "So I can make sure that I don't have to sit next to idiots like you." The funny thing is, he stood there for a minute and then said, "By the way, you're really pretty." :-\  I just stared at him.

His friends were talking shit at me and harassing me about it. I ignored them for a while and then it was starting to distract me from the game so, I got to try something that I'd never done before -- the Raiders have a "fan code of conduct" that everyone has to comply with and they have a number you can text to if you're being harassed so . . . I sent a text, they came and told them that if they continued, they'd be ejected from the game. It was lovely.

Shockingly, at the end of the game he came  back and he and his friends apologized. They said they were just trying to defend him -- I pointed out that he was about 6' 4" and 300 lbs and asked what was there to defend against considering our size difference. They laughed and said it was funny how I held my own against them all. I said, "Hey, I'm a Raiders fan." The jerk then asked if I liked to dance. I said, "Only as a means to keep warm." which seemed to thoroughly confuse him and they left me alone.

The Raiders won, Yay!!!! The Colts won, Yay!!!!!  All is right in my world . . . for now.

Next Sunday, Raiders vs. Colts . . . my worst nightmare. Don't know what to do.  Any advice?