My Raider Tattoo (May 2008)

 Many people, including some of those closest to me, dislike the fact that I recently got a tattoo that represents my love for the Raiders. The following isn't a justification for my tattoo; it's an attempt to explain not only the reasoning but also the meaning behind this lifetime commitment. But honestly, if you're not a Raider fan, you probably just don't get it.

For me, the Raiders, and my tattoo, represent more then just a football team; it is a way of life. As far back as I can remember, I have been immersed into the culture of the Raider Nation. From being born in East Los Angeles, where Raider murals are a norm on street corners (there is one on 8th a few block before Soto..), to watching games with my father, becoming a die-hard Raider fan wasn't an option, it was an expectation given to me at birth.


Personally, living the Raider life can be held accountable for many joyous moments throughout my existence. Nothing can compare to watching many Sunday games with my father, where hugs and hi-fives followed touchdowns and frowns and sighs followed fumbles. It represents rushing out to the local Taco truck on Florence Ave. during half time, where we sometimes encountered other Raider fans that were doing the same. It represents my mother complaining about the game taking so long, yet she would sit with us and gasp when a player got injured.

Nothing can compare to being 9 years old and sitting on the fifty yard line of a Raider-Broncos game at the Los Angeles Coliseum. (My sister worked there, her boyfriend was the manager of the Coliseum, so I got to go to many games). Feeling my seat shake as the crowd rumbled and roared after a touchdown made my heart race and made my little bones rattle. The unity and dedication of Raider fans at the games is something unexplainable; it's something you feel in the air and in your soul; its something untouchable yet incomparable to anything else. People say Raider fans are rowdy and rough, but for some reason, even at a young age, I was never scared amongst Raider fans, instead I felt right at home.

Nothing can compare to teaching my nephew Jacob to say "go Waidews" at the age of 2, or throwing on an oversized Raider jersey on my niece Isabel when she was 3.

Nothing can compare to our family "Carne Asadas" during a game, where a victory was followed by a Corona drinking fest, but so was a defeat! Our most recent backyard boogie consisted of Menudo before the game, a taco guy after, and a dj that stayed a lot longer then expected. The Raiders lost against the Vikings during this get-together, nonetheless I had so much fun dancing, drinking, laughing, and sharing happy times with some of the most important people in my life, my family, friends and loved ones. Had it not been for the game, who knows when so many of us would have gotten together.

It would take me writing a book to note every happy and sad moment I've had as a Raider fan, and even then I probably couldn't really explain what the love for a sport, and the love for a team has contributed to my years of life. Getting a Raider tattoo represents my commitment to my father R.I.P., my family, and my culture as jersey-wearing Chicana growing up in Los Angeles.

It represents my commitment and loyalty for many years to come, and many more memorable moments. I love the Raiders, but more importantly I love what my life has been as a Raider fan. So win lose or tie, Raider fan till I die…