Sister Lori here with a football post on a big game Sunday:
I have enjoyed football for a long time. It probably goes back to high school where I was on the Cheer Squad and had a boyfriend who played. You needed to understand the game to know when to sound off the correct cheer.
Then, years later, my son was involved for 8 years, 4 years on a Jr. team and then another 4 years in high school, at my same alma mater.
I really still enjoy watching a game.
In 2003, my son's Senior year of school, he was turning 18 at the end of his last football season. He really liked the Raiders, so we bought tickets to a game for his birthday. The plan was for all of our family to go together. I had been diagnosed with stage 3 colon cancer right before and after 3 chemo treatments, became too ill to make the trip. My daughter's boyfriend went in my place. I am cancer free now, but always was sorry to have missed the game.
This last December, 8 years later, my son treated me to my first NFL Raiders game:
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHe0nkzvVRFWdIkZo28KaNyHTjAk_SbVf5srR35_IUy1Nt8dQew7oQN7GhJrq5Lwq1GxE9sqYmZ9nDpigRIT1mZK2Xf7RzQe0iVS_hbYPuLNJFJbF59ep73IVoTCPOSdnA5fhuszQhi_oy/s320/007.JPG)
We drove to Concord and took the Bart,that was an experience!!
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6RZwYmOJ2rD5qU0B9AH_ABiWkzoaN1anc1rIa399O2XZsk9CB3Z4MTNXrCPzDh-s6VGcu0vFVMph-1A2M7xRtCnvBtQO9P2IWFdiN2OSk-GST2KQrBveBSvGMyaB8M_29zkSgMH67znnE/s320/008.JPG)
It takes you right to the Coliseum. Here is the overpass from the train, early in the day. We were early to tailgate party with his good friend who is a major Raiders Fan!!!
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizGE6-V_j3WpoYnP6qGSbKjQDKfVc6kTGdv4xntT1A2ZXtmgdqqv-ajU73VRZKIjb3rjzQqKsh9WLVqZtMw2TkScieRbIbPvxh91bkcvGk1ppnjI_JJN3Sl87ZK1zZcMdntvGQv3wkjPrE/s320/010.JPG)
This is our little tailgate party set up:
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiAb9h2baMkhMi5HOUtVOlZNjjot3GD73x-EMoOhiPx7AhcfFEXtm5lsxn8VII5aoi2IKpBEQfK6s6tqOI4cMsdS5aD7GZNkl-g5xnRdYYZf955Ijd2wRFrhxIDwxmZdMLkoCZRO95Sw6m/s320/012.JPG)
Greg owns a lot of Raiders gear, he even works at a Raiders sports store.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjroJ9KDIhfNKhC5qAFzFXFCZSRWLHHyrKTl9_P_vg2qbUjeqV_u24Gtd3VqquslxB39-FWatgdgEEuo_rh1kfnosLCP6qid2O9NhEPRv6lwxNexSskIDh6BlTLSNKW_r_2pURvK7UCH6J8/s320/014.JPG)
Our food and drink table, Greg barbecued chicken wings, steaks and bacon wrapped scallops!!
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I thought our seats were pretty good, and I enjoyed the Raiderettes halftime Jingle Bell show!!
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnEoF8tWTDW9jCxvJNsqe0aRf_x6tecjzamMaxZSNynNVk-z_CT8gjuZnCnrmrAGGLm8R0NBYmRObwPdXxwIciRXB1oZxXMGHqUPyIi97ip9o-fefGwMIQ8Flg7XerGcgSWyA2P74B5hPk/s320/024.JPG)
They light a flame in honor of owner Al Davis:
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1znkOJZPc7x3KkXm_F7H6tZE3gl9hQcAvf5pnLpUd7g_ARxPPXjkoaFvHsqs2nD0ssWRzFhbpQCpot207nJmVpKiLaGDTkgJF2z5AItyZjG8w_oj1V7Lu6VP9DGEkLMzxt9sMdzxGtrUF/s320/025.JPG)
An action shot of the game:
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZIAQUvihNJShmOXp1ZS68kry2J6BcZ3ME1wID0xSS3dJXu0a0ZTfqvwEyvKqmJiflcdkO-dDc-EdeEN05yXU-zyO82aKDcxOWBOUCBHK1HD2VM2jBgmwLO90hDZoXMJYD91FZ2tI1uAx7/s320/026.JPG)
It really was a pretty good game and they were ahead for a while, then in the last minute, which happens a lot, they lost. Oh well, I had a great time. It was a sunny day. However, the Bay area has fog quite often and it was there that day and made it somewhat cold.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrMBmikpTaRnYKcTftY93MwG1EVRWTkCE6pzXWal9_Mrp888ftf60HWAUanbvt0kXFFulGDZvwa8fwKKBdnsDs7jSUT6SJzGd7uoSM1Zz2A8YEkvfWedw68s_ZY2qOz-FwLEE215SJTCFV/s320/033.JPG)
Of course, when you leave (everyone at the same time), the Bart overpass is quite crowded, however I thought we would have to wait much longer than we did, so I was impressed.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivShpSjafRSi36GP9fDDTTS3yY5yvN93R7Ee3ccbu4vVhduMVoocLyujLMXi6uk8egC2pEAwPCmJ_OgvCHRMvoSEnVtMdXwU8nbGiCYDsPkPlC-wsIocXkKHe59hlWSNhzK-XMnY0D_pPY/s320/040.JPG)
A long and tiring day but it was great fun!!!!