In what is most likely the last Raiders game played at the Oakland Coliseum, the team performed well and gave their hometown fans a parting gift in the spirit of the season.
You couldn’t have scripted it better. Christmas Eve, the Black Hole, the storied and decayed Oakland Coliseum electric right from the start thanks to the second-longest punt return for a touchdown in NFL history.
Dwayne Harris seemingly reached into Santa’s bag and pulled out a 99-yard touchdown as a gift to the Oakland faithful.
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It’s fitting one last NFL record was recorded at the old stadium. It, after all, housed 18 Hall of Famers and untold stories from players and fans. Despite a torrential downpour before kickoff, which flooded parts of the stadium (a reminder why Mark Davis had to find a new city to call home), the weather cleared enough for fans and the Raiders to make it a night of highs and joyous delight.
“It was emotional,” said quarterback Derek Carr who failed to notch a touchdown pass but also kept his interception-less stream alive at 10 games. “As I was doing that (taking a lap high-fiving fans in the stands) I was remembering all those memories. I just have to thank the fans for their loyalty.”
Despite the rancor between the City of Oakland and the team over the lawsuit which may force them to leave early, the Raiders did all they could to put on a good show for the Bay Area faithful one last time. Of course, nothing can erase the heartbreak of seeing your team pack up and leave for greener pastures in Las Vegas, but it was a nice ending – if it is.
Hopefully, we get that resolved and it would be a great Christmas story for everybody. – Jon Gruden on the team having possibly played its last game in Oakland.
“I don’t want to get too sentimental tonight, but hopefully that’s not the case,” coach Jon Gruden said after the game when asked what he thought if it was indeed the team’s last game in the Coliseum. “That’s for other people to decide (to leave or not for 2019) but I think you see the love affair between the fans and it goes way back. Hopefully, we get that resolved and it would be a great Christmas story for everybody.
Gruden, despite being the target of the media and fan’s frustration over a disappointing year, has always had an affinity for Raiders fans – especially those in Oakland. He may know the chances are slim the team will return to the Coliseum but he kept a positive tone as any professional would do. He’s not a guy to go negative about anything. He’s even found positives about the NFL’s worst punter the entire season. Gruden doesn’t have a negative soundtrack playing in his head about anything.
So as little ones get snuggled in their beds tonight waiting for Santa to make his appointed rounds, Raider Nation can go to bed having received one great gift before their slumber.
And for the fans in Oakland, it’s a gift they’ll most likely never forget.