Drue Tranquill extension dreams and other overreactions to Chiefs vs Raiders
By Jacob Milham
Overreaction #2: I miss the old Chiefs-Raiders rivalry
There are just some matchups in sports that extend beyond the playing field. Ohio State-Michigan. Chicago-Green Bay. Texas-Oklahoma. The rivalries envelop fans well beyond a single week, and those wins just matter more—no matter the season's outcome. The meetings between the Chiefs and Radiers used to be heated, resembling a rivalry. But, in recent years, that feeling is gone.
Now, I am on the younger side. The brawl in 1970 is a historical footnote, along with the two franchises behind the AFL's best at the same time. But I still grew up despising the Raiders and thinking less of their fans. I couldn't tell you where it came from, but that is all a part of sports fandoms blurring with your upbringing.
I still remember some recent moments vividly. Most fans know about the victory lap following the Raiders' Week 5 win in 2020. That was the team's first win in Arrowhead Stadium since 2012, so whoop-dee-freaking-doo. Before that, I remember running back Jamaal Charles taunting Oakland fans after a career day. Then I had vague memories of a lawsuit. That stemmed from "a group of drunken Chiefs fans" going after a Raiders fan in Arrowhead Stadium in 2009. The cherry on top? The complaint said, "When asked why he was being slammed to the ground after he had been attacked, he heard an unknown security officer say that is what you get for wearing that 's***' referring to his Oakland Raiders sports apparel."
Love it.
Could this be because of the Raiders moving cities? Certainly. The Oakland faithful gave the Raiders a hostile home advantage, with The Black Hole at the forefront. That advantage is nonexistent in Allegiant Stadium. I am all for a stadium as a destination, something that football fans have to visit at least once in their life, but Allegiant takes that to the extreme.
Please give me the grit. Please give me a reason to care about that matchup against that team for a reason beyond the standings. I miss the true rivalry at its peak, in all its danger and toxicity.