'Black Sunday'; Raiders Fans' Last Tailgate In Oakland Spoiled By Loss
OAKLAND (KPIX 5) -- Raiders fans started lining up to enter the Oakland Coliseum parking lot before the sun was even up early Sunday morning. Some fans called the final Raiders tailgate in Oakland "the Black Sunday."
"Today is definitely Black Sunday. We're in mourning," said Raiders fan James Jones.
Despite the excitement early on, emotions trended downward as the day went on. The Raiders lost a 16-3 first half lead and ended up losing 20-16 to the Jacksonville Jaguars. After the final whistle, fans were booing and throwing items on the field.
But before then, fans reminisced on brighter times in Oakland. One man who was tailgating with his friends held back tears as he talked about the last home game.
"I love the experience, love the people. Been coming here for years. It's definitely an emotional time. I'm trying to hold back as much as I can. I'm going to miss this place a lot," said lifelong fan John Henry.
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"I'm crying in the inside. But I'm loving that we've got everybody together for the last game," said another man who was dressed up in a costume. He went by "Jest The Raider."
Many fans said the tailgating experience will suffer in Las Vegas. They said for one, it's hard to tailgate in triple digit temperatures during September. They said the characters, the people, and the atmosphere won't be the same.
"The environment of the Oakland Raiders is something you can't replicate anywhere," said Richard Snyder, who's been a fan for more than four decades.
But fans didn't want this to be a funeral. They wanted to celebrate the Oakland Raiders one last time.
"It should be a celebration. We should embrace everything that's happened on that field," said Synder.
"So this is the last tailgate. We kind of did it really big. We've got shrimp, steak, and chicken," said Jones.
Another fan proudly showed off his barbecue grill and his menu consisting of prime rib and baby back ribs.
Many fans said they'll follow the team to Vegas while others said they're done with the team.
"What happened in Vegas started in Oakland," said a fan dressed up as Darth Vader.
"Will I go to Vegas? No. Will I wear a Las Vegas jersey? Never. Unfortunately, the NFL is about money. It's not about the fans," said Louie Rocha.