Fans of the Oakland Raiders often get knocked for being “myopian,” meaning that we only see our successes and discount the failures of our football team. Heck, I’d even go so far as to say that every time a Raider fan found a glimmer of hope in what has been to date our unsuccessful return to the World Championship of Professional Football, that fan or the rest our ilk is derided, chided and pretty much chucked under the bus for not seeing past our own silver bus for not seeing past our own silver and black colored glasses.
For the record, my glasses are silver, black and have chrome rally stripes on the side… so get your stories straight.
The bashers have never gotten it. Real fans (from the word “fanatic”) always believe their team has a chance. You can’t be a fan of any team, let alone one with the history of the Raiders, without this little bit of insanity in your life.
In looking back at Mob email from the last year or so, I noticed that some of the impetus for the petition may have started around February of 2005 when someone reported that Al Davis’ son Mark registered the website name “lasvegasraiders.com“. Too little, too late. Let me squash this once and for all. The NETSOL record of this domain goes back to 1998, indicating that we were just starting the Jon Gruden era of Raider football when this buyout took place. Looking back at the history of the official Raider website, you might also remember that the Raiders were just starting to pioneer getting better looking websites onto the web at that time. So, the idea that a member of Mr. Davis family would proactively start buying domain names on the web and/or copyrighting those names has corresponded with a time when establishing web branding and name autonomy for a sports franchise took on new meaning with the late 90’s web explosion.
Nevertheless, this story tapped into a primal feeling for a lot of us who were jubilant at the Raiders’ return in 1995: the feeling that we could lose this franchise to another city. The Raiders had almost left Los Angeles for Baltimore, but supposedly got a better offer from their former home based on the promise of sellouts.
The writing has been on the wall in a couple of ways. The way in which the initial news of the Raiders coming back was handled, plus the blitzkrieg to get butts into the seats led to what we have come to learn as being nothing more and nothing less than…
THE GREAT BIG NASTY BALD-FACED LIE
Or, “WHATDAHECK?!?!?!” for those of us in a hurry to come up with a more suitable name.
Whether you believe it was the work of the Joint Powers Authority or, in our infinite Raider Fan kindness, choose to join the rest of the country in throwing accounting firm Arthur Andersen under the bus, the fact remains that Raider fans willing to pay money to see their team play football in 1995 couldn’t because it had been reported that every single Personal Seat License had been sold.
Period.
End of story.
You snoozed, you lost.
Until…
None of the games sold out.
What? Yep, that’s right! All of a sudden, it was possible for those of us who got shut out of the PSL purchasing process, after being told that we were the scum of the earth and couldn’t get into the game, that seats - and good seats, too - were available. Add to this the fact the stadium reconfigurations and the sales of PSLs in “phantom locations,” fans that did and didn’t buy the “right to buy” their season tickets were HOPPING MAD.
To fast forward this a few years… the ambiguity of the PSL system in Oakland never changed. Faced with a humungous shortfall in revenue, the OFMA could no longer enforce its draconian policy of “NO PSL, no season tickets,” but the trust in the people selling tickets was lost. Making matters worse is that under Mike White, Joe Bugel and Jon Gruden - the Raiders’ first five seasons in Oakland never produced a team that won more than eight regular season games. The people in charge were perceived of as liars and the on-field football product could break through that barrier.
Damage had been done. Fans weren’t showing up except for the truly marquee matchups against either our most hated division rivals or the teams that have a history of success at any given time. Any way you slice it, it means that having the spectre of the PSL fiasco hanging over this franchise’s head was damning. In fact, it was such a freaking albatross, that most fans were convinced that the Boss was going to head for greener pastures unless the system was fixed or abolished altogether.
After all, Al Davis moved away before when he didn’t get what he wanted… why not again?
75 PERCENT?!? ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!?
The first PSL period was running out, and the JPA decided that not only were they going to require a new fee for PSLs past the 2005 season, they were going to charge PSL holders an astounding 75 percent of the original PSL price for the five remaining years of the lease.
To put it mildly, the natives got a little restless.
Cross-talk through emails and Raider discussion boards across the Internet was speaking with one voice. The message was clear… the fans didn’t like it. Many would choose to not renew their PSLs and wait for season tickets after the standard yearly deadlines if the deal was approved. Some would, but they wanted this potential second ripoff of the fans to be the one that keeps the Raiders in Oakland. Another period of shrinking PSL holder sales, and PSL holders angry over the fact that they would be sitting next to folks who hadn’t paid for licenses was starting to boil over.
However, it had reached a point of constant rhetoric. There was the camp of Raider fans who bought their PSLs on day one and never looked back and would probably accept whatever was thrown at them. A large number of us bought PSLs after the initial wave of feeling unwanted, unappreciated or whatever had washed over us. And, of course, there are always folks who would never touch a PSL if you handed it to them. Add to that all the detractors, naysayers and “sports personalities” who took it upon themselves to observe the PSL situation from the outside and declare it a “laughing stock.”
Frankly, at this point, we were hardly in a position to disagree.
But, a few of us got tired of NOT ACTING.
So, over the course of the April 19th - 21st, 2005 The Godfather and the MobAuthor took it upon themselves to solicit people for information about what the hell was really bugging all of us about this situation and forged ahead with creating a petition to air our talking points and greivances regarding the current PSL system and the proposed 2006-2010 changes. The first draft of this document was distributed via email to the fans on the 66th MOB email list, and uploaded to the 66th MOB website on April 22nd.
IT’S A COOL IDEA, BUT THIS IS MISSPELLED…
Frankly, Godfather Griz and I saw this coming. Misdirected energy, people worrying about the wording of the document and skepticism about whether the petition would “work.” There were quite a few folks during that period following the sending out of the first draft of the petition who would complain long and loud about things they felt weren’t stated correctly, worded correctly, misspelled or just plain bitched about the presumed “fact” that no one was going to listen. To them, we said this.
1. We knew we were screwed nearly 10 years ago. No one denies this.
2. We waited, rather patiently I think, for the JPA, OFMA and the Raiders to right this ship on their own.
3. Signing the petition doesn’t hurt, and it can only help. So what in the hell are you bitching about?
In other words: Leaders lead, whiners bitch, losers complain about “doing what they could to get the job done” and winners go home and bang the prom queen. We decided to do what we could, in what little time we had left, to take a lead and hit this with the energy needed to get a victory. Taking a risk on burning energy we had to burn to get a result we wanted in the face of these so-called “insurmountable circumstances” is what separates winners and leaders from bitchers, whiners and out-and-out defeatists.
“You’re wasting your time.”
IT’S OUR TIME TO WASTE, OR MAKE SOMETHING SPECIAL HAPPEN.
Bitching and whining about “doing our best” after not getting things done isn’t the way of the Mob, and it will never be the way of the Mob. So, while double-checking some of our facts and a few spelling errors, we got a revised version of the petition in everyone’s hands by the 4th of May, 2005. Godfather Griz then began the arduous process of getting single and multiple signatures on copies of the petition to present to the JPA and the Raiders. Over the next four months, Griz and our nationwide affiliates got the signatures, sent them in and the Godfather himself delivered them to Raiders Headquarters and the JPA.
THE WAIT and THE TRIUMPH … the Aftermath
Risk… Again, it’s what separates the leaders from the lemmings. At some point, we had to just hand off the petitions and wonder what their impact would be. Most importantly, we had to move on to other things. While our Raiders started the 2005 season 0-for-September, they struck back in October for three of their victories in four weeks. On the cusp of this “karmic high,” if you will, the Raiders and the JPA held a press conference on November 2nd, 2005.
They did it.
No, really. They did it.
At this press conference, the Raiders and the JPA announced not only the end of the Personal Seat License program, but the dissolution of the Oakland Football Marketing Association as well. A new website operated by the Raider organization, Raider Nation, is now the gateway to buy tickets directly from the Raiders.
So, regardless of whether the petition and its signers made a difference, you have to decide that for yourself. The fact is that we tried. And whether our words and those who agreed with them made a difference, we actually cared more about the fact that we tried rather than waited for someone to drop good news on us.
It was that spirit that authored this petition, and drives what we do in the Mob.
Here’s the petition, for posterity:
Oakland Raiders Fan Season Ticket and Personal Seat License (PSL) Arrangement Petition
(Single Petitioner Form)
1.) RECOGNITION OF FANS AS INDIVIDUAL STAKEHOLDERS IN THE CRAFTING OF THE NEW PSL-SEASON TICKET ARRANGEMENT AND STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY.
That as a fan of the Oakland Raiders, and individual contributor to the financial success of the team and their current tenant-landlord, the Oakland-Alameda County JOINT POWERS AUTHORITY (heretofore referred to as the JPA), that I am a rightful stakeholder in the process of crafting a Season Ticket and Personal Seat License (PSL) agreement that does not unfairly create an excessive financial burden on the taxpayers of the City of Oakland, the County of Alameda, the State of California or the persons holding said Personal Seat Licenses (PSLs) and the purchasers of season tickets derived from the lawful possession of the Personal Seat License (PSL) or from the rightful exercise of rights by the designated agent of the Joint Powers Authority, the Oakland Football Marketing Association (OFMA) to sell season tickets to the games played by the Raiders at McAfee Stadium after a reasonable period for selling PSLs in a given calendar or fiscal year has passed. I, and my fellow petitioners affirm that we are united in our desire to see the following conditions met in the crafting of the new PSL-Season Ticket holder arrangement.
2.) DESIGNATION OF THE PERSONAL SEAT LICENSE AS A “PERMANENT” SEAT LICENSE.
In deference to the fact that the original License period was supposed to already pay for improvements to the Coliseum, I the undersigned request and require that this next License period designate holders of the PSL as permanent stakeholders in the process of purchasing Oakland Raiders season tickets and that the rights of the PSL holders shall be maintained in perpetuity until such time as the Oakland Raiders organization and the Joint Powers Authority dissolve their lease agreement and the Oakland Raiders Football Team ceases playing National Football League games at McAfee Coliseum for a period of at least one (1) full season or 365 calendar days, whichever is greater.
This measure is a necessary confirmation that the fans are appreciated for their efforts in shouldering the costs of renovating and improving McAfee Coliseum and will, in perpetuity, be likewise compensated for spending monies and maintaining a faithful relationship with the Oakland Raiders Football Club, their leaseholder, the Joint Powers Authority. This request is not without precedent as many other National Football League franchises and their venues have crafted well thought out and executed Personal Seat License agreements in which the License period was either 25 years in length or a lifetime.
Moreover, I the undersigned do hold faith with my fellow Raiders fans that we believe that Personal Seat Licenses should be transferrable from party to party and inheritable from family member to family member as designated in Wills, Living Trusts and similar documents. Doing so will make individual PSL agreements part of family lives above and beyond the simple game-day experience and foster further sales of PSLs, Season Tickets and game-day tickets.
Otherwise, I the undersigned do affirm the will of my fellow Raiders fans that if the Personal Seat Licenses are not assigned permanently and that fees are not assigned fairly to their purchase, that we would rather see the dissolution of the PSL program and simply pay for Season Ticket packages on a year-to-year basis without the threat of, “No PSL, no season tickets,” that used to accompany the publicity for PSLs. Our affirmation is this, that if PERMANENT Personal Seat Licenses will not be part of the 2006-2010 plan, then we have no vested interest in purchasing them. It is the turn of the JPA to compromise, not ours.
3.) FAIRNESS IN ASSIGNING PERSONAL SEAT LICENSE FEES TO THE REMAINDER OF THE CURRENT OAKLAND RAIDERS LEASE AGREEMENT.
It has recently been brought to our attention that the current proposed fees for the new and renewed Personal Seat Licenses (PSLs) for the lease period beginning with the 2006 season and ending with the 2010 season reflects a cost of roughly seventy-five per-cent (75%) of the cost of the original lease-period PSLs, the licensing period of which ran from the 1995 to 2005 seasons. I the undersigned agree with my fellow fans that this actually constitutes an unfair increase in the price of the granted PSL on a per-annum basis. The Oakland Raiders’ fans, their families and friends do not need to bear the burden of mismanaged accounting during the sales of PSLs during the original License period nor the feelings of ill-will and lost sales that have resulted therefrom.
Moreover, it is our belief that attempts such as this to compress debts into License fees will only serve to deter sales and furthermore prevent the success of overall sales of Oakland Raiders PSLs, Season Tickets and game-day tickets.
4.) FAIRNESS IN ASSIGNING PERSONAL SEAT LICENSE FEES AND GAME-DAY TICKET PRICES TO SEATS IN THE EXPANDED SEATING AREA ON THE EAST SIDE OF McAFEE COLISEUM.
As Oakland Raiders fans, we recognize the past and present need of the Joint Powers Authority and the Raiders organization to expand part of the building presently known as McAfee Stadium to a more-modern attendance figure. However, we consider the fact that the seats added to the east side of McAfee Stadium at sections 335 to 355 are so much higher and so much farther away from the game than sections 300-334, that it is unconscionable to charge a price that is similar to closer, easier to climb seats. In the three zones of the new east side addition, the following game-day ticket prices are suggested: Sections 340-350, $54 instead of $69; Sections 339, 351, 335-338 (lower seats) and 352-355 (lower seats), $44 instead of $59; and Sections 335-338 plus 352-355 (upper seats), $37 instead of $47 dollars.
Personal Seat Licenses for these sections should also reflect a similar lowering of cost. I the undersigned share the beliefs of my fellow Raiders fans that lowering prices in this elevated and further-away section of the Coliseum will foster further good will and drive Personal Seat License sales, Season Ticket sales and game-day ticket sales.
5.) FAN HOSPITALITY ON THE PART OF COMBINED MANAGEMENTS
I the undersigned recognize my role in making the Oakland Raiders and the Joint Powers Authority profitable through my purchases of the Personal Seat Licenses, Season Tickets, Parking Fees, Concession Sales and other usages of the facilities at McAfee Coliseum. However, more can be done. The following suggestions are advanced.
Announcements on the part of the JPA regarding the dates and times of open-forum meetings regarding the upcoming and current ticket agreements that are held at the McAfee Coliseum Arena Our suggestion is that these meetings be announced through the Oakland Football Marketing Association website (http://www.ofma.com).
OFMA should disclose the following logistical information regarding the status of present PSLs: the locations of all seats and suites sold and reserved for PSL holders, seats sold and reserved for parties purchasing season tickets after PSL sales deadlines in any given season and seats which are otherwise reserved away from sales to local patrons. It has been our experience that game-day tickets on the visiting side of the field seem to have been sold to out-of-town customers, disallowing local fans from purchasing 50-yard line seating on the visiting side of the field. Reasonable efforts to have this information in advance should be made and a map of available seats should be made available of the OFMA website so fans can make informed consumer choices. In many cases, OFMA employees have not provided the correct seating information for customers wishing to make these decisions and some partial or complete automation of the process that lets customers see the same database of available seats would make things easier on both the customer and the OFMA employees alike.
Overnight Parking for vehicles arriving in advance of the game. During the course of the last 5 seasons, Oakland Raiders fans have been arriving earlier and earlier and, in cooperation with City and County law enforcement, have parked away from the Coliseum to keep the 66th Avenue area clear of traffic hazards. Opening the parking lot and having facilities like portable toilets available to fans would greatly increase safety. A time of 3:00 A.M. the morning of the game is suggested for early-opening of the parking lot.
Stationing of portable toilets near fan-gathering areas outside of the Coliseum on days prior to games to assist with local maintenance and hygiene of the surrounding area.
VIP-style events for Personal Seat License holders at the Coliseum on game days and outside of game days. Other teams do this for their PSL holders, not just luxury-box buyers.
Stronger coordination of the efforts of parking personnel. Employees of the current designated parking vendor should be educated on extending the proper courtesy and assistance to guests instead of just “cattle herding.” Not all employees of the current vendor are guilty of this, but all of them should be aware that we are not simply there to irritate them.
Allowance on the part of SMG or other vendor-designated security personnel of water bottles and small carry-in food items during Raiders games. These items are allowed for fans attending Oakland Athletics games. The double standard is neither appreciated nor desired. Simply eject or arrest people who throw things at the field during games, but don’t make the rest of us pay the price for it. The need for water, especially on the north side of the Coliseum until the third quarter can be daunting, and a conscientious fan shouldn’t have to pay a concession stand price or leave his or her seat every time (s)he needs a drink.
6.) MANAGEMENT/MEDIA PURCHASE OF TICKETS ON GAME DAYS AND OTHER PROMOTIONS
I the undersigned do hereby agree with my fellow Raiders fans that game-day sellouts are attainable and reasonable to expect with the strong following that the Raiders football team has in the Bay Area. To wit, we believe the following steps can and should be taken in the event a game-day sellout is in danger of not happening.
Create a window of opportunity for the financially disadvantaged to purchase inexpensive game-day tickets in the expanded upper east portion of the Coliseum at a lower-than-face-value price. This window of opportunity should be extended starting 48 hours prior to the National Football League’s imposed sellout deadline and should continue through the day of the game. Persons who can prove that they are currently receiving aid and/or are on a limited income program should be eligible for the discounted tickets. Moreover, this policy, if implemented, should not be rescinded if the National Football League rescinds its 72-hour sellout policy.
In the event that ticket sales figures are not met by the sellout deadline, and less than five-thousand (5,000) seat sales are required to meet the sellout figure, then Raiders Management, OFMA/JPA management and other concerned local media and community entities should purchase – and whenever possible, distribute – the remaining tickets to charitable organizations similar to those outlined above.
Charity events awarding Raiders game-day tickets in expensive areas of the Coliseum should be spearheaded by the JPA and the Raiders football team. Toys for Tots, canned foods for the hungry, donations of books, linens, clothing and other recognizable charities with strongly established distribution systems should be encourage to participate. Ticket distributions done in this manner should be properly accounted for, reflect positively on the Raiders organization and the JPA and should be given a proper tax-break by the City, County, State and Federal Governments.
Using these ancillary methods for distributing tickets will not only fill the Coliseum, creating actual and virtual positive accounting, but generate an even bigger positive: CIVIC PRIDE. Without pride in the product on the field, without pride and faith in the persons trying to sell the tickets, any new PSL agreement is only “more of the same,” and ultimately meaningless. Civic Pride in the Raiders organization and the organizations that market their tickets will ultimately create the good will needed to sell McAfee Coliseum out on Raiders’ game days.
NAME (printed): _____________________________
ADDRESS: _____________________________
CITY/ST: _____________________________
ZIP: ___________
SIGNATURE: _____________________________________________________
(address must be verifiable and permanent)
FAX TO: (209)578-3999