R.I.P. to a Brother.
Raider Nation, I humbly request a moment of your time to join me in honoring a fallen member of the family.
When I was a kid (19 currently), I lived in a neighborhood with great friends. One of the neighbors was an older guy who I would visit occasionally, either to go see his parrot or just chill while listening to some of his reggae tunes with him. Apart from being a diehard Oakland Raiders fan, he had lots of love for his family and his friends. And damn, could he smoke some good meat. He welcomed all the kids in the block, and we would play pool in his garage, listen to some of his stories, or say hi to his parrot. I remember one day he said he was taking a trip to Jamaica, and said he’d take me one year if I got a passport. I never did get to go on that trip, but maybe someday I could still go on my own. For the privacy of him and his family, I won’t disclose any names. I would share a picture, but unfortunately I don’t have any.
Coming from the Bay, he loved all the Oakland teams—the A’s, the Warriors, and the Raiders. I remember after a good Raiders win, he would play the Autumn Wind for the block to hear. I never watched any games with him, but I knew he was a diehard fan. Even during our worst moments, he’d still be blasting the Autumn Wind, because a Raider never quits even in the face of adversity. When I heard he had passed, I figured I would honor him in the only way I know how: by letting the Nation know. Every member of the family matters, and so I ask you all to honor our brother. Once a Raider, always a Raider.