Raiders at Redskins Staff Picks: Wackiest Fans Edition

Fandom is a interesting thing. As evidenced by our readers who spend their well-earned time considering the state of this franchise, and regularly comment and share their thoughts and (oftentimes) well-reasoned opinions here on the site, it’s clear the passion that causal fans’ affinity for the team inspires. Players come and go, the humans who go out and compete every week, but as comedian Jerry Seinfeld once put it, supporting a team amounts to “rooting for laundry.”

Obviously there’s more to it than Jerry puts it. The tribalism of supporting a team can inspire a sense of community and foster relationships between family and friends. Redskins fans (though frequently emotional and regularly fickle) are full of passion. Anything that gets grown men to wear dresses and pig noses is clearly a driver of intrigue. We know the power of Redskins fandom as supporters of the team, but man are there some other places that take things to another level.

This week the Redskins square off against the Oakland Raiders, in their final current iteration hailing from the west coast, a team that embodies the paradigm over-the-top fandom. So let’s talk a little bit about some wacky bases, presented for consideration in no particular order:

Oakland (Las Vegas) Raiders Road Warriors
It’s going to be very sad to see the end of the Black Hole in Oakland as the Raiders have announced their departure to Las Vegas in the next few years. They have a stated desire to be a “family friendly” in-game experience, which seems wholly dissonant with their reputation. Are their road warrior-esque fans the minority of their overall game attendees? Perhaps, but their reputation will not be shed. You would not want to sit next to one of these guys on the bus, for fear of having an eye poked out by a spiky should pad. Also, it’s a shame they are playing this game in Oakland and they weren’t here last week because something tells me they would have gotten on famously with the Jugglaos who marched on the National Mall.

Seattle Seahawks: The “12’s”
The team tried to trademark a number much to the distain of Aggies fans. I am deep down a little skeptical that their notorious crowd noise isn’t a function of strong structural sonic engineering, and 90% sure every self-proclaimed fan on message boards is a pre-teen but that’s neither here nor there.

Green Bay Packers Cheeseheads
These guys are more comfortable with frostbite than they are with leafy greens.

Pittsburgh Steelers Yinzers
About a year ago, I made a trip out to Pittsburgh with some friends who lived in the area and had the pleasure of visiting the Heinz History Center which might be the greatest place I’ve ever visited. Some highlights include:

1. THREE exhibits on their lord and savior Franco Harris
2. A full wing devoted functionally to how Pittsburgh, and Pittsburgh alone, won WWII
3. A robot that taught you how to speak Yinzer (Iggles, Stillers, Jahn Iggle.)

Dallas Cowboys “America’s Fans”
Ugh, ew.

Buffalo Bills Mafia
These people are definitionally insane. They have wanton disregard for life and limb but honestly who can blame them? Braving upstate New York winters are cruel and unusual punishment. My grandfather was a Buffalo Bills season ticket holder, and he notoriously used to wear electric socks with wires running up his legs to the power source. I’ve seen it and it’s a miracle he never set himself on fire. Knowing how Bills fans act, I’m pretty sure some of them recreationally set themselves on fire for entertainment (and warmth.)

Baltimore Ravens Nation
This isn’t the time or place to litigate the Redskins v. Ravens interstate battle for regional supremacy, but as a former frequenter of Ravens home games, I STRONGLY suggest going to a game if you’ve never been for the cultural experience. I am at the stage in life where all my friends are starting to get married, and I kid you not I have a childhood friend (a Ravens fan) who wore a custom purple camouflage suit to his wedding. That’s class.

We all picked the Redskins to win last week, and this time it paid off. Our picks for this week:

Bryan H. Stabbe (1-1): 30-17, Raiders
The Redskins won last week but I never felt comfortable watching that game. They were in the hunt in week 1, but it never felt like they should have been in the position to win. The Raiders are GOOD and don’t know that Washington is going to be able to keep up with them. Marshawn Lynch is having a career resurgence as a spark-lighting veteran, Derek Carr is one of a small handful of legitimate long-term franchise quarterbacks playing at a high level. Amari Cooper is going to have 150 yards receiving unless they have Josh Norman shadow him all day (which they won’t.) I think the playing by the seat of their pants style the Redskins have played in the first two weeks finally catches up to them and results in a bonafide loss to one of the top up-and-coming talented teams in the league.

Bill-in-Bangkok (1-1): 30-27, Redskins
The Redskins know what we all know -- they can't afford to lose two games before the bye week, so I think they'll leave it all out on the field on Sunday night.

Doctson makes his first meaningful contribution of the season as the Redskin passing attack kicks into gear; however, Chris Thompson once again leads the team in yards from scrimmage.

Despite good defensive play, the Skins will trail by 3 - 7 points all game, so Gruden will keep calling passes. The offense gets the ball trailing 27-23 with 2:12 left on the clock, and Kirk completes 5 passes for a 75-yard game-winning touchdown drive.

Raiders fall to #7 and the Redskins rise to #12 on Power Rankings. Redskins fans all call in sick on Monday morning. In the post game press conference, Jay Gruden expresses regret that he didn't run the ball more, and vows to do better next time.

Aaron Lesher (1-1): 38-24, Redskins
Yes, I know the Raiders are currently 3-point road favorites and are the darlings of the NFL after a 2-0 start. Their offense is red-hot with Beast Mode, Carr, Cooper, and Crabtree; plus they have the reigning DPOY on the other side of the ball. The Redskins offense on the other hand has struggled to fully gel.

But the Raiders have played cupcake matchups against the Titans and Jets, while the Redskins started off the season against two ferocious defenses in the Eagles and Rams. Kirk finally goes off for 300+ passing yards in this game and 2+ TDs. We should be able to run on them as well, since the Raiders are giving up 4.8 YPC. Vegas is predicting a shootout here with an over/under of 54 points. Skins score last and take home the W.

Tom Garrett (1-1): 28-23 VEGAS *emphasis Tom’s
I'd love to pick the Redskins to win. I really would. But the Raiders might be the best team in the AFC. They're certainly one of the three best. And the Redskins' track record in prime-time games in recent years isn't exactly spectacular. The big concern here is that Washington won't be able to establish the run as effectively as last week against the Rams, which will put the onus on Cousins to carry the load offensively.

Neither in the preseason, nor in the first two games, has Cousins shown that he's gotten comfortable enough with the new pieces of the offense to make that happen against a quality opponent. Factor in how banged-up the Redskins were by the end of the game against LA, and it doesn't bode well. To reiterate: I hope I'm totally off and the Skins win 42-0. But it doesn't feel like that's a likely scenario.

HogHunter (0-2): 31-27, Raiders

Which fan base are you most fascinated with or have the strongest feelings about? Have a prediction for the Redskins’ Sunday Night matchup with the Raiders? Vote in our poll and chime in on the comments below.