OC Recap: A day with Raider Nation

I ended up spending quality time with friends who are big Raider fans, including my first afternoon at Killarneys, a Raiders pub in Huntington Beach. Being around devout fans when their team wins (they beat the Jets) is always going to be celebration.

On top of that, at a birthday celebration later that evening, I actually met a former Raider who was wearing his ring from the 1980 SuperBowl, Cedrick Hardman:

I think what was most fascinating about Mr. Hardman (other than the impressive fact that he still holds the sack record for the SF 49ers) was that he went to college on an engineering scholarship! And then he went on to be a first round draft pick. Wild turn, right? Anyway, super nice and down-to-earth man.

Despite the reputation, I have to say folks in Raider Nation can be pretty darn nice.