Darren Bohan (Calistoga, CA)

Tell us a little of your personal history as a Raiders fan. Were you born into Raider Nation? Just decided to follow the team from afar? Did you grow up in the Bay Area? How did you get to living where you are today?

 

I grew up a Raiders fan and have been a Raider fan my whole life.  It probably around age seven was when I can remember being aware of this.  I was raised in St. Helena, CA attended high school there and am now residing in Calistoga. 

What’s one or two unique things about where you live? What makes it stand apart from other places?

The area is unique, because it is in the wine country, and the Raiders training camp is in Napa. 

How hard, or easy, is it to follow the Raiders from where you live? Do you watch the games at home? Listen on the radio? Use the internet? Also: How many Raider fans are there in your area?

I follow the Raiders very closely, and if they are blacked out, I will try to pick them up over the internet, or listen to them on the radio. 

How often do you go to Raider games? What’s the last game you’ve been to? How has the Raider fan experience changed over the years?

My last game I went to was this year against the San Diego Chargers where they ended a 13 game losing streak on Oct. 10.  I will be attending at least two more games this year -- the Seahawks this week, which hopefully will even our record at 4-4 and the Colts on Dec. 26. 

Give us one or two of your favorite Raider memories. They can be from any time period.

There are so many Raider games that are etched into my mind. The good one are the Holy Roller, Ghost to the Post, Sea of Hands, and the Super Bowl victories over the Vikings, Eagles, and Redskins. The bad ones are the Rob Lytle fumble, Imacculate Reception by Franco Harris, and the Brady Tuck Rule that was a fumble. 

As a Raider fan, you realize that they are a polarizing team in which they are either loved as I do, or hated. There is usually no in-between, much like the Yankees, Cowboys and Lakers. 

Besides the Raiders, what other college do you like to follow?

My favorite college football team is Notre Dame and I have liked them since I was about seven. The college teams in our area are the Cal Bears and the Stanford Cardinal. The fans are very different than Raider fans, because a Raider fan lives and dies with the Raiders.