Alcatraz, just a short distance away, had its famous Birdman.
Oakland Alameda County Coliseum — aka the Black Hole — where the Jets
play the Raiders today, apparently has its bird woman.
Two Jets players sure seemed to be describing the same person. They said
she's emblematic of what many consider the NFL's nastiest road environment.
"One time, we [the Chiefs] were going into Oakland ... and this lady was
75 years old and she was in a wheelchair," said fullback Tony
Richardson, who played for Kansas City from 1995 to 2005. "I was
thinking she was going to raise her finger up to wave to us and she shot
us the bird. I said, 'If at 75 years old you're still shooting birds to
the opposing team, that lets you know that fans are passionate.'"
Jets receiver Laveranues Coles doesn't have nearly as much experience
playing in Oakland as Richardson does, but he remembered a bus ride to
the stadium for the same reason Richardson did.
"I was coming to a game one time and there was this very old lady on a
walker pushing her way along, all painted up and everything with an
Oakland Raiders uniform on," Coles said. "And I'm like, 'Aw, look at
that old lady, she's a great fan.' And she goes and shoots us the bird.
Just one of those things; you know that their fans are real rough fans."
Since 1999, the Jets are 2-5 in Oakland, though they were successful on
their last trip, coming away with a 27-24 overtime victory Nov. 9, 2003.
That was the start of a three-game winning streak in a series that
stands at 21-16-2 in favor of the Raiders.
The Jets (3-2) are favored today, but Richardson said the Raiders (1-4)
at home are a much different group.
"It's a hostile environment and it gets very, very loud," he said. "We
have to be ready to play because it could be a landslide."
