Oakland Raiders Rap was started by Joe DeLoach in September 1996. In an ideal world, this Web site is an alternative for Raiders fans who want information on their team in a concise format without a stream of adds that dominate the major media sports Web sites.
No ego, few adds, just the facts, baby! And a little opinion.
Before you leave, please give it up (applause) for some special people
Three of John's greatest attributes: a family man, a caring person and blocking Lawrence Taylor when playoff games were on the line.
Thanks for reading.
First and foremost, thanks to Kevin DeLoach, a great son who overlooks his father's imperfections.
Thanks to Sam Carter DeLoach, an immensely proud native of Tennessee who took his son, Joe, to his first Raiders game in 1963. The Raiders lost that day to the then Boston Patriots 20-14 at Frank Youell Field in Oakland. Whereever The Colonel is today, he's sipping bourbon and water and sharing stories with his military buddies from World War II and the Korean War.
Thanks to longtime Raiders fan Josh Maresca, who helped launch Raidersrap.com in 1996. Computers can be scary when you first look at them. Josh turned on the switch to my computer and showed me how to survive in a technical jungle.
Thanks to Sam Skinner, a proud Afro-American journalist in the San Francisco Bay Area who had a great passion for the Raiders and helping young journalists.
Thanks to former 49ers guard John Ayers, who never hesitated to buy a sports writer a beer unlike many of his more famous teammates, whose hands became paralyzed when it came time to reach for their wallets after drinks were delivered in bars near 49ers training camp in Rocklin, Calif.
Thanks to former San Mateo (Calif.) Times sports writer Garry Niver, who loved his children, 49ers and pricey bottles of wine.
