The weekend's events were not good for the Oakland Raiders and Candlestick Park. A franchise with fans that are notorious for being -- we'll call it dedicated and enthusiastic -- have not always been viewed in the best light by those around the country. Raiders officials are asking for the national media to not stereotype their dedicated fans.
Amy Trask joined 97.5 The Game to discuss the recent shootings. Here are just a few of the highlights from what the Raiders' CEO had to say:
How troubling is it for you and the organization that there's a stereotype that exists for a section of Raider fans?:
"Let me tell you on a personal level, it couldn't be more troubling. ... Let's be a little bit direct about this. It's not just a stereotype of fans and the citizens in the community. The media engage in this stereotyping as well. We all know better than to stereotype. ... Yet in situations like these, people make an immediate rush to judgment and to stereotype. I will tell you, and I could be more passionate about this ... the overwhelming majority of the Raiders fans, and fans of the 49ers, and fans of all NFL teams, are terrific, terrific people. ... We have to resist the urge to let the behavior of a handful of people color our view of the fanbase as a whole."
The questions continue:
How does the league work with you in a situation like this where some fans are now afraid to attend games?:
"We work very, very closely with NFL security. ... We have adopted every best practice available, and then some, in our stadium. For example, every ticket-holder, everybody receiving a ticket, receives our fan code of conduct, which explains what behavior is not to be tolerated in our stadium. ... Everybody entering our parking lot receives tailgating rules. ... We are very, very proactive in working with our fans in the parking lot and the game."
Stadium security beings with the fans. If no one acts like an idiot, idiotic things are much less likely to happen. As Amy said in the interview, it only takes a few fans to change the perception of an entire fan base.
Stay tuned to SB Nation Bay Area for further updates on the situation. For more Raiders coverage, be sure to check out the guys over at Silver and Black Nation. 49ers fans should visit Niners Nation for their continued coverage.