VETERAN'S DAY

On this Veteran's Day it is important to remember the sacrifices and contributions made by our men and women in the Armed Forces.

For one thing they've had to sacrifice a good deal of their benefits, especially medical and mental health. The Bush Administration has slashed the medical budget for the care of those returning from Iraq and Afghanistan by more than 20 percent over the last five years. (Combine that with the military's revised "stop loss" provisions and you really do have a case of working more and more and getting less and less in return--just like everyone else!)

Although those in power have chosen to make a difficult job even harder for our armed forces, they nevertheless deserve our support and camraderie whatever our opinion of the Iraq War and of the people who administer it. Veteran's Day is their day and it is the day for anyone who ever put on a uniform in defense of this country, there should be no conflicting feelings about that.

Raider Fan

A few brief words about those who call themselves fans of the NFL's renegade team, the Oakland Raiders. I don't understand you. Especially if you live in Los Angeles, a city that hosted Raiders home games for 13 mostly unsuccessful years. All the Raiders did to Los Angeles was move there at taxpayer's expense, demand that a new stadium be built (despite drawing an average of 68,000 a game to the venerable Coliseum) then sneak off at a moment's notice when fans and city officials wisely refused to cave in to owner Al Davis' demands. Come to think of it, I guess that makes them just an average NFL franchise (see New Orleans, Baltimore, Cleveland, etc.)

The typical Raider fan, especially in L.A., is a silver-and-black wearing, bling-bling sporting, undereducated, El Camino driving boor, the kind of guy who only mows the grass in his yard if he can light it up and smoke it in his bong. Raider Fan is the guy who thinks its fun to hurl batteries at opposing coaches as they enter and leave the field--or sometimes at their own coaches. Raider Fan thinks taking a shower means standing outside in the rain wearing only a replica Raiders helmet. Raider Fan thinks he is somehow countercultural and antiestablishment even though he is rooting for a team that, while playing in a outdated, undersized stadium, still easily rakes in about 100 million dollars a year. Oakland Raider owner Al Davis isn't "Darth Vader", he's The Man. Raider Fan talks trash to opposing teams fans even when his team is 2-6, trailing by four touchdowns at halftime and the network showing the game is wishing they had a Heidi rerun to cut to (for those who don't get the reference, see Raiders vs. Jets on NBC, 1968). Raider Fan makes Eagles and Bears fans look erudite by comparison. Even worse is an L.A. Raider fan, who does all these things and more in support for a team that jilted him. It's like getting into a barroom fight to stick up for your ex-girlfriend who you caught in bed with another man...and your dog.

This Sunday, the Raiders host the Denver Broncos. Full disclosure, the Broncos are my preferred NFL team. To be honest, although the Broncos are 6-2 and Oakland (Oakland is really a lovely city. They deserve better than to be home base for Raider Fan) is 3-5, it wouldn't surprise me at all if Denver not only lost the game but got embarrassed. They're overdue. That's not the point of my tirade. My point is that being a Raider Fan has long stopped being about the Raiders themselves. Win, lose or draw (mostly lose) their vocal, hostile, mostly-on-parole fan base will continue to make fools of themselves and lower hooliganism to new depths.

All I have to ask is, Raider Fan, for the love of all that is holy, will you please grow up? And shave? Maybe floss a little...

Next week: Reviews of at least three recent movies, a visit from an old friend and some advice for Bush and his cronies as their administration collapses around them.

Peace and Happy Veteran's Day!

(NOTE: On Sunday Denver defeated Oakland 31-17.)