Gear of The Week: Raiders 2007 Draft Shirt

It's a whole new season, indeed, and now the NFL Shop is issuing commemorative 2007 NFL Draft t-shirts to help us wash away the bitter memories of 2006, such as LaMont Jordan staring slack-jawed at a grounded backward pass, and our offensive line getting diced up like a meal at Benihana, and Randy Moss impersonating a large swamp-dwelling Florida reptile, and Tom Walsh going pass happy in rainy Seattle, and Art Shell looking dazed instead of pissed no matter what transpired. Those days are over, a nightmare from which we've all woken. I was in Starbucks yesterday, decked out in my Raiders jacket, and the coffee server (okay, barista) commented that I must be a diehard fan to be wearing the Silver & Black after all these losing seasons. She wasn't being a smart ass, she was making a genuine observation. She simply needed to be enlightened, and I kindly informed her that there is no other kind of Raiders fan, which is why I still see Raiders gear everywhere around here while Steelers gear, which was rampant just a year ago, has literally vanished from the streets, and 49ers gear is only now starting to return from the closet, tentatively, as the team's "fans" rediscover their "faith" in the wake of an okay season. Our faith, however, is never shaken, and our gear never gathers dust. The new Raiders 2007 NFL Draft T-Shirt is a nice addition to anyone's collection, and goes well with the words, "With the first pick in the 2007 NFL Draft, the Oakland Raiders select JaMarcus Russell...."