Parking lot shootings, bathroom beatings; A history of violence between 49ers and Raiders fans
The rivalry between the 49ers and Raiders, and in particular among the fans, goes back a long time.Following the NFL-AFL merger in 1970, two teams across the bay from each other finally met on the football field.The Niners were in need of a victory to reach the postseason, and hammered the Raiders 38-7 on Dec.
20, 1970.Both teams would go on to lose their respective conference championships.But the rivalry was born.Flash forward 56 years.San Fran defensive end Keion White had a pretty good excuse for missing whatever was going on in the stands at Levi’s Stadium on Sunday.
The 49ers defensive lineman had the Raiders to deal with, and somebody on the other side of the line of scrimmage had been assigned to make his afternoon difficult.Turns out, the guy playing in the game caught some of the action in the seats anyway.“Man, I think we seen somebody fight in the stands,” White told reporters.“Yeah, so we saw people fighting in the stands.”You wonder how many people who grew up on the Battle of the Bay heard White say that and immediately had a question for him.Which fight?What year?That’s the unfortunate history the Raiders and 49ers carried into Sunday, the Raiders’ first regular-season game in the Bay Area since they left Oakland for Las Vegas after the 2019 season.
Often times there is just as much action in the stands and parking lot of there is on the field.Part of the history, anyway.For much of Sunday afternoon, you could see why so many fans missed having these two teams in the same neighborhood.Take a look at the videos from the tailgates.
There’s live music.People in Raiders gear are dancing alongside people in 49ers gear.
Cars rolled into the parking lot with fans of both teams inside.Brothers and sisters, cousins, lifelong friends.
Hell, husbands and wives.The Raiders and 49ers could go years between games.
Some of their fans had to figure out whose flag went on the car.Then there’s the video that turns your stomach.Two people are ...