Rolling blackouts are affecting many teams in the NFL and the Oakland Raiders have been no exception this year. Per NFL rules, if the home team fails to sell out that week’s game, it will not be broadcast locally. For the fourth time this year, and the 11th straight time overall, the Raiders didn’t sell out the Oakland Coliseum, leaving Bay Area fans high and dry.
The Contra-Costa Times reported on the ticket sales and included a plea from head coach Tom Cable for fans to step their game up.
“Raider Nation, hear me,” Cable said after Sunday’s 59-14 victory over the Denver Broncos. “I hope you get this. We need you in those stands supporting us. We need to have a great 12th man from here on in, because we’re doing our part and it’s coming together.”
The Raiders are known for some of the craziest fans in the NFL. The Black Hole at Oakland Coliseum is filled with a plethora of fans dressed in enough Raider garb to scare the life out of opposing teams and fans. Unfortunately, the dedication of those die-hard fans hasn’t been carrying over to the rest of the fanbase in the area.
The good news for fans in Seattle is the blackout has no effect on broadcasts outside of the Oakland area. The Seahawks and Raiders face off on Fox in the Seattle area at 1:15 p.m. on Sunday.