| | Raiders ridicule Jets following rout
Associated Press
OAKLAND, Calif. -- The Oakland Raiders were feeling more
ornery than usual. They believed the New York Jets were getting all
the attention and giving them no respect.
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Who was the hottest team in the league? Us, not them. It was like no one gave us the chance to beat the Jets. That ticked all of us off in this locker room. We got tired of all the hype. ” |
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— Charles Woodson of the Raiders |
Who had the AFC's best record? Who beat the Jets last month? Who
earned the right to play all of their playoff games at the Black
Hole?
The Raiders did all that, and when the Jets started crowding
their pregame introductions, it incensed the Oakland players even
more.
"It was like stuff out of high school,'' All-Pro safety Rod Woodson said. "They need to be on the sideline. It was childish
and unprofessional on their part, and we reacted the way we should
have.''
The Jets did not have individual player introductions, walking
en masse out of the tunnel and toward their bench. A few inactive
players were waving Jets flags.
When the Raiders' intros began, many of the Jets stood on the
field nearby. Guard Frank Middleton, who waged a war of words with
many of the Jets in the media all week, began barking at safety
Damien Robinson and a large group of players from both sides
gathered at about the 40-yard line.
Each side tried to do some pushing, but game officials and
personnel from both teams got between the players.
"I gave him the business early and he chilled,'' Jets defensive
tackle Josh Evans said of Middleton. "A lot of guys were talking
back and forth.''
Whatever they were saying, it wasn't going to bother the hosts,
according to Woodson, a 15-year veteran in his first season in
Oakland.
"We don't get intimidated when we get punched in the mouth out
there,'' he said. "So that won't intimidate us. This is our back
yard and you are not going to come out and intimidate us.''
The Raiders, who won the AFC West with an 11-5 record that
earned them home-field advantage throughout the playoffs, were in a
nasty mood from the outset. They felt they were ignored during the
buildup to Sunday's game, despite their achievements.
"Who was the hottest team in the league? Us, not them,''
cornerback Charles Woodson said. "It was like no one gave us the
chance to beat the Jets. That ticked all of us off in this locker
room. We got tired of all the hype.
"If you didn't know we had won the West, you would not even
know we were in the game. It was J-E-T-S. That's all it was.
"Now they've got no practice and we're getting ready for the
championship game, so let's go.''
Added Jerry Porter, the game's receiving star, with a huge smile
on his face: "J-E-T-S. Just End The Season.''
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