ANyone been to a game at the Black Hole?
 

I am new to Oakland and plan to go to the game. I know it is pre-season but... The O does have her reputation...

Mind you I have been to games at the link and Raven's Stadium (andof course ATL, TB and Charlotte) and a few others - but the Link and Ravens also have reputations and despite a little bit of ice throwing (to be expected I guess) I didnt have a bad experience.

I don't wear NFL gear (dont want to get side tracked on that) but I do wear the black and GOLD.

Just looking for first hand anecdotes from anyone that has been there. I am on the visitors side 13th row mid field.

Will I live? I am pushing 50 5-7 and 120 soaking wet.

Just look up some youtube vids of their games. It's safer.

I don't know whether to laugh or shake my head.

Mmmmuuusssstttt rrreeesssiiiissstttt thhheee uurrggeee tooooo pooosssttt..

Isn't that where the brawl was in the stands this past weekend?

My Uncle did, but he's dead now.

Yeah, I live in the bay area and been to a few.

How were you going to get to the game?

I would go...but that's just me..dont fool with me and were kewl...i would bring my 38 just to be safe...lol

A .38 in the Black Hole? You'd be out gunned ;)

Ok the 9MM?....or just tote the 12 gauge stubby?....im sure that would be enough...or maybe the C2..lol

You want to get thrown out before you get in? :bng:

Yeah good idea although i have some crazy vato cousins there....they tote machine guns...rough dudes. I'm very alert at family reunions...;)

I live a bit further out in the East Bay. I do 80mph all the way into San Francisco every day. I do 110 through Oakland.

Man it's bad there. I actually thought about going to the game, but I have kids and while I have life insurance I need more. Until that happens I won't be attending Raiders or A's games.

For real.

Yeah, I've never watched the Saints play there, so I was never rocking colors. Your safest bet is to wear black, but no gold. You'd blend more that way to and from the game. Also, I'd think about using BART to go rather than drive. No tailgating, but BART is handy and more secure.

don't they CHoot people there ???

Is it really that dangerous? I mean it sounds a little absurd...

Yeah it is...Ill choot you MF...watch you bleed!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Right right, I'm shaking in my boots ;-)

Or is this you? C

To answer the question, I haven't been to the Black Hole before to see a game. I almost went to a Gwar concert once though.

This is my theme song:

Try not to joke about people getting killed. It doesn't become you.
And you're a moderator?

Whew.

It all depends. I don't know about Philly or other tough towns, but Oakland is certainly worse than NO. If you go to a Raiders game wearing the other team's gear, then show up at tailgate here, then you are taking more of a chance than other stadiums. But, if you want a fun, safe time, you likely can do it if you are very low key.

Its in human nature to joke about things that scare them, its a kind of coping mechanism. Try to lighten up a little will you.

Thanks for your replies - dunno what half of them meant. I figure Ill wing it. I usually go to a couple of games a year - almost always in an away stadium (I travel for a living) but this is my first west coast game - except years back in the king dome - and Seattle is a much mellower town than Oaksterdam.

As for the guy who said Oakland was rough I used to live in the lower ninth (90s and Early 00s) so I am used to rough neighborhoods etc.

I just hate having my game spoiled by middle class idiots throwing stuff at me or worse.

We'll see... I usually wear my colors proudly - but will research a little more before hand.

thanks again.

In wake of shootings, 49ers ban tailgating after game starts

CBSSports.com wire reports
Aug. 22, 2011[IMG]file:///Users/johndewitt/Library/Caches/TemporaryItems/moz-screenshot.png[/IMG]http://sports.cbsimg.net/u/photos/fo...mg15471642.jpg
In wake of shootings, 49ers ban tailgating after game starts - NFL - CBSSports.com Football
This was in San Francisco. It's much worse in Oakland. I would never go there. Some guy was urinated on a few years ago.

Murders are on the rise in Oakland in 2011. The police chief has indicated they need twice as many cops as they have currently. Collateral damage from drive by shootings is increasing. There were 90 murders there last year. The city is on pace to surpass that. Oakland is consistently ranked in the top 10 most dangerous cities in the country, and usually in the top 5.

Oaksterdam (nice - I like that), as you call it, ain't no place for a decent person to be.

I'd go... I always wondered how the atmosphere would be. Appears to have one of the most passionate fans in the league. With that said, I honestly wouldn't wear my Saints gear there.

It's more thugs than passionate fans.

Chill out ...no one is joking...this is a serious post...

Passionate about not having a winning football team for 30 years? I can't imagine that.

It will probably be like the Super Dome after Katrina. Nothing but savages.

Alaska

Me and some friends went to the Coliseum as one of the destinations on our high school senior trip. We went see the A's play the red sox. The first day we wore our red sox get up and we had seats in the left field bleachers with all the crazies who wave flags and paint their bodies. We got ragged the entire game. The next day we bought A's shirts and wore them. In the section above where we were sitting, a huge fight broke out between a red sox fan and some okland fans. Then when we were walking through the parking lot that night, we passed a car that had a red sox bumper sticker on it; every door was kicked in, every window on the car was busted out, and at least one of the tires was flat. We came out alive, but that was a real eye opener for someone just out of high school. That was about 6 years ago

Well that's exaggerating. The Saints didn't exactly have a stellar track record themselves.

Sure they're savages, thugs, completely out of their mind... but I wouldn't doubt the how passionate they are towards their team.. I can remember even when watching a Raider game as a kid, how I would love to be a part of that crowd they always show on TV decked out in LOD black and white gear. And in Cleveland, who also have had some terrible teams, sit with the Dawg Pound in the stands.