The Oakland Raiders would like to thank the Raider Nation for celebrating
Hispanic Heritage Month with Pride and Poise during the 2005 Raiders Fiesta
Latina. The Team of the Decades dedicated last Sunday's game to Latin
culture and the Raiders fans who packed the House of Thrills were all about
embracing the colorful festivities. The Fourth Annual Hispanic Heritage Game
is unforgettable for many reasons, including the first Raiders victory of
the 2005 season as the Silver and Black defeated the Dallas Cowboys 19-13.
The tailgate parties in the McAfee Coliseum parking lots had not only
Latin-American food and decorations but they were also filled with Latin
spirit. People were dancing to salsa beats and enjoying their time before
the game. The judges for Pepsi's MVG contest had a tough decision on their
hands. Numerous tailgate parties deserved to win the contest because they
did their best to apply the Latin theme. But only one winner took home the
honor of being chosen the 2005 Raiders Fiesta Latina Most Valuable Griller.
Sabrina Flores from San Leandro, Calif., won because her tailgate party was
decorated with beautiful zarapes and piñatas and the food was cooked in a
fogón - the traditional grilling method in Central and South America.
Hundreds of Raiders fans gathered around Mariachi Los Halcones to enjoy
their serenade at the stadium's entrance. Los Halcones were showered by
requests and Raiders fans showed respect and admiration for the traditional
Mexican music that has to be sung from the heart.
During a pre-game ceremony, the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Alameda
County and The Oakland Raiders honored three Hispanic Heroes of the Bay
Area. Arnold Chavez, Jose Joel Garcia and Esteban Lovato felt very special
to be standing on the Raiders football field receiving their plaques. The
three of them work very closely with the local Hispanic community in the
medical services area and are committed to help whenever and wherever
assistance is needed.
After the Hispanic Heroes ceremony, the vibrant musical youth group Loco
Bloco took the field to entertain the awaiting fans with Brazilian drums.
Their well known "batucada" style was enhanced by the presence of
stilt-walkers in Silver and Black costumes. Loco Bloco also welcomed fans at
the BART/Coliseum entrance prior to pre-game.
The 2005 Raiders Hispanic Heritage game gathered fans from all over the
world. The best example was newlyweds Luis Dominguez and Rocio Presedo who
traveled from Galicia, Spain, to watch the Raiders play and celebrate
Hispanic culture. Prior to their arrival to Oakland, Luis and Rocio visited
Los Angeles, Las Vegas and San Francisco and left the best part of the trip
for last - the Raiders vs. Cowboys game. "It is so impressive to come to a
real game because in Europe we are a little bit different. I was very
surprised to see how fans come to enjoy the full day at the stadium. It is
also very shocking to see the size of the players," said Luis. "You have to
come to a game because it is an incredible experience, this is the best, it
does not even compare to a soccer match."
"We don't have much NFL coverage in Spain, but thanks to web pages like
Raidersenespanol.com and Nflspain.com we are Raider fans," confirmed Luis
and Rocio.
The game began with a booming kickoff from K Sebastian Janikowski, who
excelled against the Cowboys with four perfect field goals that contributed
13 of the 19 winning Silver and Black points. Between the cheers of the
Raider Nation and the in-stadium Latin music, the Raiders felt very inspired
to maintain the lead during the entire game.
By halftime, the authentic style of folkloric dance group Mexico Danza took
the field. They performed traditional dance routines of Jalisco, Mexico and
the fans applauded them with enthusiasm. During their performance, the
predominant Silver and Black that fills the stadium complimented the
colorful dancers' costumes.
There was no better way to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month than with a
Raiders victory. The Oakland Raiders organization did their best on and off
the field to give the fans an amazing game day experience con Sabor Latino.
