Why Oakland Raiders Fans Would Make A Great Church – pt 6

Gear

I realize there are a lot of cheesy Christian T-shirts out there. And most of them cost less than $20. Often, they’re only around $10. Why? Cause they’re cheap. And, if we’re totally honest here, many Christians are cheap as well.

Think about it… if your church got a really cool Jersey with your church’s logo across the front… put it up for sale in the foyer for $80-125 – you would likely be laughed out of the church.

But not with Raiders fans… ALL OF THEM! I bet over 90% of those attending my first game had Jerseys and other gear in tow. Ummm – think about that. 63,000+ people at a sellout. 90% of them purchasing just one Jersey at $100. That would be over $5.6 million. And that doesn’t include the thousands of Jersey wearing fanatics that weren’t in attendance.

Let’s not forget about T-shirts, hats, sweatshirts, license plates, mugs, patches, towels, golf shirts, rugs, flags, luggage, watches, clocks, shot glasses, and so much more.

Why would Raiders fans spend MILLIONS of dollars a year on things they don’t really need? Why would they spend money they may not have on black and silver paraphernalia? Answer: passion, loyalty, pride, and love for the team. These fans are all a part of something MUCH bigger than they are. They are a part of Raider Nation. So of course they have Jerseys and other gear to display their devotion. In fact, the guy I went with actually brought three Jerseys to the game in case one of us didn’t have one (which I didn’t).

Once again, believers would do well to have such a passion for their team, their church, their God. Wouldn’t it be great if believers had no problem shelling out whatever money was needed to proudly wear the appropriate gear? AND… to not complain about the cost. That would be a nice change. After all, those of us in the church are a part of something much bigger than ourselves… including a Super Bowl.