Oakland Raiders: National prominence has returned in new era

The Oakland Raiders have always maintained a nationwide fanbase, but the prominence of that has returned heading into the 2017 season.

When it comes to the Oakland Raiders, it’s safe to say that Raider Nation never went anywhere. For years, the silver and black have sported one of the most widespread and loyal fanbases in the NFL. While many teams try to come to bat with the “Nation” tag for their fans, few exemplify it in the manner that the Raiders have over the years.

At the same time, however, the team hasn’t exactly made fandom an easy task over the past decade. The playoff berth in 2016 was their first since 2002, and their first winning season since the days of Rich Gannon as well. Over that span, their best marks were back-to-back 8-8 campaigns in 2010-11.

Also across that span, Raiders watched the likes of Jamarcus Russell, an uninterested Randy Moss, now-receiver Terrelle Pryor at quarterback, putrid defenses and so on take the field. Though the loyalty of the fanbase and faithful never wavered, it wasn’t a wholly fun experience. More pressingly, it also took Oakland out of the national spotlight. Even with the name-brand and fans, the football simply wasn’t good enough to, for lack of a better phrase, be featured.

The 2016 team and the future of the Raiders is changing that, however. Under general manager Reggie McKenzie, this new-look Raiders team led by Derek Carr on offense and Khalil Mack on defense has drastically altered the narrative. They’re a draw once again.

If you need any further evidence of this, ESPN released the best-selling jersey in each state on NFL Shop and the No. 24 jersey for new addition Marshawn Lynch is tops in California — along with 13 other states:

Obviously Lynch is a special case, an Oakland native coming out of retirement to play for his hometown team in their final years before they depart for Las Vegas. But really, that only plays into the narrative of the Raiders under McKenzie further. Not only can Lynch help on the field with their power running game, but he’s also great for the brand and the prominence of the franchise.

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NFL fans, even if they don’t cheer for a particular team, will always be interested in a winner. What the Raiders have built coming into this new era is exactly that. The 2016 season wasn’t a flash in the pan; it was the first step in what will likely be a sustained run of success.

Adding Lynch to that mix ultimately makes them more favorable in terms of the national eye. But if the Raiders were churning out 3-13 seasons still, would the addition of Beast Mode matter quite as much outside of the Bay Area. Chances are, the answer to that is not at all — or at least not enough to dominate jersey sales nationwide like he currently is.

With increased prominence comes an uptick in pressure, obviously. As such, the Raiders will be asked to prove themselves in the 2017 season and beyond, to solidify that they’re here to say.

Next: NFL Power Rankings 2017: Best players by jersey number

What’s clear, though, is that this isn’t the same team that was a punch-line for over a decade in the 2000s and early 2010s. Instead, this Oakland team is back in the spotlight on a national level thanks to what they’ve meticulously constructed. Raider Nation most certainly never went anywhere, but it’s about to grow again as the 2017 campaign approaches.