Bay Rivalries - Sports

Being from the Bay Area, at many times in one's life, there comes a time to choose sides.  When it comes to the local sports teams, if you weren't either directly born in San Francisco or Oakland or live there currently, you would find in school, work, even home, you would have to decide where your loyalties lie...and be prepared to stand and defend your home team.


SF loyalists support the Giants and 49ers, while Oakland natives back the A's and the Raiders.

People who are not originally from the Bay can sometimes neglect to understand how serious this rivalry is.  For instance, everyone knows there is no fans more fiercely loyal than Oakland's Raider Nation.  We saw the most fan violence ever during the Niners vs. Raiders home game at Candlestick during the 2011-2012 season.  The emotion of supporting your team fueled with alcohol and testosterone...well, we all saw the results.

Bay Area people, like most around the country, are fiercely loyal to our home teams.  The issue is that we have multiple to choose from, many people end up being transplants around the bay, so where a particular Nor Cal-ian's loyaties lie is not as clear as it would seem.

For myself, being an SF native and having lived a majority of my life in the East Bay, I have adopted a tiered strategy to my team support.  In general, as an SF native, I support the Giants and the Niners above all other teams.  But when push comes to shove, I will still back the As and the Raiders over any out of town teams.

I am of the opinion that most people in the Bay think that way, but then you will always get the odd support of New England (Patriots) or the Lakers.  And with South Bay native Jeremy Lin becoming an overnight celebrity on the Knicks, we might pick up a few straggling Bay Knicks supporters as well.

As versus Giants...Raiders versus Niners...Warriors versus Sacramento Kings or Lakers...

Are you are Bay Area loyalist?

A Rose by Any Other Name....

You cannot be a true Nor Cal native without having some strong feelings about medical marijuana.  The Bay Area has a strong history of supporting the use of cannibus, mary jane, marijuana, THC, whatever you may call it, medically and socially.  From the hippies movement in the 60's to the medical marijuana movement still raging on today, it is apparent how much the politics of marijuana use are intertwined in the collective Bay psyche.

First off, consider how many times state and municipal marijuana initiatives have passed time and time again.  Seemingly in contradiction to federal statutes.  How many times the rules of enforcement for federal and local law enforcement agencies have shifted due based upon who is in office and the popularity of the issue.  This shows itself most readily in spurts of "raids" of business operating legally under state law.

Secondly, consider the sheer mass of collective users.  Many of whom have flocked to California to become a part of the movement.  People want to use the drug, in large masses.

Consider the reasons why marijuana was outlawed as a dangerous drug in the first place.
http://medicalmarijuana.procon.org/view.resource.php?resourceID=000143#1936

Or, that marijuana consumption is not as harmful to the body as regular tobacco smoking. 
http://abcnews.go.com/Health/occasional-pot-smoking-harm-lung-function-time-study/story?id=15331989

"Study Finds No Link Between Marijuana Use And Lung Cancer". Science Daily. 2006-05-26

If that is the case, and marijuana is as intoxicating or less intoxicating than alcohol and less harmful to the body than tobacco smoking, does anyone other than me wonder...why is it still not legal???

Green Hills...Makes you feel good!

One of the best parts of commuting in the bay (and trust, there are few good parts) is the lovely scenery around this time of year.  The hills turn from the golden color CA is know for, to a lush green.  Spring is apparent.  It is a time of year that always makes me feel alive...even the so called weeds are beautiful wildflowers called by another name.  Enjoy the Spring Northern Californians!