The division rivalries between NFL teams are what makes the league so special. The AFC West has a good one between the Las Vegas Raiders and Kansas City Chiefs.
Although the Chiefs are the class of the league after having won two consecutive Super Bowl championships, the Raiders always find a way to play them tough during the regular season. These two teams clearly enjoy going up against one another, and the same should be the case when the 2024 season rolls around.
Only a handful of players understand what the AFC West rivalry means to the players, with former running back Marcus Allen being one of the few who has perspective from both sides. Allen explained what it was like to play for both the Raiders and the Chiefs via Ed Easton Jr. of Chiefs Wire:
“When I was playing for the Raiders, it just felt like everybody was a rival, but, when I played for the Chiefs, I felt, in particular, the Raiders were the rival, and Marty Schottenheimer made a point of that special, he emphasized it that way,” Allen explained. “To me, it was a balancing act, right? I go to compete regardless; even if I were playing against my brother, I would never try to embarrass my brother, but I would try to win, and that’s how it was for me.
“Nothing was personal. Remember, these are my friends that I had, that I fought with, and that’s why I even today, if there is, I guess the last event I went to was the Kimble Anders (Chiefs Ring Of Honor) induction because these are my teammates. I let nothing or no one separate me from that, no matter if they want you to pick and choose, and I’ll never do that. I’ll always choose my teammates.”
Allen was a beloved teammate for both organizations, and he admitted it was always bittersweet when he won against Las Vegas:
“In this case, I played for two teams and had great teammates on both. So that’s how I look at it. Yeah, I wanted to win the game,” said Allen. “We won nine out of ten, but it was mixed emotions with me, right? It’s like, I’m gonna win, but I don’t feel so great about beating my buddies, and that’s how it was.”
It would be hard for any Raiders fan to dislike Allen after he helped the team win a Super Bowl, though there’s certainly no love lost between the two franchises.
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