Nation ready to raid Dunes

Deirdre Newman

They’re loud. They’re obnoxious. They’re the modern-day incarnation

of Attila the Hun. And they’re headed for the Newport Dunes.

Shut your windows, lock your doors, and hide your daughters.

Leaders of the Raider Nation are coming to town to welcome Mr.

Irrelevant Monday, and the extreme ghoulishness of their costumes

could make the unsuspecting cringe. The nation is made up of

rambunctious Raider fans who dress in macabre silver and black

costumes and are the Raiders’ most ardent fans and vociferous

critics.

Mr. Irrelevant is Andre Sommersell, the last player picked in the

NFL Draft. He will be sporting the silver and black of the Oakland

Raiders when training camp starts this summer.

The two Raider Nation representatives welcoming Mr. Irrelevant are

known as Spike and Violator. They will give Sommersell the lowdown on

what it takes to be a Raider at his arrival party Monday.

“You gotta be a mean, lean, fighting machine, basically a little

bit of a rebel somewhere down inside with a nasty streak,” Spike

said. “You like to get angry with people, have a little bit of a dark

side.”

Spike, who lives in Sacramento and works as a truck driver when

he’s in civilian clothes, said he has been a Raider fan since birth

-- both of his parents are football fans.

“They tried to brainwash us to be 49er fans, but it backfired,”

said Spike, otherwise known as Mark Shadinger, 39.

He has attained international notoriety and been featured in

several commercials, including two national ones for Pizza Hut and

Coors Light and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame as a

fan.

His home game day outfit includes boots with giant spikes

protruding from the heels and toes, a wrestling belt with a skull

carved in leather and “Spike” emblazoned in chrome in the middle, a

Ken Stabler jersey “that looks like Ken Stabler used to play in it,”

shoulder pads with 6-inch spikes stretching out from his shoulders

and a Raider helmet. To enhance the effect, he wears a skull the size

of his head on his left shoulder with a Raider helmet on it.

“Raider fans and opposing fans come up and talk to me,” Spike

said. “They’re like, ‘I thought you were like a felon. You’re a cool,

normal guy.’”

During games, he gives out Raiders’ stuff to kids like mini

helmets, key chains and bumper stickers.

Violator has been a Raider fan for 33 years. He was part of the

group of Raider fans that evolved into Raider Nation. For games, he

puts on his “tuxedo,” which includes shoulder pads with spikes and

Hells Angels leather. He also carries a sword.

“Everybody has their passion, and mine has always been cloak and

dagger,” said Violator, otherwise known as Wayne Mabry, 47. “It was

just the perfect fit, and it’s never changed.”

Violator lives in Rancho Cucamonga and works as a carpenter.

Raider fans are known for their emotional outbursts, and Spike and

Violator take that to the extreme.

“It’s like a roller coaster -- the high of highs and the low of

lows, like manic depressives,” Violator said. “We celebrate victories

to the fullest and for the most part, we suffer the lowest lows. We

don’t take losing easy.”

And they never refrain from letting Raider players know exactly

how they feel about their moves on the gridiron.

“We exalt [them] when [they] do good, and when they screw around,

we let them know,” Violator said. “I watch them like a hawk. I pretty

much call it like I see it.”

Both Spike and Violator said they are looking forward to welcoming

Sommersell to the Raiders Monday.

“We’ll be on our best behavior,” Violator said.

* DEIRDRE NEWMAN covers Costa Mesa. She may be reached at (949)

574-4221 or by e-mail at [email protected].