Summer is winding down and fall is upon us. The leaves are changing and students are getting ready to go back to school, but more importantly the football season is back in full swing.
The Central Valley is mostly populated by fans of two teams, and their respective optimism is as different as the city each team represents. The first team that is currently dominating the landscape is the San Francisco 49ers, and the second of course the Oakland Raiders. Both teams have a rich history. However, for one team history is not repeating itself.
The 49ers come into the season with high expectations. After Turlock’s own Colin Kaepernick took the reins from now Kansas City Chiefs quarterback, Alex Smith, he led the Niners to a Super Bowl appearance last season.  Even with all the expectations, the National Football Conference (NFC) is loaded with talent, as well as good teams, one even in the 49ers’ own division.
Possibly the 49ers biggest threat comes from the Seattle Seahawks, a young,  hard-hitting team just like the 49ers, who aren’t going to back down from a challenge.
This is the matchup that fans of both sides should watch out for and luckily they play twice, the first coming on Sunday, Sept.15 in Seattle and the latter coming on Sunday, Dec. 8 in San Francisco.
Across the bay, the expectations are a bit lower but the hope remains the same.
The Oakland Raiders come into the season with their second year coach Dennis Allen,   but with uncertainty at the quarterback spot.
The NFL is a quarterback driven league but hopefully Darren McFadden, the Raiders running back, can stay healthy and lead the team to heights that have previously been reached.
Even with the different expectations, fans of both teams should rejoice in the fact that football is upon us, as Sept. 8 both teams get to take the field and prove everyone right or wrong.