I used to think it sucked to live in a state with no major professional sports, until I realized that I can root for any team.

So when Barry Sanders initially sparked my deep-down desire to watch football, I began my football-fan life as a Detroit Lions fan.

It didn’t take long for me to stem away from the always-disappointing Lions and I found myself watching, cheering for and becoming obsessed with two other teams.

I decided that because I love the NFL so much, I couldn’t stand having just one team, so I’ve got two: the Minnesota Vikings in the NFC and the Oakland Raiders in the AFC.

I honestly don’t know how I became such a huge Vikings fan, but I’m guessing my 400-pound friend with a Viking tattoo on his arm might have persuaded me into it.

But being a Raiders fan just kind of emerged from deep inside me. While growing up, my dad was a Raiders fan and I have memories scattered throughout my childhood of seeing that Raiders logo around my house.

The funny thing is, at such a young age, the logo almost scared me because for some reason I knew what it represented — bad-ass football.

Seeing as how I’ve got the greatest dad in the world, I couldn’t help but like the team he liked. My dad has always been a bad-ass in my mind just like the Raiders, and it’s a persona that has also fit me well over the years.

The rest is history and I’m a proud — also crazy — member of the Raider Nation.

The Raider Nation is unlike any group of fans that sports has ever seen, with crazy and creepy costumes, a loyal traveling fan base and a psychotic love for the Raiders.

Instead of Tuesday’s top stories in the San Diego papers being about the game that is to be played there on Sunday, they were about San Diego’s fear of the Raider Nation. Which I suppose is a valid point considering nearly 20 people were arrested for rioting after the Raiders’ win over the Tennessee Titans.

But for a city to be afraid of a group of fans just makes me sick — sick that I can’t be there to wreak havoc with the rest of the Nation.

All this being said, it dawned on me that football fans can live their whole lives and never get to see their team make it to the Super Bowl — just ask Lions fans.

The last time the Raiders went, I was 4 years old and was more interested in 6-year-old girls than football.

Two years ago on championship Sunday — what could have been one of the greatest days of my life — it turned out to be failed attempts from both the Vikings and the Raiders to make the Super Bowl.

When the Vikings lost to the Falcons in the 1999 NFC championship game, members of my family actually cried, especially those that had Super Bowl tickets just to see the Vikings play.

Last year was the Raiders’ year, or so I thought, but my plans for a wonderful Super Bowl party were once again spoiled, this time by a controversial call and a Cinderella team — the New England Patriots.

Damn that tuck rule.

With the stage that I’m at in life — being a sports editor and writer — and with the talented Raiders team quickly getting older, I wanted it to happen very badly this year, which it finally did.

So here I am with lots of spikes, black and silver face paint and booze slated for my agenda on Sunday. But there is one thing I can’t get out of my head — that Tampa Bay defense.

The facts are that the Raiders have the best offense in the league and the Bucs have the best defense. So the big plays that determine the outcome of this game will need to come from the Raiders’ defense, a lack of Tampa Bay offense and special teams.

The Jets scared me in round two. The Titans sort of worried me in the AFC championship game. The Bucs are nearly freaking me out.

People are asking if the Raiders can score 21 or more points against this defense. This, I believe, will barely happen.

So it comes down to the Raiders defense stopping what really is a stoppable Tampa offense.

I consider this a must-win for Oakland for one huge reason — no one cares or remembers who lost the Super Bowl from past years, so you better win when you get the chance.

It will be a great game. There is a chance I won’t remember the end, but if I do, I’m looking at 24-17 Oakland victory.

Go Raider Nation.

Kyle Moss is a senior in journalism and mass communication from Urbandale. He is the sports editor of the Daily.