There are two things at work when it comes to the NFL exhibition season, particularly the last game.
In the minds of media and fans, and yes, often-times the teams themselves, it’s a mindless exercise that has little or no bearing on what’s to come a little more than a week from now.
Yet it’s callous and thoughtless to minimize the effort being put out by those attempting to live out a dream. Raiders coach Jon Gruden has made jokes about the length of the exhibitions, yet struck more of a somber tone Thursday night following a 30-19 road win over the Seattle Seahawks.