Hardcore Daniel C. Sachar

Got something to say?Sign Up and be the first to comment on this article!The population of Oakland, California is approximately 399,484. When the news came that Daniel C. "Hardcore" Sachar had passed away, the population shrunk to one-at least for the Raider Nation. As news spread throughout the Nation, the only person the mattered was "Hardcore"-the rest of Oakland's populace unexpectedly seemed inconsequential. The 2003 Fan-Inductee into the Pro Football Hall of Fame would no longer be able to attend the games of the .But he will be still there: In the screaming voices of fans. In the glaring eyes underneath the black masks and paint. In the air used to inflate the game balls. And in the hearts and memories of fans.Sachar was killed on Tuesday, March 28 on Highway 101 in Redwood City, California. Driving a Ford Focus, the 31-year-old was involved in a minor collision with two other vehicles. Shortly after, he began to push one of the cars involved in the accident out of one of the highway's traffic lanes. Then, in a turn for the worse, a Chevrolet Lumina struck and killed Sachar, who had been standing near the trunk end of his car.Unfortunately, unlike so many other privileged fans, I was never able to personally meet with "Hardcore." However, meeting the man behind the face paint wasn't a necessity to realize just how much of an impact he had on the entire Raiders' community.Daniel lived his life with the motto: "Just living out a dream, while following my team.""Following" was an understatement. The man behind the infamous number "77" was the Coliseum's heroic gladiator at home games and their brave journeyman away from the stadium. While on the road, he would sport his usual getup; and the residents of that road city would often verbalize their disapproval of him being in attendance. But behind the face paint and the rough exterior of "Hardcore," there was still a wonderful individual named Daniel Sachar. And these spiteful words of opposing fans would never get into his head-because all he was doing was "living out a dream" and "following his team." And nobody could ever take that away from him.Believe it or not, the Raiders' biggest fan wasn't raised in the Bay Area. Sachar was born on January 18, 1975, in Schenectady, NY, where he attended both high school and college. In his obituary, it was noted that he loved to cook for family and friends. If you just glanced at his picture, however, this would come across as a downright shock. But if you knew anything about his character, it would become an entirely understandable notion. He loved to be around people-posing in pictures, chatting with fans, and sharing high-fives with fellow supporters throughout the course of games.Daniel's fianc? Veronica Ukastine, would dedicate hours during the early portion of gameday to paint on the face that made him "Hardcore." But the only thing "hardcore" about Daniel Sachar was his hardcore love for the Organization: the management, the coaches, the players, and his fellow fans. In his obituary, Daniel is delicately referred to as "a gentle giant of a man with the heart of silver and black instead of gold."