Kelly L. Cox – USA Today Sports

In the past, when the Oakland Raiders played away from home, police blotters in visiting cities lit up. There was a whole list of “priors” (previous legal convictions, that is) that rolled into town with them.

Under late owner Al Davis, if a player was in trouble of any kind … he’d first look to the Raiders for a new home and second chance. Under Davis’ famous “just win, baby” theory, character didn’t rate.

In more recent years, the Oakland franchise owner would often get into contractual wars with Dallas Cowboys counterpart Jerry Jones. It often seemed as if the two were in a financial battle to see who could offer unwanted players the most money to come help his team lose.

In the six most “prior” visits to Arrowhead Stadium however, Oakland has come out on top. The last four were with well-respected veteran quarterbacks at the helm. Carson Palmer and Jason Campbell had been replaced by more youthful players in their old homes. It appeared as though Davis had learned his lesson.

Under new majority owner Mark Davis, Al’s son, the mentality seems to have reverted. The vocabulary has developed a bit though. This Sunday, the Raiders will visit the Kansas City Chiefs and they’re hoping not to be synonymous with their rivalry, trailing 50-55-2 against Kansas City. Their starting QB will be Terrelle Pryor.

Pryor is one of the main reasons why Jim Tressel is no longer the football coach at Ohio State. He and other players were found to be signing autographs for tattoos and drugs. Terrell himself is said to have owned eight new cars in three years with the Buckeyes.

While “Pryor” is homonymic with “prior”, I’m told it carries an entirely different meaning. The urban dictionary definition of a “Pryor” defines it as “someone who owns people”. The second definition is “One who shows great aptitude in such things as; shooting weapons of any sort, fighting, playing basketball.”

The final definition says it all: “One who pocesses superior wit and intillect.” That is not a typo on my part — that’s exactly how it reads. Look it up if you doubt me.

The word may not be spelled the same, but it sure does sound and look like the Raiders of old. Chiefs fans welcome you back.