From Ki in San Pedro, CA
Now that you are a Raider and a Stanford alum, what is your favorite thing to do in the Bay Area?

Jon Ritchie: I have a lot of friends that I graduated with from Stanford that ended up getting jobs in the city, so I hang out with them. I just got a Vizsla puppy that I enjoy taking to the dog park. I also like to set fires.

From Matt J in Garfield, New Jersey
How do you feel about getting a lot of passes and not running a lot?

Jon Ritchie: I love catching the ball and I kind of consider that getting to run since I try to turn up the field and gain some yardage. I feel as though my roll is to block primarily. I'm going to do my damnedest to do as good a job blocking as I can. If they throw a few passes my way, that's just icing on the cake.

From Raiders Fan In Paso Robles in California
Merry Christmas, Jon.
Once I heard that you ate dirt of of Jimi Hendrix's grave. Is he a hero to you?

Jon Ritchie: I emulate his guitar playing, but not his lifestyle. I listened to him almost exclusively from 8th grade to college. I play guitar myself and I consider him to be the best guitarist in history. By the way, it was grass, not dirt. I only eat dirt on Sundays.

From 4daghost in Oakalnd, CA
How does it feel when the Raider backs who preceded you , come by & give you tips?

Jon Ritchie: I haven't really talked to any of the ex-backs, but I did have the opportunity to get some pointers from Hall of Fame center Jim Otto on improving my blocking technique. It was really an honor.

From 4daghost in Oakalnd, CA
Who was your favorite Raider?

Jon Ritchie: I remember watching the Raiders as a kid and I thought that Jim Plunkett was awesome. My mom always told me stories about him overcoming adversity and leading his teams to the Superbowl. Being from Pennsylvania, I always rooted for the Steelers.

From Brian Kirschenman in Sioux Falls, SD
What do you think the biggest improvement is right now, that the Raiders need?
Do you think it will help you win the close games?

Jon Ritchie: We have the talent and the coaching. It's just a matter of becoming more consistent on Sundays.

From Pirate Nerve Center in lawton OK
How much did your first season help you this year?

Jon Ritchie: I feel much more confident this year. I guess learning by doing is the most productive method of self-improvement.

From Raider Joe in Mountain View
Well Overall the Raiders performance has really improved, what do you see as the main reason for losing the games which have been real close?

Jon Ritchie: I think that the difference between winning and losing is so minuscule that I don't know why we have lost any of the games that we have dropped. But it has seemed like the ball hasn't bounced our way in a few situations this year and in crucial situations. If we were to perform with greater consistency, that luck would be on our side.

From Sweeper in Seattle, WA
Jon, what's the real deal with KD?

Jon Ritchie: I really don't know.

From SOULFLY in FREMONT
Hi Jon. Why do we not see you in more short yardage situations?

Jon Ritchie: I'm in there, I'm just not touching the ball.

From Kevin B. in Livingston, Ca.
Jon it's a honor chatting with you. How do you personally feel with the way the season has gone?

Jon Ritchie: I'm glad that we are improving. I feel like we deserve to win a few more games than we have. It's great to have the support of our insane fans whether we are winning or losing by a point. It's been a lot of fun.

From Eric in Royal Oak, MI
HEY Jon, Do you like Oakland's style of offense? What do u think of Jon Gruden as a coach?

Jon Ritchie: I love the offense. I feel great about my role and I think that we can move the ball on anyone. Gruden is the greatest coach in the world. He's definitely a player's coach. Hey, do you know my friend Lance Sanders? He's from Royal Oak.

From Raider Joe in Mountain View
Have you had the chance to meet our new kicker?

Jon Ritchie: Yeah. The guy is booming the ball in practice. He seems like a really cool person. He's tall.

From Wolverine in Quebec City, Canada
hey Jon although this season was not what many fans expected it was great to see ya drive LB's into the ground. How do you feel now that you're one of the most popular guy on offense?

Jon Ritchie: That's very flattering. I'm excited that all of the fans are accepting me. I'm just trying to work hard and do my job, but it's great that a lot of folks understand the game so well that they appreciate my play.

From chuck in union city California
What is the most memorable hit that you have ever laid on an opposing team member?

Jon Ritchie: The best ones are impossible to remember (laughs) because of all of the brain cells that I've lost.

From #1 Raider fan in Brookfield, CT
Hi Jon. I heard you really hit the weights during the offseason. Do you attribute part of that to your tremendous improvement? How much do you bench press?

Jon Ritchie: I take a lot of pride in working hard. I think that there is a direct correlation between the time I invested in the offseason and my improvement this season. I plan on staying around every offseason and continuing to work like that before each season.

From Silver is Bad in Mountain View CA
So did you set any records at Stanford?

Jon Ritchie: No.

From Kevin B. in Livingston, Ca.
How do you get along with the coaches?

Jon Ritchie: The coaches are really intense when it comes to football, but they are really cool people that are great to talk to about other unrelated topics. Gruden is great. My position coach Skip Peete has taught me a lot and I like to just hang with him.

From Matt J in Garfield, New Jersey
Do you ever play on special teams?

Jon Ritchie: I'm on kick off return and field goal.

From Matthew Shaw in Reading PA
Why is Mike Husted still on the team? He has one job, to kick the ball and he can't even do that.

Jon Ritchie: Let's try to give Mike the benefit of the doubt. Everyone has their ups and downs. I used to go to the outlet stores in Reading.

From #1 Raider fan in Brookfield, CT
Ricky Dudley has began to dominate in games of late, and is becoming an elite tight end. Can this be attributed to his "chat" with Tim Brown during the bye week?

Jon Ritchie: I don't know. I never heard about that "chat" Holmes.

From Alan Freeman in Charlotte, N.C.
What has been the feelings in the Raiders' Organization concerning the Rae Carruth incident?

Jon Ritchie: It's something that we've all been discussing. What a tragic situation. We are praying for the baby.

From SOULFLY in FREMONT
Jon, you mentioned consistency twice. What is the Raiders problem with keeping the tempo up late in games? Conditioning?

Jon Ritchie: (shrug)

From billy in
What is your opinion on Mr. Davis?

Jon Ritchie: He's the most interesting man I've ever met. I've had the opportunity to speak with Mr. Davis on several occasions on topics from everything from blocking to literature to politics. I can honestly say that he knows more than any human on the planet.

From The Rosses in Carlisle, PA
Hi, Jon! Just checking in from home! Those people who knew you when!

Jon Ritchie: It's great to hear from you! I miss it back there. Do you think my mom knows about this?

From LOU in Sylmar,CA
How do you get mentally ready to play on Sundays?

Jon Ritchie: I have such a great time out there that it isn't a matter of my preparing mentally so much as it is me biding my time before kickoff. It's kind of like the night before Christmas every Saturday.

From Pirate Nerve Center in lawton OK
Who do you think is the hardest RAIDER to block in practice?

Jon Ritchie: Greg Biekert. The guy hits like a ton of bricks.

From Sandra in ludwigsburg
What are your interests besides football ?

Jon Ritchie: Guitar. My dog. My friends and family. And Angelina Jolie.

From Kyle mader in phoenix, AZ
Hey Jon, do you still have those old, patched up, legs sewn back on blue jeans you wore all the time way back when?

Jon Ritchie: What are you doing? Why are you in Arizona punk? No, I weigh 30 pounds more than when those pants fit. Are you going to be home anytime soon?

From Georganne Ritchie in Mechanicsburg, PA
Hi Jonny--No questions, just Mom saying Central PA is selling Raider gear for Christmas for the first time. Love you, Mom

Jon Ritchie: Watch the Jonny in public mom! I love you, too.

From saq in Edmonton, Alberta
Who was your favorite team growing up?
Saqib

Jon Ritchie: Pittsburgh Steelers.

From Hot Carl in Mechanicsburg, PA
Jon, how did it feel to get your first TD in your career on Monday Night Football in Denver?

Jon Ritchie: I was tired. It was kind of hard to breath with that altitude thing going on. I was excited that I was being able to keep the ball.

From drew in harrisburg,pa
Is there anyone competing with you for your position?

Jon Ritchie: Angelina Jolie.

From Kyle in
Hey Jon, Your doing great!! What are the keys for a win in the Bucs game Sunday?

Jon Ritchie: If Angelina Jolie watches the game and possibly contacts me, we'll win for sure. Actually, we just need to score. They have a great defense.

From Michael Hodson in Irving, TX
How would you compare Jeff George's leadership to that of Gannon?

Jon Ritchie: I love both of those guys. I thought that Jeff was a great quarterback and I think that Rich is a stud, too. Rich might be a little more vocal.

From mike white in Mechanicsburg,pa
What does it feel like to finally make the big time?

Jon Ritchie: When you are in high school, that's the big time. When you get to college, that's the big time. Now that I'm playing at this level, I'm loving it but it still feels like it's the same...because it is. To me, the big time would be making the Pro Bowl and making a career out of this.

From RON in Manteca, California
Hi Jon, is Gruden as intense during practice as he appears to be during game day??

Jon Ritchie: A thousand times yes. Possibly more so.

From Jon
It's been a real pleasure interfacing with all of you cyber-Raiders fans. Keep the faith. Thanks for taking the time to reach out and touch me via the web. Hope to see you all at the game Sunday. Grab your friends and please buy about ten thousand more tickets. -- Jon