MEXICO CITY (AP) — Dressed in their classic silver and black uniforms, the Raiders players huddle before kickoff. After words of encouragement and a prayer, the teenagers finish with head butts, shoulder slaps and a battle cry: “Uno, dos, tres… vamos!”
This is, after all, south of the border, where football has a century-old tradition, rivals soccer in popularity and millions of kids like the “Raiders de Arboleda” play “futbol americano” — American football — every weekend.
The NFL returns to Mexico after an 11-year absence when the Texans face the Raiders in a regular season game on Nov. 21 in sold-out Azteca Stadium. For the “Mexican” Raiders and…
