Former Raiders wide receiver and three-time Super Bowl champion Cliff Branch has been hanging out in Chico.
Branch, who is heavily involved in charity, spent the day inside Walmart selling memorabilia in an effort to raise money for the Children's Network Miracle Hospital. Dozens of people came up to speak with the four-time Pro Bowler and he signed autographs, posed for pictures, and shook the hands of several fans.
Branch says he's been coming to Chico for as long as he can remember, and he has very fond memories of hanging out at Chico State, and up on the Ridge, during the seventies' with current Raiders owner Mark Davis, who is a Wildcat alum.
Branch says, "I was here during the heydays when Playboy voted them the #1 party school, so since the 70's man, coming up to Paradise, used to go Basque Norte, so I've been coming to Chico for years since Mark Davis went to school here, so Chico has nothing but great memories, Partytown U.S.A!"
Now Branch also discussed the upcoming NFL season and how he thinks the Raiders will perform Oakland hasn't made the playoffs since 2002, and Branch says this just might be the year Oakland breaks the postseason drought, as long as a couple key members of the offense live up to their potential.
"I live and die with the Raiders, I'm there every home game. it's going to be a very interesting year. We still have the same team we had last year, you know Carson Palmer won't be coming off the couch to get ready, he's had the OTA season and he'll be prepared during the preseason, but the biggest key, my thing is having Darren McFadden healthy, if you can have McFadden healthy than to me, that's a playoff team," said Branch.
