CLOAK OF IMMORTALITY

Carson Palmer, FTW

2011-10-18T09:10:00.000-07:00

I found out from Dan via text message about an hour ago. Yes, we're all excited here. Ray Ratto has an interesting first take on the trade:

But what it absolutely means is this: Hue Jackson is now the general manager of the Oakland Raiders, the living modern-day embodiment of the man who hired him. He went from offensive coordinator to head coach to the master of the football operations department in nine months, a rise so meteoric that even Al in the afterlife must find that a bit breathtaking.

And then my favorite line:

Even Joseph Stalin cooled his heels for two years before throwing his elbows around.

We'll have more reactions as they come in. But I'll tell you what, Al loved players from USC, and he loved Heisman Trophy winners. It's on.

Rick Reilly, all-time great chickenshit

2011-10-18T04:12:00.000-07:00

This is old, I know. But I work, and there's a baby in the house and I've also been a little busy worrying about who will back up Kyle Boller now that Jason Campbell's collar bone is broken.

But thank Christ for Rick Reilly, who took it upon himself last week to reflect HONESTLY on the legacy of Al Davis.

You know how I know how I know Reilly's column is lazy? Because he quotes 8 outside sources in his column and links to zero of them. That's this many:

You get the idea. Anyway, he sets up a straw man, the idea that everyone who has written an obit about Davis glossed over the darker areas.

As you pass the casket at Maori funerals in New Zealand, you are encouraged to speak frankly to the dead man, sometimes even mentioning his faults, right out loud.

With all due respect to his life and legacy, I think we need a funeral like that for recently departed Oakland Raiders owner Al Davis -- a man I covered since I was 25.

It's white of him to educate us about the religious practices of the Maori. Since he doesn't link to where he got this information, I googled "Maori funeral rites and got this from wikipedia:

Tangihanga or funeral rites may take two or three days. The deceased lies in state, usually in an open coffin flanked by female relatives dressed in black, their heads sometimes wreathed in kawakawa leaves, who take few and short breaks. During the day, visitors come, sometimes from great distances despite only a distant relationship, to address the deceased. They may speak frankly of his or her faults as well as virtues, but singing and joking are also appropriate. Free expression of grief by both men and women is encouraged. Traditional beliefs may be invoked, and the deceased told to return to the ancestral homeland, Hawaiki, by way of te rerenga wairua, the spirits' journey. The close kin or kiri mate ("dead skin") may not speak. On the last night, the pō whakamutunga (night of ending), the mourners hold a vigil and at sunrise the coffin is closed, before a church or marae funeral service and/or graveside interment ceremony, invariably Christian. It is traditional for mourners to wash their hands in water and sprinkle some on their heads before leaving a cemetery. After the burial rites are completed, a feast is traditionally served. Mourners are expected to provide koha or gifts towards the meal. After the burial, the home of the deceased and the place they died are ritually cleansed with karakia (prayers or incantations) and desanctified with food and drink, in a ceremony called takahi whare, trampling the house. That night, the pō whakangahau (night of entertainment) is a night of relaxation and rest. The widow or widower is not left alone for several nights following.
During the following year, the kinfolk of a prominent deceased person will visit other marae, "bringing the death" (kawe mate) to them. They carry pictures of the person on to the marae.
Unveilings of headstones (hura kōwhatu) are usually held about a year after a death, often on a public holiday to accommodate visitors who could not get to the tangihanga. The dead are remembered and more grief expressed.

Notice he left out the parts about the graveside internment ceremony (invariably Christian, totally appropriate for a recently-deceased Jew like Al Davis). This is instructive, because he spends the rest of the column destroying his straw man with Honesty by cherry-picking quotes from ~~obituaries. Let's take a look at just one of those, "Raiders' Al Davis, sport's ultimate bad guy, will be missed"~~ a 9-year old pre-Superbowl column by Bill Plaschke (thanks again, google).

Actually, take a minute or two and read the whole column. It's a good lesson in how to write a balanced, nuanced take on a complicated man's life. Anyway, his column alternates something good with something not-so-good. Let's take a look at the passage Reilly quotes:

It would be wonderful if today could be a tribute to the brains behind the AFL-NFL merger, the curator of the downfield passing game, the first football executive to hire both a Latino and an African American head coach, the only owner whose successor probably will be a woman.

Notice first what he left off all the non-bolded text. But anyway, the next sentence:

But it's hard to hand over your heart to a guy who used to make his equipment man fall to his knees and clean his shoes when he entered the locker room.

Wait, that sounds familiar. Where have I read that before? Oh, unattributed, in Rick Reilly's HONEST Maori eulogy.

Yet after practices, Davis would routinely throw a towel down on the locker room floor and wait for somebody to clean his shoes. No please, no thank you. Just do it, baby. And grown men would.

Looking at Plashcke's obituary now, I'd like to quote at length another passage.

In the end, this intimidation changed a league, broke down barriers and created a unique sports culture, a group simply known as Raider Fan. This is a name given to any of thousands of spectators — many from Los Angeles — who embrace the sort of havoc in the stands that Davis' team attempts on the field.

What will happen to Raider Fan now? What if Davis' heirs sell the team to someone who will attempt to move them back to Los Angeles' new NFL stadium?

For that to happen, the team must first change the silver and black colors that are so popular among gang members. And second, well, they might as well change the name.

Contrast this with Reilly's Maori Funeral Address.

Yes, Al Davis "was what all Raiders fans identified with" (SBNation.com).

And the rest of the league has had to live with them ever since. A Raiders jersey or jacket became gang uniform in Oakland and L.A. "The Black Hole" at Oakland games is about as disgusting a place as you can find. YouTube is lousy with guys in Raiders jerseys throwing haymakers. Now, there's talk that Davis' oldest son, Mark, may sell the Raiders to Philip Anschutz, who would move the team to Los Angeles. After what happened at Dodgers Stadium this year, you want to bring a thug element that would make Dodgers fans look like Our Gang? Better barricade I-5.

I'm not even going to address the racial coding of "gang uniform" and "thug element." It's too easy and once you bring it up, people get all defensive, because no white person anywhere in the United States is ever racist. And never mind that youtube is also lousy with Eagles fans and Broncos fans and Jets fans throwing haymakers at people. So let's just look at the Plaschke quote next to the Reilly quote and draw our own conclusions.

Oh fuck it. I'd accuse Reilly of plagiarism but I honestly don't think he's smart enough to plagiarize. What he is is Lazy. And chickenshit. He could have written a column where he just flat-out called Al Davis an asshole. Like Jeremy Stahl in Slate's "Al Davis, all-time great asshole."

But Reilly doesn't have the balls. So he plays anthropologist, and libels a bunch fans, and takes cheap shots.

Flores on Al

2011-10-08T17:07:00.000-07:00

What Tom Flores had to say about Al's passing is about exactly what I felt when I heard the news this morning:

"The fact that he passed was not surprising but the fact that he passed was shocking."

The rest of his comments are here.

I'm not in any way demeaning the unbeautiful women.

2011-10-08T16:31:00.000-07:00

Tim Kawakami relays one of the greatest Al Davis quotes I've ever read:

"I want to win. Obviously in life, I like certain things. I like beautiful women more than unbeautiful women. I'm not in any way demeaning the unbeautiful women."

Others....

Monte Poole:

Never was there a more iconic and enduring symbol of a business. Not Jack LaLanne, not Don King, not Miles Davis, not Oprah Winfrey, not Steve Jobs. Not George Halas or Bill Walsh or Bob Knight. Not even Davis' good friend, George Steinbrenner.

For Al not only represented his team but dressed the part. He wore his suits and sweatsuits like a shield, never deviating from black or white and silver — the colors of his team. It was a matter of mutual identity, Al and the Raiders, the Raiders and Al. He spoke as a Raider, gestured as a Raider and fought every battle with the ferocity of a Raider.

Chuck Klosterman:

Someday (unless America becomes a dystopia), it will be hundreds of years old. Someday, it will be ancient. And when that moment is reached, the so-called “modern era” will be defined as starting today. It will begin with the death of Al Davis. He was the final survivor of pro football’s seminal period; he designed the way aggressive teams play, he was the heart of the AFL, and he was the last man to carry the total burden of a team for his entire adult life. He was the Raiders. That’s a cliché, but it’s absolutely true. There was no one else. In his final years, Davis looked strange. He looked like a skeleton. He looked a little like the logo on the Raiders' helmets (all he needed was the eye patch and the knife). He physically became what he emotionally was. And that will never happen again. From here on out, it’s just football.

Gary Peterson:

Davis, who died Saturday, wasn't an only-in-America success story. He was an especially-in-America success story, with his abiding appreciation of hard work, wealth, confrontation and litigation. He loved victory, mystery and standing on the outside looking in.
He inspired awe, disdain, blind loyalty, blind rage, imitators, sycophants, friends and enemies. He was so much to so many for so long that he defies a complete and fitting eulogy.
He would have liked that.

Gwen Knapp:

Yet Saturday's news of his death at age 82 defied a persistent core belief: that somehow, Al Davis would outlive us all. He was too irascible, stubborn and confounding to yield his place on Earth.

One might even say that he was too mean to die, if we weren't forbidden to malign the recently departed, or if the statement were entirely true.

The taboo doesn't matter here. Davis stomped on convention and decorum in every way possible, including some that made the NFL and this country an infinitely better place.

Reactions

2011-10-08T11:21:00.001-07:00

Richard Seymour:

Hue Jackson:

Shane Lechler:

Al Davis: 1929-2011

2011-10-08T09:36:00.000-07:00

We'll update this with reactions and obituaries as the come in.

Whew

2011-09-12T23:05:00.001-07:00

I managed to lose my voice watching a game at home, but that was a lot of fun. Seemed like a game dominated by the Raiders but that was agonizingly always within reach for the Broncos. Some observations:

Passing game - yeesh, Campbell needs to get the ball down the field to the WRs. Although I must say it was "funny" to see DHB emerge as the go-to guy. He's improving.
Pass defense - iffy, but not too bad. It's nice to be picking on the pass defense instead of the run defense (which was terrific) for once.
Right tackle - whether it was Barnes or Heyer, seemed like the RT was the guy getting the flag more times than not. Improved by the end, though.
Penalties - once again!
DMC - this guy is the real deal. How fun is it to watch him get to the corner?
D-line - didn't get to the QB as often as I'd like to see, but at times they were dominant, and whether it was Seymour or Kelly or Houston or Shaughnessy, these guys were making the big plays.
Lechler - 77 yard punt. Pretty good, but...
Sea Bass - record tying 63 yarder. We've been waiting for this day since he was drafted, and it ended up being the difference in an opening night win vs. the Broncos. Beautiful.

Apparently the Raiders had lost their last 8 season openers, the longest streak in football. So yeah, this is a big win. 1-0.

Tebow

2011-09-12T22:37:00.001-07:00

This game is driving me crazy. But whatever happens, I want Bronco fans to remember that they were chanting "TEBOW" throughout this last clutch drive that Orton delivered to give the Broncos a chance they barely deserve on this night.

Now let's drive

2011-09-12T22:05:00.001-07:00

Ok Raiders, that was a nice gift. Great recognition by Houston to put on some pressure. Now we need a real drive. The Broncos are stacking the box and it should open up some things down field. I like this first play to DHB, let's keep it going...

Ha - couldn't even get it posted before DMC ripped off a beauty. How was that not a TD?

We are starting to pick lucky seats

2011-09-12T21:28:00.000-07:00

This is turning into one of those nail biters where each of us is trying to figure out the luckiest seat to watch the game. We're looking for the WRs to get involved. While the play calling has been creative, the WRs haven't gotten involved down the field.

As I type this, DHB picks up a crucial third down with a great catch and run. The West Coast fan base would like to see more of the same...

Unk - we gonna see some Schilens?

Seabass, FTW.

2011-09-12T21:15:00.000-07:00

Sloppy 1st half, but the Defense looks good. We're 16-3 on Janikowski's 63 yard Field goal to end the half. Ties the record held by Tom Dempsey and Jason Elam.

Also, I'm the on the East Coast and it's after midnight and I don't even care. I'm pumped.

Also, I've been transcribing the ESPN people.

"When you're a FOOTBALL player in the NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE, you gotta know the proper way to handle the FOOTBALL...He's a FOOTBALL coach in the NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE, andOHBYTHEWAY, when you're playing FOOTBALL in the NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE..."

Mae, Welcome to Raiders Football

2011-09-12T19:55:00.001-07:00

One of the reasons I haven't been blogging in a while is that the Professor gave birth to our 2nd Daughter, Mae. And when the Raiders Blocked that punt, she got her first taste of Dad screaming like a jackass. She did not like it. I got her a bottle, and she's happy again.

Now, C'mon offense.

Back to Football

2011-09-12T18:47:00.000-07:00

Firing up the grill and setting up the cross-country live blog with Johnny...a few thoughts before the game gets rolling.

First, what I'm nervous about. In a nutshell, it's the players we lost vs. the players we gained. Top receiver (Miller), top defender (Nnamdi), arguably the top lineman (Gallery). With the possible exception of Wisniewski on the line, the Raiders haven't done much to try and replace or upgrade. The other thing that makes me nervous is the play of the defense in preseason. Ouch. It makes me start thinking about Walsh and Shell when I wonder why Bresnahan wasn't in the NFL last year.

But there's plenty to be excited about. Campbell looked sharper than ever in the preseason, and he had few weapons. DMC is back and presumably mean as ever. Ford is back. And it will be fun to see what guys like Denarius Moore and...dare I say it...Chaz Schilens will do in the regular season.

And then there's Seymour. This guy is such a beast that it helps me set aside that nervousness about the defense's play in the preseason. He's one of the few guys - and Nnamdi isn't one of them - who can single-handedly raise the level of the entire defense.

One more to talk about...McClain. If he takes the next step this year we'll be happy Raider fans.

Dan Bait: "The worst moment that any team has experienced since 1987."

2011-06-06T15:10:00.000-07:00

PFT picking the wost moments for each franchise. Tuck Rule.

Hater of the Week: Chris Chase

2011-04-27T12:24:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Ginger Jesus for forwarding this link to Chris Chase's little blurb about Overstock.com securing naming rights to the Coliseum:

The whole naming deal may be a gross miscalculation by Overstock.com, as it presupposes that Raiders fans know how to use the Internet and/or have a credit card. (Kidding. The biggest obstacle will be getting past the prison's web filters.)

Because Raiders fans are Stupid and Poor and in Jail. Get it? A lot of them are probably minorities, too, and everybody knows they caused the economy to crash with their bad credit. At least Hosting.com gave Raiders Fans more respect than that by implying we're dangerous internet hackers.

Hater of the Week: Donald Rumsfeld

2011-02-17T11:47:00.000-08:00

There are known unknowns, unknown knowns, and unknown unknowns. And then there's war criminal and Hater of the Week, Donald Rumsfeld:

"Nobody could support the Raiders. They're evil."

So there's North Korea, Iraq, Iran, and Oakland. Awesome.
(h/t Jerry)

We are losers again

2011-01-04T22:11:00.000-08:00

Two days after his team wrapped up its most successful season since 2002 - and by far the most gratifying for fans - Al Davis decided to fire coach Tom Cable. Couldn't stand the faint whiff of success? Angry that the Team of the Decades couldn't extend its NFL record 11-loss streak into this decade? Miffed that he never put out a press release about how great Jacoby Ford will be? Still irked that he slept through the first day of the draft this year?

More plausible, but still crazy, was that he couldn't risk the chance that the 49ers would one-up him by stealing his prized Hue Jackson. And of course "a source" even says that Cable's post-game comment, "We're not losers anymore" apparently did not go over well with Al Davis. The implication being that this somehow contributed to the decision.

Perhaps Hue Jackson will get the job and everything will go swimmingly next year. History doesn't favor that outcome, but we can hope. In the meantime, the first positive vibes in many years are gone. Here's some player reaction, courtesy of Jerry:

Shane Lechler: After stating that Gallery and Bush will be gone in free agency, "It's going to be a huge setback...It's hard to understand why the decision was made...we finally felt like we were headed in the right way, and the owner goes and pulls the (plug)."

Robert Gallery: "I think this is going to hit 99 percent of the locker room really hard because people respected how he dealt with us and where we were headed. It's definitely a step back from what we've done going forward the last year or two."

And the fans lose again.

Dublin Down

2010-11-14T23:16:00.000-08:00

Look who Jerry ran into at Safeway in Dublin. Dave, please tell me you got me some memorabilia! The fact that he has two rings means he must have recovered the one after his emergency dental work in Reno several years back. Great to hear Lester is still able to get into his trademark stance, and nice to see he's donating some cash to fight breast cancer.

PUT HIM IN THE HALL OF FAME ALREADY!

Feeling Good

2010-11-12T22:11:00.000-08:00

Hopefully Al Davis can say the same this weekend. It's been a long time since the Raiders have been 5-4. I've found myself marveling at the unfamiliar look of that combination of numbers all week. Raiders, 5-4. Nice.

What's also nice is this SI article courtesy of Jerry. Definitely a feel good article about Richard Seymour and the resurgent Raiders defense. The maturation of Matt Shaughnessy and reemergence of Tommy Kelly have turned around the run D 180 degrees. When reading the article, though, I do get that funny feeling that something doesn't add up. How can they just try a little bit harder and suddenly be a great D? Despite my previous distaste for him, Warren Sapp's analysis of the run defense continues to echo in my mind. Scheme must be important.

But then I remember Rich Gannon. Gannon came into the challenging organizational world that is the Raiders and willed that team to greatness. Perhaps Seymour is doing the same with the defense?

For the past 8 years or so, bye week has been welcomed by saying, "Well, at least the Raiders aren't going to lose this week." This year we can simply say, "5-4."

Al Davis taken to the Hospital

2010-11-11T13:14:00.000-08:00

I just got a Skype message from a friend in Oakland who has a friend who works at a cardiologist's office across the street from Summit Hospital that Al Davis pulled up in a limo in the VIP lot. He was taken into the ER by his own cardiologist.

We'll keep you posted if we hear anything else.

How NOT to capitalize on the good feelings after a 3-game winning streak

2010-11-10T04:49:00.000-08:00

So here come the Raiders, hottest team in the league, winners of three straight. Sunday's game was exhilarating to be sure. But after 7 years, Raiders fans are like abused spouses, always looking away, unsure and untrusting, wondering if this time, the counseling and AA will finally work, or if something will snap and we're back to the screaming and the beating and the misery.

How little we trust this team can be illustrated by this text message transcript from Sunday, as Dan and I watched the game on opposite coasts.

All times Eastern:

Nov 7, 2010 7:15 PM (after the "fumbled" punt by Nick Miller)

John: What the fuck just happened?

Dan: The NFL is a joke. Rigged.

Dan: These Refs should not get a game check this week.

Dan: God Campbell sucks.

John: Why is it always us?

Dan: I turned it off. Refs obviously preordained this one.

John: Seymour made a huge play.

Nov 7, 2010 7:49 PM

John: Ford!

John: OT!!!

Dan: Waiting to see how they will take this away. My nerves are shot.

John: LOL

John: Ford

Nov 7, 2010 8:01 PM

Dan: Can we declare them for real? I need an anxiety pill.

We all needed an anxiety pill. Even Monday and Tuesday, in the afterglow of the biggest win since the AFC Championship Game against Tennessee in 2002, with fawning national coverage, I kept waiting for something stupid to happen.

And today, it finally did. Via Jerry comes this article by Steve Corkran.

The question is not why would Al Davis want Jason Campbell to stay the starting quarterback. That's not an indefensible position. He's won three in a row, and overcame an awful first half to win the game Sunday. What I don't understand is why the fuck would Al send his simpering underlings to anonymously insist that Al Davis wants Campbell to start.

Is Al not getting enough credit? Jesus Christ, even Mel Kiper (paid access only) wrote, "But Davis perhaps didn't get enough credit." He then goes on to give Davis credit for drafting good players and hiring Hue Jackson.

This would make sense if we were in the middle of another losing season. But we're not. The Raiders are a national feel-good story. They just had a sellout game, where the crowd played a huge role in the victory, causing false starts and delay-of-game penalties.

And this is how they're rewarded, with "sources inside and outside the organization" saying, "Mr. Davis likes what Jason has done the past month and doesn't see the need to change when things are going well" and "He thinks Jason is a classic fit for the Raiders style of play."

Again with the classic style of play. If "Just Win, Baby" means anything at all, Al will his coaches and his players play, grow some self confidence, and shut the fuck up.

Wow, Again

2010-10-31T18:21:00.000-07:00

I got a call from my buddy Ken while I was out trick-or-treating with my daughter (I'm on the East Coast now so the game was still going on) asking me when the Raiders became an Offensive Juggernaut.

I guess it came the week after crapping the bed against the 49ers.

But two weeks in a row, dominant.

This is getting interesting.

59-14

2010-10-24T22:57:00.000-07:00

Wow.

I'm not even sure what I saw today, but I sure did like it.

Wow.

Pathetic

2010-10-17T16:07:00.001-07:00

In every way.

The Vertical Game

2010-10-17T12:12:00.000-07:00

Watching the Eagles take apart Atlanta and Jeremy Maclin just scored on an 83-yard bomb, which made me think of the two WRs taken before him in the 2009 NFL Draft.

There will be no avoiding the DHB-Crabtree comparisons today. Crabtree admits to having a little extra incentive to rub it in Al Davis's face today, while DHB says he isn't going to spend even a minute thinking about Crabbers. While DHB has been an easily foreseen disaster, based on the problems he's had in SF, it's clear Crabtree would have been a nightmare in Oakland.

Maclin, on the other hand...oh yeah, we have Johnnie Lee Higgens.

Hopefully Campbell can figure out how to get the WRs involved this week.

Sapp on our run D

2010-10-17T08:56:00.000-07:00

Warren Sapp, while making his pick for the Raiders-49ers game:

"You know why [the Raiders] have the 31st ranked run D? 'Cause you don't have a gap and neither do I. We're just gonna play this thing and see how it feels. I'll take the 49ers all day long."

This is why it's such a challenge to be a Raider fan. That feeling that the organization is simply built to lose.

Dearth of Posts

2010-10-16T23:16:00.000-07:00

Pretty weak to see no posts surrounding a stirring victory over the Chargers - a game I attended - followed by no posts leading up to the Battle of the Bay.

But is a lame post like this really any better? Am I just talking to myself because I'm too antisocial to post something to Facebook right now?

Anyway, last week was right up there with as much fun as I've ever had at a sporting event. Sheer joy. Hugging complete strangers. A follow-up victory over the local rivals would be too much to ask for, right?

Right, according to loyal reader Dave, who looked up the Raiders' performance after each victory during last season.

After beating KC: Lost 23-3 to Denver.
After beating Philly: Lost 38-0 to the Jets.
After beating Cincy: Lost 24-7 to Dallas.
After beating Pittsburgh: Lost 34-13 to Washington.
After beating Denver: Lost 23-9 to Cleveland. Cleveland.

That's a total of 142 - 32, or 28.4 - 6.4 per game.

Ouch. If you are looking for signs of hope, at least after the St. Louis win the Raiders lost by a mere 1 point to Arizona the next week.

Another view on Gradkowski

2010-09-25T23:14:00.000-07:00

Six quarters into the season and the Raiders bench their prize offseason acquisition. Panic has set in. Cable is on the ropes. They are exploring new lows. This sentiment seems to prevail in the press now that Bruce Gradkowski has been named the starting QB over Jason Campbell.

But it wasn't that long ago that Bruuuuce was winning games while looking like a legitimate NFL starter. Despite an injury that ended his year, the Raiders gave him a significant raise in the offseason. Fans were ready to roll with him in 2010.

Interestingly, the same pundits who laugh at Al Davis for choosing 40 times over intangibles seem to agree with him that Gradkowski, for measurable reasons, is not an NFL starter. But the guy wins.

If you are Hue Jackson, perhaps you saw as clearly as the rest of us that since the moment Bruce arrived healthy in training camp, he's been outstanding, and measurably better than Campbell. And you asked yourself, "Why isn't this guy our starter?" To which Tom Cable answered, "I know, RIGHT?!?" Hence Johnny's good cop / bad cop scenario.

Looking at this situation from another perspective, Gradkowski earned the starting role last year, lost it due to injury, and played so well upon his return that he's quickly earned it back. The bigger concern is that replacing JaMarcus with ANYBODY didn't cause as huge an improvement as was expected.

This why suck, Part 789

2010-09-24T07:25:00.000-07:00

Jerry Mac, writing about why the Raiders didn't draft Larry Fitzgerald:

At the time, the Raiders felt pretty good about their receiving corps of Jerry Porter, Ronald Curry and Doug Gabriel. The following year, they would bring in Randy Moss.

Since that 2005 season, Fitzgerald has more receptions than any receivcer in the NFL (475) for 6,413 yards and 52 touchdowns. The Raiders recieving leaders during that span _ Jerry Porter, Ronald Curry (in 2006 and 2007), Johnnie Lee Higgins and Louis Murphy, combined for 249 receptions, 3,273 yards and 18 touchdowns.
But while Fitzgerald was available and brought in for a visit, it was purely for show. They never considered drafting him because he didn’t have a fast enough time in the 40-yard dash. Davis’ favorite receiver, I’ve been told by was Roy Williams out of Texas. (emphasis added)

Yes, this Roy Williams. I will now mix a qualuude-and-drano cocktail.

Gradkowski!

2010-09-23T07:06:00.000-07:00

So Bruce Almighty is the starter, and there are a couple of competing views by the ANG newsguys.

Writing of Hue Jackson's comment that it was his idea put Bruce in on Sunday, Cam Inman says Jackson is undermining Cable's authority, and it's only a matter of time before he replaces Cable as head coach.

Jerry Mac has a different take. He writes that Cable, in naming Bruce the starter, is showing being decisive, and notices his lack of lip-service to Al Davis in the decision.

Jerry writes:

Seems like a major shift that Cable isn’t giving the owner his due on an important decision, or offering up a glowing endorsement of their conversations. What makes this more interesting is that Jackson, Davis’ hand-picked offensive coordinator, said he was the one who suggested the quarterback switch in the first place.

Jackson, of course, mentioned "Coach Davis" when he discussed the decision to bench Campbell in favor of Gradkowski.

So what's going on? Is Jackson undermining Cable? Or is he providing cover for the decision? Al is on record as saying Campbell reminds him of Jim Plunkett. If Jackson is Davis' hand-picked guy, maybe it makes sense for Cable to have him take credit for the decision, since he has a latitude that Cable might not necessarily have.

It seems to me that Jackson can't really undermine Cable's authority, since everyone knows Raiders head coaches don't really have any authority to undermine. All Jackson said is that it was his idea; Cable made the ultimate decision. It seems like they're playing good cop/bad cop with Davis.

It makes sense that if the Raiders start losing, Cable gets fired. He should be. But if they start winning, who knows what will happen. Al is weird enough to do anything.

QB Controversy

2010-09-21T04:32:00.000-07:00

Prince - Controversy
Uploaded by Master_System. - Music videos, artist interviews, concerts and more.

Per Jerry Mac, Tom Cable has declared Alameda a "Controversy-free zone." A lot of it is typical Raiders weirdness, but my feeling is that what is going on is Cable trying to convince Al to let him start Gradkowski.

And if "Just Win, Baby" is anything more than an empty slogan, Gradkowski will start until he gets hurt or stops winning. Nothing against Campbell, but the turnaround was too stark on Sunday.

Ouch

2010-09-16T04:14:00.000-07:00

From Jerry McDonald's latest post:

How is it possible the Raiders could be overconfident? In a way they’re no different from much of the fan base which thought they had a winner and now are willing to sell their beloved team for a nickel after a bad opener.

Speaking for the CLOAK, I'm not sure we thought we had a "winner," so much as we were encouraged that the problems we've been experiencing over the last 7 years--Commitment to press-bashing, no pass rush, bum offensive line play, bad tackling in the run defense--were at least being dealt with in a manner befitting a professional organization. Sunday's game was a debacle, no different from any of the many debacles we've experienced over that time period.

Jerry's readers are dedicated, though, and this line is like a shout-out to the most loyal readers, the ones who police the site for "haters."

Problems

2010-09-12T11:41:00.000-07:00

The year is new, but the problems are the same.

Run defense - it held up for a while but then started to give up the huge chunks of yardage. Given that the Raiders have changed all the players, is this proof that the scheme is fundamentally not equipped to stop the run?

Pass rush - we thought this would be a new-found strength, but after one early sack by Wimbley, our "natural pressure" is not getting to the QB.

Passing game - nonexistent. Completely nonexistent.

Offensive line - terrible. Our Tackles do not belong in the NFL.

Penalties - definitely on pace to lead the league again.

With all the changes, year after year, there is only one common denominator for all of this. As Dave texted me, "I'm not watching anymore. I have better things to do."

Debacle

2010-09-12T11:30:00.000-07:00

Wow. This franchise is a laughingstock and we haven't even made it to half. If I were to say I'm shocked then I would be admitting my naivete.

Kristy is busy cancelling our plans to attend the away game in Denver.

Silver lining

2010-09-12T10:41:00.000-07:00

I maintain that the Titans player was offsides on the sack that caused the Campbell fumble. He was going full speed when the ball was snapped. Nevertheless, our O-tackles do not look good at all today, meeting expectations.

But the defense looked great on this last Titans "drive." Huff even came slashing through to get Johnson in the backfield. So barring the big play (sound familiar?), perhaps this defense will keep us in this one.

Realizing our doubts

2010-09-12T10:23:00.001-07:00

Johnny texts me to say, "Our offense is awful. Still."

Yep, it looks that way on TV, too. The one positive thing I can say is that when new center Veldheer snapped it over Campbell's head, he scooped it up and ran for 15 yards (i.e., back to the line of scrimmage) to put us in FG position. So I suppose it could have been worse?

If it weren't for the refs, we'd be in trouble. But just as I write that, Branch gets flagged for PI to erase a 3-and-out and Stanford Routt, our highly-paid-and-therefore-starting CB, gets smoked for a 60-yard TD. Stanford is right, he hasn't changed a bit. He looks awful. Still.

That's more like it!

2010-09-12T10:11:00.000-07:00

Third and long, Wimbley gets around the corner and sacks Young, forcing a fumble that's picked up by Seymour. The drive starts on the Tennessee 34.

D'oh! Campbell sacked on a blitz. Let's cash in, Raiders.

"Shaky start"

2010-09-12T10:07:00.001-07:00

The offense didn't look great at first glance. So let's see how the defense does.

Tyvon Branch is my pick for breakout player, good to see he made the play on special teams.

"Michael Huff was out of position." First play is an option and Vince Young almost broke it. Not a great start.

Here we go

2010-09-12T10:02:00.000-07:00

One question was whether the return game would be any good. And we fumbled the opening kickoff (but recovered). Figurs.

DMC to carry the load?

Will DHB show up?

Veldheer at center?

Is Campbell the man?

Oops...he looked JaMarcus-esque stepping away from center assuming a penalty that wasn't there.

Am I the only person who thought of Al Davis when I read this?

2010-09-08T07:57:00.000-07:00

I've compared Al, in his later career (especially since 2002) to Simon Bolivar in Gabriel Garcia Marquez's The General in his Labyrinth. Twice, actually.

So maybe it's not a surprise that as I was reading Jeffrey Goldberg's interview with Fidel Castro that I thought about Al again.

Mainly it was this passage:

A frail and aged Fidel stood to greet us. He was wearing a red shirt, sweatpants, and black New Balance sneakers. The room was crowded with officials and family: His wife, Dalia, and son Antonio, as well as an Interior Ministry general, a translator, a doctor and several bodyguards, all of whom appeared to have been recruited from the Cuban national wrestling team. Two of these bodyguards held Castro at the elbow.

Lowell Cohn, who wrote over the weekend about Al lashing out at Adam Schefter for connecting the Raiders with Matt Leinert--and who writes better about Al Davis than anyone--wrote this after the infamous overhead projector press conference:

And when the whole shebang was over and the reporters left, Davis sat at the table on the stage and didn’t leave, didn’t leave until every reporter had departed. I know why. I think I do. He has trouble walking, says it’s nothing serious, just a bum quad. Maybe. I believe he wanted everyone out so we would not see him depart — either struggle to his feet or be wheeled out.

The parallels between the two men are fascinating--and yes, obviously one is a dictator and one owns a football team, so let's not insult each other's intelligence and get that out of the way up front. But these men are or were giants in their fields, now aging, struggling to hold onto their power, and, I don't know, make one last splash before they check out. They came to power at roughly the same time; they both were thorns in the sides of their bigger, more powerful neighbors who never gave up, always stayed defiant, and now seem to be caring about their legacies and not quite knowing how to manage it.

Observations

2010-09-04T13:14:00.001-07:00

With preseason finally over and unofficial cuts being listed by both Jerry and Vito, just want to jot down some observations. Actually, Raiders.com has the official cuts here.

One guy I was sorry not to see on the cut list is Jeremy Ware, a 7th round CB out of Michigan State. Like JLH his rookie season, this is the guy I'm picking on this year. Maybe they had to keep him with Walter McFadden - who looked rather good, by the way - injured. But he looked lost out there every play I saw.

On the plus side in the defensive backfield, I may be ordering a Tyvon Branch jersey by the end of the year. He looks outstanding. And the Al Davis "Pay him and the plays will come" approach may have worked with Stanford Routt, who looks a lot better and makes me less cynical about his grabbing the starting job from CJ based on pay level.

O Line - I'm worried about our tackles, who were destroyed vs. San Francisco. Only good thing I can say about that is that SF is my fantasy defense. It looks like Veldheer is officially a center, with Chris Morris being cut today and Khalif Barnes moving to LT in the Seattle game.

Run D - not quite as worried - yet - as the preseason might indicate. Seemed to me that most big runs were headed straight at Desmond Bryant while Seymour rested. Tommy Kelly remains wildly inconsistent, sometimes dominant, sometimes dominated. Will be interesting to see what they are doing with Trevor Scott, having played him at DE during the Seattle game. Maybe Groves or Howard gets more playing time at LB? With one transaction yet to be announced, maybe Howard is on the block.

WRs - the Raiders seem to have kept a lot of them, including Figurs, JLH, and Nick Miller. But with Schilens always hurt, this seems to be a quantity-not-quality situation to fill in for him. TJ Houshmandzadeh was released in Seattle, which would be a nice fit. It was good to hear DHB made a great catch in the final preseason game, so hopefully this carries over to the regular season.

And here's hoping McFadden breaks out this year. One comment by Jason Campbell convinced me to draft him in fantasy football. Paraphrasing, but Campbell said he was truly amazed at what a natural receiver he is. With so few options at WR, I can see DMC being used in a lot of ways in the passing game.

Raiders in New Haven

2010-09-04T09:51:00.000-07:00

My daughter started school last week, and there was a note on vaccinations and other health stuff, signed by the president of the Board of Education and the Acting Director of Public Health, Dr. Chisara N. Asomugha.

The form's a little dated, because she is now the Community Services Administrator for the City of New Haven.

She's also permanent CLOAK OF IMMORTALITY Man Crush Nnamdi Asomugha's big sister.

I confirmed this when I read this SI profile from last year on Nnamdi, "A Name Worth Knowing."

"Nnamdi struggled at times to fit in among a household of academic achievers. Chisara, the oldest of the children, is a pediatrician with an M.D. from Duke and a master's in public health from North Carolina; she's a finalist for a White House fellowship, to be announced later this month. His younger sister, Udodirim, has a master's in public health from Michigan, and Chijioke received his M.B.A. from Columbia this spring."

That's a serious family right there.

Official Fox Sports Sleeper Pick for 2010: Your Oakland Raiders?

2010-08-30T14:07:00.000-07:00

Ginger Jesus turned me on to this one by posting it on another buddy's wall, and it's one of those things that's so weird it almost qualifies for a Hater of the Week post. Actually, Solomon Wilcots still might get one.

Anyway, Peter Schrager of Fox Sports picks the Raiders to go 10-6, make the playoffs, and shock just about everyone. It's well worth reading, even with the crack about being alone on the bandwagon with a bunch of "freaks with spikes and face-paint on."

Oh, and Wilcots, quoted in the column, compares the Raiders to a bimbo:

“The Raiders are like that pretty girl in the pretty dress," said Wilcots. "Everything looks great. But then she can’t read the darn cue cards.”

That's lame. But hey, the best the CLOAK has been able to muster is an upgrade from "Dumbest Team in America" to "I want to Believe."

32-17

2010-08-22T10:18:00.000-07:00

Last night's preseason win over the Bears has me feeling pretty good about the Raiders. Main observations:

The pass rush and defensive front looks incredible
O-line - not bad
Wide receivers - we still need help here

If Kamerion Wimbley plays anything like he did last night during the regular season, the Raiders are in excellent shape. Four sacks in the first half. The whole D-line looked great, with Tommy Kelly in on the action as well. The complete revamp of the LB corps looks outstanding right now, and moving up Trevor Scott and Wimbley to rush the passer in nickel situations is paying off. McClain can tackle. Sure, he overran the play that looked disturbingly similar to last year's run defense (Forte for 89 yards), but when he hits guys, they go down.

The O line is a big question mark, but looked pretty solid against some good players on the Bears. One of my favorite plays of the game came in the second quarter when Henderson stood up Julius Peppers in a 1-on-1 situation, then Gallery came over to help and put him on the ground, hard. Despite a couple of dumb penalties on the opening drive - which the Raiders overcame, a great sign in itself - Gallery looks terrific.

As for the wide receivers, it's a good thing we have Louis Murphy. No one else looked good. Even JLH, who had a nice catch, still looks a bit lost out there. Hopefully Schilens and DHB are not really hurt and we're just saving them for the regular season. Otherwise Zach Miller will be way overworked. It looked to me last night like Campbell was skipping an open Zach on several plays to try and get the ball to WRs. At least I hope that's the case...

So far this year my least favorite guy is #23, Jeremy Ware. He seems to have that rare blend of overconfidence and incompetence that leads to fourth down TD passes like the Bears' second score.

Of note, Bo Jackson was at the game last night and he told Greg Papa that his best ever 40 time was a 4.14. He looked even faster than that with pads on.

Overall, relatively dominant game by the Raiders. Jerry points out the success they had with the screen play on offense. That was another good thing to see.

He Looks Good Getting Off the Bus

2010-08-01T10:27:00.001-07:00

Old news, I know...but gotta get the CLOAK fired up a bit now that it's August. Hopefully our many readers did not miss this one about Richard Seymour. When camp kicked off, he was the first one off the rookie bus, making statements like this: "Camp is the foundation you build your success on."

This is the culture change that has been a frequent Cable topic of late. As in every season, there are many question marks but after a terrific "Raider season" this year, there are at least as many reasons for optimism. And thankfully, we don't have to wrestle with answers to questions like, "Are Art Shell and Tom Walsh the right guys?" or "Is JaMarcus ready to take the next step?" this year.

June News

2010-06-20T22:44:00.000-07:00

It has been a quiet CLOAK of late, perhaps afraid that we'll jinx this most positive of "Raider seasons" by talking about how wonderful it's been. The Raiders, however, feel no such fears. A week ago, the intrepid Raider PR staff decided to put out a press release that stopped just short of bestowing a CLOAK OF IMMORTALITY upon Darrius Heyward-Bey. It is really a remarkable piece of work that, after listing great WRs who at any time played for the Raiders, culminates as follows:

"The list of wide receivers should make any pundit or so-called expert think twice before putting negativity on Heyward-Bey. No one has come close to the excellence at wide receivers that have worn the Silver and Black. These performers have been the greatest players who have ever played the game."

Head-shaking aside, I'm putting no negativity on Heyward-Bey or any other aspect of this Raider offseason. Within days of a conversation with Dave over whether the Raider D will be able to stop the run with no new bulk at DT, John Henderson came aboard. Then this weekend, Richard Seymour signed his tender, making a distracting holdout even more unlikely.

June 2010. Feeling good as a Raider fan.

Grievance

2010-05-27T21:09:00.000-07:00

Insightful post from Jerry today. Probably explains the minicamp situation and reminds us why that contract was such a difficult negotiation.

The good news is this reduces the likelihood that Al will re-sign JaMarcus for the league minimum after every other team turns up its nose at him. Unless a judge orders him to give the Raiders one more year of service...

Repositioning

2010-05-07T23:54:00.000-07:00

Yep, I am well aware that the spectacular Raiders offseason has not translated to a single win on the field. But hope is worth a lot to the Raider fan, and we have it again. Johnny and I are considering hat upgrades now that the embargo against the Raider organization has been lifted. Dave found his Raiders shirt after a lengthy search and is wearing it again. I flew the Raider flag in front of my house for the first time in years.

Even Scott Ostler proclaimed "The return of Al Davis." In honor of all of this, we have modified the tone of the CLOAK to one of hope. Sweet, sweet hope.

Believe It!

2010-05-06T19:18:00.000-07:00

An improbable offseason of intelligent moves continues with today's dismissal of JaMarcus Russell. It's a great day for the Raiders. Hope has returned. Everyone I've talked to is considering lifting his or her personal ban on the purchase of Raider gear. A return to the Coliseum this fall is entirely possible.

What's next for JaMarcus? Honestly, who cares? But for the record:

"Takin' a short break..."

I Want to Believe

2010-04-27T23:44:00.000-07:00

Monte Poole called last weekend the Raiders' "finest weekend since their AFC championship victory over Tennessee on Jan. 19, 2003." It sure felt that way around here. No games were played. No touchdowns were scored. But the feeling of success was unmistakable.

Years ago, this blog began as an outlet for our love for the Raiders, always prepared to look on the bright side when the poor organizational moves offered scant brightness to find. Unfortunately, the CLOAK has turned intensely critical as all hope has been lost.

But I want to believe. I really do. And this draft has me thinking, "Maybe, just maybe..." But one celestial body is using his epic girth to blot out the emergence of a bright side in Alameda. Does JaMarcus wear a CLOAK OF IMMORTALITY, never to be purged from the roster?

Ironically, Al's desire to believe is the only thing that might crush mine. According to John Clayton (not really "news" but he has the reach...kinda like TMZ I guess), once Al Davis gives the final word, JaMarcus will hit the streets. On Sunday, Gwen Knapp detailed the risk for all Raider fans if Al does not make a clean break. He wants to believe.

Al, please let me be the bigger fool.

Al Arrives for Saturday Draft

2010-04-24T10:05:00.000-07:00

After the rather sensible First Round pick of Rolando McClain, and subsequent need+value picks Lamarr Houston and Jared Veldheer, speculation centered around whether Al had been led to believe that this year's draft would start on Saturday as in years past. Many of us had images of an angry Al Davis banging on a locked door with his cane as Bruce Campbell was passed up at pick #8.

Apparently Al has arrived for Saturday. Here are the Raiders' first three picks of the day:

Round 4, #106: Bruce Campbell, OT Maryland. The first Saturday pick is the one everyone thought Al would pick first.

Round 4, #108: Jacoby Ford, WR Clemson. The Raiders trade up aggressively - moving Captain Kirk - to get the fastest player in the draft, who ran a 4.28 at the combine.

Round 5, #138: Walter McFadden, CB Auburn. We just can't go a draft without picking a corner.

These three picks are classic Al. But it's almost like we got the first three picks for free this year. And with the possibility that JaMarcus's days are done, I'm beside myself with glee over this year's draft.

Nicely done, Al.

Campbells

2010-04-24T09:59:00.000-07:00

Not only did we pick odds-on First Round pick Bruce Campbell at #106 in the Fourth, now Jason LaCanfora is reporting that Jason Campbell tells him the deal to the Raiders is done. Done.

Hear that, JaMarcus? Done.

Who's Next?

2010-04-22T19:51:00.000-07:00

Clausen? I had him #7 overall to Cleveland. So maybe that qualifies as good value for the Raiders in round two.

An OT? We could sure use one.

How about reuniting Terrence Cody with Rolando McClain to stuff the run Alabama style?

The Anti-JaMarcus

2010-04-22T19:07:00.000-07:00

Well, now we get Tebow twice a year.

Rolando McClain, FTW

2010-04-22T17:45:00.000-07:00

And the pick is...

2010-04-22T17:26:00.000-07:00

ROLANDO MCCLAIN!

Finally. A real pick. A legitimate player I thought was awesome when I saw him play this year.

Any Guesses?

2010-04-22T17:09:00.000-07:00

This room is leaning towards Rolando McClain or Mike Iupati. With the top six out of the way, all the no-brainers are gone. Now it gets crazy. We also realized that three of us copied the same mock drafts because we all read the same blogs. So Jimmy Clausen is consensus #7 in this room, but he may very well pull an Aaron Rodgers and put a lot of points on our boards.

Just don't pick Bruce Campbell.

Draft Pool

2010-04-22T16:30:00.000-07:00

I'm at the Hauenstein House in San Carlos, and just filled out a mock draft for a draft pool, relying heavily on David White's and Jerry McDonald's mock drafts.

Instead of giving Brad Webster $5, I should have just lighted it on fire.

Anyway, should be fun. I decided NOT to rock my JaMarcus jersey, head hanging in shame, instead opting for a Guinness t-shirt the Professor bought me 8 years ago in Dublin.

More 3-4 Speculation

2010-04-21T21:43:00.000-07:00

I mentioned the obvious after the Kamerion Wimbley trade. According to Bill Williamson, today's Quentin Groves trade offers more evidence that they may be heading in the direction of a 3-4 defense.

If that's the case, do we go ILB with Rolando McClain or find a real NT to anchor the line? Turns out that's what Paul Gutierrez has on his mind, as well.

Guessing Game

2010-04-20T21:47:00.000-07:00

There's nothing like the spectacle of the NFL Draft to bring Raiders dysfunction into full view. None of the last six top picks by the Raiders has made a Pro Bowl. JaMarcus is using his girth to shove Ryan Leaf aside in the history books. Last year's DHB pick was a stereotyper's dream. So who will it be this year?

I don't have a clue. And I am not even sure who I'd like them to pick. Maybe a big OT like Trent Williams. Maybe a big DT like Dan Williams. Perhaps a stout DE like Derrick Morgan. Maybe an MLB like Rolando McClain. I wouldn't even mind a relative stereotype in CB Joe Haden.

As for guessing who the pick will be? Let's do a bit of cheating:

Per Jerry, Vegas is betting on workout warrior Bruce Campbell. Mel Kiper calls him the most overrated player in the draft, which increases the odds that it will be him.

Todd McShay calls Taylor Mays the most overrated. He ran a 4.43 40 and is a defensive back. I like his chances.

If we stick to 40 times, somebody named Jacoby Ford ran a 4.28. Nice.

Two days until we find out how Al will surprise us next.

First Reported on the CLOAK

2010-03-30T22:11:00.000-07:00

Hey, it's fun to say that.

So the sleuths at TMZ were clever enough even to find the CLOAK in search of JaMarcus Russell, and after making arrangements with John's buddy, nailed down an exclusive set of photos from The Palms.

As first reported on the CLOAK.

Mr. Davis, please add this to your "For Cause" file on JaMarcus. Look at the pictures. He's literally throwing away his opportunity.

JaMarcus in Vegas

2010-03-28T10:13:00.000-07:00

My buddy is in Vegas this weekend and snapped this picture at the Palms Casino of JaMarcus Russell shooting craps.

My friend then apparently followed him around for a while, because he gave me these details:

The palms casino. Played craps from 3:30 to 5:30 Saturday morning. Small posse of 3. Went white t shirt gold chain (yellow diamonds). Staying at palms for jay z concert tonight. That dude is not 260. More like 300 bills easy. I will give you more updates when I have more. Rollin in Cadillac escalade. Dropped some major coin shopping. At least 20 bags.

With Adam Schefter saying JaMarcus weighed in at 290, my buddy's 3 bills does sound pretty easy.

Kawakami Tweets JaMarcus weighs 271

2010-03-18T19:59:00.000-07:00

Jerry McDonald puns off Kawakami's tweet that Jammy weighs in 271.

JaMarcus Speaks

2010-03-17T20:46:00.000-07:00

Jerry Mac does an excellent job breaking down how retarded the Raiders policies are when it comes to dealing with the media. But here's JaMarcus, speaking. Is it me, or does he sound less mumbly and dumb?

Knocking Some Sense Into JaMarcus?

2010-03-16T23:41:00.001-07:00

According to Willie Brown, now un-retired and in charge of "eliminating some problems for Tom," (after all, he was in the room when Randy Hanson fell out of his chair), JaMarcus actually has been working out in Arizona under the supervision of a former Raiders player. Rumor has it that player is Eddie Anderson.

I have always had a fondness for defensive backs, and it is no secret that Lester Hayes is my favorite player of all time. But during the late '80's / early '90's Eddie Anderson was my man. As a vicious hitter at free safety, he brought intimidation back to the Raiders defensive backfield, and has never been replaced. In fact, during high school I replaced my school ID picture with Eddie Anderson's. I found this amusing.

At any rate, if there's one guy capable of knocking sense into JaMarcus, Eddie might be able literally to do so.

Horror Show

2010-03-15T16:19:00.000-07:00

The Raider offseason rolls on, marginally more interesting than the regular season. Voluntary workouts began today without JaMarcus, per David White. Gotta love this excerpt:

No visible sign of JaMarcus Russell, though. Several players who have been at the facility for weeks said they have not seen the former No. 1 overall draft pick.

When asked if he'll show today, one starter laughed and said "That's a horror show." Another starter said "don't hold your breath."

Perhaps he hasn't made it through lethargy rehab quite yet.

Jerry Mac says let's all take a deep breath because this stuff is voluntary, but come on. If your teammates - starters, at that - are saying these things about you at this point in the year then you are DOA. There had better be some sort of magic going on in Arizona.

In other news I see that the Al Davis love for high draft picks that washed out elsewhere continues with the Kamerion Wimbley trade. This actually looks like a good move. The Raiders needed a pass rusher to replace Greg Ellis, and Al's accuracy on this front has been decent. With the changes taking place up front, are we evolving towards a 3-4?

Either way, these sorts of acquisitions describe why JaMarcus is getting another shot this year: Al doesn't want another team to rehab his #1 pick and make him look like a fool.

CLOAK OF IMMORTALITY Gets Some Press

2010-03-07T11:35:00.000-08:00

Check out David White's blog post speculating that there may be a chance that Justin Fargas returns for the 2010 season:

When the Raiders released veteran running back Justin Fargas on Saturday, they put out a "cloak of immortality"-type statement out as they do for longtime players at times. (He's the first to get one since Adam Treu in 2006, if I remember right, though Zack Crockett may have got one in 2007).

Nice.

Regarding the actual news, it sure is a good thing the Raiders are dropping Fargas, because he makes all the slackers on the team really look bad.

Quote of the Day

2010-02-24T19:31:00.000-08:00

This guy Hanson can't catch a break except when it comes to his chin. -Lowell Cohn

Man Corner

2010-01-31T10:05:00.000-08:00

Had to put this one up on the blog: Nnamdi on the set at NFL Network in Miami. Not only does he say all the right things, as usual, but he doesn't fall into the Michael Irvin, "Must be the coaches' fault" trap and keeps the onus on JaMarcus.

Crazy

2010-01-26T17:31:00.000-08:00

Ok, I'm slightly relieved that this whole offseason of coach indecision could, in the end, just add an up-and-coming offensive coordinator and an apparently decent defensive line coach to the staff. But after shaking my head at this article a few times, two quotes bear repeating.

Hue Jackson: "It's a chance to go out and assist the head coach..." Not Tom Cable, the head coach.
Tom Cable: "I think it's a good decision by the organization." By the organization. Not the head coach. He's basically just observing as his (as of today) offensive coordinator is hired.

So here we sit undecided on Cable as head coach while the owner makes quite possibly the most important hiring on the coaching staff. Who does that?

And for another rhetorical question, did we really expect anything to change?

Our new offensive coordinator had this to say about his new job:

"The challenge with going to the Oakland Raiders and helping them become what they want to become is exciting. That's what you look for. I want to run to the challenge."

I wish you luck, Hue. The bottom line is that 2010 - like 2009 - will be highly dependent upon the development of JaMarcus Russell. As such, I haven't renewed contact with the Raiders ticket office just yet.

OC

2010-01-26T07:27:00.000-08:00

Apparently the Raiders have a new offensive coordinator, Hue Jackson. Meanwhile, Al continues to make it abundantly clear that Cable holds no power within the organization, and may not even hold a position. It will be fun to watch Hue try in vain to make JaMarcus a quarterback while Cable works on protection schemes with a bunch of third-tier offensive linemen while begging Al to let him start JP Losman.

We Got Miles of Racism

2010-01-25T15:15:00.000-08:00

Oh, Lord.

The A's just picked up a racist who went to Antioch High.

Remember me fuckhead?

Asshole?

Douche bag?

No? That's cool Mr. Superstar - I was a Senior when you were a little dick Sophomore - now you're a little dick, Big Leaguer. Why the hatred from Sllaacs? Why with so much gusto and vitriol? And why do I give a fuck about Aaron, weak-ass Miles?

Well, we did go to the same high school - lived in the same city, played on the same Babe Ruth baseball fields - but what we didn't do that was the same was get together with white friends and call the black kids "Nigger".

Maybe because I was a black kid, and couldn't see the fun that Aaron and his boys did in yelling out the epithet - and he didn't do it around me, or I would have beat the racism right out of him; his mom and his grandma. But hey now, that was High School - that's all in the past, right?

Nope.

Here's a little "Let's Say" story:

Let's say, a little while ago that a certain racist midget second baseman (who was on the "RedBirds" at one time) called my little brother and accused him of selling coke (cocaine, NOT soda) to the second baseman's wife - who later went on to a rehab.
Let's say the second baseman's name is "Inches".
Let's say that my brother happened to record one of the several phone calls, and has "Inches" on tape saying he will "kill your big-lipped nigger ass". That's funny too, cuz if he steps up like a real man, my brother will beat the dog shit out of "Inches", and then "allegedly" sell more coke to his wife. But let's be real about coke "selling": You only need to announce that you have it, the coke heads will beat your door down for it.

Moreover, "Inches", like "Miles" is no different from the majority of white people who had families and generations that grew up in Antioch and watched aghast as Nigger after Nigger moved into their neighborhoods - brought all sorts of shit to the "Yock" and banged the hell out of their white sisters, daughters, and girlfriends - while the white sons wanted only to emulate.
Good old Antioch, how I miss thee...

Not.

Oh yeah, while we're at it: Welcome to Oakland Aaron Miles, the first Athletic that I will truly dislike on a personal level. Why don't you call Coco Crisp or Rajai Davis a Nigger? In your mind, I know you already have.

Sllaacs

Off Season

2010-01-24T12:39:00.000-08:00

Has been a while since I've posted, but during my travels over the holidays and January I haven't been able to figure out what the heck is going on. Thankfully, the team proved again today why they consistently rank last in the NFL in PR savvy. As Raider fans, we would absolutely love to see some glimmer of hope that Al Davis recognizes his mismanagement in recent years and is going to make some effort to fix it. Instead, after suffering through weeks of uncertainty over whether we'll have a coach in 2010, we get this (from the AP story):

"The Oakland Raiders denied a report by ESPN on Saturday that they have made a decision to bring Tom Cable back as coach next season."

Gotta love it. Little to no reaction to thousands of head coach rumors that undermine and humiliate Cable (not to mention Raider fans), but the second Adam Schefter taps Al Davis's knee with that little rubber mallet, Herrera comes out kicking with the denials. Meanwhile, Al continues to hire and interview assistant coaches whose employment, if Cable is not retained, will undermine and/or scare away the next guy.

Since Schefter has a much better track record of accuracy than Herrera, the news looks good for Tom Cable and for Raider fans.

Why we suck, Part 314

2010-01-03T11:48:00.000-08:00

So Jon Gruden has a party at Rickey's Raiderland, and Al gets "infuriated" because some current Raiders employees showed up to say "hello" to their former co-worker (boss?).

As Jerry says, "Good to know that as the Raiders move forward to recapture their greatness, they’re focused on the right things."

It's that time of the year

2009-12-29T09:09:00.000-08:00

We're heading down the homestretch into the what is usually the most exciting part of the year for our beloved Oakland Raiders, the off season.

With that, several local writers attended a pretty interesting Tom Cable press conference yesterday, with most of them focusing on what he had to say about JaMarcus. It also sounds like Tom Cable is making the case for his job, and putting a lot of the blame on #2.

Gwen Knapp discusses the JaMarcus portion of the interview, goes through all the accusations of violence leveled against Cable, and then wonders at this exchange:

The most revealing moments came when Cable responded to questions about whether he'd received feedback from his boss. He either said he hadn't or simply shook his head. It all sounded and looked very familiar.

Lowell Cohn dwells on Cable's statements about JaMarcus, and says that Cable is calling into question JaMarcus' morality. Not that he's a degenerate or anything, at least off the field, but in football terms. This sentence stuck out:

As I understand it, the coach said the player has abundant talent but instead of nurturing the abundant talent, he has squandered it. This is a moral criticism. It means Russell has not been a right guy. It means he makes bad choices and he is defined by those choices — bust. The moral criticism is especially harsh when you remember the money Russell willingly took without giving effort in return. This is a devastating criticism and it doesn’t come from me. It comes from the player’s own coach.

Cam Inman cuts Russell some slack and calls out Richard Seymour, saying he's been a bust, too. So there's suckage all around, and I'm still pretty convinced that Al needs to go away and let somebody who cares about winning football games more than he cares about lawsuits and he-said, we-said BS. Happy New Year.

Ratings Game

2009-12-27T10:20:00.000-08:00

JaMarcus Russell's quarterback rating is a stellar 49.6.

Derrick Andererson's is 36.2.

Charlie Frye's quarterback rating is 38.4.

I bring this up because Charlie Frye's first pass was intercepted, leading to an easy Cleveland score. His next two passes fell incomplete, leading to a punt which eventually led to a field goal, and I was actually thinking, "Jeez, Charlie Frye sucks. Put JaMarcus in."

But on the third drive, there was a long screen play to McFadden, a big run by Bush, and a couple of nice completions by Frye, before penalties necessitated a Janikowski field goal.

So it's 10-3, Brown, and our Defense just had a good series. Let's see if Johnnie Lee can do anything.

Merry Christmas, Dan. Heart, NFL Network

2009-12-26T09:34:00.000-08:00

Pulled this little nugget from Jerry Mac's Christmas Day blog post:

– Maybe there is something to this NFL vs. Raiders stuff. Why else would the NFL Network show the “Tuck Rule” game on Christmas Day?

Merry Christmas, Everyone.

Money

2009-12-22T10:54:00.000-08:00

While JaMarcus qualified for consideration as the feel good story of the week, I am happy to see that Cable is still aiming for anyone but Russell as the starter this week. So despite the game winning touchdown to Chaz, in light of Andrew Brandt's contract analysis this week I believe the Raider organization's sentiments are approximately the same as those exhibited by E-Trade in one of my favorite Super Bowl ads of all time:

Greg Papa, Hero

2009-12-20T18:04:00.001-08:00

I didn't hear it, but according to Kristi H, Papa's call of today's game at the end was epic. Here's a screen cap of his Wikipedia entry, as it stands at this moment:

VICTORY

2009-12-20T16:30:00.001-08:00

Text Messages

2009-12-20T16:03:00.000-08:00

In the order I've received them, with the timestamp:

Dec 20, 2009 3:46 PM:

Long overdue. FUCK RUSSELL

Dec 20, 2009 4:01PM

FUCK FUCK FUCK RUSSELL UP THE ASS

Sorry just pissed

Hope Springs...Nevermind

2009-12-20T16:00:00.000-08:00

I couldn't even finish the title to my post before the Raiders go three-and-out. Tasker claims that JaMarcus's "history" led to Bush dropping the ball on 3rd-and-2. He claims Bush would have caught the same ball from Charlie Frye.

Possibly. And that's why we have no hope with JaMarcus. Nevertheless, Johnny is rocking the #2 home jersey and we are hoping.

Stay Classy, Raiders Fan part II

2009-12-20T15:53:00.000-08:00

Apparently somebody was shooting a laser pointer beam into the Bronco's offense's eyes as they were driving toward the end zone. According to the broadcast team, it was probably one of the many Raiders fans doing.

After a long stoppage, the Defense holds, with Tommy Kelly making a huge tackle as his pants fall off. His jock strap is black.

Then, there's another fight. Lily is watching Morrissey on my iPhone, and we're still in the game.

Except that JaMarcus is at QB.

Fuck it, I'm putting on my jersey.

GET UP!

2009-12-20T15:35:00.000-08:00

After three quarters of an exciting game, no play received louder reaction from Johnny and me than the last hit on Charlie Frye.

"GET UP!! GET UP!!"

He didn't get up. JaMarcus is in, and immediately we suffer a penalty and the box is being stacked against our really strong running game. It doesn't look good.

Rough Patch

2009-12-20T15:16:00.001-08:00

It's these bad stretches that the Raiders overcome when they win but otherwise send them into terrible downward spirals. A McFadden fumble, failure to put any pressure on Orton, penalties, and the Broncos are up 16-13.

Johnny asks if McFadden's fumble will land him on the bench for four weeks like Bush's did him. Good thing he's back. He just tore off two huge runs to put the Raiders in business. And now we use McFadden the right way - he gets outside and puts the Raiders down to the three. Guess he's not in the doghouse.

I wonder whether Al called Marshall at half and told him to stop blitzing. Natural pressure just isn't doing the job vs. Orton.

And at the end of the third quarter we face a fourth and goal. Wish they had gotten in the end zone on second down when Lawton missed his block. Ugh...

Good First Half

2009-12-20T14:45:00.000-08:00

Charlie Frye has not been spectacular, but he's been good enough. He had one JaMarcus-like throw on his interception, but the Raiders' Defense is playing well enough that it didn't matter.

10-6 is pretty good, though. We've also mixed in some Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale with the Simpler Times lager. Merry Christmas, bitches.

Simpler Times

2009-12-20T14:20:00.000-08:00

Lager, that is. I got it at Trader Joe's in honor of Dan's visit to Los Gatos, because according to the can it's hand-crafted in Wisconsin.

Mike Bush is running well, and JaMarcus is offering him Gatorade when he comes off the field after a tough run. Glad to see he's staying involved. Meanwhile, we're enjoying Kristi's text messages about the game.

So far: "Fuck the refs," and something to Dan about "SMALL MILE HIGH DICKS."

Live Blog Los Gatos

2009-12-20T14:13:00.000-08:00

Moving a little slow with the posts, but hey - Raiders are up in Denver! Love Bush being in the mix today.

Charlie Frye Whoa

2009-12-16T11:52:00.000-08:00

I mean, like WOW.

More details and speculation from Bronco Bill.

This is getting very, very interesting.

Stay Classy, Raiders Fan

2009-12-11T16:43:00.000-08:00

A sheriff's deputy in Reno, NV pleaded guilty to accepting bribes from an associate of Joe Francis of "Girls Gone Wild" fame.

Among the items in his bribe?

$3200 in cash and tickets to Raiders games. The judge let him off with a $4000 fine and three years probation. It doesn't say which games he went to, but part of the defense his public defender, Vito de la Cruz made, including bashing the Raiders:

In a light moment, Cruz questioned the estimated value of the Raiders tickets.
"Given the Oakland Raiders success of the last few years, he probably was ill-advised to take those tickets," he said. "I'm not sure those were of any value."

Outstanding. It's now on record in a federal court proceeding the Raiders suck ass.

Welcome Back, Randy, JaMarcus

2009-12-10T13:07:00.001-08:00

This was going to be a strictly Randy Hanson post, with the theme song to "Welcome Back, Kotter."

I thought it would be appropriate because it's a cool song from a cool show, and because Al is from Brooklyn.

Anyway, Jerry Mac does a breakdown/speculation of why in the name of anything Randy Hanson could possibly be back working for the Raiders, concluding, rather pithily and quite brutally, "You want a successful business model, check with Fortune 500." To make the implication explicit, The Raiders do not have a successful business model as Al Davis has currently constructed it.

But while I was out picking my daughter up from school, JaMarcus addressed the media, so we give him a nice welcome back, kinda sorta. He promises that when he gets back on the field, we'll see a "Totally different JaMarcus." But he hasn't lost any weight or changed his work ethic. So there. And he's keeping his money.

Kawakami has a transcript. God doesn't make mistakes, and time will tell, and it's not the end of the world.

Finally, since we opened with Brooklyn, we can close with Brooklyn, too. Lowell Cohn talks to Ira Miller, who invents the verb "to Raider." Getting Raidered sounds an awful lot like getting debacled. Ira likes Gradkowski, at least in relation to JaMarcus. This exchange stood out to me, after Miller says that "Getting the No. 1 draft choice off the field certainly helped them:

Cohn: Which No. 1 draft choice?

Miller: Both of them - the quarterback and Heyward-Bey. I don't think Heyward-Bey has any chance. He's one of Al's fantasies -- he runs fast.

That's kind of the impression I get about DHB, too. I got into a discussion via twitter yesterday with the author of Raiders Blog, who is still optimistic that DHB will pan out once he learns to catch the ball, because he's a good kid, works hard, etc. And I agree that sure, he's a good kid, etc, and I feel bad about suggesting he jump off the Golden Gate Bridge. That was a joke in poor taste. But the point is, DHB is not a football player. He's a track star. We may as well have drafted Usain Bolt. And anyone who suggests the Randy Hanson issue is overblown, or is not a big deal, or not a red flag indicator that something is deeply, deeply diseased and rotten within the structure of the Raiders organization is deep, deep denial. They're like the wives who stayed with Tom Cable after he beat them.

Because at the very least, we should be able to enjoy the sweet taste of a rare victory for longer than two days before reminding everyone in the stupidest way possible of the dysfunction that is the team we love.

The Perfect Example

2009-12-10T00:44:00.000-08:00

I could really use some sleep, but this has to be said. That Randy Hanson is back at work in Alameda is the perfect illustration of why our hope for long term success for the Raiders is akin to our hope that we'll win the lottery. It is reason #1.

Bringing back Hanson is possibly the most extreme thing Al Davis could have thought of to do in order to undermine Cable as coach. Just think about it. Hanson tried to put Cable in jail. In JAIL.

Oh, I'm sure Al has some "logical" reason. Maybe it keeps Hanson from dragging Cable and the Raiders to civil trial. Certainly there are better ways than this to avoid such a fate.

No, Raiders fans can't even enjoy one week of post-improbable-victory bliss during which we could have lied to ourselves that maybe, just maybe there is something to that locker room message. Al has bludgeoned us with another debacle. Now he could really get us all back for that billboard by going ahead and naming Hanson GM.

Stay classy, Lance

2009-12-09T09:38:00.000-08:00

Bronco Bill names Gradkowski AFC West Player of the Week

2009-12-07T11:23:00.000-08:00

Congratulations to Bruce Almighty for being the AFC West player of the week over at Bill Williamson's AFC West blog. He really did play a great game. Yes, he got some lucky breaks, but you know what they say about luck being created by hard work. Or something. Some guy named Thomas Jefferson said it. I think he was one of Al Davis's fellow Founding Fathers.

Anyway, Jerry Mac counts down the top five wins since the wheels came off in 2003. Feel free to insert your "Well, that couldn't have been hard, since they've only won five games since 2003" joke here. The one that catches my attention is the 2004 game against Tampa Bay, in Chucky's return to the Coliseum, and the rematch of Super Bowl Debacle XXXVIII. The Raiders were 1-1 under Norv Turner, and if I remember correctly, Rich Gannon was lighting it up, narrowly losing to Pittsburgh in the opener. The game against Tampa was the last game he ever played, because he broke his neck on Derrick Brooks' hit. I always thought that if Rich keeps playing well, that season turns out differently, and maybe what Norv has going on down in San Diego is happening here. Anyway, if "'If' was a fifth," as Sllaacs likes to say, "we'd all be drunk."

Happy Anniversary!

2009-12-06T13:36:00.001-08:00

Actually, my anniversary is tomorrow. Yes, the Day that will Live in Infamy, not because it gave Bill Parcells a chance to use describe a trick play his coaches installed (of course, with no disrespect to "orientals" intended), but because it was the day that the Professor made an honest man of me.

That's right, seven years ago tomorrow, I got hitched. And we started celebrating today with some oysters, champagne, and a huge Raiders win over the Steelers--which AFC West Blogger seems to have missed completely while covering the Donkeys' huge victory at KC (as of 13:45 PST).

Gradkowki's line, in front of his hometown crowd: 20-33 , 308 yards, three touchdowns, no interceptions.

Unbelievable. I can't remember the last time a Raiders quarterback put up numbers like that.

Also, I don't think it's a coincidence that Louis Murphy and Johnnie Lee Higgins had big games at the receiver position while DHB sat out the game with a hurt foot. I know we gave JaMarcus a couple of years before applying the bust label, but DHB fucking sucks. When your receivers suddenly have a breakout game as a group on the day you don't play, that means you should probably take your obscene signing bonus, make sure your will is correctly filled out and signed, and then jump off the Golden Gate Bridge. Seriously, look at the receiving stats from the box score:

REC YDS AVG TD LG TGTS
L. Murphy 4 128 32.0 2 75 6
J. Higgins 4 63 15.8 0 22 7
C. Schilens 3 45 15.0 1 23 6
Z. Miller 4 43 10.8 0 16 6
J. Fargas 2 13 6.5 0 10 3
T. Watkins 1 12 12.0 0 12 2
T. Stewart 2 4 2.0 0 3 2
D. McFadden 0 0 0.0 0 0 2

I'm the sure the NFL would give some kind of cap relief for a suicided player. Take JaFatass with you. He's never come close to a 121.8 quarterback rating. (While we're here, it's not like McFadden is lighting it up, either.)

Anyway, enough hating. Great win. Go Raiders.

One more thing: I rocked my Kirk Morrison #52 replica today. Coincidence? Not sure. I know I said I wasn't going rock any more Raiders gear this year, but for some reason I woke up this morning and was feeling it. So now I'm going to rock it until they lose. Probably next week at home, blacked out against Washington, who gave the Saints all they could handle today.

Lester for the Hall of Fame

2009-12-06T09:12:00.000-08:00

It is a cause in which I believe no matter how many 11+ loss seasons the Raiders manage to string together: Lester Hayes deserves to be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Last week, Lester was - once again - selected as one of the 25 semifinalists for the class of 2010.

This year, the marketing organizations for Van Heusen and JC Penney give us a way to express our frustration with Lester's snubbings over the years, allowing fans to vote through the fanschoice.com website. At this moment an impressive roster of Raiders - not all of whom are actually semifinalists (the voting started before the semifinalists were named) are all over the top of the rankings. Lester ranks #8, inexplicably behind Cris Crybaby Carter and mushmouth Shannon Sharpe, while Ray Guy sits third behind only Jerry Rice and Emmitt Smith. Tim Brown ranks fourth, Jim Plunkett fifth, Cliff Branch ninth, Tom Flores tenth, and Todd Christensen eleventh.

Fittingly, today's Oakland at Pittsburgh game is the "Throwback Game of the Week." Perhaps that refers to Frenchy Fuqua illegally throwing the ball back to Franco Harris in the Immaculate Reception game?

If we don't have our bitterness, we don't have anything. Vote for Lester! Remember to opt out of receiving spam from them, though.

On Nnamdi

2009-12-05T21:54:00.000-08:00

Old news in so many ways, but I feel somehow relieved that Nnamdi had so much to say about the Raiders' simple defense (via Jerry, David White's blog and article, Guttierez, and even the Associated Press). This was my point #2 on what we've learned about the Raiders' systemic dysfunction over the years. Despite some excellent defensive performances from time to time, this is ultimately what gives the Raiders little chance of winning with any consistency.

JaMarcus has been a disaster. DHB is even worse than we expected he'd be. But this defense - having filled some important holes with the likes of Richard Seymour and Tyvon Branch - continues to fail. That's what I'd put on a billboard: "Mr. Davis, do the right thing. Give your defensive coordinator an opportunity to do his job."

Fittingly, we get to watch Pittsburgh this week, a team who drove quite a bit of innovation in pressure schemes while absolutely stuffing the run in recent years. Oh yeah, and they've won some more Super Bowls, too.

Can JaMarcus pull a Vince Young?

2009-12-02T11:47:00.000-08:00

You know, getting benched, and then coming back a season later and taking your team on a five-game winning streak with sensational last minute finishes? That's the subject of a Bill Williamson post.

Well, I think part of the question is answered in Paul Gutierrez's blog item yesterday.

Cable was asked what he has seen in Russell since his demotion.
"I don't really see any change whatsoever," Cable said. "He's working, doing what he's asked to do. He's preparing like normal. So I wouldn't say there was any change or anything I've noticed."

Not too much of an endorsement, right? Well, what about this, then - have you seen him doing things in his benching that he wasn't necessarily doing before?

"No, I see him staying the course and working," Cable said. "Preparing, the reps he gets, going in and working hard at them, preparing himself in the classroom, all those things that he has to do."

Just shoot me.

Monte Poole's mystery buyers

2009-12-02T09:44:00.000-08:00

Monte Poole has a great column up about the Message to Al Billboard that went up yesterday on 880.

What interests me is that there are people--Raiders fans!--who have a lot of money who would love to buy the Raiders. Local people, maybe?

More intriguingly, one multimillionaire sports figure who does not wish to be identified has several times over the past 18 months expressed an unwavering curiosity. A longtime fan of the team, he is displeased about its decline and, moreover, says he is in contact with one or more billionaires with a DEFINITE interest.

Oh my god. It's too much to even hope for right now. It makes me sick. But as the former player quoted by Poole earlier says

"I hate to say it, because the old man is a legend," the former player said. "But I think we're going to be like this as long as he's around to run things. And I really don't see him giving that up."

I don't, either, which puts us fans in an awkward position of watching our beloved team suck so much ass, and at times wishing ill on a legend. But the possibilities, especially if the Steve Young/Brent Jones team got control, are amazing. Maybe they do share a stadium in Santa Clara with the 49ers. Maybe they get a real GM who evaluates football players, instead of plain athletes. There's a difference, and it's obvious to anyone who sees the way Michael Crabtree runs routes and catches the ball on Sundays versus the way DHB sprints down the field and does jack shit on Sundays.

Or maybe they don't share a stadium with the Niners. Maybe they get a new one in Oakland, that they could call it Davis field. They could keep all of the slogans and traditions and the Raiders could still be the TEAM OF DECADES with PRIDE AND POISE and a COMMITMENT TO EXCELLENCE Al could still come out for press conferences and take credit for identifying great co-ownership and front-office talent. Or he could just put on his CLOAK OF IMMORTALITY and ride off into the sunset.

But they would have to guarantee that Herrera is never placed in front of a microphone again. That's the only deal breaker.

A fan can hope.

Message to Al

2009-12-01T13:59:00.000-08:00

Or, as it's known around my house when the Professor is trying to tell me something if I'm reading or trying to write a blog post, "Talking to a fucking a wall."

	REC	YDS	AVG	TD	LG	TGTS
L. Murphy	4	128	32.0	2	75	6
J. Higgins	4	63	15.8	0	22	7
C. Schilens	3	45	15.0	1	23	6
Z. Miller	4	43	10.8	0	16	6
J. Fargas	2	13	6.5	0	10	3
T. Watkins	1	12	12.0	0	12	2
T. Stewart	2	4	2.0	0	3	2
D. McFadden	0	0	0.0	0	0	2