Camp

Training camp is on, so I'm feeling way overdue for a post. There's all the big questions - Bronco Bill pointed out the obvious ones in his Camp Confidential (though Johnny rightly complains that the QB controversy is overblown. Since when is putting a little competitive pressure on someone a bad thing? "He needs to feel relaxed..." Huh?). But a few smaller ones are cropping up as well.

What is going on at linebacker? Last year's strongside starter Ricky Brown remains the second team middle linebacker after signing a healthy contract in the offseason. And he's apparently playing with the ones on the goal line. Jon Alston, meanwhile, seems to be the guy at SLB. Is Alston that much improved? Is this a little competitive pressure for Morrison in the middle? Might there be actual personnel changes in addition to all of this "better teaching" in order to stop the run in 2009?

What goes on in Javon Walker's head? Apparently he had experimental surgery and cannot even divulge where it took place. Either he will continue getting crazier and will find a way to sit out the entire year collecting his guaranteed money, or maybe we'll have a gift of a good receiver on our hands.

Is Tommy Kelly aiming for perfect snap anticipation? He jumps offsides every play. If he hones this skill by week one he'll be an incredibly disruptive second year away from ACL surgery force on that defensive line. If not? Well, he has a lot of money.

Cable Between the Lines

Interesting to read through the full transcript of Cable at the owners' meetings that Jerry posted the other day. Obviously, the JaMarcus stuff is a bit concerning, but I'll fall in line with our resident apologist and brush that aside for now as useful motivation for a 23-year-old who wears really fabulous furs.

First, he didn't seem particularly excited to talk about Javon Walker at all.

"Q: What have you decided to do with Javon Walker?

Cable: Oh, he’s still there.

Q: He’ll be on the team?

Cable: Yeah."

He goes on to chat a bit about his health, but it appears that Cable has a bit of a "show me" attitude and has not gone crazy expecting Javon to return to some glorious form.

Second, I'm glad to see Cable immediately named the "monster" as selfishness. But without doing an extensive search of Raider coach interviews over the past six years, I do have a sense of deja vu. Perhaps Cable is finally addressing it in a head-on fashion, but it seems that selfishness is an old problem that sticks around no matter how many Jerry Porters or Philip Buchanons you remove from the team. Kind of like penalties. Let's hope Cable has the power to change the culture.

Third, check out Cable's leader roll call:

"I know the core of the team. I know the Morrisons and the Howards and the Gerard Warrens and the Nnamdi Asomughas, the Hiram Eugenes, the Chris Johnsons, the Cooper Carlisles, the Justin Fargas, the Darren McFaddens, the Zach Millers, the Robert Gallerys."

I'm kind of surprised to see Gerard Warren named right after the LBs. Hiram Eugene? Sure, one can read into this one way too much, but it is interesting to read which guys are top of mind. Contrast this with Nnamdi's list of guys who care after the laughing locker room incident of 2008: "(Derrick) Burgess, Gibril (Wilson), who came from a different team . . . Tommy Kelly." The only overlap is Nnamdi himself.

And finally, good to see the love continue with Mr. Davis:

"Q: What’s it like working for Al Davis?

Cable: Awesome. Just awesome. I know all the stories, I’ve heard them. But I’ve been in there two years now, as an assistant and the interim head coach and head coach. The guy is amazing. He’s very set in his way. He is probably most responsible for the NFL being where it is. And he’s proud of that. I think that people take that confidence and that
belief in what he has that he has been able to accomplish and like to argue what that is. But to me it’s just been his wisdom and a partnership. What he told me when he hired me is We can only do it if we do it together…..I need for you to do this, this and this. What do you need from me? People say here’s this guy who dresses the same all the time and he is arrogant and this and that. That’s the perception, but that’s not who he really is. He’s a guy who loves his football team, is passionate about it. He’s a guy who has an unbelievable amount of knowledge. He’s a guy who if you allow . . . can teach you more than you ever thought possible."

What will be awesome is if Cable is saying similar things after the 2009 season.

Road Blog: Javon Walker

On the road to LA for my lawyer's wedding. Heard about Javon, and it
made want to puke like my brother did out of the window of Kia after
he drank from a can of Diet Coke into which I had put a cigarette butt.

Sent from my iPhone

Bill Williamson Talks Raiders on ESPN

Following up on Dan's excellent post from yesterday, the only thing I can really say is that at least people are talking about the Raiders again. I still don't think the weirdness of the Kiffin firing can ever be topped, but if what Williamson is saying is true, and Javon Walker, Tommy Kelly, Kwame Harris, Gibril Wilson, and Gerard Warren are all cut during the off season at the latest, then it's clear that perhaps the denial that Alameda's been mired in for the last 5 years may finally be fading.

We can only hope. It's come at a great cost: 2nd and 5th round picks for Hall. Plus all that Salary Cap money in the guarantees to Walker. Especially after Al could have just let Javon retire and it would have cost him NOTHING.

But sometimes lessons are expensive. There is a good core of players here. I'm not trying to sound like Tom Cable, but I think there really is a foundation to build on here. JaMarcus, Nmamdi, the Linebackers, Run DMC. And didn't Super Mario play pretty well in Buffalo?

So the weirdest thing of all may just be Al Davis looking himself in the mirror and understanding that he's made some atrocious moves in the last couple of years, and taking action, no matter how embarrassing or drastic, to finally, actually remedy things.

Official

DeAngelo Hall is cut.

Is Javon next?

Bill Williamson agrees with Dan that Nmamdi's a must-sign.

At least this happened.

White is All Right!

Johnnie Lee continues to break off big returns, and JaMarcus connected with Javon on a couple of big pass plays to get down inside the nine, where the drive stalled.

But the early signs are encouraging.

Javon Walker is an Idiot.

Really?

You think it's funny, Javon? What I think is funny is the way you're stealing Al's money by not being able to play.

Waiting for Tape Delay

We should be used to tape delay after weeks of Olympic "spoilers." While watching track & field and unfortunately already aware of the disastrous results, I couldn't help but think of Al's love for Olympic sprinters at the WR position as the US men's 4x100 relay team dropped the baton in qualifying. It looked painfully familiar.

So tonight we will watch to see whether any of the current Raider WRs can get open and catch. The good news is that Walker and Carter welcome the attention. The bad news...well, all visual evidence so far suggests they shouldn't. Making this more difficult will be the tantalizing presence of a disgruntled Anquan Boldin, one of my favorite WRs in the league.

Run defense is another area of focus for tonight's game. I'm afraid we may have to discount positive results, however, given the stagnant Arizona running game. But we can look to the details - Kelly blowing up lanes, Sands staying low and eating up blockers, Morrison running free, Wilson plugging gaps, etc. Based on the Tennessee game, long runs continue to be a problem for this defense, so it would be nice to see them eliminate those tonight.

Johnnie Lee Higgins. This guy is under my microscope. He has thus far proven to be worthless as a WR, yet somehow we've stuck ourselves with him as the only viable returner on the team. (Is it even worth pining for Carr in light of our thin CB ranks? Of course not.) If JLH does something dumb - again - tonight, then it's time to look to the scrap heap for a punt returner and give Schilens a roster spot.

The offensive line should be interesting to watch tonight given the pass-heavy game plan and extended playing time for both JaMarcus and the OL starters. I'm not yet a Kwame believer, but Cable is, publicly, which is at least nice to read. And Gallery's continued improvement, along with Grove's potential to take over at Center, makes for heartwarming TV.

Saving the best for last, I really look forward to watching JaMarcus tonight. He is beginning to look like a starting quarterback. Maybe we'll even get an Al Pleaser to the deep post, just for fun.

Walker and Favre

Javon Walker will always be linked to Brett Favre, thanks to an uncomfortable 2005 offseason confrontation when Favre called out Walker in the press for threatening to hold out on the Packers while still under contract. Favre complained that Walker was being selfish, putting money ahead of the interests of the team. Walker's position, as part of something of a "strike" organized by Drew Rosenhaus, was that he was grossly underpaid for a Pro Bowl player on the last year of his rookie contract, and might never see his deserved payday given the hazards of the game.

Walker, of course, came to camp on time without a new deal and promptly tore his ACL when the season began. He's somehow continued to land major contracts, but the incident launched Walker's reputation for having questionable commitment to his teams.

In a strange twist of fate, both Favre and Walker are headlining today's off-the-field NFL news. While Brett is mulling over a $20 million offer from the Packers NOT to play, Walker is reportedly offering to return $11 million in bonus money so he can quit, with the Raiders rejecting the offer. The sentiments of 2005 have played out to ridiculous ends. Favre wants to be in camp so badly that he is now wrecking the team, and only by putting money ahead of playing might he save the team. By giving back all of his money, Walker still aims to be paid what he believes he deserves, only this time it's what he deserves for going home.

Interestingly, Walker's offer could actually help a Raiders team that broke the bank during the offseason and is getting very little from Walker during camp. Apparently Al Davis doesn't agree. Let's hope Al is not just trying to avoid proving Yahoo!'s Jason Cole wrong.

Various Items: Sapp's Retirement, Javon's Judge is a Chargers Fan, and the Awesome Present I Got for my Birthday.

Dude.

SF Chronicle, really?

The only local sports page to run this article, and they give this headline: "Sapp's Raider experience: 'Dark as a black hole.'"

It goes on to print, in its entirety, an interview Warren gave to Rick Stroud of the St. Petersburg Times on the occasion of his retirement party in Florida. Here's the money quote:

Q. How would you describe your experience with the Raiders?

A: As dark as a black hole. Stuff went on in that organization that shouldn't go on in sports. I don't think there's one person who knows who or what is making the call. Let's just say the Oakland experience is unique. The phone rings quite a bit on that sideline. Insubordination is grounds for termination in any company.

Now, this is not exactly new news to those of us who follow the Raiders with any degree of regularity, except that we're usually told that Al Davis is the who and the what that is making the calls in the organization. At least that's what we're told by the Chronicle's writers, especially when the Raiders fuck something up, that's it's Al Davis who is doing the copulating.

But Sapp's answer here is more cryptic than it is damning. What I would like to know is just exactly what "stuff" went on that shouldn't be going on in sports. Would someone care to do a follow-up? It's not like Warren Sapp is a shy guy, afraid to speak his mind. (In fact, I was a little disappointed when I read that he said he won't be going into television; I always thought he could be to the NFL what Charles Barkley is to the NBA.) And just what does he mean "Insubordination is grounds for termination in any company?" Is this a shot at Kiffin? Is he explaining why Norv and Art were fired? Again, a follow-up would be nice.

Jason Jones let's us know that Pete Brisco is a hater (and as a hater, deserves to have the "P" of his last name changed to a "B" so that it's alliterative with "BIOTCH"), and has some interesting news on the Javon Walker case:

In more Raider-hater news, the judge in the Walker case admitted to being a Chargers fan. It the trial is somehow pushed back to where Walker has to appear in court Thursday, Dec. 4 (When the Raiders play at San Diego) you know why.

That's why we love Jason Jones here at CLOAK OF IMMORTALITY. Keep up the good work.

Finally, Friday was my birthday. Saturday I had a little pool party at my mom's condo complex's pool. Best give, maybe ever: a JaMarcus Russell authentic Jersey. My brother and the Professor teamed up on this one.

Thanks.

Six Degrees of Javon Walker

I just got off the phone with my buddy Ken. He was in Las Vegas when he had to go to the emergency room to deal with a flare-up of kidney stones.

In the next bay over, wheeled in right after him:

Javon Walker.

Ken justifiably says he had other, more important things on his mind at the time, so he was unable to listen very carefully to what was going on.

But still, he called me up and said, "I was in the same emergency room in Vegas as your boy."

"What boy?"

"Walker. After he got robbed."

"Really, did you hear what he told the cops?"

"Dude, I had some more important things on my mind at the time."

"Fair enough."

Sllaacs getting his Larry King On

I wonder what Paul Pierce is thinking as Kobe steals the ball... Poor Javon, drunk and gay - spraying champagne, and then later found on a street - knocked the fuck out and gaffled... What happens in Vegas... So the A's put the sweepers on the Giants - rejoice, cuz the Giants will be back, visiting the Coliseum at the end of this month to help the A's track down the Halos... By the way, has Pudge Rodriguez been a dominant catcher for the past 100 years, or does it just seem that way? Ivan will still gun a fool down trying to steal, and can pick a sucka off of any base, at any moment, and during any count... By the way, where was Javon Walker's entourage? You mean to tell me he was out partying alone? No Crew? No Posse? No teammates? A new day in the Age of the Posse... Billy Beane is so much of the man, that I wonder if we need a new definition for the term... So far the Danny Haren deal is looking like a wonderful, amazing move, and really Beane hasn't gotten smashed on any trade except for the Tim Hudson Deal... The Mark Mulder deal was genius due to Mulder's terrible health since the trade to St.Louis... A long time ago Nick Swisher was a "Young Oakland A"... Wasn't that like, a year ago Tuesday? I always thought Doc Rivers was an ass; as a player, an analyst, and as a coach. To support my innermost instincts, I enter this quote from Rivers (copied from a Scott Osler article) "Kobe's the most dangerous defender in the league." My ass... Totally meaningless statement... "Most Dangerous Defender"... Just what the hell does that mean? Is Kobe out there strapped with a Nine-Milli and at any moment might just bust a cap? Just how dangerous can a defender be? I have witnessed players who I guess could be called "dangerous defenders" in the NBA before - Bill Laimbeer and Dennis Rodman come to mind immediately(the preceding links lead to awesome video clips of the two)... So I ask, who in this Hell has Kobe Bryant forearm shivered, or out-and-out attacked for having the audacity to take a shot at the basket? The next one will be the first... As a Warriors fan, I am not pleased with Baron Davis and his L.A. connections... The W's do have a future without Boom Dizzle, but not at the Point Guard position, not yet... Baron is the type of player that, on another team, I can easily see myself hating, but if he went to L.A., I shudder to think of the outright loathing I will feel for B.D., it would be unhealthy... Tiger Woods, Willis Reed and Kirk Gibson; wobbly kneed gamers... Justin Duchscherer... Just putting his name down for the uninitiated is all, A's fans know our boy well... The Lakers blew 2 more huge leads in game 5, but the home crowd kept them juiced, they won't have the "13th man" anymore... And just because the Lakers and Celtics are in the Finals again after a thousand years doesn't make this a "Golden Year" for the NBA, it's just another season... Or not, if the Lakers come back and win.


Sllaacs

Pass the Rolaids

Wait, I never quite put them down.

Just back from two weeks of vacation, I emailed John this morning to tell him I had been keeping an eye on all things Raiders and was getting excited for the season, right on schedule. At approximately the same time, Javon Walker was found unconscious on the street in Las Vegas. After spraying a few gallons of Dom at Tryst, somebody decided to pretty much cave in his face. Not good.

Tonight I'll just say I hope he's ok. Fair condition does sound better than several alternatives.