This Doesn't Help

So I've been watching with terror the developing Quarterback controversy.

You know the one, between Jeff Garcia and JaMarcus Russell. Sure, Jeff was brought in to "mentor" JaMarcus. To teach him how to be a leader, how to prepare himself to be an NFL Quarterback, etc.

So now we get this little dispatch from yesterday's OTA, courtesy of David White, in which JaMarcus finally speaks to the media, but about Michael Vick, causing White to mock him, writing, "For clarity's sake, Vick didn't just check out of a Napa Valley spa or healing center. He served 19 months for a dogfighting conviction that included his financing a ring and taking part in the execution of dogs."

There's also a video of Garcia, apparently now openly campaigning to be the starting Quarterback. Can't really argue with what he's saying, about nobody on this team being good enough based on the record.

So is this good? I'm not sure. Look at the video posted at the ESPN.com Raiders clubhouse. It shows Jeff Garcia talking about Darrius Heyward-Bey. You know, the backup quarterback. JaMarcus is nowhere to be found. But over at NFL.com, they have a video of JaMarcus discussing the draft pick.

I was all ready to say that JaMarcus needs to step up and be the vocal leader of this offense. Now I'm thinking that maybe he's trying to, except that people are ignoring him in favor of talking to Garcia.

At least Kenny Stabler's got his back.

Jason Jones on Garcia

Jason Jones checks in with a transcript of Jeff Garcia's interview on Sirius Radio. Asked about how he can be a mentor to JaMarcus, he said:

I'm up here in Oakland right now taking part in the quarterback school with Jamarcus and Bruce Gradkowski and we're working on just the fundamentals of playing the position, the leadership qualities that you have to have, the work ethic, getting in the weight room. I think JaMarcus, being able to see how myself and how Bruce work as far as what we do in the classroom, what we do in the weight room and what we do on the field, it's something positive for him to see. I don't think he's had those types of guys around him to help him push him or help him understand what it takes to be a true professional at this level. The guy is tremendously skilled, he's huge and we just want to get him into a position where he can be better on the field if he is physically better and mentally sharper. I think those are things he's starting to see right now with me being involved this week and hopefully it's just something where the relationship continues to build. And we're going to help him as much as possible by pushing him in a positive way. At the same time I'm going to do everything I can do to make sure that I'm prepared in case I do get that opportunity or in case something were to happen that I take advantage of that opportunity and make the most in trying to help this team win football games."

Jason notes that Andrew Walter is not mentioned. It's a conspicuous absence, I guess, but then I never really felt one way or the other about him, except for maybe sorry that he got put on his back so much during the Art Shell/Tom Walsh debacle.

Garcia Speaks

(h/t Jerry Mac)

Garcia Signing Reactions

There seems to be a consensus among the local writers who have chimed in that Goldmember will, at the very minimum, set a good example for JaMarcus in terms of preparation, training, and attitude. There is also the sense that Garcia will push JaMarcus, both in practice, and I haven't read this anywhere yet, but I get the feeling that if JaMarcus struggles, the fans will start chanting for Jeff. A little pressure and competetion never hurt anybody. Or if it did, you didn't want them on your team.

Jerry Mac breaks down the history between Garcia and the Raiders, and then writes,

I floated the idea of signing Michael Vick under certain conditions the other day, something the Raiders probably never considered. They’ve been playing it safe and smart, having been burned by being too bold last year.

Garcia is the safe, smart choice.

You really only need to think about it for split second.

Should Russell be injured, do you want Jeff Garcia, Andrew Walter or Bruce Gradkowski?

Thought so.

By the way, I hated that Michael Vick column. Anyway.

Lowell Cohn says Good for the Raiders.

Kawakami writes,

I like the Garcia signing as a sign that Al Davis isn’t babying Russell, while at the same time still expecting the most out of him. Alex Smith could’ve used something like that a few years ago, and he never got it.

David White is on vacation or something, but the Sporting Green staff is asking readers to answer a stupid question by writing the answer in the comments section.

Nationally, Denver Broncos spokesperson Bill Williamson writes that at the very least it means Garcia won't be a Bronco this year, whatever the hell that is supposed to mean. It's not like his being a Bucaneer helped Tampa last season when we played them. Then he gets Scouts, Inc.'s Matt Williamson to say that he's never liked Garcia, and that, contrary to what Kawakami and McDonald say, it's a bad fit because the playbook will have to be re-written if JaMarcus gets hurt, and they'd have been better off signing Leftwich. Personally, I'm with the locals in that a change of pace is a good thing to have in a back-up.

Raiders Love Gold?

NBC Bay Area just mentioned that the Raiders are close to signing Jeff Garcia. They quote a source "close to the situation" who says it is "real close. It will probably get done." They go on to say it could happen tomorrow, and that Garcia will have "an opportunity to compete with Russell for the starting job, but will likely play the role of backup."

I've always liked Garcia. If he starts for Oakland this year we have big big problems, but he makes for a solid backup who can step in and start if anything goes wrong with JaMarcus.

Sllaacs Picks New Game; Still a Hater

After repeated emails, Sllaacs finally got back to me about the third game. I wrote to him, asking, "Did you pick a different game yet, nimrod?" Sllaacs reply:

Yeah. Tampa Bay over Jacksonville. 17-13. Jeff Garcia - Dissed the Raiders, remember?

I do remember. In fact, Jerry McDonald mentioned it in his blog the other day. I remember trading emails with Dan and his Unk about getting Goldmember. Unk wanted David Carr.

Pictures don't lie. Jeff Garcia loves Goooollllllldddd.

Jeffri Chadiha is funny.

I know we haven't written anything in a long time, and it may have looked like we would never post again, but really, did anyone miss us? Not when Jerry McDonald at the Trib is writing the best blog on the planet, scooping everyone on Raiders news and insights a couple of times a week.

Surfing around today while bored at work, I saw a link on ESPN.com that said:

Chadiha: Mild-mannered coaches becoming the norm.

This hilarious for a couple of reasons. First, because I don't think it's an accident that the "norm" in the link reminds people of "Norv," because that's exactly what the article's about, how the Chargers are going to be awesome because they're loaded and Norv is a "Player's" coach. It also mentions some other well-known winners and champions, guys like new Cowboys coach Wade Phillips and the Bills' Dick Jauron. Chadiha's tenuous argument rests on the fact that Tony Dungy and Lovie Smith are coaches who took their teams to the Super Bowl last year with a "civil approach" and "don't rely on intimidation, ridged rules, and silly mindgames to motivate their teams."

Being non-intimidating might be the ONLY thing Smith and Dungy have in common with the retreads mentioned above. Not mentioned is that Lovey Smith and Tony Dungy are good coaches.

Seriously, ask any Raiders fan about the Norv era. He sounded like Lyle from Napolean Dynamite. Whenever Greg Papa would ask him a question about the week's practices and game planning leading up to Sunday, I half expected Norv to point to a spot out on the practice field and say, "Over there by the tackling dummy we found a couple of Shoshone arrowheads." (Check around 1:50 mark of this clip and tell that doesn't sound like Norv.")

But the funniest part of the article comes in this quote from Jeff Garcia:

"There is such a broad range of players coming into this league now that a good coach has to be able to deal with that. When you have a my-way-or-the-highway coach, not every player is going to respond to that. I haven't experienced playing for a coach like that, but I can honestly say I wouldn't want to play for one. It's pretty hard to play this game in a bad environment, and unfortunately, there are still some coaches in this league who can create a bad environment with that style." (emphasis added)

Guess what, Goldmember, you're about to find out. This is the same Jeff Garcia who just signed to play for Chuckie Gruden, who--now that Parcells is retired--has to be the ultimate my-way-or-the-highway coach in the league.

So save me the mild-mannered coaches are the norm crap. What teams need are good coaches. Hopefully Kiffin is one for the Raiders.