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."

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.