Can JaMarcus pull a Vince Young?

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.

Debacle Reactions

Just a smattering of local feedback on yesterday's Jersey Beat Down:

Gutierrez says the Raiders are a "sad joke," and advises Tom Cable to steal Al's Towncar, drive it to Napa, and turn himself in for breaking Randy Hanson's jaw. Why? Because,

a little time in the pokey, solitary confinement if possible, would be so much better for your stress level, your general well-being and overall health than what you have to endure daily watching over this shockingly wretched outfit and its latest embarrassing performance.

Gary Peterson says things have never been so bleak for the Raiders:

So what happens now?

"You stay the course," Cable said.

Shudder.

Gwen Knapp comes a week late to the bash-JaMarcus party, after everyone else has moved onto to including the entire team, with her usual JaMarcus-bad logic, with a headline, "Russell's latest debacle proves he isn't getting it." It opens:

The Raiders backed up their coach Sunday. They lost a game so completely and atrociously that they confirmed Tom Cable's assertions that his team's problems went much deeper than the devastatingly inaccurate arm of quarterback JaMarcus Russell.

Okay, that was kinda funny, actually. Sorry Gwen. Just so nobody's left out, there were some bloggy reactions yesterday, too, from Tim Kawakami and Lowell Cohn.

Kawakami sees "greatness all around." His final bullet point:

It’s my fault. It’s Rich Gannon’s fault. It’s Lowell Cohn’s fault. It’s Monte Poole’s fault. It’s all of our faults, since… well, I’m sure Al and his miions will tell us why.

Heh.

Cohn says "Raiders are right there." It's short, and written in the 4th quarter before the game had actually ended. It's a pretty brilliant piece of black comedy, actually. Noting that at every press conference he gives, Tom Cable says that the Raiders are "almost there," Lowell blogs,

He never actually says where there is or if there is a there there...By the way, there refers to the absolute bottom whether Cable knows it or not.

Not good times for Raiders fan. In fact, these times are JaMarcus Bad.

Dan Bait, Part 2

Paul Gutierrez, who has taken over pretty spectacularly for Jason Jones covering the Raiders for the Bee (see this column on the passing of JaMarcus' Uncle Ray), has a week-old blog post up talking about the Raiders who are, in his estimation, have been snubbed by the Hall of Fame. His top five list:

1) Tom Flores
2) Jim Plunkett
3) Ray Guy
4) Cliff Branch
5) Ken Stabler

Of course, there are arguments to be made for all five of those guys. But there's a name missing. Who could it be?

More First Day Reactions

After letting the Heyward-Bey and Mitchell picks sink in, here's what some people are saying:

Jerry: His gut says Heyward-Bey is a bad pick, but he also thinks the Mitchell pick might be a good one. This cracked me up:

With the Raiders’ luck, Mitchell will unload the full force of his fury upon Heyward-Bey on the first day in Napa and . . . . never mind.

Ouch.

Gutierrez: What, Usain Bolt wasn't available?

Kawakami: Cable's the big loser in Saturday's bizarre Raiders draft crop. Brutal quote:

And Al proved that Cable has no credibility, just like every other of the last many Raiders coaches, who all failed. Because they had no credibility, you see.

But that’s the only way Al likes it.

Lowell Cohn: Advantage 49ers, even though it's not really a competition. Brutality:

You never can underestimate the Raiders because they’ll always perform lower than you’d imagine in your most vivid nightmare.

and:

Al Davis has been in love with speed since he chased someone down Flatbush Avenue in Brooklyn decades ago.

Apparently we're still picking. I don't think I can handle any more of this, so I'll be by the pool somewhere with a strong cocktail.

Fat Kicker Toss: WTF?!

Here's a round-up of reactions to what will now be known as "Fat Kicker Toss:"

We'll start with Kawakami, since he's the one who coined "Fat Kicker Toss." He calls Cable an "amateur" and compares the interim coach's soon-to-be-brief tenure to the Gong Show.

Lowell Cohn: Nice knowing you, Coach.

Jerry Mac: No excuse.

Ratto: "I mean, in what universe does a play that relies on an 17-yard scamper by Janikowski make sense?"

Jason Jones: It wasn't the drunkenness; you saw that.

Gutierrrez: Silly? Dumb? Nah. It's the Raiders.

Peterson: Cable's mad, not a genius.

I'm sure there are more out there, but I'm kind of sick to my stomach after reading the above-linked pieces.