Kawakami Tweets JaMarcus weighs 271

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

Welcome Back, Randy, JaMarcus

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.

Raiders get weird again, the sequel

Late yesterday and this morning brought some columnists out regarding the latest Raider drama. That's about all the Raiders are good for, it seems--drama--because they certainly aren't a football team in the sense that their an organization that cares about winning games or developing a program. In fact, on Monday Night Countdown's weekly, "C'mon, Man!" segment, Tom Jackson was able to quip, "We should rename this segment 'The Raiders' because they show up every week," and then played the clip of Louis Murphy and Johnnie Lee Higgins running into each other, Keystone Cops-style.

So first up, Cam Inman talks to Lance Kiffin, who gives Tom Cable a nice character reference:

"Any head coach deserves a certain amount of time to get things going and install what he wants to install. Tom has not had enough time," Kiffin said by phone Monday from his office as the University of Tennessee's coach. "I would think he definitely should have another season after this, at least."

Really? Even after more assault allegations surfaced against Cable on Sunday, via ESPN's report pertaining to claims of two ex-wives and an ex-girlfriend?

"If any of that was accurate, that would surprise me," Kiffin added. "In my year-and-a-half with Tom, I never saw anything like that. I thought he was a first-class coach and a great person."

I'm sure Al will take this under advisement.

Next up is Tim Kawakami, who writes,

Now the team is 2-6 and there are the new serious charges. Al is known to be very protective of women. He wants his franchise to be first-class. He must be horrified by the association to violence against women.

I give him major credit for that.

So Al has a problem. He wants “cause” to fire Cable, so he has to wait, but he also is embarrassed that Cable’s behavior continues to shed bad light on a franchise that is not exactly permanently bathed in light, anyway.

Al has a lot of problems. A shitty football team is the biggest problem.

Scott Ostler gets in on the act, calling the Raiders a "Creepshow" that is hitting its all-time low, although every time I think that, they hit a new low. Anyway,

What's really bizarre in Monday's two news releases is the juxtaposition of warnings.

In one statement, the Raiders say they're evaluating the matter, and alert us that they have fired employees in the past for inappropriate conduct. In the other statement, they call into question the validity of ESPN's report.

So the Raiders might wind up firing their coach over charges they suggest might be nothing but phony-baloney smears in ESPN's attacks on the Raiders.

Creepy.

Finally, in this perusal of local columnist reactions, we get Lowell Cohn. His piece really should be read in its entirety, but here's a taste:

Several benefits would accrue from firing Cable ASAP. We wouldn’t have to see his sad face anymore or hear him swear the Raiders will be a great team in a week or so: “I have great faith in where we’re going and what we can do as a football team.”

That storyline is so over with. And we wouldn’t have to ask whom Cable slapped, or if he actually did slap anyone, or if he really punches people, or if he has a problem controlling his rage or if he has rage to begin with.

Anyway, have a nice day. Any minute now, Al may show up with his overhead projector and announce that Randy Hanson is the interim head coach. That would be awesome.

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.

Kawakami Hearts JaMarcus

JaMarcus is taking a beating, and probably deservedly so. As Dan and I were watching the game, in separate living rooms, communicating via G-chat, we had this exchange:

11:55 AM Dan: wow

John: just got my first "fuck russell" text from Kristy

Dan: ha - me too

not good

how did the lite shotgun go?

11:56 AM i need to get me a beer - am just getting through bloody mary phase

12:00 PM John: it went well. i've drank four regular style since

As you can see from this exchange, JaMarcus was driving us to drink, well before noon.

Tim Kawakami has a blog post and a column up discussing JaMarcus today, and he comes to his defense. And not in a back-handed way, either:

The talent is there. He’s trying to be more of a leader. He will never be willowy, but he looks in reasonable shape. He also has Bruce Gradkowski behind him, so it’s not like Russell’s getting yanked any time soon.

Maybe this week will be the breakthrough: In his two games against the Denver Broncos last year, Russell completed 73 percent of his passes for 332 yards and three touchdowns, registering a 127.3 passer rating.

What he doesn't mention, and what I've noticed, is JaMarcus bring some intangibles. He doesn't get rattled. While it may be frustrating to watch, as he slings incompletion after incompletion, he he seems to forget about it almost immediately. Even if we don't. In fact, on that last drive, the winning Touchdown drive against the Chiefs last week, Dan and I had this exchange:

12:55 PM John: i was just talking with ashley

12:56 PM that this is where JaMarcus' "laid back-ness" comes in handy.

he doesn't panic

12:57 PM Dan: ha - i was thinking the very same thing as he came into the huddle - this is a situation where jamarcus can build his reputation

calm leader

If JaMarcus can start making some plays earlier in the game, I'll remain his biggest apologist. Right now, being Joe Cool is biggest asset, bigger than his cannon arm. But he needs to start putting it together.

Thinking about Monday Night

I gave it a day to kind of settle myself down and organize my thoughts a little bit. I know that's not a very bloggy sentiment; blogs are for emotional reactions. Well, I got those out Monday night, during and just after the game, on my Facebook feed. Feel free to add me as a friend if that's the sort of thing you want to see (or hide/block me if you don't want to see that stuff).

The post-game reactions from most of the local writers and columnists and bloggers was pretty consistent: the Raiders were impressive in their loss, got jobbed by the officials, and look like they might at some point, if they keep up the intensity, and if JaMarcus continues to improve and gets some WR help, they could be a pretty good football team. My favorite two reactions were from Tim Kawakami and Lowell Cohn, mainly because they're the two most skeptical local writers:

Kawakami:

But this one was the best game of the bunch, and better than several of the Raiders’ few victories over the last six years–IF Cable can keep this level of energy and dedication going through to December.

If the Raiders play like this, they should go right through Kansas City next week and if it keeps up they should be within striking distance of .500 or above all year, and maybe even at the end of the year.

And if they get anything more out of JaMarcus Russell (12 of 30 for 208 yards), other than the rainbow TD on fourth-and-15, then the Raiders could actually be… well… decent to pretty good this year.

There, I said it. And I mean it.

Cohn:

I'm getting tired of writing the Raiders are bums. It's nice to write something else for a change.

And:

So you praise the Raiders even if they didn’t finish. You praise the running game - dynamic, powerful, a real stunner especially in the first half. And you praise Darren McFadden and Michael Bush. And you praise the defense. Where in the world did this defense come from?

And mostly you praise Russell. You don’t go wild over Russell. He hit tight end Zach Miller with so many beautiful passes over the middle, nice breakaway moments. And when he did that you remembered what a talent he is. But then you saw him overthrow wide receivers all night long and you remembered he has so much to learn.

And when you were about to give up on him, and after he got clocked by Shawne Merriman on a quarterback keeper in the fourth quarter and had to miss a few plays, he came back and threw that perfect pass to Murphy. And you realized, gosh, this kid can do it. He has it all if people just will be patient.

In so many ways, watching this game provided the textbook example for what it's like to be a Raiders fan. It had everything you love about football: hard hitting, nasty line play on both sides of the ball, fierce hitting in the secondary, smash-mouth running, stellar tight end play, a beautiful long pass on 4th and 15 that was Aristotelian Platonic in its Al Davis-ness. And yet you also had a horrible call on a replay review at the end of the first half that came not even on a challenge from the Chargers but on a booth review because it happened in the final 2 minutes of a half, which brought back the Tuck Rule crashing up from the pit of every Raiders fan's stomach like day-old bile. As soon as that ref announced the play was under review, every Raiders fan held two competing and completely opposite thoughts in their minds: 1. it's a touchdown and there's no way it can be overturned; and 2. of course it's going to be overturned, we're the fucking Raiders for chrissakes. And then you had the inability of the defense to finish the game at the end, reminding us why we haven't won more than 5 games for 6 years in a row.

And the worst part of it, or maybe it's the best part, is that going into the game I was fully expecting another 41-14 or 27-0 blowout. But by the third quarter, I'd bought in, and was thinking, "Shit, we can play with these guys." And when JaMarcus threw that perfect rainbow to Louis Murphy, I was jumping up and down, disturbing my neighbors below, hugging my wife, and I thought, "We are going to win this game!"

So when we didn't, it was like being punched in the stomach. Maybe it's like Coach Cable says, that this loss hurts in a good way.

Anyway, I'm in. The Kool-Aid is drunk. Stay tuned for more obnoxious, f-bomb-laden Facebook updates.

Because it's on.

Jawbreaker

A couple of more reaction columns this morning. Kawakami has a predictable, "This is why the Raiders suck, because Al Davis cultivates a paranoid atmosphere where nobody, especially the head coach, is really in charge, and so they do stupid things like punch each other in the face and lose 11 games a season," column up at the Merc. His comparison to the Shell/Lombardi feud of 2006 doesn't really work here, because that was more a battle between more or less equals for front office supremacy. They both loss. I guess Kawakami's point is that there's Al, and then there's everyone else, and in Al's eyes the head coach is just as much a peon as a generic defensive assistant. And besides, he took Hanson's side in the Kiffin debacle.

Which brings us to Ratto, who uses his column as an opportunity to take a shot at Lance. It's pretty funny, too:

So while we await developments in Napa and New York, we are most eager to await developments in Knoxville, Tenn., where Kiffin has some form of I-told-you-so clawing at his soft palate and desperate to get out soon.

Trust us, he won't be able to help himself. I mean, he never has before. That's why he's in the position he is today.

I think I'll take this opportunity to play a couple of songs by Jawbreaker.

More JaMarcus

Not sure how I missed this, but there's a fascinating JaMarcus conversation going between Monte Poole, Tim Kawakami, and defending JaMarcus, Lowell Cohn.

Back story: The three columnists were sitting together at last weekend's Andre Ward/Edison Miranda fight at the Arena. JaMarcus showed up at the fight with a Gucci bag and an unlit cigar, leading Monte to dub him "Big Mellow," and Kawakami to conclude he looked fat and complacent.

Cohn retorts that JaMarcus wasn't in a strip club, and he wasn't acting disorderly, and to give the guy a break.

This whole thing is making me nervous. And it's only May. Last year it was Kiffin/Davis. I'm worried that we're looking at a repeat of the Leinert/Warner situation (which worked out pretty well, actually) or, worse, the Vince Young/Kerry Collins scenario.

If I think about it too long I want to puke. I know Raiders fans. I am one. And one bad quarter of football, that crowd will turn on JaMarcus and start chanting Garcia's name. I was there when we did it to Kerry Collins (TUUUUIIIIII!!!!) and I heard them booing Josh McCown.

Time for ginger tea.

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.

David White: "Madden would re-infuse instant credibility to the franchise"

Dan's favorite Raiders blogger (other than, maybe Dan Hauenstein) speculates on Madden's next move and possible involvement with his team.

Jerry acknowledges the desire of the Nation, but still comes off like a wet blanket.

Kawakami doesn't think so. He really doesn't think so.

Florio acknowledges the rumors, but doesn't add to them or give his opinion. Calling the overhead projector press conference the "infamous 'Lane Kiffin Must Consume Fecal Matter And Die' press conference" made laugh, though.

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.

Where is Al?

Nice work by Dan rounding up the coaching news. One thing caught my eye in a post by Jerry Mac last night, "Gilbride says 'conversation' was an interview":

“I had a very enjoyable conversation with Mr. Davis. I’m very flattered he took the time to speak from … I believe he’s still in the hospital. To be honest with you, I know I got the interview because of the success we’ve had as a football team, in particular the players and coaches on the offensive side.

“I think it would be disrespectful for me to go into anything besides what matters so much to these players and these coaches in this particular game. But I think I certainly appreciate the job that players and coaches have done.” (emphasis added)

Tim Kawakami wrote a blog item Monday speculating on Al Davis' health, but Gilbride's comment is the first reference I've heard to this by someone who is not a local sportswriter.

The Drama Never Stops

First, Chris Mortensen says the Raiders are negotiating to sell off part of the team to some Greek dude who wants to move them to LA. Then Al sent Herrera out to call the report a fabrication, because, you know, Mort is a "serial liar."

Now, Jerry Mac has gotten in touch with Amy Trask, who says that they're not negotiating with anyone, that the Raiders aren't for sale, they're aware of the offer, etc, but no thanks. The money quote from Jerry's post:

Mortensen had a jaw-dropping response when contacted by Associated Press when asked about going with the story with no comment from the Raiders.

“The Raiders have lost the privilege with me of running stories past them for comment,” Mortensen, citing examples of past stories which “have proven to be true,” including his recent report of an interview with the Giants Kevin Gilbride.

(The Raiders claim it was Gilbride who contacted the Raiders, and not the other way around).

Wow.

Lost the privilege?

Guessing Mort won’t be covering the White House any time soon.

I sent an e-mail to the ESPN ombudsman just to see if this “privilege” policy actually exists.

It'll be interesting to see what the ombudsman says. You can email her here. And all this after the Raiders removed Lowell Cohn, Tim Kawakami, and Monte Poole from their reporter email list because they "write the truth." Lowell says anyone not on the Raiders enemy list, i.e., still on their email list should be ashamed. I wonder if that includes Jerry Mac, Steve Corkran, and Jason Jones, or if he just means the opinion columnists.

Kawakami the Kurmudgeon

He's not as impressed with the victory.

Kawakami Rips off Sllaacs, Makes Me Physically Ill

Tim Kawakami has an extended blog post on the similarities between JaMarcus Russell and Alex Smith. About a month after Sllaacs started calling him JaAlex SmiRussell, or JASR for short.

What makes me so physically ill about the Kawakami post is that I'm terrified he might be right. And that's also why I'm endorsing the idea floated by Cam Inman in his column the other night. Sit him down until you have a coach who can work with him, and a line that can block for him, and some wide receivers who can catch the goddam ball.

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.

BARFF

Sllaacs and Dan have hit upon an interesting concept without a good acronym: The Bay Area Football Debacle. Dan suggests BAD, which is pretty good, but I miss the F. So here's an idea:

Bay Area Raiders Forty-Niners Football, or BARFF.

Seeing as the football being played on either side of the Bay makes fans of both teams want to Puke, the "debacle" part is implied in the acronym BARFF.

And, you can take BART to BARFF.

Oh, and since Sllaacs was thoughtful enough to give us Nancy Gay on Al emasculating Greg Knapp, he's Kawakami on the 49ers Monday Night Game:

Mike Martz took time out of his usual ignoring of the media on Tuesdays to reveal that he too thought the 49ers’ last play was from the 1/2-yard line. And Martz said he only figured out the 49ers were at the 3 1/2 when Mike Nolan called and told him so this morning.

PROBLEM: Hey Mike Martz and Mike Nolan… the ball actually was at the 2 1/2. Really. Go back and check. You got it wrong TWICE, star off-coor.

Once when it happened and you called the wrong play and then many hours later, after your former coach (favored coach?) called to tell you. Wrongly.

It was NOT at the 3 1/2 or the 1/2 or whatever half-witted thing you thought it was or still think it was or are arguing still that it was. It was at the 2 1/2-yard line. Please memorize that.

This is unbelievable. My head hurts at the 49ers’ incredible ability to not see things clearly, then argue with anybody who did see it clearly, then babble about it later.

Is there nobody up in that booth who can tell the difference between the 1/2-yard line and the 2 1/2?

Does Mike Nolan know what he’s talking about, even when he’s sitting on his couch?

Should he be calling Martz? Should Martz be saying that Nolan is the only guy “smart enough” to watch it on TV replay and call him… with the wrong info?

Geez. Jed York really has this ship cruising.

Coop: Worse than Art Shell Year.

Jarrod Cooper is on Dan's favorite post-game show (by the way, the Raiders lost, although congrats to Seabass on breaking Blanda's record). He just said that he's in contact with a lot of guys in the locker room, and that what he's hearing is that it's worse than 2006, because at least then there was some consistency. Consistently bad, but it was consistent. When O'Donnell asked about the Harbaugh rumors, he said, sure, Harbaugh's a great coach, and Al Davis loves him, but Al loved Lance Kiffin when he hired him, too. If nothing else changes, Harbaugh doesn't stand a chance.

By the way, Kawakami thinks JaMarcus should tank along with the rest of the Raiders good players, and scoops Sllaacs by coining the phrase, "blown to alexsmithereens."

Kawakami: Harbaugh is Next Coach if he Wants It.

Tim Kawakami has a long blog post about Stanford Coach Jim Harbaugh and his love of Al Davis and the Raiders.

Jerry quips: "Don’t know who Tim’s source is, but I’m going out on a limb and guessing it’s not John Herrera."

You know what? It seems like Harbaugh's a good coach. If he wants to be here, and Al can get some help in the front office, I guess it's better than eating a turd sandwich.

Sllaacs is Half Right.

Of course Lance Kiffin was not qualified to be more than an assistant coach.

And of course, Big Al has every right to fire Kiffin.

Those are not really relevant questions any more. The main questions, as articulated most recently by both Monte Poole and Lowell Cohn, are whether or not Al Davis still the physical and/or mental wherewithal to run a credible NFL franchise, and if not, can anyone do anything about it.

It's pretty clear he doesn't, and there's not a god damn thing any of us can do but watch and feel sick about it.

Jerry throws some gas on the fire for the "saps" by pointing out that Al Davis was in Alameda before noon today, contrary to Kawakami's assertion in a Deadspin interview that Al doesn't get to the compound before 4:30 in the afternoon.

It's pretty obvious that Kawakami was being ironic. I don't know if Jerry is just passionately pursuing the truth or throwing some red meat for the fanatics that post in his comments section.

Either way, the Raiders are screwed.