Raider Nation - Excitement Pt. 3

It's about goddamn time these cats started to play up to their potential.  Me and my homeboy, Barron, watched the sheeit with jaded eyes.  But our boys came from behind and played some offense.  Defense was there, too.  I think we lucked up that Cincy called some boneheaded plays but we gave some games away doing the same.  Especially with DuhMarcus, I mean, Jamarcus at qb.  We wasted a season trying to get him to play ball.  Should've seen the writing on the wall during his laziness off-season and the Denver game.  Dude has no accountability in him and that will cause you not to grow. 

I think we get in the Cowboys' azzes next.  They can't score and we have a qb who gets it now.  Hopefully, Jamarcus learns his lesson and stops wasting Al's money and the Nation's time.

Raider Nation - The Bullshit of Tom Cable as a Physical Abuser

Okay, let's get one thing out of the way.  Violence against anyone is not condoned.  Domestic violence, where a dude uses his superior physical strength, is frowned on, shouldn't be done, is a display of mental weakness and insecurity, etc.  I'm liberal than a mug when it comes to women (uuuhhh don't take that the way I think you might, even though we confess to a continual fascination with feminine beauty and curves).

That said I'm smelling a rat when it comes to the latest allegations of domestic violence against Raiders head coach Tom Cable.  This is a story now?!  He's had the allegations of a physical assault against an assistant football coach hanging over his head since August.  I mean it's been in the news on a weekly, if not daily, basis since he allegedly broke this cat's jaw.

So approximately a week after those charges were dismissed, ESPN decides to air a report that he hit two of his former significant others, one his wife from 20 years ago?!  This information, if true, makes the timing suspicious.  These are not new allegations.  They were in the public domain in August and up until the assault charges were dropped.  So why bring them up now?

And while I sympathize with the alleged victims, their day in court has long passed with no conviction of Cable.  And in this country, we're supposed to have the concept of double jeopardy meaning you can't be tried for the same crime twice.  In the literal and legal sense, Cable has not been tried for these crimes.  But that's not to say there wasn't the opportunity.  And so why seize the opportunity now?  Because it was a hot topic and it was your time to grab that 15 minutes of fame on ESPN?

Again, if true, I'm not co-signing Cable's actions.  But even if true, why bring it up now?  And why is ESPN airing the shit AFTER charges were dropped?  Do you see where I'm going with this?

Now NOW is involved.  Female sports columnists and reporters, particularly from the Bay Area, are Jane-On-The-Spot with this topic.  Like vultures and/or sharks, they seized the moment to pounce on vulnerable prey.

So again, my point to you.  This was information in the public domain for years.  This was information in the public domain when Cable was named the Raiders O-Line coach.  In the public domain when Cable was named the Raiders interim head coach.  In the public domain after he was named the Raiders permanent head coach.  In the public domain when Randy Hanson claimed Cable beat his ass and broke his jaw.

Further, ESPN has an investigative arm to its news organization.  ESPN has deep Jacques Cousteau pockets.  ESPN is into 24/7 news.  And this only recently  became a news story?!  After assault charges were dropped?!  You see where I'm going with this?!

I don't know what happened between Cable and his former wife and ex-girlfriend.  I do know that there are two sides to every story and the Truth usually falls in the middle of those perspectives.  I do know that it takes a complete psycho obsessive-compulsive liar (and I've been the victim of one, who, coincidentally, works for ESPN) to completely make that kind of shit up.  But relationships are complicated.  And a physical reaction may have been precipitated by some rancor.  Does that condone a violent reaction?  Hell no!  But it points to communication problems and trust issues. Unless and until you get control of those issues along with your own insecurity, you may be prone that these kinds of episodes.

But what you don't do is publicly drag down a person who is trying their best to excel in a profession.  He may or may not need help with his temper.  But don't back-door the issue.  Especially on ESPN.  I'll tell you what.  If the allegations are true, I have no sympathy for the victims.  Why?  Because of the timing and public nature of it.  As a lawyer, I know this is a set-up for a hand out.

Tom, just coach a better game and let's get it on with some football excitement.

Raider Nation - It's Time To Man Up

My boys are 2 - 5.  I thought they'd be 3 -4 after last week with a good chance of being .500 going into their bye week the week after next.  Staring at a losing record a seventh season in a row.  This is horrific.  The Raiders may have been mediocre since their last Bowl win but they haven't losers.  Double-digit losers at that.  That's where they are headed this year.  Wow.

Like Bill Romo says, we need a team that flies around and makes plays.  He played with HOF Ronnie Lott.  He said Ronnie Lott would never allow that debacle.  He would make sure every one held themselves accountable.

Now one muthafucka who thinks his shit doesn't stink is Jamarcus Russell.  Everyone else is holding himself accountable.  The one muthafucka who needs to hold himself accountable is the quarterback.  He needs to recognize that he's fucking up just as much as the other folks he's accusing of fucking him up.

I think it would help the team for him to bang his chest and say it's on me.  For him to point fingers is a bitch move.  He's proving to be a bitch.  Not just in his play but in his post-game comments.

Like Romo, I want to see some excitement.

Raider Nation - Time to Abandon Ship

Maybe with the victory over the Eagles and the dismissal of charges against Tom Cable, the Raiders thought they'd won the Super Bowl.  But then we're not even at the half-way point of the season.  So how do you figure to go back to your suck-ass ways and win?  Really?  Isn't there a definition of insanity that says Insanity is doing things the same way while expecting different results?

What's up with these cats?  I just don't get them - at all!  I wish I could get a refund for the NFL Sunday Ticket because I don't need it anymore.  The Raiders suck.  In fact, as a Raiders fan, I may have to find a building.  Any ideas about one where I can install a dive board?

Jamarcus, the number one pick holdout with 31 mil guaranteed dollars?!  Either the brotha's not getting it or he doesn't care enough to get better.  This offseason Cable hinted as much.  It's evident he has not worked hard enough on the passing game or developing timing with his receivers.  He is vastly overweight.  He has no pocket awareness.  He keeps making horribly stupid decisions with the ball.  And he has not held himself accountable for his horrible play. 

But for the game, what the hell is going on?  First play, he fumbles and puts the defense on the four?  Defense put up a gallant goal line defense.  Not the first time they did it either.  Then he throws a horrific interception that gets returned to the four.  Defense is backed up again?! That's 14 easy points in the first quarter within the first four possessions.  Come on, Jamarcus!

It's not solely on Jamarcus though.  His coach, the play-caller, isn't giving him ANY help.  The fumble?  Why is that a pass play on the first offensive call of the game deep in your own territory with jitterish, inaccurate qb?  You have as much to blame with the horrible start as your qb.

In football, playing defense takes up much more energy than playing offense.  If the offense keeps playing for a couple of minutes with no yards, no first downs, and no points, what the hell is the defense going to do?  Now if you're the Ravens with special kind of players, then you keep it close.  The Raiders play with small balls on both sides of the ball.

As Bill Romo said, the Raiders lack passion, intensity, and excitement when they play.  This is the worse I have seen the Raiders play in my 35 years as a fan.  2006?  That was horrific offense, but it was pretty much no o-line play. 

This year?  It's no o-line play, no linebacker play, no receiver play, no runningback play, negative backwards, assholic quarterback play, no secondary play, no pass rush play, no offensive play-calling play, no defensive coaching play, no personnel play, no drafting play, no goddamn play.

I hate this product.  Even the coach sounds defeated.  But what can he do?  The owner has an outdated philosophy with outdated schemes hoping that outdated profiles of certain players will fit.  Football players that are great athletes will help the Raiders.  I like the drafting philosophy of the Steelers, Chargers, Giants, and other teams above the Raiders.  Jamarcus?  Might be a bust if he doesn't get his mind and weight right.  DHB?  No hands or receiving sensibility.  McFadden?  Always hurt.

We need some passion, intensity, and excitement.  And some football intelligent play from the passing game.  A hardcore run would help, too.  Knocking the shit outta someone on defense would set a tone as well.  Otherwise, this shit really sucks.

Raider Nation Is Getting Served - And Not In A Good Way, Pt. 5

The Giants' game.  Or as Antonio Pierce put it, "the scrimmage."  Where the Raiders played like some fat, wet, tight pussy, i.e. getting fucked with enthusiasm.  Or better yet, tackling dummies for a team playing like Super Bowl Champions.

It was the first time I turned off a Raider game prior to the ending.  I mean I have sat thru some ugly games.  Everytime they lost to the hated Broncos has been painful.  Real painful.  I've sat thru some lopsided losses, too.  The AFC Championship in Buffalo where the game started at 9a PST.  I was brewed up by then but quickly the high was blown so that by 10a I needed a nap.  But I stayed up until the bitter end.  Then crashed hard - real hard.

The most humiliating thing was sitting thru the Super Bowl where they lost to Tampa Bay.  I was at a Super Bowl party.  Surrounded by Bronco fans and they were in my ear the whole time.  There was a kid (he wasn't exactly a kid just younger than me) sitting behind right ear hollering every time the Bucs did some cool shit (which was like every other minute).  I wanted to whup his ass.  And it would've been very easy. But taking the Raiders' loss out on him and his exuberance in said loss, especially pursuant to several tequila shots, would've been unseemly.

Which brings me to now.  I really can't stand watching the Raiders.  I mean, I'm a lover of football.  And the Raiders rule my football watching universe.  But they are fucking that universe up right now.  It's like going to a tittie bar, and your favorite dancer showing up with shit in her thong all the time.  You gonna allow her to lap dance?

The Raiders under Art Shell and Tom "Bed & Breakfast" Walsh directed an unspeakably bad offense in 2006.  But you sort of knew what you were in store for at the time because the whole offseason was a comedy of errors.

This year was full of youthful promise.  But, goddamn!  This shit is really fucking bad.   Jamarcus needs to step up.  The line needs to block.  And the receivers need to hang onto the ball.  But offense-bashing is reserved for another post.  This post is reserved for the defense.

The linebackers suck asshole and have for quite sometime now.  I know people extol the speed of Thomas Howard and Kirk Morrison in the passing game.  Fuck the passing game.  How about stopping the run?  That's really supposed to be an lb's thing.  Knocking the snot outta a running back when he crosses the line of scrimmage.  Stopping the run is the essence of football.  Listening to pads crack and helmets explode at the line of scrimmage is what gets the dick hard.  A "whooo" hit at the line of scrimmage or behind it bespeaks the primitive nature of contact.  Observing the mano a mano competition is what ignites our salivation glands.

The Raiders are not competing on defense.  The safeties shouldn't be making tackles 12 yards down the field.  The linemen can stand up the o-line.  But the linebackers are supposed to crash the gaps and knock the shit outta the ball-carrier.

Instead, they miss the ball carrier.  That would be okay if they at least knocked the shit outta a blocker..  They're not even doing that.  They are receiving the contact.  You're a linebacker and you're receiving, as opposed to delivering, contact?!  Linebackers are supposed to be the most wild-eyed crazy muthafuckas on your team.  And they aren't knocking the shit outta people on the regular?  They are nice guys with speed?   Man, fuck that!  I need some excitement.  Knock the shit outta somebody even if you don't make the tackle.  I want to hear "Whoooommm!" at the line of scrimmage.  Betcha the guard or fullback won't be so bold next time.

Tackling is about attitude and shoulders on the correct side of the body.  You cannot grab.  You must collide.

When I played football, I was used as an example of the correct way to tackle. Because I attacked with head across the body. I drove through the ball-carrier.  And I finished off the tackle by grabbing the ball-carrier behind his kneecaps pulling his legs up and stopping his momentum.  Now, don't get me wrong.  I didn't make that textbook tackle everytime, but when I did, it was a thing of beauty.  My protege, David Tate, went to the pros following that technique.

The Raiders defense is the grabbingnest team right now.  Reminds me of that Vince Lombardi clip from NFL Films.  "Everybody's grabbing out there!  Grab! Grab! Grab!!!"  Fuck grabbing.  Hit some-goddamn-body!  Let's inject some excitement into the game!  Knock the shit outta somebody!

Al has his theories about defense.  Steve Young ridiculed those theories the first game of the season, rightfully so.  But if that's what you want Al, recognize you need some crazed maniac at linebacker because you don't have Rod Woodson, Ronnie Lott, or Jack Tatum to create fear anymore.  I know you don't value linebackers in the grand scheme of things - thinking four powerful d-lineman and cover corners will dominate.  It ain't like that anymore, dawg.  You need linebackers.  Even when you had Lester and Mike Haynes, you had Rod Martin, Ted Hendricks, and Matt Millen holding it down at linebacker.  Linebackers and the strong safety define the toughness of your defense - not your d-line and cornerbacks.

You need ass-kickers on defense.  Who's your ass-kicker on that side of the ball?   Nnamdi?  He's an artist.  You need a thug.  Who's your thug?

We don't have a thug on our roster.  Which explains the problem with Al.  He's used to having thugs on his roster so the X's and O's weren't a big deal.  No thugs.  We need some attention to detail.  Or some thugs.  A blend might bring us back to respectability.

Al, I know you used to be a football genius.  Re-read the phase "used to be."  I just told you what's missing.  Hire my ass.  I need a job anyway.  In the interim, the linebackers need to grab their nuts and let's go!!!

Raider Nation Getting Served - And Not In A Good Way, Pt. 4

According to Boomer Esiason, Jamarcus has been fined heavily for being heavy and not showing up to meetings.

See what I'm trying to say?  But they cut Jeff Garcia.  I don't care if Garcia asked for his release.  He would not be released if Jamarcus was cutting up like that.  I'd be more inclined to cut Jamarcus' not willing to work fat ass.

The Raiders just aren't very exciting right now. 

Bench his fat lazy ass right now.  Let him see what's happening in the game from the fucking bench.  If that ain't motivation enough, then he ain't your quarterback.  But the team deserves better than this.

I don't get this.  Not at all.  I want to reject my Sunday Ticket package. 

Raider Nation Getting Served - And Not In A Good Way, Pt. 3

The Texans whupped that ass?!  Really?  The Raiders really are playing like pussies these days.  Not good pussy either.  Dried up not moving in rhythm pussy.  This is shit!  Real shit.  And it's now coming down to coaching.

I don't understand the Raiders program.  At all.  Jamarcus looked like he was trying to to play better.  But that's the problem.  He looked like he tried.  Fuck "try."  How about "accomplish."  "Try" is what training camp is about.  "Try" is practice. 

I like Cable but he is quickly exposing himself as an assistant coach.  Unfortunately, he's the Raiders head coach.  I thought 2006 was awful, and it was.  But this is very frustrating to watch.  I'm unemployed with the NFL Sunday Ticket.  Specifically to watch the Raiders.  I need a refund at this point.

The Raiders should be 4 - 0 heading into the teeth of their schedule.  Instead, they are 1 - 3.  And looking as if they are not committed to playing any level of ball.  I mean, they look real lackadaisical.  Is there any team playing with any leisurely?  They don't hit anybody.  They catch the contact rather than initiating it.  Jack Tatum and Ronnie Lott would never settle for the way these guys play defense.

Offense is offensive.  They don't block.  They can't catch.  They can't throw.  They can't call plays.  Is this a pro team?  I'd rather watch college ball than the Raiders right now. 

Let's not mince words right now.  The Raiders suck.  They are not close.  Until some passion is injected into the team, they will continue to suck.  The scheme is outdated.  The youth movement hurts the eyes.  They obviously aren't practicing well because what you do in practice is what you do in the game.  And the games are sloppy.  They are very unexciting to watch.  This is shit football.  Not the shit but horrid shit.

Oh, and by the way, the Broncos are 4 - 0.

Raider Nation Service - It Sucks and Not in the Way You Think

So Jeff Garcia ain't coming back.  Boy, I such high hopes for him coming back.  Jamarcus ain't getting it done.  Maybe he will. 

Having DirectTv, I have the NFL Sunday Ticket specifically to catch all the Raider games.  Beats going to a sports bar.  With TiVo, I can really study what's going on with the Raiders.  Like Bill Romanowski says, these guys just don't excite you when they play ball.  They don't beat the shit outta people, which to me is the essence of football.  Jack Tatum?  Was handing your lunch to you every game.  I know he made people hate playing eh Raiders.  Nowadays?  M-fs can't wait to play the Raiders so they can pad their stats.  We need a Troy Polomalu, a  Ray Lewis, another Ronnie Lott, someone back there to intimidate the team's offensive personnel.

Most of all, we need a quarterback.  As nostalgic as we get about Jim Plunkett, he sucked most of the time.  Rich Gannon was the shit though.  And we need another Rich Gannon.  Someone who might be an asshole but who worked hard and made sure everyone else worked hard.  Jamarcus ain't getting it right now.  Not saying he can't be that guy or get there.  But time's a wasting.  And Al is 80 years old and counting.

Which brings me to Al and Rich Gannon.  That was some real cheap shots Al took at Rich when Rich made, what I think, are valid criticisms of Jamarcus.  "A journeyman who fucked up the Super Bowl?"  Al, Rich was a diamond in the rough everywhere he went .  He didn't get the chance to be what he could be until you gave him a chance under your famous last chance umbrella.  I'm sure he's thankful, but you can't give a guy a chance and then spit on him because you gave him that chance.  You look bitter when you do that.

I know you'd rather be right than consistent.  But that shit with Gannon is a gash on your soul.  And because you tie everything up in the team, that means the fans' collective karma has to overcome your bullshit. 

So Jeff Garcia comes in here hoping to restore the luster on the Silver and Black, but you shut off that opportunity because you want Jamarcus to shine.  Jamarcus ain't working hard enough to get it done.  Why haven't you shown him similar harshness?  Get that fat m-f to ball up and make our investments outta our pennies worth it.

We're really getting sick of your experiment.  You haven't been right in a while, Al.  We love you, but you have to develop a new game plan, okay?  Apologize to Jeff and Rich, and let's get this thing going back in the direction we love.

Raider Nation Is Getting Served - And Not In A Good Way

Al Davis is fond of saying he'd rather be right than consistent.  Well, he's been consistently wrong for the past six seasons with his heavy handed handling of personnel and the media.  In fact, but for a couple of instances at the beginning of the 90s and the 00s, his teams have been mediocre to horrible since its last Super Bowl championship in 1984.  It really boils down to Al achieving success early with some fairly innovative techniques.  Problem is, he's remained stubborn to those ideals while being fairly close-minded to the way the game has evolved.

I don't say these things lightly.  I've been a Raider fan since I was ten (1974).  During that time, it was Muhammed Ali, Richard Pryor, Marvel comics, and the Raiders were it for me.  Al shaped those Raiders, and I was, and have been, an Al Davis fan.  I've held out on calling for his retirement or relinquishment of the reins, in large part because I know he won't do it.  And while I hear that he remains as sharp as a tack, he can't keep operating like this and expect different results.  I seem to recall the definition of insanity is doing something the same while expecting different results.  I don't know if that's insanity, but it might define idiocy.

In the early days of my Raider fandom (the mid-70s), the Raiders were a hardcore thing of beauty to behold.  John Madden was the coach and his antics on the sidelines were almost as entertaining (sometimes more so) as the game itself.  The Snake was a left-handed rebel who was as a cool as a cucumber.  Of course, he was helped by the O-line, particularly Gene Upshaw and Art Shell, who allowed him to just stand in the pocket as still as a statue before firing a pass to Mr. Stick-Um, Fred Biletnekoff.  Cliff Branch used to beat fools on a deep fade before snatching a bomb.  Dave Casper was one of those smart quirky rebels the Raiders seemed to have.  Ted "The Mad Stork" Hendricks was another one but on the other side of the ball.  Otis Sistrunk made the shaved head goatee look hip before it was hip.  Then there were George Atkinson and especially Jack Tatum patrolling the middle of the field like a couple of Darryl Gates cops in South Central LA.

After Madden retired (according to some reports with Al glad to be rid of an independent thinker as his coach), the Tom Flores era began.  The 1980 team was my favorite because it was full of grit and determination.  A few holdovers from the 70 glory years, such as Upshaw, Hendricks, Branch, and Shell, remained.  However, there were some new heads who brought that Raider flavor to the table - in particular, Jim Plunkett, Lester Hayes, Rod Martin, Matt Millen, Kenny King, and Bob Chandler.

The 1983 champion team was even better.  By then they had added my all-time favorite Raider Marcus Allen along with Lyle Alzado and Mike Haynes with Todd Christensen and Howie Long becoming more significant players.  I hated the Washington football team as much as the Broncos in those days, and the Raiders smashed the Washington.

But the downfall was in full effect at that time.  Al drafted Marc Wilson to be the QB.  Now, he may have been a perfectly nice guy, but he was not an effective quarterback.  It has been Al's chasing of a quarterback that has led to the Raiders mediocre ways.  Particularly after Al decided to banish Marcus Allen to the doghouse.

Al likes to pat himself on the back for hiring Art Shell the first time around.  But Art benefited from a decline in the AFC at that time.  Soon KC got strong again and Belichick coached circles around him for a mediocre Cleveland team.  Art's teams were never particularly sharp.  The qb's got killed routinely.  Plus he benefitted from the Bo Jackson experiment.

Another in the qb fuckery was the Jay Schroeder for Jim Lachey trade.  At the time, Al had Willie Gault, Mervyn Fernandez, and James Lofton on the squad.  He believed all he needed was a strong-armed qb to get them the ball deep.  Well, he didn't have the line to hold the blocks, he wasn't giving Marcus Allen the ball to offset the passing game with a running attack, and Schroeder wasn't particularly accurate. (Does this sound familiar?) 

Jeff Hostetler got into a famous argument with Art Shell over play-calling because Art's o-coordinator, Tom Walsh, kept calling Al-type deep ball throws.  He was getting killed because the line couldn't block and weak-ass receivers James Jett and Rocket Ismail couldn't get open. (Sound familiar?)

Al kept signing big name players hoping that he would see the same impact on his roster he saw doing similar things he had done in the 60s, 70s, and 80s.  It didn't work.  In fact, the 49ers and Packers were better at the game than he was by then (former Al protegees Bill Walsh and Ron Wolf being responsible, respectively).

Finally, he hired young Jon Gruden to turn the team around.  Gruden convinced Al to change the scheme and sign a back-up qb who had always been effective when given a chance in Minnesota, DC, and KC - Rich Gannon.  Gannon blossomed.  The Raiders returned to the top after Al made savvy signings in Jerry Rice, Rod Woodson, Eric Allen, Lincoln Kennedy, William Thomas, Zack Crockett, and Charlie Garner.  I thought maybe Al hasn't lost it after all.

Then Gannon got hurt into retirement.  Kerry Collins took over and couldn't hit the side of a barn.  Al signed Aaron Brooks (huh?)   And then drafted Jamarcus along with Darrius Heyward-bey to revitalize a passing attack that hadn't seen a consistently thrown deep ball since Plunkett to Branch in the 80s.  Gannon has been banned from the facilities because he offered friendly analysis as to why Al's offense is not working.

It's this last act along with Al's meddling in the personnel that has me at wit's end with my favorite football franchise.  I know Al cares more about his thought process and what he believes will get this team turned around than what other folks think.  But you have to be willing to go outside yourself and objectify your actions.  Al has great ideas, but they need tempering.  Cuz the product on the field sucks right now.