In all of sports, few figures are as iconic as Raiders owner Al Davis.

He’s held the titles of commissioner, head coach, owner and general manager. He’s been called a “tough S.O.B.” by Mike Tyson. And he happens to be one of the biggest reasons why I’m a Raider fan for life.

I was raised just outside of Los Angeles. When Mr. Davis brought Raider football to the L.A. market, my father immediately purchased tickets. My youth was spent watching the likes of Marcus Allen, Bo Jackson, Tim Brown, Todd Christensen and Howie Long play the game I grew up loving. After the Raiders returned to Oakland, I remained a die hard fan, feeling that they were back in their rightful community, while still making trips to the Bay to see them play.

Much has been said and written about Mr. Davis. His presence is ominous. His football acumen is legendary. His place in history is already established as one of the faces etched on the Mt. Rushmore of football in North America.

On Saturday, July 4^th, he’ll celebrate his 80^th birthday. 

No matter what your feeling are towards Al Davis and his practices, if you’re a Raider fan then you’re forever a part of a worldwide family.

This weekend, while you’re standing over a hot grill, take a moment to remember why this holiday is truly important for our country. Then, as you watch the fireworks at night, just remember that the owner of your favorite team wants nothing more than for you to see a winner take the field in 2009.

When Raider play-by-play announcer Greg Papa wished Mr. Davis a happy birthday during a recent interview, Davis responded, “Well, it’ll be happy when we win.”

We’ll all be happier when we win, Al. These last six years have been a real test for all Raider fans. Al’s decisions have been the biggest reason why we’re mired in this rut of perpetual losing. Yet still, we support and hope for a better day. 

On Saturday, we celebrate the independence of our country, a country with a checkered past and an uncertain future. None the less, it is a country we can proudly proclaim as our own.

On Saturday, an owner who truly defines the American independent spirit celebrates his 80^th birthday. He’s an owner with a glorious past and whose team has an uncertain future. None the less, he is an owner who makes fans such as me proud to proclaim the Raiders as my team.

Happy birthday, Mr. Davis!

Enjoy the holiday and a special thanks to everyone who reads this blog. Hopefully, we’ll be celebrating a winning team in 2009 if not one that at least puts forth an effort to be proud of.

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In Disney’s continuing effort to convince the world that they are the authority on anything sports related, ESPN is set to unveil its seventh annual list of the Ultimate Standings upon the July 13^th release of ESPN the Magazine.

The list ranks professional franchises in North America based on a very scientific set of parameters to ultimately decide what franchise gives fans “what they want”. Parameters such as “affordability”, “title track” and “bang for the buck”.

In this economy, how do you even define “affordability”? Isn’t that a relative term?

But I digress.

It was far from a surprise to find the Oakland Raiders, a team that has won just 24 games in six years, near the bottom.

In fact, of the 122 teams ranked, the Raiders are 116^th.

What would make Raider fans happier? Beating the Chargers or having a better selection of microbrews?

I’m not a genius. I attended Cal State Northridge not MIT. My feeble mind could never conceive a complex system of algorithms and scientific principles to extract empirical data that shows exactly who the best fan friendly franchises are.

In the end, I only look at wins and losses.

What an idiot I am.

How foolish to think that fans are happier when their team wins as opposed to when their stadium vendors offer family packages that include nachos, corn dogs and soda. Perhaps if Al Davis were to put a pirate ship in the Black Hole or had a mountain with cascading waterfalls in the parking lot - as the top ranked Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim do - then he would see happier fans in the stands.

I guess all those years when Cowboy fans were showing up to that dump of a stadium to watch Tom Landry and Jimmy Johnson hoist Lombardi trophies that they were secretly miserable because their seats did not have cup holders.

No, I’m clearly as naïve a fan as there is.

I’m always begging Al Davis for a winner instead of a massage parlor in Oakland Coliseum.

Maybe one day I’ll be smart enough to realize that having team organized autograph sessions with practice squad scrubs is more important than a team I can be proud of.

Until then, I’ll just have to hope that ESPN shines its light on our poor little team once we install a megaplex complete with churro vendors and a laser light show.

You hit the nail on the head Disney. Al Davis is an owner that loves his team too much. Why couldn’t he be like Donald Sterling, the man whose franchise sits at the bottom of your list?

Trust me when I say this: Winning cures all. I’ll be more than happy watching a winning team play in a low rent stadium with high ticket prices than a losing team play in the Mall of America with discount corporate rates.

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Tom Cable has a problem on his hands. He’s got three very talented running backs with three very different skill sets and just one pigskin to go around.

On paper, the Oakland Raiders have weapons on offense that might have caused former president George W. Bush to declare anyone wearing silver and black as a domestic terrorist.

From the WMD attached to JaMarcus Russell’s right arm to the Lester Hayes stickum hands of Zach Miller, the 2009 Raiders could be an offensive juggernaut.

The truth is that the road to offensive dominance will be paved by the likes of Samson Satele and Mario Henderson while Justin Fargas, Michael Bush and Darren McFadden will be responsible for a smooth ride to the end zone.

The question is how will Coach Cable’s play calling be able to utilize three backs capable of joining the thousand yard club?

Young Hugg in action

To begin, one must start with the last member of the Raider 1,000-yard rushing club, Justin Fargas. Any Raider fan who doesn’t appreciate Fargas is either a closet Chief fan or just knows nothing about football. Justin plays with a reckless abandon every time he touches the rock. When Cable tells Fargas to run through a wall, you feel bad for the bricks he’s about to destroy. With the emergence of Bush and the addition of McFadden it would seem that Young Hugg is on the outside looking in. While he won’t get 25 touches unless there are injuries, he’s still a great guy to either start a series with or to spell tired legs. As far as I’m concerned, it is still his job to lose.

The Louisville Slugger

Next we have the Michael Bush dilemma. He finished last season with that 177-yard effort that took an NFL check out of the hands of Chucky. This guy could honestly crank out a 1,000-yard season with only 15 touches a game.  He’s got that kind of talent and he just might be the best of the three runners. The best example of how he should be utilized with the other runners was the game in Kansas City last year. After Fargas left the game with a groin injury, McFadden got the bulk of the carries while Bush ended the game. Whenever McFadden would break for a good gain, Bush would come in and punish the winded defense until the 4^th quarter came around and Bush finally took the air out of Arrowhead with a 32-yard scamper to the end zone. He’s the hammer. The guy who makes the defense roll their eyes as they’re bent over gasping for breath. As I see it, he should get a few touches in the first half but Cable should keep him fresh for the 4^th quarter. Imagine having a lead and a ready-to-go Michael Bush late in a game.

Run-DMC

Among the many problems that the 2008 edition of the Raiders suffered from was a red zone offense that produced results only the 2006 Raiders would envy. Enter Darren McFadden. If he’s healthy in 2009, McFadden could be the best red zone weapon in the NFL. Yeah, I just said that. See his two touchdown performance in Denver last year. Both TDs were just from one yard out and it was against the lowly Donkey D, but his presence from 20 yards and in is undeniable. McFadden’s talents open up the entire playbook for Cable and help him in solving his issues with finding carries for three runners. DMC can be used as a wide receiver, he can take snaps under center and he can tote the pill out of the back field. He can share field time with both Bush and Fargas while making their lives easier when used as a decoy. To me, the offense must be built around McFadden. I’m not saying that he should get the majority of the carries. I’m just saying that he’s the one guy you can’t afford to not find creative ways to get the ball in his hands.

Fargas is best utilized on early downs just to help establish the run, McFadden is the all-purpose talent who must be involved heavily in order to keep the defense honest and Bush is the closer.

Seems simple enough, right?

It is foolish to anticipate these running backs remaining healthy for the entire season. Expect an ever changing playbook depending on both health and match ups.

Having three talented backs is a problem only if they don’t believe in the system in place or if there are no results to justify sharing the ball.

Tom Cable might have a problem, but it’s a welcome one when you’re still brining along a young quarterback and are trying to reverse a losing culture.  

Now, we just need a nickname for this trio. Any suggestions?

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Today on ESPN’s Jim Rome is Burning, Kirk Morrison delivered a dagger to the hearts of bloggers and sports talk radio hosts nationwide by proclaiming JaMarcus Russell as the leader of the Oakland Raiders.

The statement is in stark contrast to many of the reports and articles written about Russell recently with the newest issue revolving around Russell’s absence from the final day of the last OTA.

Keyshawn Johnson was filling in for a vacationing Jim Rome and did his best to give Morrison every opportunity to stir the pot and each time Morrison proved to be every bit the professional that Meshawn never was.

When Johnson attempted to get a laugh out of Morrison for the Darrius Heyward-Bey and Michael Mitchell selections, Morrison quickly reminded Key that he was a former third round pick who proved his worth in the NFL. Kirk went on to explain that both of the newest Raiders arrive with a chip on their shoulder and are eager to disprove the criticism.

Morrison keeps it real

When Johnson argued that Tom Cable only led the Raiders to 4 wins in 12 games last season, Morrison interjected that Cable got the team on track by season’s end including that dramatic victory over a Tampa Bay team seeking a playoff berth.

Perhaps Keyshawn was just trying to get a ratings spike in Rome’s absence but in the end he looked like a novice show host who offered very little insight and only made Raider fans even more proud to have #52 wearing silver and black.

Morrison is in a contract year so he was asked the obligatory question of what his future plans are. A Bay Area native, Morrison expressed his desire to remain in Oakland while being quick to go to the “this is a business” card.

With all the money committed to Nnamdi Asomugha, JaMarcus Russell and a looming contractual hold out for Mario Henderson, it would appear that keeping Morrison in the fold will take some very creative accounting. At the end of the day, much will be decided by how the team performs in 2009.

While Johnson’s feeble attempts to get a sound bite from Morrison were sophomoric at best, Raider fans should be nervous about Keyshawn’s assessment of Heyward-Bey. After all, who better than Keyshawn would know more about being the first receiver picked in the draft and becoming a bust?

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The ball is in your court, Coach Cable.

You spent the free agency period convincing Al Davis to sign offensive linemen. You didn’t bat an eye when Mr. Davis dialed you and uttered three nouns - “Darrius Heyward-Bey“. You inherited Justin Fargas, Darren McFadden and Michael Bush. Any one of those aforementioned runners would be an upgradge for most NFL teams, having all three is a luxury. When you were introduced as the newest head coach of the Oakland Raiders you proclaimed to the world that you would be calling the plays despite that fact that Paul Hackett and Ted Tollner - two former offensive coordinators - were on your coaching staff.

Now, Raider Nation eagerly anticipates your next move with all the pieces laid out on the checkered board.

Some say that Darren McFadden should be the lynchpin. Others argue that Michael Bush is the key to success. Many see JaMarcus Russell and Zach Miller as the keys to unlocking a dynamic offense.

Cable's in Charge

The $64,000 question is what will define your offense, Coach Cable?

We all know that John Marshall shoulders a great burden and your success is linked directly to his. But you’re the man calling the shots. You’re the president with one sweaty finger hovering just above that ominous red button. 

Many have wondered if you are a marionette being manipulated by the man upstairs.  Some of us hear the gust of the Autumn Wind whenever you speak. Whatever the case is, you’ll be judged by your wins and losses and not your personality.

We don’t care if you have to scold JaMarcus by giving the playbook to Jeff Garcia. If keeping a clipboard in Garcia’s hand all season while giving him the best seat in the house to watch Russell pitch the rock is the best bet. So be it.

All we want is a team we can be proud of and results that cannot be ignored.

Plain and simple: We want wins.

So, Coach Cable, since this is your offense and you so boldly said that we were going to see the Silver and Black playing in January, we want to know how you’re going to manage an arsenal that has Mike Martz  busting out the baby oil.

I’m not trying to call you out. I’m just trying to keep you honest.

For the record: We all like you. You have all the qualities that we Raider Faithful believe in. The team responded to you when no group of millionaires who value vacation time over pain would have ever considered laying it on the line against Houston or in Tampa. While the world laughed as you threw DeAngelo Hall out of the locker room, we sat patiently and awaited the bigger picture to reveal itself.

Now, as a nation, we have but one question.

What will define your offense, Coach Cable?

We’ve suffered through the bed and breakfast offense of 2006 that made Randy Moss look like Randy Quaid. You might think our standards are lowered but in fact quite the opposite. There are three Lombardis that force us to expect much more. This is not San Diego. Simply getting to the playoffs is not enough. However, just being able to cheer in January is a great start.

Again, I ask you, Tom Cable. What will define your offense? 

You alluded to a return to the vertical game. Now you have three receivers that run like the wind and range from 5′11″ to 6′3″.

No more excuses!

This is your offense and you’re gambling with our team; time to put up or shut up.

We look forward to the sneak preview against the Cowboys on Thursday, August 13^th.

P.S. - Some of us still can’t get over that fake field goal against Kansas City. We appreciate the moxie but please don’t ever ask a 260 pound kicker who runs a 6.5 second 40 to tote the pill.

After seeing how much money Al Davis was willing to commit to Nnamdi Asomugha, ultra successful used car salesman Drew Rosenhaus decided to get a pony into the Oakland sweepstakes as well.

Super Mario hires a Super Agent, time to ca$h in

Rosenhaus made the announcement on Twitter that he has agreed to represent Oakland Raider left tackle Mario Henderson.

We are pleased to announce that we have signed Mario Henderson, starting left tackle of the Oakland Raiders as a new client.

Mario is a rising star at his position and we are excited to work with him. He is a FSU alum and played high school ball in Fort Myers.

(I love how Rosenhaus gives a shout-out to the city of Fort Myers, Florida, as if he’s trying to plant a demon seed in the mind of some freakishly athletic 12-year that might be living in Lee County)

Henderson inherited the starting left tackle position in 2008 after Kwame Harris was unable to stay healthy, remember a snap count or actually block anybody. Mario played well enough at the end of the season that head coach Tom Cable and offensive line guru Jim Michalczik stayed away from drafting a left tackle in a class with a plethora of talent at the position. The Raider brain trust instead opted to lean on Henderson and sign Khalif Barnes to keep Mario honest.

Henderson was a third round pick in an outstanding 2007 Raider class that includes JaMarcus Russell, Zach Miller, Johnnie Lee Higgins and Michael Bush.

With two years remaining on his rookie deal, expect Rosenhaus to play hardball with the Raider front office should his client continue the solid play he displayed at the end of ‘08. Franchise left tackles are a premium in the NFL and the Raiders are already behind the eight ball no thanks to supposed left tackle turned stand out guard Robert Gallery. Don’t be surprised if Rosenhaus uses Gallery’s rookie contract as leverage and don’t be surprised if camera crews catch Henderson doing pushups on his front lawn as he performs a contract hold out in 2010.

From a career perspective, this is a great move for Henderson. From a fan perspective, this is bad news for Raider Nation.

My question is, what will Drew advise his client to do if the Raiders are unwilling to renegotiate his deal at the end of 2009?

We know exaclty how Rosenhaus will answer that and any other question.

Trust me, this will get ugly.

The OTAs have come and gone. Now, we’re all just waiting until training camp starts in July for our next serious Raider fix.

Here are a few of my takes on what has transpired during the OTAs.

JaMarcus is making progress

JaMarcus Russell’s progress - Depending on who you ask, Russell either looked like he was taking one giant step towards Ryan Leaf status or he was slowly progressing into the team leader Tom Cable challenged him to be. There is not a more galvanizing member of the Raiders than JaMarcus. Either you believe Jeff Garcia was brought in to mentor Russell or to take his job. I don’t want to go Allen Iverson and belittle practice, but Russell looked great at the end of last season and if he had a couple bad practices in May (while learning yet another offense), so what? According to most reports, he looked better in the last few OTAs and he’s supposedly going to be holding private practices with his receivers between now and training camp.

My take: JaMarcus is young; he’s going to make mistakes, Raider fans have to be patient, the guy turns 24 in a few months. He has been at every OTA (only missing a couple days with an excused absence) and he’s doing all the right things. Even if Cable is forcing him to act like a franchise QB at least he’s buying-in and not throwing a Jay Cutler fit.

Darrius Heyward- Bey’s hamstring - He was the talk of the draft and he’s since done little to dispel the early “bust” talk. DHB has missed his share of the offseason workouts with a tight hammy and he notoriously dropped three straight passes before the first time his hamstring flared up. It is way too early to start the “I told ya so” anthem. We all knew that DHB was going to be a project. He got a taste of the NFL when Nnamdi Asomugha showed up and locked him down so Darrius knows he has work to do. Known as hard worker at Mayrland, Heyward-Bey should bounce back strong come July…that is if he’s under contract.

My take: I can’t pretend that it is not little troublesome that he seems to already have a nagging injury. Last thing we want is to see our top pick spend the season slowed by injuries ala Darren McFadden in ‘08. At the same time, DHB is not under contract and the Raiders have yet to even contact his agent. Cable and company could just be protecting their investment by having him sit. Again, you’ll have to give this kid time. There really isn’t any reason to panic at this point.

Michael Mitchell and the rest of the safeties - The most infamous pick of the ‘09 draft didn’t participate in many of the OTAs due to NFL rules (he was still in school in Ohio). When Mitchell did show up it was reported that one of the coaches had to tell him to tone it down a little in practice. Tyvon Branch and Hiram Eugene played with the first team most often while Michael Huff was a no-show at the last OTA. Huff looks all but done leaving the door wide open for Mitchell.

My take: No telling how Mitchell will react once he gets his first taste of the NFL in a actual game but I’ve got to admit his highlight reel combined with his “let me at ‘em” attitude in an OTA has me fired up. Perhaps he’ll be no better than Gibril Wilson in pass coverage but I don’t think its coincidence that Brandon Marshall wants out of the AFC West now that he knows there’s a hitter waiting for him in Oakland.

Blitzes!!!! - That’s right! John Marshall is using his defense to occasionally blitz and put pressure on the QB. Was this just show for May and June?

My take: When Cable said the defense wouldn’t be much different than last year, I cringed. When I heard that Marshall was blitzing in OTAs, I cheered. If he can keep Tommy Kelly from jumping offsides, I’ll be on board with Marshall. For now, this is a good sign that he’s shaking things up a little, even if its doing something as obvious as blitzing.

What to do with Javon Walker? - He was the worst free agent signing of ‘08 and now he’s looking like a bigger waste of space than Euro Disney. Walker had a secret knee surgery this offseason and did not participate in a single OTA. He restructured his deal because he knew it was the only way he’d still be collecting an NFL check.

My take: The time has come to end this debacle. Cut Walker and just pony up whatever he’s owed. Chaz Schilens has looked great and he’s poised to breakout. Walker is a veteran but he’s not the mentoring type. I say drop Javon and bring in Bay Area Native Amani Toomer to work with Johnnie Lee Higgins, Schilens, DHB and Louis Murphy.

One final thought on Russell and Jeff Garcia - This is the biggest hot button issue of the offseason. To me, there is no quarterback controversy. The Raiders drafted DHB and are opening the playbook in order to bring back the vertical passing game. Garcia might be more “ready-to-play” but he’s not the thrower you want in a vertical game. He’s gone out of his way to let the world know he doesn’t want to be a mentor and he was a no show at a few of the sessions. Russell has been putting in the work, he’s giving the company lines and he’s stayed around the facility this offseason.

My final take: Even if Garcia looked better in OTAs, he still has not done enough to earn any consideration for the starting job. If JaMarcus looks like Rex Grossman or Matt Leinart in the preseason we’ll revisit this, until then, this Russell’s team and he should be given every chance despite a few bad throws in May.

Will Ellis force out Burgess?

Numerous outlets are reporting that the Oakland Raiders have signed former Dallas Cowboy Greg Ellis to a three year deal.

Much of the speculation revolves around what the rumored arrival of Ellis means not only to Oakland’s plans for the defensive end turned linebacker but also to trade bait incumbent starter Derrick Burgess.

Ellis was selected eighth overall in the 1998 draft and played defensive end for the Cowboys for the first eight years of his career. When Dallas made the shift to the 3-4, the former North Carolina Tar Heel was moved to outside linebacker. In 2006, Ellis played in only nine games after suffering an Achilles injury but earned the NFL’s comeback player of the year award and a trip to Honolulu in 2007.

Since John Marshall is content on staying the course of the 4-3 - despite the recent AFC West trend of running a 3-4 - it would appear that Ellis will be playing end instead of linebacker in Oakland. The next step could be the trade rumors of Derrick Burgess finally coming to fruition. 

Burgess is in a contract year, but has seen a steady decline in production, due mainly to injuries, since his 2005 Pro Bowl campaign when he led the NFL in sacks.

Both Ellis and Burgess will be celebrating birthdays in August, with Ellis turning 34 and Burgess being the younger of the two by three years.

Before anyone in the front office considers moving Burgess out of Oakland, a few things should be considered. To begin with, Burgess is in a contract year and both his trade value and price tag could increase with a bounce back performance in 2009. Ellis was cut loose by Dallas after the Cowboys added new linebackers through free agency and he asked to be traded. The Cowboys clearly found no value on the market for Greg, thus his release was the only option. At 34, the best years are behind Ellis and trading Burgess would most likely only yield a couple of late round draft picks.

All in all, the arrival of Greg Ellis would benefit the Raiders most by keeping Burgess in the fold to further inspire Tom Cable’s approach to building strength through competition. Budding second year end Trevor Scott is poised to establish himself as a starter but having two veterans on the roster will keep the competition healthy, adds depth and provides versatility as Burgess is not an every down player and Ellis is capable of playing multiple positions.

That 53 man roster in Oakland is getting tougher to make by the day. Just the way that Cable likes it.

Here’s a little Raider food for thought to get you through the weekend.

Enjoy!

The Vick Question - David White of the SF Chronicle offers four good reasons why Mike Vick will not be a Raider

Raider Special Teams  Committed to returning to Excellence - Patrick Patterson Examines the best special teams unit in the NFL

The Raiders’ Unstoppable Rushing Attack - A good read on Bleacher Report that not only dissects the Raider running backs but also offers a nice nickname for the Fargas, Bush, McFadden trio: “Triple Thunder”

Kirk Morrison to Answer Fan Questions - Got a question you’d like to ask Oakland’s native son? E-mail him through Raiders.com