Archive for May, 2009

This is a question I never wanted to ponder, but the similarities are just all too familiar. Mind you, I’m a life long Raider fan so it pains me to even consider that our proud franchise has slid into a six year rut equivalent to the evolving train wreck that is the New York Knicks. However, I must admit that there are some very scary signs that indicate our beloved Silver and Black are keeping company with that Orange and Blue disaster on the East Coast. Examine for yourself. Patrick Ewing and Tim Brown: Mirror Images – Both Brown and [...]

JaMarcus Russell is finally getting a taste of what it means to play quarterback in the NFL. Every quarterback in pro football receives criticism for their on field performance. Mondays are filled with armchair quarterbacks across the United States taking shots at every signal caller from Peyton Manning on down to Sage Rosenfels. However, when you’re expected to be the face of the franchise – as JaMarcus is – criticism is not limited to what occurs between the lines alone. In the modern age dominated by the media, nothing goes unnoticed. JaMarcus shows up in a few pictures snapped at [...]

  For those of you who do not enjoy the NBA, I apologize as this reference is certainly lost on you. For those members of Raider Nation who are Golden State Warrior fans…well, I just feel sorry for you. If you’re not familiar with Los Angeles Laker small forward Trevor Ariza, do yourself a favor and watch him play when you get a chance. He is exactly the type of player the Oakland Raiders are badly in need of. Ariza is not a great player. He’s not ever going to be made into a puppet for the sake of selling [...]

If you listen intently enough you can hear the winds of fear howling in the distance. Each day a mighty storm builds momentum off the Northern California coastline. Most estimates predict the terrible system will touch down in Oakland sometime in early September. At the conclusion of the 2008 season there was a wave of euphoria that swept over the city of Oakland. The storm that brought Chucky down from his perch atop Raymond James Stadium seems to have traveled the globe in just five short months. This time, the storm seeks to devour the hearts of the same Raider [...]

Amid all the hyperbolic talk of the Oakland Raiders being led to the edge of irrelevancy like lemmings by owner Al Davis is an obvious fact hiding in plain sight: The Raiders are very profitable. Among all the NFL franchises, very few have the worldwide exposure of the Raiders. It is safe to say that there are more Raider fans in England than there are Houston Texan fans in the United States. Davis is unlike any owner in all of professional sports. His football roots give him a perspective no other millionaire turned sports fanatic can match. Jerry Jones was [...]

Six years since the last Super Bowl appearance and we’re now half way to becoming the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the 1980′s. A streak of 11 losses or more since 2003 has left Raider fans with a Rich Gannon hang over and a Tom Cable sized headache. As it stands, the greatest mind in the history of football – Al Davis – is betting the franchise on the arm of JaMarcus Russell, the legs of Darren McFadden, the hands of Darrius Heyward-Bey and the heart of Nnamdi Asomugha. Aside from Asomugha, the rest of the aforementioned anatomy is in question. [...]

If you’re keeping count, Javon Walker is now the second Oakland Raider to have a secret surgery this off-season. This was the news today as reported by David White of the SF Chronicle. White has been Twittering all day long at the first day of a mandatory mini-camp, giving obsessive Raider fans their first real fix of 2009. Not that there isn’t enough ammo in the gun ready to fire Javon Walker, there are reports that the Oakland Raiders have signed former Chief wide receiver Samie Parker. Including first round pick Darrius Heyward-Bey and fourth round selection Louis Murphy, the Raiders [...]

It has been rumored for the last two weeks and now the news has been broken by Oakland Raider beat writer David White of the San Francisco Chronicle via Twitter of all things. According to the aforementioned White and Jerry McDonald of the Contra Costa Times, the Oakland Raiders have added fullback Lorenzo Neal to the roster. Neal, a former Fresno State Bulldog and central California native, is a four time pro-bowler and has made his mark in the NFL as a top tier blocker for no less than five different 1,000-yard rushers. Lorenzo spent last season in Baltimore backing [...]

Perhaps you’ve seen those commercials for Dos Equis beer that feature The Most Interesting Man in the World. Think of the music for those ads and read the following paragraph…  An NFL head coach has compared him to Jack Tautm and Ronnie Lott. When his name was announced in the second round of the draft, it caused more of a commotion than the selection the Oakland Raiders made in the first round. If you think Darrius Heyward-Bey was the biggest surprise of day one, then you most also think that Godfather III is the best film Francis Ford Coppola ever directed. [...]

The Oakland Raiders are to blame for the burgeoning swine flu pandemic. Those horrific business practices of Al Davis have ultimately led to the disbanding of the major U.S. automakers. That’s right! All of the world’s problems can be traced directly to the door step of Al Davis and his cohort Tom Cable. Exhibit A: The Raiders selecting Darrius Heyward-Bey over Michael Crabtree ESPN’s draft coverage missed the moment when Al Davis and Tom Cable each took turns using Mel Kiper’s mock draft as toilet paper. Never one to do what is best for his franchise, Mr. Davis decided that [...]