That’s right! I’m going Jim Fassel on this one and pushing all my chips into the middle of the table. Nnamdi Asomugha is not going anywhere!

I don’t have a webcam in every locker room like Ed Werder and I don’t have phone taps on every GM like Peter King. All I’ve got on this one is a gambler’s hunch and a fan’s hope. Call me crazy, but I think Asomugha will be a Raider until he retires.

Let me first say that there is not a better corner in the business. I saw Neon Deion play. I’ve seen Rod Woodson. Champ Bailey was the icon of his position for a hot minute, but right here and now, Nnamdi is the best there is and before it is all said and done we’ll be making a case for him being the best ever. So maybe I’m a little jaded and don’t want to lose the next Raider Hall of Famer, but guys like him don’t leave the job when there is still work to be done.

He has been the only reason to take pride in what has been the worst stretch in franchise history, which to me speaks volumes of not only his talent, but also his character.

Consider the fact that teams won’t even risk tossing the rock in his direction any more. It’s as if every offensive coordinator in the league tells his QB to find where Asomugha is and then imagine Rosie O’Donnell is doing jumping jacks nude on that side of the field. Would you look to that side of the field? I’ve seen him turn the likes of Steve Smith, Andre Johnson and Torry Holt into nothing more than sprinters who run as hard as they can when the ball is snapped and then just trot back to the huddle hoping to one day see a football again. He’s that good.

What’s even rarer than his talent and dedication is his attitude. He is an anomaly in the modern era: a shutdown corner with a humble demeanor and a hunger to get better. The only way I can make you see this would be if you closed your eyes and imagined what T.O. would look like with Peyton Manning’s brain and Ray Lewis’ heart. He’s not a guy who dances down the sideline like Deion or who runs his mouth like DeAngelo Hall. He’s that guy that just lets his game speak, frustrating you with a wry smile and making you doubt your skill with his seemingly effortless grace.

The only evidence I can offer for my theory are his body of work and an innocent quote he made in an interview.

We know he is a hard worker who didn’t just roll out of the womb as a shutdown corner. He’s an athletic freak the likes of which are drawn in vibrant colors and found between the pages of Marvel Comics, this is true. But Nnamdi has worked each year to improve and ensure he gets as few balls thrown his way as possible.

We know he has a desire to be the best. I can’t think of too many guys in the league who would be bringing it every Sunday for a team whose season is over four weeks in every year. He’s a competitor and wants to be a part of something special.

Just before the playoffs started, I saw Nnamdi in an interview with ESPN. They brought him in to ask for his professional opinion about the playoff teams. Nnamdi had the great displeasure of being on a team that lost to 5 playoff teams this year, making him an expert in a Matt Millen sort of way.

After giving his opinion on the playoffs and who would win, the inevitable questions about his future with the Raiders came up. Nnamdi admitted he was tired of the losing and would like a new start, then, with that same smile that drives pro bowl receivers into T.O. like fits, he said, “that doesn’t mean a new start can’t happen here in Oakland”.

Yeah, I sound like the insecure girlfriend clutching to any word that can be misconstrue  as the hope of salvaging a dying relationship, but I don’t think he is giving anybody lip service and he knows what it would mean to his legacy to be a part of the Raider rebirth.

In this business you have to take your paydays when you can, so Asomugha should squeeze every nickel out of that man purse that Al Davis keeps his checkbook in, I have no problem with that at all just so long as he’s wearing Silver and Black and doing his part to keep the Ocho Cincos of the world out of the end zone. So Al Davis will franchise tag him…again…and he’ll make the pro bowl…again. That means it is up to you, Tom Cable, to make him an offer he can’t refuse; the offer to play for a Super Bowl contender.

Chris Shellcroft

To some the term “Myopian” might come as an insult; to me, it is a compliment. Whatever you want to call it, I’ve got a bad case of Raider Myopia.

To further support my self diagnosis, I offer you the following.

I live in Los Angeles and as a result was unable to watch the press conference that just occurred in Oakland to introduce Tom Cable as the new head coach of the Raiders. So what does an Angeleno do when you don’t get local Bay Area channels? Well, that’s when you turn to that handy invention that Al Gore has blessed the world with: the internet.

For the last hour I stared into the 16 inch screen on my laptop, hanging on every word that came from the mouths of Tom Cable and Al Davis, getting my first Raider fix of the new year. I sat with a pen and pad in hand, jotting down notes as if I were a beat writer rushing to make my deadline, when in actuality I’m but a mere blogger with a wireless connection who has no timeline at all. Few will read these words, even less will be able to relate to them.

As a Raider fan, you become accustomed to the constant mockery that comes from the most uninspired of rivals. I’ve been called a “Thug” because of my tattoos, a “Fool” because of my undying trust in Al Davis and a “Myopian” for ‘misplaced optimism’.  These words do no harm to my psyche, in fact, quite the opposite; they inspire me. We are the most infamous fans in all of the sporting world; hovering somewhere between the faith shown only in holy temples and the passion that boils over into soccer hooliganism.

Today my faith was given new life. Through the pixilated hues of my laptop, I gazed into the future of my franchise. I heard the wisdom of the past from Al Davis and I saw a glimpse of the future in Tom Cable. Cable was born to be a Raider, a bay area native who has a true passion for Raider Football, he went as far as to say that the opportunity to become the head coach of the Raiders was, “A childhood dream come true”.

 At the season’s end, Cable patiently waited as Al Davis brought in other candidates to interview for his job. Davis has been called many things, but above all he is loyal. When Tom Cable’s father passed away, out of respect, Al Davis put the coaching search on hold for nearly two weeks. The national media had its share of fun, mocking the length of time it was taking for Mr. Davis to select a coach, when knowing all along that it was going to be Cable who would be walking the sidelines in 2009.  Al Davis, as he likes it, kept all of this quiet. He gave Tom time to be with his family and to bid farewell to his father.

 But today was not just about a dream realized as Cable was quick to make a statement that none of the previous 5 Raider coaches would be so bold as to do.

 ”The Raiders are back. We’re going to be a playoff team and I’m not afraid to say it.” Cable said this in such a matter of fact way that many might question his sanity.

Has he watched this team play the last 6 years? Does he know who his boss is? Whatever you call it, Cable is one of us. He is a Myopian. He speaks to the hearts of Raider Nation.

“It’s all of us against whoever on Sunday” , Cable said  during the conference.

He might not be a poet, but Tom Cable is fluent in a language that the media will never understand, that only those who have ever played the game will truly comprehend and that only the Raider Nation will respond to: The language of football.

Al Davis made it clear that this is Cable’s team. Cable hired the staff and will call the plays. All of Raider Nation is in your hands Tom; lead us to glory and you will become a god of football whose mere name will echo the passion of the sport; like Madden. However, should you let us down your name will become lost in the ever shuffling deck of cards that are Raider coaches these days. 

At one point during the press conference, a reporter stood up and mentioned to Cable that he spoke to the room as if he were talking to his players and not the media, he then proceeded to ask Cable why we should believe things are going to be different around Oakland now that he’s the coach. Tom pondered the question for a moment and responded, “Why should you believe me? Because that’s who I am.” He then fixed his emotionless glare on the reporter and uttered, “I am who I am.”

I am who I am. I am a Raider Myopian.

Chris Shellcroft

I don’t know what it was the Raiders were playing on Thursday in San Diego, but it sure wasn’t NFL football.  The NFL’s most dis-functional franchise (maybe some in Detroit would argue with me on that) isn’t getting any better.  The offense is horrible.  The defense is horrible.  As a fan of the Arizona Cardinals, it was hard to imagine anyone giving them a run for their money on penalties, but I found them.  They play in Oakland.

You’ve got to buy a better backup quarterback than Andrew Walter.  The Raiders would be smart to draft a quarterback in the 2009 NFL Draft.

Anyway, in the meantime, the Raiders are getting everything they deserve right now.  It’s no fun being on the loser side, trust me I have plenty of experience in that.  Until the day Al Davis finally passes though (cause he will never get rid of the team as long as he lives), the Raiders will have a hard time contending in the NFL.

Scott Allen

AZScott