My heart broke in two for the faithful supporters of such storied franchises. I hate to see true fans have their loyalty treated like Marcellus Wallace as their front office plays the role of the Gimp.

Necessity makes for some strange bed fellows, I suppose.

The greatest used car salesman of our generation, Drew Rosenhaus, has duped one of the great owners in the history of sports, Ralph Wilson.

Rosenhaus told the world his client was being pursued by “multiple teams”. Now that his client has signed a one year deal with a team that finished last in its division, we know that those other teams must have been the Toronto Argonauts and the Frankfurt Galaxy.

As I write this, Bills fans are making their peace with the fact that Terrell Owens will be playing within a dropped balls’ reach of the hallowed “Wall of Fame“.

O.J. Simpson, James Lofton, Bruce Smith, Jim Kelly, Thurman Thomas, Terrell Owens.

Suddenly O.J. looks more inviting than T.O.

Ralph Wilson is caught between a rock and an economic crisis. He wants to win first, but needs to assure fans in Upstate New York that they’ll have professional football for generations to come.

T.O. will increase ticket sales, no doubt. The price of popcorn just doubled in Orchard Park. 

Since he only has a one-year deal, I’m willing to bet that Owens will keep his mouth shut and play ball in 2009.

Make no mistake though; T.O. is in Buffalo for T.O.’s wallet just like Brett Favre was in New York for Brett Favre’s legacy and nothing else. Owens knows that having a monster season in 2009 will equal more dollars in 2010. 

During his introductory press conference, Owens was asked what his locker room demeanor would be like.

His response?

“I’m going to be the same person here that I was in Dallas the last three years.”

Ouch!

That “same person” went from being a ticket to the Super Bowl to excess baggage in three years in Dallas.

Make no mistake – as a Raider fan – I let out a huge sigh of relief when I saw Owens sporting a Bills cap. That doesn’t mean that I don’t feel bad for the good fans in Buffalo.

In the modern NFL, anything is possible.

Let’s be honest though. The arrival of a diminished Owens is not going to tip the scales of power in the top heavy AFC.

Trent Edwards is still Trent Edwards. He is not going to undergo some Kafkaesque metamorphosis over night and become Peyton Manning now that he has a diva demanding the ball as his teammate.

My Raiders don’t play the Bills in 2009 and unless fate brings us together in the playoffs, I’ll root for your team every week because you deserve better than Terrell Owens.

Asomugha was a Raider when he went to bed last night and he’ll still be a Raider tomorrow while he eats his breakfast and reads the morning paper.

The ink is dry on a lucrative deal. Now let the debate begin.

For the average fan who only watches ESPN highlights, it is hard to grasp why a man who has managed just two interceptions in the last two seasons could be worth up to $50 million over the next three years.

Nnamdi Asomugha is to the sports media what soccer is to the American public: They just don’t get it. 

He is revered by those who play the game and is appreciated only by fans who understand the complexities football. Highlight reels of high school running backs will be viewed on You Tube more often than his exploits, yet offensive coordinators will spend more time watching Oakland Raiders game tape in order to develop a game plan that avoids him.

Try wrapping your head around the concept of a cornerback who has played for a franchise whose record is 24-72 since he has been on their roster,  yet is now worth the type of money  that Peyton Manning or Tom Brady will be making. While countless Americans are losing their jobs with each passing day in a dying economy, the sports world is only raising the bar and Asomugha is only raising his game.

Nnamdi has earned every penny that he has been promised. He has worked hard to become the best in his profession. When it was his time to cash in, he did not yell at his coordinator on the sideline and then take his contract negations to the media. There was never a public demand for a trade nor was there ever an attempt to use another team’s offer as leverage. Instead, a company man gave the company line and will now go to back work in the same office.

While Julius Peppers and Anquan Boldin grabbed the headlines, Nnamdi let his agent do the talking. The details of his contract aren’t even exact. One source states he has a six year deal, while another reports it as only three. After two years, he cannot be given the dreaded franchise tag and is to be paid a salary comparable to the NFL’s golden boys, yet he’ll most likely never receive a deal to endorse credit cards or sports drinks. The language of this contract is vague. The full contractual details, I’m sure, will be revealed sooner than A-Rod will tell the whole truth. But Asomugha will never be as infamous or noteworthy as a baseball player who smuggles steroids and lies to protect his millions. Nnamdi is the Bill Gates of sports: Filthy rich, yet incredibly humble.

Yes, this is indeed a modern conundrum. Why would a man with so much skill commit to a team with so much woe? Why would a team in one of the smaller sports markets be so ready to hand out millions in such uncertain times? How can a player with only two interceptions in the last two years be worth more than the receivers he is paid to keep out of the end zone and who surely sell more tickets and merchandise than him?

As many questions as there are, they will only have one answer: Because he’s worth it. That is not easy to comprehend, but it is true.

On the field, he is every bit the genius that Peyton Manning is and is an athlete that rivals Larry Fitzgerald’s ability. Off the field, he is as presidential as Barack Obama and is as thoughtful as Cornel West. Truly he is as brilliant as any of his fellow noteworthy alumnus from the University of California, Berkeley.

So before all the talk begins, I’d like to go on the record and say that in a world gone mad where we value entertainment over education, finally we have an athlete that is truly worth the money.

Congratulations Nnamdi! Now all you need is a Super Bowl ring to accompany your bust in Canton.

Al Davis has shown us that he still has a sharp eye for talent by unearthing gems such as Michael Bush (4^th round, 2007), Justin Fargas (3^rd round, 2003), Mario Henderson (3^rd round, 2007), Johnnie Lee Higgins (3^rd round, 2007) and Kirk Morrison (3^rd round, 2005).

However, we’re still waiting on Robert Gallery, JaMarcus Russell and Darren McFadden to become the cornerstones of the franchise and lead the Raider Rebirth.

Immediate position needs:

OT – Gallery seems to have finally found a place where he is comfortable after being moved from tackle to guard last season and Mario Henderson looked very good when taking over at left tackle late in the season. Kwame Harris appears to be another free agent signing gone bad and the only way I can explain Cornell Green still starting at right tackle is that he must have some pretty nasty photos of Al Davis. You can be sure that getting a tackle with the #7 pick in the draft will be a serious consideration.

C - Jake Grove has voided his contract and will test the free agent market leaving the Raiders with an immediate need to address the loss of a starter on the O-line. Grove has showed some real talent but has also missed his share of games due to injury over the years.

WR – The Raider receiving core was a mess last season. Javon Walker was given a contract worth $50 million, had to be talked out of retirement and then went out and caught only 15 balls before going on IR. Drew Carter was a free agent signing who never made it to the regular season after sustaining a serious knee injury. Ron Curry should have been the top target for Russell but never emerged as the reliable receiver we had hope he’d become and his Raider days appear over. Johnnie Lee Higgins, who led all Raider wide outs with 22 grabs, and Chaz Schilens both showed a lot of promise late in the year. Schilens could be another gem. The former San Diego State Aztec was a 7^th round pick who stands 6’4″ and can run like the wind.  Al’s glowing review of Higgins and Schilens combined with Zach Miller’s emergence as a future Pro Bowler at tight end could mean that the Raiders will be staying the course at receiver.

DT – The Raider run defense was nonexistent last season ranking 31^st in the NFL. It goes without saying that stopping the run starts up front with the big guys. Terdell Sands put his fist to the face of Shane Lechler and might now be putting his walking shoes on to hit the pavement. Gerard Warren has never become the dominant defensive force in the league that he looked like in college. There is a very definite chance that this could be a need addressed in the first round. We’ll know more after the combine.

OLB – Kirk Morrison and Thomas Howard are the fastest linebacker duo in the NFL and are capable of being dominant if given some help from the D-line. Morrison’s coverage skills could be batter suited to move him to the outside position instead of in the middle, but rest assured that the Raiders will need to get a new linebacker one way or another to be added to the Morrison and Howard combo.

Concerns going forward:

CB – The Nnamdi Asomugha saga has been the topic of national debate with every team in the league licking their chops at the thought of a shut down corner hitting the free agent market. The smart money is on Nnamdi getting the franchise tag for 2009, but beyond that, his Raider future is very much up in the air.

S – Michael Huff has just not  lived up to the expectations that have come with being a top 10 draft pick. He is an amazing athlete but has been unable to grasp all the responsibilities of being the last line of defense in the NFL. He could be a better fit as a nickel corner, but his future is in doubt amid reports he will be given his out right release. Tyvon Branch was another great find in the 4^th round last year and were it not for injures, his rookie season had the looks of being a breakout. Branch was a corner at Connecticut, but he played some safety last year and could be the opening day starter alongside Gibril Wilson.

P – It is not often that you would address the need for a punter in the draft, but the possibility of losing Shane Lechler is looming larger with each passing day. Lechler is, statistically, the best punter in the history of pro football. His scuffle with Terdell Sands has become the best reason for the speculation of his possible exodus.

DE – Derrick Burgess has been saddled with injuries the past two seasons. It was not long ago he was the most dangerous pass rusher in the league but now is showing the wear and tear of 9 seasons in the NFL.

All in all, this young Raider team is not that far away from being much more competitive. The end of the 2008 season showed a lot of what is possible and the ever changing face of the AFC West has even sparked some hope of a return to the playoffs. One thing is clear, the 2009 draft is crucial to this team’s future. I hope that Al Davis is paying close attention to every detail in Indianapolis this week.