Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

Yesterday the Oakland Raiders showed Raider Nation that despite the struggles of this season that they are indeed still committed to excellence. Not only is that good news for football’s most faithful fans but it was also a relief for long snapper extraordinaire Jon Condo.

Prior to Oakland’s 15-0 ownership of the rival Kansas City Chiefs Condo was presented with the Commitment to Excellence Award. Recent winners include Nnamdi Asomugha, Justin Fargas (twice) and Rock Cartwright. The award is voted on by the players themselves and is given each year to the Raider who best exemplifies what the franchise represents and stands for.

Of course these days you’d have to take a microscope to the game tape in order to find anything closely resembling a commitment to excellence. Thankfully we saw plenty of that commitment yesterday. Hopefully that continues regardless of the opponent going forward.

Before the start of the 2012 season there were few outside of Raider Nation familiar with Condo. Sure, he’s a Pro Bowler and recognized as the best in the biz at what he does. It’s just that you almost never see highlights or discussions of long snappers on ESPN. The Raiders infamous loss on the Monday Night opener this season not only put in perspective how vital a good long snapper is but showed the world how valuable Condo is once he left that game with a concussion and the wheels came off on Oakland’s punting plays.

So congrats to Condo for the honor! It is well deserved for a man that has maximized his talents, worked diligently on his craft and has become the best at what he does. What’s more committed than that?

Jason O. Watson-US PRESSWIRE

In the history of football only one man is even worth mentioning in the same paragraph as Shane Lechler. Unfortunately for Super Shane his legacy seems forever linked to Ray Guy as both men will no doubt find themselves consoling one another each year the Hall of Fame vote opens up.

Such is the life of an NFL punter. Until you get to see a stud like Lechler do his thing every Sunday it is hard to appreciate the position.

Statistically Lechler is the greatest punter in NFL history. The last three seasons have only solidified that the argument for greatest punter ever is an all silver and black conversation.

In 2011 Lechler averaged an astounding 50.8 yards per punt, the second time in three years he’s eclipsed the 50-yard barrier. That helped the Raiders in their special team takeover of the Pro Bowl with Lechler, Sebastian Janikowski and long snapper Jon Condo all earning a Hawaiian vacation. That was the good news for the 7-time Pro Bowler and 6-time All-Pro punter.

The bad news was that two of Lechler’s kicks were returned for touchdowns, a feat that only occurred twice before 2011. Another bitter-sweet occurrence for Lechler is his reduced workload.

Thanks to Oakland’s improved offense Lechler is seeing fewer opportunities to make the entire football world pause and look to the sky. After consecutive years of 90+ punts in 2008 and 2009 Shane hasn’t gotten off more than 78 kicks in 2010 and 2011. But that’s actually good news for the Raiders.

In 2012 the hope is that Lechler’s mega-leg will become the ultimate weapon. If the Raiders can get their defense on par with the offense then Lechler’s bombs will be even more deadly. Having a great punter is the ultimate luxury in football as booming kicks combined with a stifling defense can giftwrap the field position battle to a team with a weapon like Lechler.

Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-US PRESSWIRE

Let it be known that if you’re got a true skill you’ll always be able to find work in the National Football League. Just ask Jon Condo who’s made a career as a long snapper.

By no means is Condo’s job glamorous in any way. The only time anyone ever notices a long snapper is when something goes horribly wrong. Otherwise it’s among the most invisible jobs in all of sports. But Condo doesn’t need to apologize for his important yet overlooked line of work. His millions in the bank are more than enough recognition along being the rarest of all football rarities – a long snapper with job security.

The general public might not know much about Condo but football minds certainly do. That’s why he’s been to the Pro Bowl twice in the last three years. Condo is also among the reasons why the Raiders have the best special teams in the league.

If there is some concern for Condo it’s got to be his future as a Raider. Reggie McKenzie isn’t in the scholarship business and Condo has done well for himself living off of a couple nice Al Davis contracts. Currently he’s on the books for two more years but there’s no telling if McKenzie will stay the course. Having a great long snapper is very much a luxury in the NFL and no team has enjoyed that luxury more than the Raiders.