Howard Smith-US PRESSWIRE

I’ve said it just about everyday of my adult life. Timing is everything. I remind myself of that whenever I’m mad at myself for arriving too early and use it as a mantra when I’m running late.

Timing is everything.

For Nnamdi Asomugha his timing couldn’t have been worse from a team standpoint. He arrived in Oakland just in time for the franchise to endure its worst decade ever. Then he managed to jump ship for Philadelphia just in time for the Eagles to endure one of their most disappointing seasons on record.

I’m not going to take any shots and Aso as I still respect him for all he does both on and off the field. However he is severely mislead in thinking expectations are higher in Philly than they are in Oakland.

Asomugha said as much in an interview when he compared the differences between going 8-8 in the East Bay to going 8-8 in Philly.

“It’s true. The 8-8 in Oakland? We were perennially the last team in the AFC West. We would win maybe two games a year or four games a year. When we got to 8-8 and it was like wow! There is so much improvement. You’re not excited you didn’t make the playoffs, but you’re excited that we were moving in the right direction. I love how different that is over here because 8-8 is not acceptable. It doesn’t matter where you have come from. 8-8 should always be we are playing below where we should be playing. Out here that is the mentality. 8-8 shouldn’t be anywhere near what we are thinking. That was great.”

I see the point Nnamdi is trying to make but he’s not seeing the big picture.

The Raiders are a historically great franchise that had fallen on hard times. He just so happened to be around when, yes, 8-8 was truly an improvement. Nobody in Raider Nation was celebrating that our beloved silver and black had reached mediocrity. Quite the opposite, most of us were disappointed that we missed the playoffs these last two years.

As for he Eagles and all their “expectations”, again Aso is slightly confused. You see Raider fans have seen a Super Bowl team or five over the years. Eagle fans…not so much. Nnamdi makes the classic mistake of the modern athlete by confusing media hype with greatness.

The only reasons expectations were so high in Philadelphia is because the front office dropped major cash in free agency then self-glossed with the “dream team” moniker.

And while we’re keeping it real, let’s be honest. Who in their right mind had high expectations with JaMarcus Russell, Aaron Brooks, and Josh McCown calling signals? I would hope Philly fans expect more of a team loaded with talent.

But I digress.

Like Nnamdi’s statement it all comes down to timing. Had he said this before last season then maybe there would have been some merit to his claims. To say so afterwards cheapens what he endured in Oakland while overstating what he’s seen in one season as an Eagle. Then again, if Nnamdi had said 8-8 would be unacceptable before last season then he would have gotten a nice taste of the merciless media in Philly. So I guess in some ways his timing couldn’t have been better…or…worse? Only time will tell.

Those that followed the news today know all too well how the rollercoaster ride went. At one point Nnamdi had three potential suitors, then seemingly none and then there was one “mystery team”. Low and behold Andy Reid drops a bomb on the free agency market.

Losing Asomugha is a crushing blow. Sure, he’s the best cornerback on the planet. Beyond that Nnamdi is one of the best human beings in the NFL. During the worst era in Raiders’ history Asomugha was one of the lone bright spots. His charitable acts off the field mean the East Bay community is losing of its great citizens.
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