<< John L. Smith, Leader of the Michigan State Implosion Squad | Main | ESPN Can't Find a Comb for Eric Byrnes? >>
I Finally Realized the Painfully ObviousI grew up unintentionally rooting for nearly every team the masses love to hate courtesy of my father's brainwashing. Though a Chiricahua Apache, he was raised an orphan on the Mescalero Reservation and since there was no television, his sports knowledge revolved solely around a couple books an elder let him read about Mickey Mantle, Alabama football, and Jim Thorpe. So when my grandparents adopted him, my Zayde's passions - namely, the Oakland Raiders - became his own. And in the time between his adoption and my birth, my father saw the Silver & Black go to the playoffs ten times, play the chump to the Pittsburgh Steelers three times, and win the Super Bowl twice. Soon after I came along, it was Super Bowl time yet again. Clad in a Jack Tatum onesie, I attended Tampa Stadium with my family and slept soundly while the Raiders completely annihilated the Washington Redskins to win Super Bowl XVIII 38-9. This marks the last time the Oakland Raiders won the Super Bowl. I only wish I'd been old enough to recognize and remember it, as I might live another 150 years and not see us win another. Look, I know - I'm being melodramatic. I've never felt true pain like fans of the Bills, Browns, and other agony-inducing losers. I don't know suffering where the NFL is concerned (you all know about my misery as a tortured England fan). And while these losing years have been irritating, three seasons ago I was skipping practice to attend Super Bowl XXXVII. I have no right to complain. But I'm allowed to make an observation, right? ... and maybe whine a little? Thanks!
The Raiders organization and fanbase have long been under the delusion that this team doesn't rebuild, it reloads. When my dad was first becoming a fan, that was certainly true, but nowadays, that belief is folly. I used to think that Al Davis' decisions were based on misprioritizing wants over needs and that he was only interested in the big splash. But I now see that it's really a case of overconfidence. If you ask him, the Raiders are only a couple players away, and if we can just add those missing cogs to the gear, domination won't be far behind. When you think you're in that situation, there's no reason to consider a rebuilding effort. And I'll give credit where it's due - that formula worked for twenty years, but nowadays, the cost of picking up guys like Warren Sapp and Randy Moss have only served in making things go from bad to worse to impossibly frightful. The Moss signing epitomizes this doomed approach. In early 2005, Oakland was (and still remains) in dire need of linebackers, safeties, and offensive linemen. I was looking forward to those holes being filled through free agency and the draft but then ESPN had breaking news - Randy Moss had joined the fold! Hello, Playoffs! But looking back, I can't understand how the organization was so short-sighted. We had recently re-signed Jerry Porter to a ridiculous contract and he, along with Doug Gabriel, Ronald Curry, and Johnnie Morant, made up a competent receiving corps. Why pile on with Moss? I'm the first to admit that I saw 40-point games and an 11-5 record in the stars but having the best receiver in the league is pretty useless when our incompetent quarterback can't stay on his feet long enough to throw the ball. Hindsight is always 20/20 but we lost far more than we gained, as a former and future first rounder went to the Vikings. It wasn't enough that we shipped off linebacker Napoleon Harris, that #7 pick could have been Shawne Merriman or Demarcus Ware or David Pollack - all of whom would have filled a dire need. Instead we have the still interception-less Fabian Washington and a future Hall of Famer that wastes his Sundays running routes with no destination. Signing players like Moss under the delusion that it's the key to the Promised Land creates unrealistic expectations, both for the organization and the fans. This, in turn, heaps an incredible amount of pressure on the head coach. And when you're dealing with mediocre coaching talents like Norv Turner, Bill Callahan, Joe Bugel, and Mike White, this is a recipe for disaster, as they fail to meet expectations in short order. Soon enough they get the boot, making the new coach a lame duck before he's through the turnstyle. If you're a player in this chaotic, unstable situation, how can you respect the coach or the organization? How can you buy into the system of a man who may be gone in a season's time? How can you make yourself care in an environment that breeds such a losing mentality? I know, as professionals, they're supposed live and die for their team no matter the situation in which they find themselves but that's not reality anymore. It's not 1972. The Raiders spent 40 years mortgaging the future to create a winning franchise but sticking to that method for so long lead us to this sad state of affairs. It will take a serious change in policy in Oakland after Al's gone for things to improve. Good thing I'm young. This could be quite a wait. + By the way, Ahmad "Highway 28" Carroll was released today. I've got $500 says that we sign him tomorrow. Who's game?  Posted at October 3, 2006 11:59 PM Permalink • Filed under: NFL , Oakland Raiders |
As most of you know, I've been openly wishing for Al Davis to die for nearly two years but I now realize that this won't solve the Raiders' woes. Even if he kicks off tomorrow afternoon, the Raiders will be in the abyss for years to come because the way the team is run won't change after he's gone. How can it?
Comments (7): I Finally Realized the Painfully Obvious
Joey Baker
October 4, 2006 1:43 AM
If it was any other team but the Raiders, that bet's a sure thing that I'd take every day of the week!
Phillips
October 4, 2006 7:47 AM
That bet is a trap!
Brendan
October 4, 2006 9:16 AM
Nice read and it hits on a large part of the problems that you guys have. It's not Al Davis and Art Shell dropping passes, quitting on routes, arm tackling, and throwing interceptions but it's a lot easier for those things to happen on a regular basis when the players collectively don't give a shit.
Anthony
October 4, 2006 11:43 AM
the Raiders will need entirely new ownership and a GM and head coach that are allowed to think for themselves before ANYTHING changes for the better. When Davis dies, if a member of his inner circle/family takes over, you're right, it'll be more of the same because they're gonna keep plugging with the "Raider Way"
Hadrian
October 4, 2006 3:03 PM
I'm a lifelong Bills fan, so I know what pain is all about. Cheering for Buffalo is like begging to get shit on. But with the Bills, it's about heartbreaks, chokes, wide right, Music City Miracle, Thurman Thomas' fumble, being known as the ultimate first losers. We have good seasons and bad seasons but we are never in the "Well we could win 1 game this year" boat. That's pretty damn tragic but I'd rather be you than me. Because at some point, the losing will get so bad that it's just gonna be a constant joke. You'll be out at the Coliseum with a bag on your head. With me and the other Bills fans out there, it's a lifetime of getting your hopes up and having them dashed. That shit sucks a lot more than constant losing.
Having said that, if I had add on England soccer on top of being a Bills OR Raiders fan, I'd probably jump off a bridge, so I don't envy you on that angle lol
PG
October 4, 2006 10:06 PM
Is Davis the sole owner of the Raiders?? Are other people involved? All you ever hear about is him almost like he's a one man crew.
Tyler
October 5, 2006 12:59 AM
Raiders fans bred from birth usually never learn how to read, write or use logic, so congratulations. looks like youre on an island all by yourself.
great site though. I'll be back for sure.