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Archive for February, 2010
With weekly assignments becoming seemingly important and mandatory, here's my one bold prediction for the Oakland Athletics in 2010: Brett Anderson and Trevor Cahill will combine to win at least 25 games in 2010.  In 2009 the Oakland A's featured a very young, talented, but inexperienced pitching staff. Of the five starters, both Anderson and Cahill were considered potential front of the rotation starters.  While both starters experienced their share of struggles, they did make strides in becoming better pitchers in the second half of 2009.  Brett Anderson, 22, went 11-11 with a 4.06 ERA in 175.1 innings. While those numbers are pretty solid ...
Timing is important.  Some men don't get the recognition they deserve because they are overshadowed by others. The records show that Michael Vick may have overshadowed Ronald Curry, since Virginia is the home state of both pro football players.  Curry grew up nearby Hampton, Va.  These men arrived on the NFL scene during the same era. Another famous athlete, NBA super-star Allen Iverson, may have also cast a shadow on the awareness of Curry.  Iverson is also from around Hampton, Va. The BQB_Site.com says: "The Oakland Raiders drafted Curry in the seventh round as a developmental QB and “Slash” type player  He made the ...
Day-by-day, I will review every facet of the Raiders franchise and grade them with A, B, C, etc.    Overall Offense Grade: C- JaMarcus Russell had, frankly, a wasted season. It is so frustrating, since he has the necessary tools to be a great quarterback. What he lacks the most are pocket awareness and mechanics. A right DE literally could be within six inches of him, and he wouldn't notice until he's getting hit. His mechanics are horrible. He relies way too much on his arm (as evidence by throwing off his back foot), and falls apart when he feels pressure. Bruce Gradkowski was excellent in relieving ...
Ok...I caught a lot of flack for the offensive version of this list, (Top Oakland Raiders Who Didn't Carry Their Weight on Offense in 2009) because I didn't hold enough players accountable. Allow me to make some things perfectly clear. There are a lot of reasons for the dismal performances turned in by our defense last season...not all of which were even on the field. There were injuries, an anemic offense, poor coaching decisions, poor player adjustments and yes, there were plenty of mental breakdowns and poor fundamentals. This list is my opinion of the five defensive players that were the furthest ...
To celebrate my 50th article here on Bleacher Report, here are the top three things I'd like to see from the Oakland A's in 2010.   1. A's Stay Healthy in '10 It's no secret that the A's have had bad luck when it comes to their health. From Justin Duchscherer to Eric Chavez, the A's just can't seem to stay healthy. In the last three years, 3B Eric Chavez has played in only 121 games. On average during those games, he hit .196/.243/.324. Compare those numbers to his career numbers of .268/.345/.482 and you get a sense of what kind of player Chavez used to be. With Kevin Kouzmanoff, who's ...
Just win baby! Speed Kills! Pride and Poise! Commitment to Excellence! These are but a few Raider mottos. As a longtime Raider fan I'd love to see the team turn it around and make all these phrases relevant again. I'd also like to see us win the "Raider Way!" Many have speculated on what the Raiders need to do to turn things around. Conventional wisdom says the Raiders need to operate more like successful modern franchises. You know what I'm talking about. Most seem to think Al Davis needs to relinquish control. He needs to hire a General Manager. He needs to take a ...
Every year it happens. Al Davis is a numbers guy, and he drafts players with impressive size/speed combinations. His theory is that you can teach a great athlete to be a football player, but you can’t each a football player to be an athlete. We saw it last year with Darrius Heyward Bey and Louis Murphy, and in previous years with players like Darren McFadden, Fabian Washington, Stanford Routt, Thomas Howard, and Chaz Schilens. I could go on. Sometimes Al will pick a player almost out of nowhere (Nnamdi Asomugha - 2003) who turns out to be an all pro. ...
A Pep Talk I am dedicating this song to the fans, friends and mates of the Oakland Raiders. Ain't No Way It's Valentine's Day. So as you look at your beloved, tell your beloved that you know that love is as strong as death. Love can wake you up. Love can make you play professional football to win. Love can swell your heart so big that nothing is too difficult for you. Love can transform losers to winners. Love, love, love. Love makes the world go around. Love makes Oakland Raiders get touchdowns. Happy Valentine's Day! Also read the lyrics of Love is Stronger Than Death. It ends in "Shall rise." The Oakland Raiders "shall ...
The Raiders have messed up their first round picks the past few years. But have not been given credit on their late round picks. What do we need this year? Help stopping the run and some help on the o-line. Raiders need help everywhere but in the main positions (OT, OG, MLB, CB, FB, PR/KR, DT). The Raiders have 8 picks in the draft (1 1st, 1 2nd, 2 3rd, 1 4th, 2 5th, 1 7th).Begin Slideshow
Everyone knows the Raiders have holes on defense. And now it seems as though there are about to be a few more. Kirk Morrison, Thomas Howard, Jon Alston, and Ricky Brown, all line-backers, all happen to be restricted free agents this year. And it is near certain the Raiders will not retain all of them. One of the Raiders' biggest weaknesses on defense over the years has been defending the run. And many have credited that to the fact that they lack a true middle line-backer. Unfortunately, the Raiders also run a defense which requires athletic line-backers who can at least keep up with a running ...