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Archive for April, 2010
Before we jump off into rumor central and the latest draft discussion talk, let’s get up to speed on some news and notes from the silver and black.  Linebacker Kirk Morrison has signed his offer sheet with the Raiders. Morrison led the team in tackles for five straight seasons, yet he had no takers on the free-agent market.   According to NFL.com, the Raiders are looking at snaring free-agent cornerback Lito Sheppard. The news doesn’t come as a surprise, considering how Chris Johnson was more than disappointing last season. The former Jet and Eagle would conceivably be a nice upgrade to the Raiders’ ...
Rube Waddell was a Hall of Fame pitcher in the Dead-ball era. He is credited with winning the pitching Triple Crown in 1905, leading the American League with 27 wins, 287 strikeouts, and a 1.48 ERA. Waddell led the AL in strikeouts from 1902-1907. He was known for being one of the first fire-balling pitchers, armed with a hard fastball and a nasty curve. Hall of Fame baseball player, manager, and owner Connie Mack stated that his pitcher for the Philadelphia Athletics, "had more stuff than any pitcher I have ever saw. He had everything but a sense of ...
Normally the offseason moves made by the Oakland Raiders benefit the other teams in the AFC West. This time the offseason moves being made by teams within the AFC West should benefit the Raiders. LaDanian Tomlinson, Brandon Marshall, and Jamal Williams all have new homes. While the players are on the decline or perhaps have off-field issues, they have been on-field issues for the Raiders in recent years. Tomlinson loved playing the Raiders not only because they are a hated rival, but because he put up big numbers. He has scored 22 touchdowns in 19 games vs the Raiders in his career, and 13 of those came ...
Don't lose hope. Don't get impatient. Why? Some things are rebuilt, line upon line, precept upon precept, a little here, a little there. The NFL draft is an opportunity to rebuild the Oakland Raiders. In just a few more days, some choices will be made. Each choice is like a brick added to build a strong wall. Where did I get this idea? Isaiah 28:9-10 contains this idea. It talks about the process and power of preparation. The process applies to anything we do, including our team preparing to play football in 2010. If the team is going to be rebuilt, the coaches ...
Look, the Oakland Athletics can't get half the number of fans to create one-quarter the amount of buzz that the San Francisco Giants get in the Bay Area. If the A's could move to San Jose, to a new stadium, the thousands upon thousands of Giants fans in that city wouldn't just flock to the American League team. Fans aren't that fickle. I mean, look at the 7,000 loyal A's fans in Oakland! They never give up on their team. The Sacramento area is a growing—sort of like the East Bay communities surrounding the McAfee Coliseum are decaying. It's a nice clean ...
In a time of competing mock drafts and debates over potential first round picks, take a moment to sit back and enjoy a little satire. Here are the top 5 choices for Al Davis's Oakland Raiders that you shouldn't be surprised to see go 8th overall on April 22nd. We all have seen Davis take some real shots in the dark over the past few years. From JaMarcus Russell throwing from one knee in 2007 to Darius Heyward-Bay trumping Michael Crabtree as the first receiver to be selected in 2009, Davis has always kept draft analysts guessing. ...
Here is a challenge. So many have published their list in mock drafts. Who will be the best addition to the Oakland Raiders? Who will be the best fit for the Oakland Raiders? Do we really know? I don't think so, although I have been having fun compiling and researching the various lists. One dynamic that people seem to overlook is the reaction of the present players to the addition of the new, young players. Here is a quote from a review of a movie about a real-life person, Vince Papale: "He takes risks, he pushes himself." "He’s unpopular with the other players." "He doesn’t have time to ...
It sometimes seems that certain teams in the NFL need to be put out of their misery like Old Yeller. Their fan base is disappointed, the players seem disinterested in playing at their top level, and no one even remembers what a winning season feels like. Ahead of you are the current saddest teams in today's NFL. Read on, but fair warning: Your team may just be on there. Don't despair, even though you probably should.Begin Slideshow
Yet Another Mock Draft! Many people, including myself, have suggested hundreds of draft day options for the ailing Oakland Raiders. Some make great sense, address all the team needs, and are potential home run ideas. Others...not so much! Those of you that read my articles or comments regularly know that I have been advocating for the Raiders to draft Rolando McClain with the eighth overall pick. I've been very vocal about this and would argue my position with anyone. Until... A regular reader on B/R pointed out some interesting flaws in the game of Rolando McClain. "Sons of Blanda" pointed out that ...
Everyone has their theories on who the Raiders should take with the number eight pick, and with a number of acute areas of need on the team you would think that it wouldn’t be too hard to predict who will be the first player selected by Oakland. If only it were that easy. The draft is always unpredictable, and the Raiders the most unpredictable team of all.  I got it right last year with Darrius Heyward Bey, and I have made good predictions before with Robert Gallery and Michael Huff.  I was way off on Darren McFadden in 2008. What adds to the ...