If you like interesting movies, then you might have viewed Brad Pitt playing a character named Lieutenant Aldo Raine, the leader of the Basterds. Raine gave a briefing to several soldiers. The main message, as I perceived it, was "take no prisoners."
An application of this type of "shoring up" the Oakland Raiders so as to strengthen their passion and desire to win is what came to mind.
The movie is fantasy, but wisdom is embedded in the creative arts, if only you have eyes to see and ears to hear. I saw and heard something that I immediately applied to the ...
At the end of Spring Training, The A's surprised everyone by designating Cust for assignment, ultimately sending him down to Triple-A Sacramento. The A's had a healthy Eric Chavez and decided it was best to have him as the DH.
Cust, who was released and then re-signed over the offseason, sat at his locker, dumbfounded, quietly taking it like a man as he fielded questions from reporters. Then, after letting it sink in, he engaged a phone interview with the San Francisco Chronicle and blasted the A's for their decision, calling it a "joke", citing the A's lack of power ...
The Oakland Raiders have a quarterback. Well, technically, they have five quarterbacks, but for the first time in several years one of them is a legitimate NFL starter.
In acquiring Jason Campbell, the Raiders have seriously upgraded their biggest weakness and insured that the upgrades made to the defense will not go to waste. Campbell is a solid NFL starter coming off his best season, one in which he led the league in Red Zone passing throwing 18 TDs and 0 INTs inside the twenty.
Campbell is accurate, mobile, and has never thrown more interceptions than touchdowns in any season. He now ...
Out with the old in with the new
The 2010 NFL Draft is over and teams have just injected new youth and talent into their rosters.
But the draft is not without casualties. Every new player who makes the team is essentially replacing an older player.
With that said many players are about to be out of a job looking for a new team. Here is a look at some Raiders who should be concerned.
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The following is a fictional interview.
Josh Broudy : So, Al, what does it feel like to have a good draft finally?
Al Davis : Same as it feels every year.
JB : You really think you've drafted well the past 5 years?
AD : You wait, JaMarcus is gonna be a great player one day. So is Heyward-Bey.
JB : If JaMarcus is gonna be a great player, why did you trade for Jason Campbell?
AD : I didn't say this season. I didn't even say he'd be a great player for us at all. Don't put words in my mouth, and then make me ...
After the NFL draft and trades, let's think of the picks as the newlyweds, who may need a honeymoon for a hot minute.
We welcome, for example, Rolando McClain, Lamarr Houston, and Jared Veldheer to the family.
Some members of the Raider Nation will be "doting fans," showing so much affection for the first few days.
If, however, the Raider Nation does not see results, we will be back to our acidic, sour comments.
The new team members are probably so happy to be instant millionaires in some cases. Imagine them dreaming of all they can do with all of that instant fame and fortune.
Well, the Raider ...
Both Western divisions of the NFL shared a few traits. A high-powered passing attack in the division winners followed by 8-8 second-place teams and a pair of teams in various stages of rebuilding at the third and fourth slots.
In the AFC West, San Diego has dominated the division as of late, while Kansas City and Oakland have found themselves mired in perennial top-10 draft status.
Denver has fared better than the Raiders or Chiefs, but late collapses have ultimately doomed back to back seasons.
In a splashy draft weekend for the division, each of the teams did its best to put the ...
The Raiders had many needs which included QB, OT, DT, OG, LB, CB. The Raiders did cover all of those positions either by drafting a player or trading for one. The only positions I didn't see the Raiders get were OG/OC which I think they need help with, Cooper Carlisle is not the answer at RG and Satele isn't the best OC. I am a little surprised we didn't get a 3rd RB now that Fargas is gone. I still think we need one because McFadden and Bush who can take all the carries are injury prone and we need ...
In 2005, some sports writers wrote that the addition of Randy Moss made the Oakland Raiders an "instant contender," which of course was far from the ensuing reality.
Since 2005, the NFL draft has been an expose for track stars and raw talent for the Raiders.
By acquiring Moss in 2005, the Raiders in effect passed on quarterback Aaron Rodgers. That was after a 2004 draft in which the Raiders opted for Robert Gallery instead of Philip Rivers or Ben Roethlisberger (thank goodness).
In 2006, the Raiders opted for Michael Huff instead of Matt Leinart and Jay Cutler.
In 2007, the Raiders finally bit ...
No. 8 Overall: Rolando McClain, ILB, Alabama
Grade: A
McClain was far-and-away the premier inside linebacker in the class. He's brilliant against the run, which is a big reason why he was selected. McClain comes from the 3-4 defense in Alabama, but most experts agree he has the best football IQ in the draft. This kid will adjust fine.
His best attributes are his natural instincts. He has been provided with great leadership by the best defensive coach in college football in Nick Saban.
Walter Cheripinsky (Walter Football.com) does not agree that it was a good pick. He originally gave it a ...