It was January 26th of 2003, a day that would define the once proud Oakland Raider franchise for the next seven years. It was a day that should have been celebrated. The Raiders were making their fifth SuperBowl appearance against a Buccaneer team that the Raiders, on any other day, would have methodically dismantled. However, fate had another agenda as the Bucs took advantage of an ill-prepared Raider team.
In previous years, an aging Raider team had watched their opportunities taken away. In the 2000 AFC Championship, The Baltimore Ravens sent Tony Saragusa to take quarterback Rich Gannon out of ...
The Oakland Raiders version of "Are We There Yet?" is a drama about Raider Nation's journey to get there after seven horrible years. It's far from Ice Cube's sitcom.
However, the happier part of the drama is coming. I've seen many articles of how the Raiders have come back into prominence.
I'm guilty of joining this party as I wrote articles arguing we could win the AFC due to weaker competition. I have since settled down a bit.
The Chargers are still the clear-cut favorites to win the AFC West. But they have two important players likely to sit out next season until Week Ten.
Meanwhile, the Raiders have had a great offseason. The ...
If there is a position where the Raiders are stacked at with talent, it is defensive end, and for good reason. The Raiders rarely blitz and often rely on their front four to create pressure and make plays.
Last year the Raiders ranked 13th in sacks with 37: 26 of those sacks came from defensive linemen, seven came from linebackers and four came from the defensive backfield.
The Raiders will likely only keep five defensive ends, at the most, on the roster. Here's a look at the thick competition at the position.Begin Slideshow
I'm sure this message has been heard over and over, in the headquarters when Richard is in the building.
The problem i'm wondering about is has Richard stopped picking up the phone?
Sure, last year he was dealt from New England to the Raiders...had to be as invigorating as catching a bucketful of ice water in the summer time. After the shock wears off, you get to play positive/negative during your spare time.
The positive, you're still playing football. The negative, you're with a team that has winning issues.
The positive, you still get a healthy paycheck. The negative, is you'd like to secure ...
The NFL is now looking for a new backfield band to go up the charts. The Oakland Raiders now have "Jam Master Jay and Run-DMC."
Backfield bands across the NFL landscape have have been formed. The last band to make a number one hit was the New York Giant's "Earth, Wind, and Fire" in 2007.
The Tennessee Titans as recently had "Smash and Dash." But "Dash" has since gone solo with a 2,000 yard season while "Dash" is looking for a new band to join.
What makes a backfield name?
In the case of the New York Giants, they had three running backs that had different abilities and styles.
Brandon Jacobs was "Earth," as ...
After yet another near-sweep of a relatively weak team, the Seattle Mariners this time, the St. Louis Cardinals continue their quest for dominance in interleague play.
St. Louis looks to recapture first place in the NL Central this weekend against the Oakland Athletics.
The Cardinals haven't enjoyed much success on their California trips this year. They went 1-2 against the San Francisco Giants, 1-2 against the San Diego Padres, and 0-4 against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Now, the Cards look to defend home base as they host manager Tony La Russa's former team.
Unlike the Giants and Padres, the A's have relatively average pitching.
Ben Sheets, the Athletics' 10-million-dollar man, is 2-6 ...
The Oakland Raiders have no doubt improved their team. During a long seven years of losing, the Raiders seem to have a genuine plan to bring back some respectability to a historic franchise.
Now the Raiders have made moves this offseason that have the fans and even the media on watch. They have had a quality draft, made smart moves in free agency, and got rid of dead weight. But until we actually see the results on the field, everything up until now is speculation.
So the question is, what if all the good decisions they made this offseason actually pay ...
The Raiders' roster has had quite a work over this offseason, as a number of positions of weakness have been addressed through the draft, trades, and free agency.
That means that there will be far stronger competition at a number of spots, both for starting positions and just a place on the roster.
Whomever wins those battles will be key to the Raiders' success in the 2010 season.
So here goes.Begin Slideshow
Raider Nation has been worried sick about the whereabouts of Richard Seymour.
For what?
Many have speculated that he doesn't want to be with the Raiders anymore. I've even heard a ridiculous suggestion to trade him for Albert Haynesworth.
The truth is no one in the world wants the franchise tag nor should they report mini camps and risk injury without a long-term contract. Tom Cable has told numerous reporters that the long-term contract was being negotiated.
Of course it is.
Al Davis gave up a first-round pick for a reason and Seymour knows this. Seymour also knows that at age 30, this will be his ...
(This article is a detour from the typical discourse in sports writing, but I will appreciate any thorough reading and discussion.)
Over the past two years, I have written a number of articles that questioned the motivations of the sports media, especially its coverage of the Oakland Raiders, because I was discontent with the line of questions in the wake of the Spygate scandal with the New England Patriots.
I waited and waited and waited for all the facts to come to light, because I gave the benefit of the doubt that maybe, just maybe, new revelations would arise.
Yet, no one asked ...