It is getting harder and harder to justify keeping Daric Barton on a major league roster, especially one still struggling to find consistent offense.The Oakland Athletics showed Barton a lot of loyalty during the offseason and pegged him as their starting first baseman and a major part of the future.So far this season, Barton has not rewarded the team for their faith in his abilities.He has admitted that a potential contract extension is in the back of his head, and he is thinking and pressing too much while at the plate.The result has been a season-long slump that has him ...
Recently, the Oakland Raiders have become a semi popular pick to win the AFC West and make the playoffs. Supporters point to young talent and a sweep of the division last year. Personally, I don't buy into the hype. In fact, I think the idea that the Raiders could make the playoffs is crock. Even if they did slip in by a miracle—or a complete collapse by their whole division—they would be one and done and be on their way home faster than you can say "just win baby". Here are five reasons why.Begin Slideshow
The storm is brewing in a Northern California as the Oakland Raiders look forward to the end of an NFL Lockout. Not only as far as the lockout is concerned but also excitement!! The Silver and Black has been on the rise since the departure of the late QB JaMarcus Russell and the arrival of new Head Coach Hue "Action " Jackson!. The Oakland Raiders have not only improved their game they have put up some amazing numbers. Running back Darren McFadden had an explosive season as he trampled through every team the Raiders played. The offensive front played well ...
The Oakland Raiders are loaded with young and athletic talent. Last season, the Raider Nation witnessed future stars being born.Over 70 percent of the Raiders roster is under 30 years old and they are being coached by a guy who knows how to develop young talent. While these next five guys might be well-known to the Raider Nation, they aren't household names yet.Let's take a look at five guys who will become household names after the 2011 season.Begin Slideshow
Everyone wondered why the Oakland Raiders didn't take a quarterback in the 2011 draft a few months ago. The obvious conclusion is that Raider owner Al Davis really believes in Jason Campbell being the next Jim Plunkett. But what about a backup? Bruce Gradkowski appears to be on his way out of Raider Nation. Kyle Boller will probably be back because he knows the offense. I guess that's the backup. What about a young guy the Raiders can groom to take Campbell's place over time? He may even have to be thrown in a tad early because both Campbell and Boller are ...
There are many difficult decisions in life, but what the Oakland A's should do with recently called up top prospect Jemile Weeks when starting 2B Mark Ellis comes off the DL is not one of them. To make myself clear, when I say Weeks needs to stay in the big leagues, I don't mean relegating him to a platoon, or to play every other day, or to play twice a week; I mean to play every day...for good. I'm not one to inflate or exaggerate the impact a rookie has with such a small sample size—it's been a good one, though (.344 ...
Ask 100 men what the greatest sports movie of all time is, and chances are you'll hear an even split between Rocky, Hoop Dreams, Hoosiers, Bull Durham, Field of Dreams, Raging Bull, and even The Blind Side.When it comes to sports movies there is no Michael Jordan or Wayne Gretzky, there's no movie that's just so much better than every other in it's category. And you could make the argument that since movies are so subjective, there never will be, but I disagree with that.I think that when we see the greatest sports movie of all time, we'll just know.And let me ...
First Moneyball Movie Trailer a Mixed Bag for Fans of the BookThe baseball fan in me absolutely loved Moneyball, Michael Lewis' bestseller about the Oakland A's and their penny-pinching rise to power. Yet while I was reading it, at no point did my inner cinephile start screaming, "Hey! This would make a great movie!"Well, they made one anyway. Moneyball the motion picture—directed by Bennett Miller and starring Brad Pitt as A's general manager Billy Beane—is due to be released this September. And on Thursday, the first trailer arrived.Having watched the trailer four or five times now, all I can say ...
The oldest receiver on the Oakland Raiders' roster is 27 years old. That is ridiculous.Because of the young wide receivers corps, Oakland's offensive passing attack has struggled significantly over the years.Heading into 2011, that aspect of the offense looks to get better as young, promising players like Darrius Heyward-Bey, Jacoby Ford, Denarius Moore, Chaz Schilens and Louis Murphy continue to develop.The Raiders clearly have the fastest (and rawest) receivers in the league. However, these guys are far from polished. Obviously, Oakland would do well to go out into the waters and reel in a veteran receiver.But who would fit the ...
Seven of us were traveling on the Pennsylvania Turnpike headed toward Reston, Virginia. Our goal was to be in place to watch the game between the San Diego Chargers and the Oakland Raiders in 2010. A stop was made along the way, and I purchased a USA Today Sports Weekly. It had an article on the positive and negatives of each of the 32 NFL teams. It mentioned that Raiders' quarterback Jason Campbell was "yanked" from his role as starter. It did not give the best comments on the performance of backup Bruce Gradkowski either. And there also weren't the most positive comments ...