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Archive for June, 2012
The Oakland Raiders finally have a team that is ready to win.After their Super Bowl loss in 2002, they won at most five games from 2003-2009. Raider fans wanted to crawl into that Black Hole to hide.But, fresh off a decent 2011 campaign in which they reached eight wins for a second consecutive season, the Raiders have the parts in place to make a playoff run.In a relatively weak division, Oakland has a realistic possibility to finally make the playoffs. Once they are there, it can only get better for the team that lost NFL icon Al Davis last year.Oakland ...
The 2012 Oakland Raiders will be looking to get out of their own "Black Hole" and do something they have not done since the 2002 season: make the playoffs.After the death of owner Al Davis, Reggie McKenzie, former director of football operations for the Green Bay Packers, was hired as the general manager. McKenzie has quickly revamped the front office and changed the mindset of the organization. He hired Dennis Allen as head coach and put the daily operations of the team in the hands of knowledgeable football people.  McKenzie has done his part; now, it is up to Allen to ...
After finishing the 2011 season a mere game away from the playoffs (quite an accomplishment considering Oakland started 2011 with one team and finished with a completely different one), 2012 brings about a whole new set of possibilities. Mark Davis has taken the reigns and brought on GM Reggie McKenzie to completely overhaul this Raiders team. McKenzie is not only changing the team philosophy and systems, but he’s also upgrading the Raiders' facilities. Gone are the days of reel-to-reel tapes.Welcome to the 21st century Oakland Raiders! Will it be enough to compete in an ever-improving AFC West? Let’s take a ...
With Manny starting to pick it up in Triple-A Sacramento, his arrival in Oakland could come as soon as next week.  When he does arrive, there will be varying expectations put upon him.  Some will expect him to put up big numbers in the middle of the lineup, and others will expect nothing but another disappointing season like he had while in Chicago and Tampa Bay.There are reasons to expect Manny to have success in Oakland, however.  Of course, success is open to interpretation, but I think it's fair to say that Manny's tenure in Oakland would be a success ...
A few months ago, after spending just one season with the Oakland Raiders, tight end Kevin Boss was cut from the team and found a new home with the rival Kansas City Chiefs. Apparently, he's harboring some bad feelings toward the Silver and Black, but instead of taking the high road, he decided to slam the team. According to NFL.com, Boss told KCSP-AM Radio in Kansas City, "I just know now that I'm on the better side of the rivalry. ... It's been a great transition and it's really been a blessing in disguise to have been moved on to greener pastures."Here ...
Just another variation on a theme today as the A's fell 4-3 and were swept by Arizona in their three-game series. The first inning was a microcosm of the A's struggles in the last month: they could not get a timely hit and Arizona could. After a lead-off double by Jemile Weeks and a flare into right for a single by Colin Cowgill, the A's had men on first and third with no outs.They did not score a run. First Josh Reddick popped out to shortstop. Then Jonny Gomes flied out to shallow center. Then Brandon Inge flied out to ...
Two pitches spelled doom for Jarrod Parker. An RBI double by Justin Upton and a grand slam by Miguel Montero pushed the Diamondbacks to a 6-1 lead as they coasted to an 8-3 victory in the second game of a three-game series in Arizona. Parker's scoreless streak ended in the first inning and he could not manage to retire the side in order once throughout the game. In all, he surrendered six runs on eight hits, walked five batters and struck out four. Kurt Suzuki tied the score on an RBI double in the top of the second and Jonny Gomes ...
Tonight, the A's scored plenty of runs. They just did not get the last out in time. Using a six-run second inning off Arizona starter Daniel Hudson, the A's were able to take a 6-0 lead and lead the Diamondbacks 8-6 going into the bottom of the ninth.It was not enough as the Diamondbacks scored three times off Brian Fuentes in the bottom of the ninth to win 9-8. Tom Milone was not particularly sharp, but he was in line for the victory going five innings and allowing four runs on nine hits and two walks.The offense came in a ...
As we anxiously await the start of the NFL season, our NFL gurus have been paying close attention to every team's OTAs and the inevitable position battles that go along with them. Today, NFL Draft Lead Writer Matt Miller and NFL Deputy Editor Dylan MacNamara are focusing on the Oakland Raiders and giving us their takes on the most compelling training camp showdowns. The No. 2 QB position battle is a showdown between hottubs and tattoos as Matt Leinart and Terrelle Pryor try to prove that they didn't peak in college. So who's the better option if Carson Palmer is injured in battle? The Raiders' ...
Oakland Raiders fans are well aware that some of the biggest improvements must come from the Raiders' defense in order to get the Silver and Black on top of the AFC West in 2012.The hiring of head coach Dennis Allen in January was an important step in making some of those much-needed improvements. The former Denver Broncos defensive coordinator was a big help to a hugely improved Denver offense in 2011.In fact, much of quarterback Tim Tebow's success should have been credited to their defense, partially in thanks to Allen. When the Broncos were on their six-game winning streak, they held their ...