T1B

for so long with no end in sight.


http://www.profootballtalk.com/rumormill.htm


NFL CONCERNED ABOUT RAIDERS

There's talk on the NFL grapevine that the league office is becoming very concerned about the ability of the Oakland Raiders to be competitive, both in the short term and over the long haul.

Though the Raiders played fairly well against their arch-rivals in Kansas City on Sunday, Oakland lost the game and fell to 2-8 on the season.

In hindsight, we're amazed that the team managed two wins.

The problem, as we understand it, is a complete and total vacuum of leadership in the football operations. Coach Art Shell, as one league insider told us, is regarded by the players as a "joke." Per a league source with extensive experience in dealing with teams and players, there is an "unprecedented negativity" emanating from the locker room.

Beyond the coaching staff, there's a perception that the football types in the front office simply aren't getting it done, and there's a concern that the one guy who has a track record of ability when it comes to player acquisition -- Mike Lombardi -- has lost much of his influence.

The consensus in league circles is that the root of the problem is the uncertainty surrounding Al Davis and the future leadership of the team after his passing. It's unlikely that Davis will relinquish the reins during his lifetime, and it's ambiguous at best as to what will happen when the team has a new person at the helm.

The reality, as we see it, is that the franchise might very well be at the front end of a protracted period of poor performance, and that the Raiders won't begin to re-emerge until a capable new owner revamps the entire football operation.

Until then, how will the Raiders be able to attract free agents? Instead of the days in which the franchise was a haven for talented misfits, the Raiders could end up being the last refuge for players that aren't wanted anywhere else because of their relative lack of talent, along with the occasional marquee player to whom the team offers a lot more money that he'd otherwise get on the open market.

It's a shame, frankly. Love them or hate them, this league needs a strong and competitive Raiders franchise. With the Raiders fading into oblivion, the NFL for many fans will be like Star Wars without Darth Vader. (Okay, we admit that it was sort of geeky to mention Star Wars, but we couldn't think of anything better.)





Fuck it, I retire.

"Coach Art Shell, as one league insider told us, is regarded by the players as a "joke."


..all joking aside, I've seen 2 of the Raiduhs last 3 games and it looked to me like the defense was playing "balls out". I don't see a team playing like that if they think the coach is a joke. The joke is the offense plain and simple...I've not seen a more pathetic group of no talent players, and the ones who do have talent are freeking malcontents with suck attitudes. Alice, can I interest you in maybe...Ricky Williams?

The piece couldn't be more of a joke.
Gimme a fucking break, man.

Kick 'em when they're down much ... ?

Oakland has been building a nice young defense the past couple of years.
Now we're seeing the fruits of that.
In 4 of their 8 losses this year Oakland has led at halftime.

James, you see the games.
Does it look like the guys have given up .... ?
Are they going through the motions ... ?
Were they competetive v. both KC and Dungver ... ?
Could they not very easily have walked out with Ws in both games ... ?

Mike's right.
The offense is a major mess.
The house is going to get cleaned in that regard in the off-season.
Next year the defense figures to only get better.
I don't think this team is far from being competetive.


Whoever penned that piece of garbage can take his ...talk on the NFL grapevine ... and jam it up his ass.

Damn Pop, how many sake bombs did you have before that blast?

Raydah James wrote:Love them or hate them, this league needs a strong and competitive Raiders franchise.




Fuck it, I retire.

I disagree with you James on the NFL needing the Raiders. This league could live without any single team and get by just fine.

Raiders? We dont need no stinking Raiders.

poptart wrote:The piece couldn't be more of a joke.
Gimme a fucking break, man.

Yeah, PFT puts out a lot of unsubstantiated BS, that flames out because there is no fire to the smoke.

But, I do think however that Shell can't do anything to keep the malcontents from crying like babys. That's for certain.

The only thing left for the Raiders to do, and the 49ers had to do it for different reasons, is gut the fucking team, and take the cap hits.

The difference is, York apologized for his fuckup.

Davis will never admit he fucked up, because he believes otherwise.

Time to pay the piper Alcula. Your run is through.

When Oakland was the best team in the AFC ('02) they were an OLD team ... very old.
Everyone knew that there was going to be a rebuilding process, because they basically had to overhaul the entire starting teams.
They tried to keep the OLD guys together for one last shot at it ('03) and they flamed badly -- 4-12.

So '04 was the start of the rebuilding process.

The bad hire of Norv Turner didn't help the rebuilding process.
Al takes the heat for that.

Now we're in yr 3 of the rebuilding process and we're seeing pieces coming together on defense.
Guys who have been drafted to replace the OLD players are coming into their own.
The defense is a solid DT and a solid speed rusher away from being VERY good.

The rebuilding will continue this off-season, with a focus on offense.
They've got issues -- Tom Walsh, and a couple of WRs.

Again, this is not a team that is getting beat 37-3 each week.
They are IN games, and they are playing hard.
Yes, they got kicked down badly in weeks one and two by SD and B-more, and look at how thos teams have turned out.
Both are 8-2.
Oakland has gone to war with a QB who had never taken a snap in a reg. season game.

If the team is sitting at 2-8 this time next year I'll be surprised.




They'll be 3-7 ... at least. :wink:

Yeah, the defense is pretty much there, with the addition of Huff too, and a couple of more players should flesh put the depth.

But they have to gut the offense, especially the crybabies like Moss and Porter, and even Jordan. That's gonna mean a HUGE cap hit.

And how are the Raiders gonna rebuild an offense with Walsh as the architect?

Cleaning house of the bullshit, having a commitment to the coach, giving him almost absolute autonomy to make tough decisions, and Davis slamming his door shut to those players that come crying to him when the Coach slaps them in the pussy would be a start to help bring some respectability.

If they don't do that, then players are just gonna sign, bitch, and collect a fat paycheck.

the nfl needs to stop putting there sorry azzes on national tv.

Yeah, well the the most absurd thing about that piece is the premise that the league actually wants Oakland to be worth a shit.

Uhh yeah ok....

I'm sure we will be seeing an article just like this regarding the Lions any day now.......

I wouldn't exactly say that the league needs the Raiders but I will say that having a "bad team" helps the league in the long run.

I mean it turned out the the NFL didn't really need LA didn't it?

But that doesn't mean that they aren't still interested in the market.

There are plenty of good guy stories around the NFL.

It's monotonous in a way.

One thing about the Raiders, you either love them or hate them. Unless they are 2-8 and a laughingstock that is.

Disclaimer: Division rivals and those with an axe to grind clearly feel differently so save it.

I'm simply saying that the league wouldn't mind a villain.

drummer wrote:Yeah, the defense is pretty much there, with the addition of Huff too, and a couple of more players should flesh put the depth.

But they have to gut the offense, especially the crybabies like Moss and Porter, and even Jordan. That's gonna mean a HUGE cap hit.

And how are the Raiders gonna rebuild an offense with Walsh as the architect?

Cleaning house of the bullshit, having a commitment to the coach, giving him almost absolute autonomy to make tough decisions, and Davis slamming his door shut to those players that come crying to him when the Coach slaps them in the pussy would be a start to help bring some respectability.

If they don't do that, then players are just gonna sign, bitch, and collect a fat paycheck.

...I would never mention Jordan with the likes of Moss and Porter. All I've seen Jordan do is bust his ass for a sorry offense. If memory serves me,(correct me if I'm wrong) Jordan is the one who "called out" the pussies Moss and Porter (not by name but the message was clear) among others.

poptart wrote: Oakland has been building a nice young defense the past couple of years.
Now we're seeing the fruits of that.

agree...the dud's defense is pretty good especially considering how much time they spend on the field.......

it's the one bright spot for the crimi.....er....fans of the dud's.....

poptart wrote:The piece couldn't be more of a joke.
Gimme a fucking break, man.

Kick 'em when they're down much ... ?

Oakland has been building a nice young defense the past couple of years.
Now we're seeing the fruits of that.
In 4 of their 8 losses this year Oakland has led at halftime.

James, you see the games.
Does it look like the guys have given up .... ?
Are they going through the motions ... ?
Were they competetive v. both KC and Dungver ... ?
Could they not very easily have walked out with Ws in both games ... ?

Mike's right.
The offense is a major mess.
The house is going to get cleaned in that regard in the off-season.
Next year the defense figures to only get better.
I don't think this team is far from being competetive.


Whoever penned that piece of garbage can take his ...talk on the NFL grapevine ... and jam it up his ass.

My man Pops is freaking MONEY!

Happy Thanksgiving, Bro.

P.S. By the time you get back to the States, ChargerMike, Joe and I will have divised a plan to kidnap you for a Raiders/Chargers game.

Toos

Well, from what a local Raider beat writer said on KNBR, that it isn't Walsh's playbook that he is calling the game with.

It's really Al Davis'.

Yep, Al Davis is responsible for the offense.

Shell said basically that same thing when he was hired.
I remember it.
He was asked about the offense he planned to run, and he called it the 'Al Davis' offense.

The league is VERY concerned about Oakland doing well.


Sincerely,

Mike Carey