Category — Raiders

Reminds me of my field and of course life in general for black folks.
African American coaches rarely get a 2nd chance, unlike their white counterparts, to land gigs as head coaches or coordinators in the NFL after they are fired, according to a study. What else is new?
USA Today

And they could have had Adrian Peterson.
While the 49ers deal for standout wide receivers such as Anquan Boldin, the Raiders are cutting the fat from their sorry-ass roster. Is that you Darrius Heyward-Bey? Who’s next, Carson Palmer?
Raiders GM Reggie McKenzie is trying to make a difference (we have little faith that he will), but when you’re cutting cost instead of spending money…
And there is the rumor they might sign Vince Young. If that’s the case, the idiots truly are running the asylum.
BANG

Where’s Arte Moreno? Magic Johnson?
The usual suspects such as Roger Goodell, David Stern and Bud Selig are among a list of the 50 most powerful people (only 3 women) in sports. But Ed O’Bannon? That’s right. The former UCLA star could change the landscape of college sports with his suit against the NCAA.
SI.com

Talk about a 3-way.
Everyone loves a conspiracy theory. But as far as sports, this 1 is starting to reach epic proportions.
Tim Brown, a finalist for the Hall of Fame class of 2013, and Hall of Famer Jerry Rice swear former Raiders Coach Bill Callahan “sabotaged” the 2003 Super Bowl in San Diego, where the Raiders were hammered 48-21 by former Raiders Coach Jon Gruden and the Buccaneers.
We’ve got another theory. Is Jerry Jones trying to sabotage his own club by promoting Callahan from being the Cowboys’ offensive line coach to offensive coordinator? Or maybe Jerry has a different definition of offensive coordinator? Callahan oversaw a horrible line in Dallas, which was 1 of the Cowboys’ biggest problems this season.
Anyway, Brown’s remarks, which he made over the weekend on SiriusXM NFL Radio, are linked below.
Pro Football Talk

I told a colleague weeks ago, when the San Diego media was touting Jimmy Raye as the frontrunner for the Chargers’ GM job, that there was no way Dean Spanos would elevate Raye to the position. Why? I mentioned to my friend how Spanos was in bed with tea-bagger Rick Perry during the presidential primaries and my colleague immediately nodded his head at where I was going with this. It wasn’t to say Spanos was racist, but I knew the Chargers’ owner wasn’t comfortable making Raye his new GM. It happens to the best minority candidates despite their sparkling resumes.
Tom Telesco of the Colts was named the new Chargers’ GM. Telasco and Spanos begged Raye to stay (imagine that) and spoke of his work in glorious tones. Instead, Raye bolted to the Colts to take Telesco’s old position as personnel director.
The point is this: Despite all of its propaganda, the NFL remains a network of good old boys and their hires continue to reflect their views. Look no further than the recent hires of coaches and general managers, who are all white. Some with their heads in the sand will say the best qualified coaches were hired. But if you believe that and don’t believe minority coaches in the NFL (and even worst in college football) are being shafted, then you really need to get out more.
Further, despite all of the talk of former Oregon Coach Chip Kelly, who was hired this week by the Eagles, being an “offensive guru,” you never hear people like Stanford’s David Shaw mentioned for openings in NFL circles. The lily white media, particularly the ones who cover the NFL, are also responsible for this. Shaw is 1 of the brightest minds and more innovative coaches in football and also worked as an NFL assistant. He also took a Stanford team, which regrouped this season without top pick Andrew Luck, and beat Kelly’s Ducks on their Oregon turf.
Kevin Sumlin?
Jim Caldwell, offensive coordinator of the Ravens, can’t get a head coaching gig? This is the same coach who led the Colts to a Super Bowl and would have recorded an unbeaten season if upper management hadn’t stepped in.
Former Colorado Coach Jon Embree said it best when it comes to minority coaches. “We don’t get second chances, and that’s OK,” Embree said during a press conference after he was fired after 2 losing seasons. “You know it going into it. Tyrone (Willingham) did. I don’t know if there’s ever been another (black coach) fired who got another opportunity at the college level. But every minority knows that going into it. Eventually, that’ll change.”
Not anytime soon though.

Best line I heard yesterday: The Raiders don’t run the ball so well since they put Al Davis in the box.
As I waited in line behind Raiders GM Reggie McKenzie in the men’s room at Qualcomm Stadium, I was tempted to give him an earful about all that ails the Raiders. But since we were pressed for time and I gave away a bit of a size advantage (not in that department), I figured it would be a waste of my time and that’s a pissing match I’d never win.
The Chargers? Oh doctor. Though we knew it was coming (you can read my yesterday’s news here), those of us who continue to foolishly support the Silver and Black were saddened they actually fired Norv Turner and his trusted boss A.J. Smith.
But they weren’t the only ones canned in the NFL today. The last time we checked, 7 coaches got poked with pink slips and a few more should have been shown the door, Raiders Coach Dennis Allen among them. Seriously, did we have to wait until the final game of the season to see Terrelle Pryor is already more accurate than Carson Palmer?
Regarding Pryor, he actually wasn’t half bad Sunday. Dude just might have a future in the business. Many of his passes were on target despite throwing to the Raiders’ horseshit band of receivers. Did we mention those same receivers dropped at least 4 in a row as Bubba Paris and I watched from the press box during warmups? You rarely see that in high school let alone in the NFL.
But these are my Raiders. Unlike Cowboy fans (cough, cough), and you 2 Steeler Nation, I know we’re not going to piss away or gag on any opportunities if we every get the chance again.
But we’re confident Mr. McKenzie will fix all of the problems 1 of these years. If not, we’ll dig up some classic lines about him.

Remember when Chiefs-Raiders meant something? OK, maybe some of you don’t.
But back in the day…
These 2 former titans (speaking of dogs…) tangle Sunday in Oakland.
I’ll be keeping my eye on attendance for this farce. Who pays to watch this in person?

With “Bounty Gate” blowing up in his face (at least from the standpoint of the Saints’ players who were suspended, but had their penalties thrown out), the timing couldn’t have been better (or worst?) for NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell to appear on the cover of Time. We’ve got the hard copy, but if you want to link to the story online, you’ll have to pay. But don’t waste your money. Fortunately, I still get the oldest daughter’s copy here at the Ponderosa.
One of the best nuggets from the piece is that Goodell has a history of of being a jerk. From his high school days in Bronxville, N.Y., which is “a wealthy enclave just north of New York City,” according to the magazine, comes this gem:
Even in high school, Goodell enforced a personal-conduct policy. Bronxville High School required athletes to sign a pldege: No drinking or troublemaking, or they’d be booted off the team. The Other players knew Goodell would rat them out for misbehaving.
“They didn’t like to see me come to a party,” Goodell said. “I took that plege seriously.”
Michael remembers his brother’s showing up at one gathering where football players were drinking.
“All of a sudden it was like an alarm went off,” Michael said. “They were running out the back door as he was coming in the front door. It was like Prohibition.”
I can’t even imagine how harshly he would have been dealt with had been a member of the old Boley Bears. I still smile at the thought of how we tossed a naked Eugene Jenkins, bless his soul, in the cold outside a hotel room in Wilburton, Okla.

Chargers just couldn’t put their differences aside and sign Vincent Jackson, 1 of the best receivers in the NFL, to a long term deal. Now Philip Rivers has no big-play receiver and it is killing him.
Nick Canepa is as good a man you’d ever want to meet. He is also a columnist for San Diego’s only rag in town. Canepa, bless his heart, has defended Norv Turner and GM A.J. Smith longer than anyone not named Spanos. But even Canepa can only take so much after the Chargers stubbed their toes again, this time against a Browns’ squad, which had only won 1 game entering Sunday’s contest.
The good knews, though, for Charger fans is the Chiefs will be in town Thursday night. The bad news, though, is this club isn’t built for the long haul. Actually, Canepa said weeks ago Chargers are toast.
San Diego U-T

Bad enough the Chargers gagged away a 24-point halftime lead and allowed the Broncos to score 35 unanswered points in Monday Night’s stunner in San Diego. Worst? The Chargers’ PR director let the fans (almost 69,000 of them, a large contingent of Bronco fanatics also in the house, showed up to witness this meltdown) have it on the club’s website. To say some of the Charger fateful aren’t too pleased about it would be an understatement.
Chargers.com