I’ll say it here and now - Lane Kiffin is not a step backwards from what the Raiders have done since Gruden. It may not even be a step forward. But it’s step different from one would expect from an NFL organization. The same coaches move around year after year. And the Raiders had their choice of men with fairly good background: Fassel, Martz, Mora, Turner, Parcells, Shula, Lombardi - oh wait, he’s dead. But aren’t they all dead inside? Getting passed around or passed over must kill a piece of you over time. At least Kiffin feels alive. You have to respect his spunk when asked about his favorite Raider moment. Response: “today” (the day he was introduced as the new head coach). That’s huevos, I don’t care who you are.
Now, let’s talk about my favorite people - the gurus that write for the local fish-wraps. Kawakami, Killion, Breton, Ratto - your basic columnists (and I mean “basic” because they’re slumming it here away from LA or NY) who have intimate knowledge of the Raiders, the inner workings of Al Davis, the ability to see through the walls of Alameda and decipher what the rest of the NFL can’t. They have their fingers in and out of the silver and black because they have “sources” - nay, let me rephrase - “very reliable sources”.
The continual bashing of the Oakland organization gets old - really fast. If you’re not part of the solution, then you’re part of the problem. Isn’t this so? Especially when these morons don’t have a solution that’s viable, fresh and sensible from a football perspective. Sure, it’s easy to say “hire Fassel”. But these are the same guys who supported the Turner hire. Good job on that.
They poke fun at a new coach who claims he wants to bring glory days back to Oakland. What else is he going to say at a press conference… “ummm, yeah this team really sucks - the players are under achievers. Heck, I don’t really even know why I took this job but gee, I’m willing to try if you let me. I’m 31 and king of a nation - who’s the sucker now?”
Have you ever seen Killion’s first few years as a columnist? It was painful. I couldn’t stand any of her stories. Ratto? To this day he’s a putz. At least Killion grew up. Breton (SacBee)? Who is this guy? After reading his column today (1/24/07), I want to ask Breton - “do I really care that your good buddy is Kawakami, and that Al Davis was unfair to him when Kawakami asked a difficult question?” “Uhhh, do I care if he knows all about some tank in a square in China even though he’s Japanese?” That’s great because I’ve read Kawakami’s columns - he should only write about China and not about the NFL.
I understand why columnists write continuous jibber. It’s to instigate healthy discussions and creative banter among their readers - and get someone like me to blog about it. Heck, if you can’t inspire me to read your sentences because they’re good, why not try and piss me off so you get a reaction.
As much as these local writers want the Raiders to simply admit their ineptness, I wish these columnists would just come right out and say it. “I want Al Davis dead.” C’mon - say it. Why do you continue to live such a poor quality of life by covering this team - don’t you want to sleep well at night because you’re covering a worthy team like the Niners or the Giants - hey, how about them Warriors.
I say this because I care. Not so much about the columnists but about the quality of what I read on the paper. What you offer me is the same tired bullshit that the Raiders have continued to give me. But at least when they put something on the table that is not necessarily a step backwards (because it can’t get any worst) nor forward (because it’s yet unproven), it’s nevertheless refreshing. So I would expect the same thing from the media reporters. Why? Because I’m the guy who pays for the tickets; and buys products; and watches the ads between snaps for my local team - not the guy who roots for New England (who ignores local writers in exchange for a Boston online paper) or Indianapolis or Chicago or blah blah blah. And when these same tired writers tell me the same crap over and over again, isn’t that just insanity?
And by the way, I don’t care which paper these columnists write for - but Al Davis can ask a reporter any question he wants. Even if it’s about some tank in a square in China to a Japanese reporter. I’d like to see him put the smack down on any of these hacks with or without his walker. Now that’s worth writing about.