“Are the Raiders in Better Shape Than People Think? Key Stats on The Teams of the AFC West”

Navorro Bowman makes a tackle against the Chiefs

 

While people were trying to figure out why the Raiders were 2-4 in the early season, I and others took a simple approach and looked at the x’s and o’s. Teams had adjusted to the short passes of the Raiders passing game and we’re forcing them to throw deep and they were failing. I’ve been screaming for three weeks for the Raiders do to two things; open up the offense and throw downfield; and blitz often. They did both and pulled out a win at home against Kansas City and looked like a different team.

Even with the trying season and the need to talk fans off the ledge due to week to week reaction, in reality the Raiders have more of a chance than people think to get into the playoffs and possibly even win the division.

In Reality:

Let’s stop kidding ourselves. No, the Raiders don’t have amazing talent on defense and no they are not going to be good on that side of the ball this year. They may have some moments but for the most part they are not able to get it done.  The offense is going to have to carry them and if they don’t play well, the Raiders are toast. Next year the Raiders HAVE to fix the defensive front 7 or they are going to turn into the Miami Dolphins of the 80’s and 90’s; all offense, little defense. Ask Dan Marino how many Super Bowl trophies he has.

No, Derek Carr isn’t the greatest QB in Raiders history and yes, he struggles big time if he’s rushed. Last year he was the best protected QB in the NFL and he thrived. This year he has had just ok protection and he’s struggled for the most part. In the KC game he was never sacked and had great protection and threw for over 400 yards. NOT a coincidence.

After admitting these facts, we can now look at the 4 teams and how they may fare for the rest of the season.

L.A. Chargers Melvin Ingram

Los Angeles Chargers:

As wrestling star Big Poppa Pump Scott Steiner used to say, pass rushing star Melvin Ingram is “legit”.  While future star Joey Bosa gets most of the publicity, Ingram has turned into a one man wrecking crew with his fast and physical style.  The Chargers DL is the real deal.

I like what is happening on the defensive side of the ball in Los Angeles for both teams. The formula in the wins for this team is simple; keep it close or get a lead, and then let the pass rush and pass defense take over. In the last 3 weeks that formula has worked.

The Chargers have been on their biggest high in a very long time. They have won their last 3 games beating the Giants and the Raiders on the road in close games, and then last week they shut out the punch-less Denver Broncos 21-0 in Los Angeles.

Their defense has been a key to their wins, especially in the red zone, not allowing a red zone touchdown in 3 weeks. They are 5^th against the pass but are 31^st against the run.

We will find out just how good the Chargers are this weekend when they visit New England. At 3-4 they still have a long way to go to take the division and their offense hasn’t exactly been lighting up the scoreboard. They are still very one dimensional being 8^th in the NFL in passing yardage per game, and even with Melvin Gordon they are 31^st in the run game.

Can They Win The AFC West:

The Chargers have some brutal road games ahead at New England, Jacksonville, Dallas and at Kansas City. They also have home games with Washington and Oakland ahead.

They will go as far as their offense takes them which I don’t think is far enough. Even with all of the publicity Phillip Rivers gets, earlier this year they broke a 24 game streak of not scoring a TD in the last two minutes of the half or at the end of a game. Could you imagine Tom Brady, Joe Montana or Ken Stabler having that streak? I don’t trust Phillip Rivers who to me is more of a stat stuffer than a winning QB at the end of games. A good guy, good QB but not great. The new rules are making legends out of average to good Qb’s because their stats are extremely hyper-inflated due to the rule changes the past 6 years.  Look at the ridiculous illegal use of the hands call against KC on the play when Derek Carr fumbled.  He literally didn’t touch the WR after 5 yards and barely patted him within 5 yards.  In the 70’s-90’s that would have been considered a hand shake.  That changed the game and it was a call you don’t see in flag football.  The rules have gone overboard, but that is for another day.

The Chargers lack of a running game also continues to limit their offense. I don’t see them winning the division but a possible .500 record isn’t a crazy idea.

Kansas City Chiefs:

I’ve never been a huge Andy Reid fan but I’m really not getting what is going on in KC.  I just read where Justin Houston; the Chiefs all star stud pass rusher; is now being asked to fall back into pass coverage 25% of the time.  That is the third highest % of any edge rusher in the NFL.  Here is a guy that can take over a game by himself and he’s in coverage 1/4th of the time?  Wow.

The Chiefs defense used to carry them, and now it hinders them and they continue to struggle on defense. They are 25^th against the run and 28^th against the pass. Their pass rush when only rushing 4 players, hasn’t been good at all. They have only 15 sacks in 7 games and that is not KC football. The offense continues to shine being a top 5 offense. They did fail on their last drive against Oakland though when they could have iced the game.

The Chiefs offense is still on a roll and they have a key game at home with Denver next. With Denver struggling so much on offense this looks like a Chiefs win right?   This is the NFL folks.

Can They Win the Division?:

Right now they are in the drivers seat, and if they beat Denver they are in great shape. With the easiest schedule ahead of all of the 4 teams, it will be hard to beat the Chiefs for the division.  KC is the odds on favorite right now but anything can happen.

Broncos CJ Anderson scores a TD in the snow in Denver.

Denver Broncos:

I don’t care about all the love that Tony Romo and all of the other announcers give to Bronco QB Trevor Siemian; I think it’s become illegal for announcers to tell the truth anymore about NFL QB’S; he is a bad NFL QB.

With a lack of accuracy and vision to make the right throw, the Denver offense is hamstrung at QB. In their 3 losses this year, Denver has scored a total of 26 points. And to be shut out on the road against the Chargers 31^st ranked run defense, is a bad sign. Bill Musgrave is Denver’s QB coach and he seemed a lot better coach when he had Derek Carr didn’t he? For all of you that want coaches fired after every loss, isn’t that crazy how that works out? Better players make coaches look better?  Insane, I know. (highly sarcastic comment)

To be fair the Broncos left side of their offensive line has struggled all year and that hasn’t helped. Denver is 24^th in scoring offense and is middle of the road in many offensive categories, but where they fail is in the red zone. They are 29^th in scoring TD’s in the red zone and in their last 3 games they scored a TD in only 11% of their times in the red zone.   On the road for the year their % is an abysmal 25% TD rate in the red zone. I don’t think this trend ends any time soon either. Siemian is a very limited QB and they will struggle in the red zone all year. What is scarier is how come Paxton Lynch cant’ beat him out when he was healthy?

Defensively Denver is 6^th against the pass and 2^nd against the run but they are 13^th in sacks with 18 for the year. Their defense is still really good, but just not as dominating as in the past.

Can They Win The Division:

Denver will always be in the hunt because of their defense, but their offense is a hindrance. It’s hard seeing Denver taking this division unless Siemian improves, especially in the red zone. Don’t be surprised if you have a Brock Osweiller sighting soon.  Osweiller was re-signed in the first week in September.  Looking at the QB situation in Denver, it’s like I’m a sick child and the doctor asks if I want castor oil or a shot. With Paxton Lynch’s constant injury issues, the QB situation is as bad as it gets in the mile high city.

In regards to their schedule, Denver also has to play away games in Kansas City, Oakland, Philadelphia and Washington, along with home games with New England and Kansas City.  With that schedule the odds of winning the division is shrinking. They are on the outside looking in if they lose to Kansas City in their next game.

Raiders DeAndre Washington scores a TD against KC on a tough run

Oakland Raiders:

After 4 straight losses with some Raider fans getting ready to throw everyone off the plank including the cheerleaders and announcers, the Raiders saved the season from going under with a big win against Kansas City at home. Even with this win there is a lot to do.

With the signing of Navorro Bowman, the Raiders now have a quality LB that is better than anyone they presently have on the roster. He’s no where near the same player that was one of the best in the NFL, but he definitely can still produce. Even with Bowman the Chiefs were 8-15 on third down and had 425 totally yards of offense. I’ve talked at length about the defense in past articles, so let’s just say that Oakland’s defense is not good, and it’s not going to be good for the rest of the season.  He’s not going to help much in coverage but he does make the defense a little better.

For the Raiders to win, their offense will have to carry them like they did in the previous game. I was against the signing of Marshawn Lynch from the start and I really like the Raiders stable of RB’s.  It will be interesting to see how they do against the stout defense of the Buffalo Bills.  The Raiders have a nice match-up against a Buffalo team that has a solid defense but not much of an offense outside of LeSean McCoy. Tyrod Taylor is very limited at QB and a close Raiders win is probable but nothing is for sure.

The problem is down the road. After playing in Buffalo, they play a night game against Miami which I think they can do well in. Then it gets interesting. The Raiders go to Mexico to play New England, and have home games against Denver, Dallas & the NY Giants. Add road games in Kansas City, Philadelphia and against the Chargers and the Raiders second half schedule is as tough as anyone’s. The Chiefs and Eagles (on Christmas Day) games will be at least cold if not snowy. California teams don’t exactly thrive in the snow.  As a lifelong northern Californian, I personally don’t even like to open the freezer let alone be in the cold midwest or east.

Will The Raiders Win the Division?

There are two huge games that will help in determining if the Raiders can win the division. One will be the Denver game in Kansas City this weekend. If KC wins that game, they regain control. Another game is the Chiefs hosting the Raiders in December.   If the Raiders lose that game it’s hard to impossible to see them winning the division. As viewers it’s always fun to look ahead but in reality every week is like the playoffs and you can’t take anyone lightly anymore in the salary cap era.   Every team has issues and it all changes week to week, especially with injuries.

The Bills game should be a tough, grinding game for Oakland.  With temperatures in the 40’s with a 70% chance of rain expected, the road starts out as a tough one in upstate New York for the Silver and Black.  The road to the AFC West crown will be a wild one for each team.

“Pimps, Drugs & Busts; The Oakland Raiders Top 10 Worst Draft Picks of All Time”

 

Insiders have said that Al Davis was always looking for 4 players; the new Cliff Branch, Ken Stabler, Willie Brown & Jack Tatum.  Here are the Raiders attempts that failed.

#10:  Darrius Heyward-Bey: #1, 7 overall (2009 draft)

Before the 2009 draft, most experts had Michael Crabtree and Jeremy Maclin as the top 2 WR in the NFL draft.  Then along came the NFL combines.  DHB ran a 4.3 40 at the combines and Al Davis was smiling like the Grinch on Christmas morning.  Even though he only had 138 catches for 1958 yards in 3 years at Maryland, DHB shockingly was chosen.

I remember destroying this pick in an article the next day and getting destroyed back by Raider fans saying I needed to give him time.  Was 4 years enough?

In an amazing 300 targets in 4 years, DHB only caught 140 passes for 11 TD’s.  In that same time Michael Crabtree caught 260 catches on 429 targets and 21 td’s.  Local station KNBR radio joked that for Raider fans sake 40 times at the NFL combines should be kept away from Al Davis.

#9 Jessie Hester WR: #1, #23 overall (1985 draft)

This pick is usually forgotten by most.  During the glory days of Florida St. football, Jessie Hester was a star.  He was quick and loved to go deep.  At 5’ 11” and 175 lbs. He looked like Cliff Branch and the Raiders drafted him in the first round.

In 3 years Hester caught 56 passes for 10 touchdowns and the Raiders cut him before year 4.  He found a short term home for 4 years at Indianapolis as the #3 and #4 WR but he mostly was a second tier player.  He ended up being a huge bust for the Raiders that few talk about.

#8 Derrick Gibson CB: #1, #28 overall (2001 draft)

At the NFL combines Derrick Gibson was a star.  He bench pressed 400 lbs. and ran a 4.40-4.45 forty.  At 6’ 2” and 210 lbs., you could see teams swooning.  Marquez Pope blew a coverage and was beaten by Baltimore’s tight end Shannon Sharpe for a 96 yard TD in the playoffs that sealed the Raiders fate.  A safety was needed.

Gibson struggled a lot in tackling and he had terrible instincts against the pass.  Many college safeties are free lancers with little responsibility and that’s what Gibson was.  After 5 years the Raiders cut Gibson and no other NFL team ever picked him up.  Another in the long line of NFL combine and work out warriors Al Davis fell in love with who was a huge bust.

#7 John Clay OL: #1, #15 overall (1987 draft)

When Missouri stand out John Clay was drafted by the Raiders #15 overall, the Raiders thought they had a tackle for the next 10 years.  At 6’ 5” and an athletic 300 lbs., he fit the mold as a huge Raiders OL.  After 1 year though the Raiders realized they had made a mistake.  They traded him to the Chargers along with two draft choices for all world OL Jim Lachey.  Problem was they traded Lachey; who starred for Washington; for Jay Schroeder who never panned out at QB.  Clay only started in 10 games and played 2 seasons in the NFL until he was out of the league.

#6 Ted Watts S: #1, #21 overall (1981 draft)

What made this pick so painful is that the Raiders also had the #23 pick in the first round and they selected OL Curt Marsh who rarely played due to injuries.  In 5 years Marsh was out of the NFL with only 22 starts.  If it wasn’t for 2^nd round pick Howie Long this draft would have been disastrous.

Al Davis told the media, Hanford Dixon, and anyone else that would listen that he was taking the Southern Mississippi CB if he was there at the #21 pick.  Dixon was there but Al Davis took Ted Watts out of Texas Tech instead.  Why?  Because he had better 40 times than Dixon and because Dixon refused to run more than once.  Dixon went on to a storied 9 year career at Cleveland being one of the best CB’s in the NFL.  The 3 time pro bowler is revered in Cleveland and in all those years he missed 5 starts.

Ted Watts only started 22 games in 4 years with the Raiders and he just never caught on as a starter.  He was not a good tackler and seemed over-matched in coverage.  He bounced around to the New York Giants and San Diego Chargers and was out of the league in 6 years only starting in 25 of the 74 games he played.

#5 Patrick Bates S: #1, #12 overall (1993 draft)

Some thought the Raiders might go with Alabama safety George Teague who thrived on making big plays but the Raiders stood pat and chose Texas A & M star Patrick Bates.  He was a part of the Aggies famous “Wrecking Crew” defense.

His first year was at UCLA and within a month of each other his mother and grandmother; who he was very close to; both died.  After transferring to Texas A & M for a new start, he was arrested for assault.

He was eventually arrested for holding a woman at gun point.  On the field he wasn’t much better.  He seemed more athlete than football player and wasn’t that big of a hitter either.  He was out of the league in 3 years ending his career with 1 interception.  Teague had a 9 year career and even though it wasn’t great, he had some great moments and some good seasons.  He still holds the record for a post season interception returned for a touchdown with his 101 yard interception return against Detroit in the first round of the 1993 playoffs.

#4 Bob Buczcowski DE: #1, #24 overall (1986 draft)

This guy really was a pimp.  This is a name that the Raiders; and especially the NFL want you to forget.  Bob had a good career at Pitt and the Raiders seemed to like him more than some other teams which had him going in the second round.  The Raiders chose him and the rest is infamous history.

He played for the Raiders one year and was let go.  He then played a year each at Arizona and Cleveland before he was out of the league.

In 2005 he was arrested for being a co-conspirator in a drug and prostitution ring in Pennsylvania.  His live in girlfriend was Amy Schifano who was known as the Monroeville Madam.  It was said that they had up to 300 calls a day and they rented hotel rooms for clients.  There also was cocaine distribution involved.  Facing 87 years in prison, Buzcowski turned states evidence and became a witness for the prosecution for a much reduced sentence.  His final sentence was 90 days house arrest.  A bust that got busted.  Don’t blame me; it writes itself!

#3 Marc Wilson QB: #1, #15 overall (1980 draft)

First off you will not find a nicer guy than Marc Wilson.  He ended up being a successful businessman.  In a couple of interviews in the last 10 years he summed up his career.  “It may not have seemed it at times but I really put my all in my career.  Football is my least favorite sport and when I played in the NFL I never felt I was good enough to have control over the game.  It was always a struggle.  In basketball and baseball I felt in control.  I just wish it would have went better.  I don’t even watch football anymore and have no desire to go to games.”

With a rocket arm but little accuracy, Marc Wilson was drafted by the Raiders out of BYU.  He was one of the originators of the QBU era of the Cougars.  In a QB poor draft the Raiders knew that Jim Plunkett was still kind of a crap shoot.  From 1980-1986, the Raiders had a revolving door at QB.  Plunkett would start and then struggle and then Marc Wilson would take over.  Wilson would struggle or get hurt and then Plunkett started.  Add an injury here and there and it was a mess at times.  In that time Plunkett had one really good year in 1983 (Raiders won the Super Bowl), and Wilson had one good year in 1985 (Raiders were considered favorites to go to the Super Bowl).

In 1985 Wilson was atrocious in the first round of the playoffs and the heavily favored Raiders lost to the Patriots 27-20 at home.  Wilson was 11 for 27 with 3 INT’s and 1 TD and was booed off the field.  The upstart Patriots shocked the NFL by going to the Super Bowl and being destroyed by the 1985 Bears.

In his 8 years as a Raider QB he only started 50 games.  He was 31-19 and he gave Raider fans nightmares.  Many feel if it wasn’t for injuries in the 1970’s the Raiders would have had 1 more Super Bowl win, and if it had better QB play in the 80’s they would have had 1 more Super Bowl win in that decade as well.  The Raiders had a lot of talent but the Plunkett/Wilson roller coaster was a hit or miss saga with more misses than hits as time went on.  To old school Raider fans, just the mention of Marcs name brings tingles down the spine.  What could have been.

#2 Todd Marinovich QB: #1, #24 overall (1991 Draft)

In the late 1980’s ESPN started picking up a loyal viewership and Todd Marinovich was one of their first media darlings.

Lost in Robo QB history, was that his father Marv was the first ever strength and conditioning coach in the NFL.  He was hired by?  Al Davis.  He studied Eastern Bloc training methods and many of his methods were used in the origination of core training and are still used today.

Todd as an infant teethed on frozen liver and kidneys.  He could not eat white sugar or processed food and only drank raw milk.  Up until his adulthood he was not allowed to eat fast food or sweets.  He rarely ate red meat.

After his parents divorced he really was out of control.  His pot use was so bad in high school opponents fans chanted Marijuanavich & he was busted for cocaine.  President Reagan honored Todd at his home after a big win & he was the Johnny Manziel of his time with celebs always wanting to party with him.

In the pro’s his drug use was worse.  He passed NFL drug tests by using friends urine, until once he used a friend that had partied all night and he tested positive for alcohol.  He then turned to LSD which wasn’t tested for.  He was out of the league in 2 years starting only 9 games including 1 playoff game where he threw 4 INT’s in a 10-6 loss to Kansas City.  Pittsburgh attempted to sign him but he told them he no longer wanted to play in the NFL.  He played in Canada for a short time.  A real troubled person who seems to be doing better in life.

#1 Jamarcus WR: #1, #1 overall (2007 draft)

It’s funny how many Raider fans defended these picks at the time  (Come on; you know who you are).  My fights online with them are of legend.  This was another one of those picks I hated and maybe received the most hate of all time.  Here were iconic college players Calvin Johnson and Adrian Peterson who were men among boys in college being thrown away for Jamarcus Russell.  A guy that got famous in a bowl game against a Notre Dame defense that was one of the worst in the country and the NFL combines where he threw 65 yards on one knee.

Russell in college was an amazing athlete.  He was huge; 6’ 6” and 270.  Problem was against teams like Auburn and others who ran a pro style type defense he struggled.  He was not an accurate QB but he could throw it a mile.  At the NFL combines he wowed teams with his size and big arm.  John Clayton said, “how could anyone not pick him #1.”

He played 3 years for the Raiders and in 25 starts he was 7-18.  With his poor conditioning and his struggles with drugs, he was let go.  He tried some come backs but was never really taken seriously.

Well there you have it.  The importance of quality drafts can’t be explained any more clearer than with these busts.  The draft is the key to creating and sustaining a winner in the salary cap era.

“Oakland Raiders Defensive Players Who Should/Shouldn’t be in the NFL Hall Of Fame”

 

Yesterday we looked at Bill King, Tom Flores, and the Raiders offensive players that might or might not be placed in the Hall of Fame.  Today we will look at players on the defensive end who have been overlooked.

I was really happy to see so many eyes opened on social media yesterday and so many discussions on some of the players I put in my article.  It’s great and fun to discuss and many put some very intelligent thoughts into their responses.

 Eye Opening: 

I’ve tried to do my part of showing people about grudges and biases that writers and voters to the HOF may have had on some players who could possibly be inducted.  I never really understood totally just how vicious and deep some biases were, especially with east coast writers.  It was eye opening.

For the last year and a half I’ve researched the stories of Raider players that might get into the hall and seen how clueless or how vengeful writers are to some of them; especially Raiders.  Ken Stabler and Jack Tatum went through hell with them, and others have been black listed and will never see the HOF even though they deserve it.

Let’s also remember too, if a west coast team plays at night, usually east coast writers won’t even see them play.  They read about the game or look at highlights.  They are in bed sleeping.  They won’t admit that but let’s be real.

Without further ado, let’s look into some of these players credentials and make the argument for or against their inductions.

 

 

Jack Tatum from Ohio State attends the National Football Foundation’s College Hall of Fame class of 2004 induction dinner in New York, Tuesday, Dec. 7, 2004. (AP Photo/John Marshall Mantel)

Jack Tatum:

When Chris Berman and Chris Collinsworth were talking about players that should be in the HOF a couple of years ago, they both said one guy; Jack Tatum.  And Chris Collinsworth looked like he saw the Headless Horseman while saying it.

The running joke in the NFL in the 1970’s for NFL fans was that when you looked in your closet at night you don’t look for the boogeyman; you look for Jack Tatum.  Just like Dick Butkus, Jack Tatum revolutionized his position.  He was 225 pounds of educated, tough muscle from Woody Hayes University, Ohio St.  He never said much on the field; said less off of it; but wow did he change football and every safety want’s to be him.

“Jack was my guy”, said a proud Ronnie Lott.  “Everything I did I tried to copy from him.  He was the man”.

NFL Bad Boy Conrad Dobler was amazed at Tatum.  “Jack hit people so hard.  It was like when he hit them they would not be hurt but they would be buried”.  Running mate and trash talker of the Soul Patrol George Atkinson said, “Even I could not believe the force he hit people with.  It sounded like a car wreck when he hit someone. His angles and his timing were perfect.  No one wanted to come over the middle because it was like being hit by a truck.  I’ve never seen anything like it”.

Tatum could take on Tackles and stop the run, or eliminate a WR so that they would never want to catch a ball over the middle again.  He was so tough that if he was on the other side of the field and knew he wouldn’t make the play, he would go after anyone in his area just to hit them.  Iconic Dolphins WR Paul Warfield once said, “if you didn’t have your head on a swivel against the Raiders, you would not finish the game.  They were that scary.”

In his famous hit in the Super Bowl against the Vikings, people could not believe Sammy White caught the ball.  Viking great Fran Tarkenton explained the play.  “I was watching this helmet fly by me.  For a split second I literally thought Sammy’s head was in it.  I never heard a harder hit.  How he caught that is beyond me”.

Sadly in a meaningless exhibition game he hit Patriots WR Darryl Stingley in a very legal hit.  In fact the NFL and even the Patriots coaching staff went over the film dozens of times and admitted Tatum did nothing wrong.  Stingley was paralyzed and his family was very angry at Tatum.  Tatum said he tried to reach out to the family but they refused him.  John Madden actually visited Stingley instead and said Jack never got over it.  The east coast media; especially Boston; shredded Tatum in the papers for years and vowed he’d never be in the HOF.  He sadly died at the age of 61.

Deserves to be in the HOF: YES YES YES

Will be Voted into HOF: No

 

Lyle Alzado:

Lyle Alzado roamed the field like a volcano ready to erupt.  His Raider teammates called him “Three Mile Lyle” after the explosion of the nuclear plant Three Mile Island.  No one knew when he’d blow up.

He grew up with an abusive father.  Once when a sibling was getting beaten, Lyle at the age of 15 protected them and hit his father and broke his jaw.  Lyle’s father called the police and pressed charges; assault.  He was arrested.  The scars on his soul were deep and unexpressed.

His life was one big tornado.  In an amazing career, this great pass rusher ended with 97 sacks.  Lyle is a hall of famer through and through but there is a saying if you work for or work with the NFL; Protect the Shield.

Just like with police and politicians, they feel you keep your mouth closed and Lyle didn’t.  While he was dying of brain cancer and losing over 100 pounds, he did interviews talking about his immense use of steroids.  Players hated him for it because it tarnished them; the NFL hated him for it because it embarrassed them.  A year after his death, the NFL started testing for steroids, many say due to the backlash of Lyle’s speaking out.

He sadly died at the age of 43.  Many said he was always looking for happiness and peace, but never really found it.  I hope he finally has.

Deserves to be in the HOF: For Sure

Will He be Voted into HOF:  No

Rod Martin:

I remember talking to an east coast writer and asking him what he thought about Rod Martin maybe going into the hall of fame.  His answer?  “Who is Rod Martin”.  See what I’m telling you?

Don’t get me started on how clueless some Americans are in our history. Sports is included.  Why sports fans don’t educate their kids on the history of their teams is beyond me.  We should have more of an appreciation of the foundation of a team and not just live life like we’re 15 year old girls. For the most part as a nation we are clueless if it happened before 1990.  (Rant over).

Rod Martin had a long and illustrious career as linebacker of the Oakland Raiders.  He had the greatest defensive Super Bowl of all time with 3 interceptions against the Eagles.  People also forget he played a key role in the Washington win in the Super Bowl too with many key plays including stopping John Riggins on a 3^{rd and 4th} and short, once near the goal line.  He also batted down key passes and picked up a fumble.

He was AFC defensive player of the year one time and a pro bowler twice.  He was a mainstay for the Raiders and in the biggest games he played his best.  One of the forgotten Raiders who should be better remembered.

Deserves to be in the HOF: Yes

Will be Voted into HOF: No

John Matuszak:

He once overdosed when he was with Kansas City being taken to the hospital while his coach gave him chest compressions on the way to the hospital.  Raider staff members had to sleep in front of his hotel room to make sure he wouldn’t leave at night and party.  Fans saw him as a big ton of fun, but at times players saw him as a big pain.  A nice guy off of drugs, but a whirlwind while on them.

Matt Millen wrote in his book at what a pain John was at times.  He used drugs often.  Qaaludes, Valium, pot, cocaine, pain killers, alcohol.  Nothing was off limits when the Tooz was around.  His partying was of legend.  The night before the Raiders played the Eagles in the Super Bowl he said he would patrol Bourbon Street to make sure Raider players were in at a decent hour.  He ended up partying until 3 a.m. and was fined $1000.  Disciplined Dick Vermeil told the national media, “if that were an Eagle, his ass would be on a plane home by now”.

In the 1970’s the strong man competitions on ABC were extremely popular.  Most trained over 6 months for the events.  Just to pass time, Matuszak entered into one competition; without a day of training.  Most of the competitors kind of laughed at such arrogance.  After the smoke cleared, he placed in the top 10 at 9th.  “He’s super human”, said one competitor.  “I really never saw anything like him”.

Once when the Tooz was arrested, Ken Stabler had to bail him out.  When he got to the Police Station Stabler said, “Drunk, cowboy hat, cowboy boots and no clothes.  Yep, that’s my roomie; I’d know him anywhere”.

On the field John was a great player one minute, and a disappearing act the next.  He was a good guy when sober and he played well, but it was hard to get him when he wasn’t high off the field.  He was an inconsistent but solid player.  No telling how good this 6′ 8″ giant could have been.  Sadly at the age of 38 he died of an accidental overdose of pain killers.  A small amount of cocaine was found in his system.  Sadly 2 years later one of his sisters Dawn passed away suddenly.  Their family went through a lot of pain.

For many he will forever be fondly known as Sloth in the movies Goonies.  The stories of his kindness are of legend.  It took 4-5 hours to put on his makeup.  The kids in the movie adored the Tooz and they constantly played pranks on him.  He never said a word and just laughed.  He said once, “How can you get mad at kids who are just having the time of their lives”.  One of the kids said, “I saw him play football on television and he looked so mean.  But with us he was just our Giant friend; he was Sloth to us”.  He had several acting accomplishments including a memorable scene in North Dallas Forty.  He was well liked by a lot of people on the sets who still talk of him fondly.

Deserves to be in the HOF: No

Will be Voted into HOF: No

 

Lester Hayes:

When Hayes came out of college, many said he wasn’t very smart.  What the Raiders found out is that he had a stuttering problem.  Now Hayes will speak to anyone that will listen while showing a great personality.

Hayes was a pro bowler 5 times; all pro once; AFC player of the year once; single season record for interceptions in a year (13), and named to the prestigious all decade team for 1980.

It’s not even worth talking about; just like Branch and Tatum, of course Lester should be in.  I feel embarrassed to even defend it.  Eventually he will be but again, it’s a joke for him to wait so long.

Deserves to be in the HOF: Yes

Will be Voted into HOF: Eventually

 

“The Bittersweet Election of Ken Stabler Into the Pro Football HOF; What NFL Voters Need to Do”

Please sign this petition to get Cliff Branch into the NFL Pro Football Hall of Fame:

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/276/842/889/induct-oakland-raider-wr-cliff-branch-into-the-nfl-hall-of-fame/?taf_id=14680187&cid=twitter

For Raider, Alabama, and NFL fans that have been crying out for Ken Stabler to be elected into the NFL Hall of Fame, their prayers were answered Saturday night. The NFL announced that Ken Stabler along with Brett Favre, Tony Dungy, Marvin Harrison, Orlando Pace, Kevin Greene, Dick Stanfel and controversial former San Francisco 49er owner Eddie DeBartolo had been newly elected into the NFL Pro Football Hall of Fame.

My Twitter timeline was blowing up for joy but also with anger due to the huge slight all these years.   No negative feeling should diminish the joy everyone feels but it is frustrating. In the annals of life it may not be that big a deal, but in the world of sports it was a miscarriage of justice to say the least and we need to call people out for it.

I thought of John Madden and the Raider players who loved him so much. I thought of older fans who saw him play and those that are no longer here. I thought of his daughter Kendra who knew of her dad’s talent and carried the torch for him for so long.   I thought of daughters Marissa and Alexa who must have been awestruck by the devotion and love shown to their dad, and are just learning how great he was on the field. I thought also of his grandkids who he adored. I thought of his sister Carolyn who also has been nothing but gracious and kind through out the years. His nephews, friends, and other family members also have a huge void in their lives.

I thought of Alabama fans and friends of Ken’s that had also fought for him to be recognized.   Their devotion is equal to that of Oakland.

And last but not least, I thought of his partner of almost 16 years Kim Ross, who bravely supported him while he quietly battled the side effects of CTE. While we saw the glorified side, she saw the fight that is seen behind the scenes when the crowds no longer cheer and the player walks away. A fight that no longer should be fought alone.

As I announced Ken’s induction to my happy followers, I also thought of all of the people over the years that had fought for Ken’s being in the hall of fame.   The people with websites and social media pages.  Everyday people who cared so much.  People in the media and sportswriters. The NFL players of present and past who had constantly said how Ken deserved to be a part of this group. Many emotions stirred up inside me. Some amazing and some not so pleasant.

Jan 9, 1977; Pasadena, CA, USA; FILE PHOTO; Oakland Raiders quarterback (12) Ken Stabler and actor James Garner celebrates as Oakland defeated the Minnesota Vikings in Super Bowl XI at the Rose Bowl. The Raiders defeated the Vikings 32-14 to win their first Super Bowl title. Mandatory Credit: Photo By Malcolm Emmons- US PRESSWIRE © Copyright Malcolm Emmons

The Reality of It All:

If a voting writer thinks that a player does not belong in the HOF due to their play on the field, then they should not vote them in.  Believe me I get it; not everyone belongs in the NFL Hall of Fame. But I also get that the grudges and unprofessionalism of NFL HOF voters has to be addressed and called out. We should not give sportswriters/voters a pass when the players they unjustly keep out for biased reasons finally get in. Instead they need to be held accountable.

What Does This Vote Prove?:

Sites that try to hire me (boy are they dumb) and readers always ask me why I write as an independent.  The pure reason is so I won’t be censored or edited.  My goal in life isn’t to be famous or known, it’s to call out injustices and to tell the truth.  Most write what their readers want to hear to be popular and get viewers, and they try to kiss up to teams and the NFL. My readers know that I write because I want to inform them and give people an idea of what is going on; good or bad. I go after the smart reader, and as many of them know, most corporations and governments are not big fans of the truth sometimes.

In saying that, what this vote proves is one thing; Ken Stabler and everyone near him got cheated.   I’m not going to rehash old articles or quotes; if you want to find out check out my past writings; but in reality this was just wrong.

Just Saturday, Terrell Owens found this out as well. Even though he has some of the best WR credentials in years, he did not make the HOF. I still remember how crappy he treated writers and other people and how he arrogantly looked his nose down on them; payback is a beatch; ask Barry Bonds.

I don’t like Terrell Owens antics either. In reality though if I was a voter my OPINION on how he treated people should not play into the equation. Even though Owens is a different type of situation than Stabler’s, isn’t this an honor for what people do on the field? On the field he was a HOF player whether I like him or not.   For God’s sake OJ Simpson is still in.

Look at the self righteous Major League Baseball Hall of Fame. When MLB saw the money in daily fantasy leagues, they pimped themselves out quicker than a Kardashian in front of a camera. You couldn’t go a minute without commercials about Draft Kings. Unless of course it was their announcement that they would not put Pete Rose into the Hall of Fame because of his ties with…….GAMBLING! I mean this stuff writes itself! Hypocrisy knows no bounds when it comes to major sports leagues.

Or what about Howard Cosell who is shockingly not in the HOF. Frank DeFord, Al Michaels, and so many of the great sports media figures of our time say Howard Cosell may be the most important NFL announcer of all time. That doesn’t count his huge contributions to boxing, baseball, and every other sport he was involved with. He WAS Monday Night Football. He even told the nation when John Lennon was shot and killed. He told it like it is whether it was fun or not. He said something.

Howard Cosell though had a big mouth and the NFL didn’t like it. He spoke for players issues at times.   He also talked about how someday networks would only want athletes as announcers because they would be loyal to the networks and the NFL product. He called it “jockocracy”; the dumbing down of announcers. He was right.

He also was a witness in the lawsuit by the USFL against the NFL years ago.   Again he told the truth. In 2010 Sports Illustrated listed the reasons why Cosell had indeed been black listed from the NFL HOF. None of the writers will admit it; but no way is Howard getting in which is a joke.  This is why it’s so scary. The NFL is so powerful that they control the networks and many of the sportswriters/voters know that to get along you go along.

Bill Simmons; one of the most powerful media people at ESPN (some had him getting $5 million per year) created Grantland; the greatest ESPN publication of all time. Simmons spoke out against Roger Goodell calling him and the NFL liars in the Ray Rice situation. The NFL was furious and let ESPN know it.  Even though he was proven right, he was suspended for 3 weeks. This was at the same time when self absorbed ESPN reporter Britt McHenry berated a woman at a towing yard so viciously that it went viral. She was suspended a week. So in ESPN and the NFL world, bullying someone and abusing someone verbally while embarrassing the product is far less a mistake than telling the truth.

Simmons was eventually fired and Grantland was in time, terminated. McHenry still has her job, business as usual. Don’t mess with the NFL.

HOF Voters Biased:

I just saw a 1970’s Sports Illustrated archive on Google books with an interview of Paul Zimmerman or Dr. Z. He was the ESPN NFL guru before Mel Kiper Jr. He was a voting member of the NFL HOF and eventually the senior committee.   He admitted in print that for the only time in his career he lobbied AGAINST a player at one of their player voting meetings. That player was Ken Stabler. At that time Zimmerman held a lot of pull and he vowed, “I’ll never vote Stabler into the HOF”. He believed the Bob Padecky story.

The grudge against Stabler was so bad, even Bob Padecky; who still believes the Snake set him up; last week told Ken Stabler’s HOF advocate Frank Cooney that Ken should be in.  Frank who is the selector of the NFL HOF Senior Selection Committee; was told by Padecky to tell the other writers that if they think the Snake should be in the HOF that it would be alright with him if they voted him in. Remember this occurrence happened over 35 years ago, and Ken didn’t do it!!!

Jim’s Jamz:

What needs to happen is that voters need to vote based on their on-field performance and not on petty grudges, invisible or real.  If they don’t, they need to be called out on it by players, fans, and the media.  They need to be held accountable.

Even with the travesty that has occurred, the parties for Ken Stabler’s induction will be long and hard. I can’t wait to see John Madden and the family, friends, and fans of Ken enjoying their day in the sun. In the back of our minds after it is over and the parties stop, lets not forget the voters all these years that cheated Ken and everyone associated with him into sharing this day together. Remember that when future Raiders come up for a vote every year, to make sure you contact the voting writers directly to show your support of these great players. We can be lazy and complain, or get involved and make sure that their families, friends and fans don’t have to go through what Ken’s did.

Oakland Raider fans are different.  They are real.  There are white collar and blue collar; black, brown and white; rich and poor with all parts of society represented.  The Oakland Raiders are not a team to Oakland fans; they are a family. Other fans look at players like hero’s, but to us Ken was a friend and family member who gave us countless thrills and the adoration we had for him was given back by his kindness and appreciation. He was the key to an innocent and amazing era that created the foundation of a then football dynasty. He and all of the Raiders meant so much to so many.

So when the likes of Cliff Branch, Tom Flores or other players come up for selection into the NFL HOF, let’s not forget the joy they brought to us.   And most importantly lets not forget the tolls their play has taken on their bodies. Let’s support and fight for retired players rights, and the health of all present and past players. Let’s also pressure the NFL and HOF to step up to the plate and do all they can to make sure these men live as healthy of lives as possible. And best of all; see you in Canton!

“Oakland Raiders and NFL Revenues: The Staggering Truth”

Last week we first looked at possible stadium venues in Oakland that were realistically being looked at.

“Raiders Stadium Sites Update; Video: How to Morph Levi’s & A Future NFL Stadium”

We also looked at realistic ways to pay for these stadiums.   The outpouring of positive comments and support for these ideas was amazing with thousands seeing that this could actually be done in a responsible manner. I really appreciate my smart readers.

“How to Finance a New Oakland Raiders Stadium”

Raider Fans Awaken:

First off, Mark Davis is the owner of the Raiders and that isn’t changing. He’s not going to sell and can’t be forced to sell unless he does something illegal. No petition will change that.

Let’s face it; social media has changed everything. Many people refuse to look at actions or facts exchanging them for biased opinions and conjecture. I guess I’m not smart enough to do that because I just go by what I see.   And what I see shocks me.

First off I would love to have a beer and a burger with Mark Davis.   He has that dorky fun type of thing going on. He doesn’t seem like a bad guy.   The reality of the matter though is that as an owner, he’s in way over his head. How many of you in your first 6 decades of life never held a job. Now you own a billion dollar business.

His actions have shown a lot about the Raiders situation. It’s almost as if the City of Oakland is like a guy that has this girlfriend. She’s not hot; been beaten up by life a bit; is kind and loyal as all get out but he now sees there are physically hotter women out there. He spends time and money on Inglewood and San Antonio (Raiders gave 50k to help spend for a city wide questionnaire in 2014 on how much their fans would want the Raiders) but all the while he tells his girlfriend Oakland that he’s not cheating and really wants her. He explains that he loves her and he’s not even looking for better options; he’s just using these as leverage to make sure the City of Oakland is serious in making a commitment. Everyone who believes that is as naive as an 18 year old girl at her first fraternity party.

Most Raider fans are angry and they are getting an education in NFL 101. I love football but that doesn’t mean I love how the NFL treats people. Look at how the NFL treats the refs; they said they can’t afford them to be full time even though bad calls are almost the norm now. The cheerleaders have to sue the NFL just to get minimum wage.   Retired players are treated like old race horses that are no longer needed. And fans are money signs where emotions and loyalty mean little.

Yet some fans are sensitive about their love of football and they will deny facts and defend every move the NFL makes until their dying day even though the NFL doesn’t care about anyone else but their profits.   Reminds me of some that blindly defend political parties. You can love a sport but still be honest about it.

Mark Davis acts like Oakland isn’t even on his radar at times.   You hope that he wakes up and puts the same effort into Oakland that he has into other cities.

How Do NFL Teams Make Money?:

The NFL is now the richest professional league in the world.   The NFL has 3 types of revenue.   National Revenue or Revenue Sharing; which has television revenue, national ad revenue and general ticket sales along with other miscellaneous items. This adds up to about 61% of NFL teams revenues.

The second form of revenue; which is NOT shared by the teams; is Territorial Revenue. This is money made anywhere near the radius of the teams home city. It could be in the form of in person or online merchandise sales, local television, radio and tv ad revenues, naming rights to the stadium and other things. This is also a large chunk of the teams revenue. This includes PSL’s.  Below is a list of the PSL revenues. Dont’ kill the messenger.

http://www.mprnews.org/story/2012/11/15/sports/nfl-personal-seat-licenses-compared

The third which is also not shared; and a far third at that; is ticket revenue. Why do you think teams are so obsessed with getting new stadiums? Well this is why. Teams share general ticket sales but KEEP all revenues made by luxury suites, club seat ticket sales, parking and any type of luxury boxes. While fans gave a salute for New England Patriot owner Robert Kraft for not charging a PSL (personal seat licenses) to the fans on his stadium, they forgot to add that he tore down 1500 end zone seats (which is revenue that is shared among NFL teams) and put in a huge luxury/club suite area. He pockets millions without sharing.

I went on the Dallas Cowboys web site and asked for suite information.   I counted 116 luxury suites alone in Dallas’ AT&T stadium and that doesn’t count club seats. Some of these suites are $30,000.00 per game and ALL of this money is NON revenue sharing and goes straight into Jerry Jones pocket.

Let’s also not forgot PSL’s. It’s literally free money. It’s like what Costco does and teams make so much money off of it you can’t count it.

Once PSL’s are paid for it’s predicted that the 49ers will make between $310-400 million just on PSL’s. The most expensive PSL in Dallas will cost you $150,000.00 PER TICKET and they expect between $625-675 million in PSL revenue once they are paid for.

Oakland Raider Revenue:

The NFL has always been extremely secretive about their profits.   They’ve lied a lot about them in the past before the internet. The number for the Raiders or any team is really a guess. Forbes gives the best estimate. As many have stated, the Raiders are worth $1.4 billion dollars and that the Davis’ family is worth $500 million. Again, San Diego and Oakland do not have businesses so they are considered the poor teams in the NFL. While most of the owners are worth billions, the Davis’ and Spanos’ families only have their NFL teams. Now dry your eyes; somehow these guys will make it financially.

Oakland Raiders Revenue History

Last year Forbes stated that the Raiders made $285 million dollars gross. They made $40 million in ticket sales and paid out $158 million in player salaries. Their operating costs were the lowest in the NFL but again, the Raiders would not disclose the number. In contrast the Dallas Cowboys made a staggering $680 million. The operating costs were #1 as well but no one knows the exact number. The Cowboys are worth 4 billion dollars and are considered the #2 most valuable sports franchise in the world only behind Spain’s soccer empire, Real Madrid.

I read 5 financial online publications and 7 sports publications and got 12 different financial numbers and ideas on NFL revenues. On average most believe the profits for the lower teams like the Raiders are between $25-40 million net profit per year and that doesn’t include the appreciation of the teams which is in the millions. It is believed that this is the first year in NFL history that they made over $14 billion dollars in one year.

Roger Goodell has stated that his goal is for the NFL to make 25 in 25; $25 BILLION per year by the year 2025. They still dream of expanding to London in the next two decades.  The NFL would be considered the 140^th richest COUNTRY in the world right now. They could finance several trips to space and buy several countries. That’s scary power.

Green Bay Packers; The Key To Knowing the Profit:

Remember that before the internet, the NFL lied so much about revenues that it was a running joke in the financial community.  NFL teams still don’t have to disclose financials but the Green Bay Packers are owned by the public so they are the only team that actually has to state their revenues but again, that’s shared revenues only. If you add up their share with the rest of the league, the NFL made $7.2 Billion in money that was shared by the teams. Again, this doesn’t include territorial money.

In the past decade or so the Packers have spent $320 million in upgrades to their stadium and surrounding area. They have built stores to sell Packer gear online and in house and have made a bundle. They also have renovated the stadium and they are building a “Titletown” area which will have shops and other ways to show off the tradition of Green Bay and to give a museum and fan experience to their faithful. They now are in the process of also upgrading their club and luxury suites. Green Bay is a classic Midwest team and is obsessed with giving their fans the utmost they can while turning a huge profit.

In the past 3 years, the Packers revenue has gone up from $300 million to $375 million. Their net profit last year was $39.4 million. Even with putting over $300 million into renovations and upgrades, the Packers have said financially they’ve never been stronger.

Final Thoughts:

The extreme greed of the NFL is unsurpassed and isn’t going to change.   Billionaires want one thing; more billions. Anyone thinking differently has never owned a business. I worked for a fortune 500 company that was the biggest money making medical company in the U.S. To them though it still wasn’t enough. They were caught in a insurance scandal and my CEO was arrested by the Department of Justice and it was reported on national television.

What does this all mean? It means that owners are not loyal to cities or to fans; they are loyal to what will make them money. I’m glad that fans are getting it. You can still love your teams and cheer for players but also realize this isn’t family; its business. In my opinion, if Mark Davis wanted to they could figure out a stadium in Oakland. Apple is making over $200 billion a year and this is chump change to many tech companies.   Just like the 49ers, there isn’t a door I would not knock on.  I hope he learned from the mistakes of his father Al Davis. You can only go back home so many times before no one is there waiting for you at the door.

“Raiders Stadium Sites Update; Video: How to Morph Levi’s & A Future NFL Stadium”

Laney College Site For Oakland Raiders Stadium

Where Are They Now In the Process:

Has their ever been a fan base that has gone through more stress than Oakland Fans?  All those years of loyalty and now the Warriors are going.  Are the Raiders staying; are the A’s staying; no fan base is more beat up.  I hope for their sake that things get worked out for the A’s and Raiders.  Oakland is a special place and they deserve much more than they are getting.

Fans and writers now get it.  It would be nice if Mark Davis would now hire Carmen Policy and Disney CEO Bob Iger to help with a stadium in Oakland but don’t count on it.  He’s going to do nothing and make the City of Oakland figure it out.  If he put the same amount of effort, time and money into Oakland that he did into Carson then this could be worked out much faster, but it is what it is.  In his defense the City of Oakland has had 2 bad mayors before Libby Schaaf and that didn’t help either but his words and his actions have never been the same.

The reality is it’s up to the City of Oakland and Mayor Schaaf to get this done.  Remember in the back of your mind, even though the Raiders are important, the A’s make more money for the city.

What is The City Of Oakland’s Present Strategy:

I think many writers and fans are not getting what needs to happen.  Every one is trying to find a new place for a Raiders stadium but in reality if EITHER the A’s or the Raiders move, then both teams stay in Oakland because the O.co is now free.  The strategy for Oakland is to move the A’s soon because they will be easier to move.  The A’s want a 34-39,000 seat stadium.  Here is a rendition of the Cisco Stadium plan that eventually was knocked down.  It would have been a 35,000 seat stadium in Fremont, CA.

Cisco Field

Cisco Field Business Plaza with Picnic and Dual Scoreboard

If you move the Raiders over the A’s, you need more land for the stadium and parking.  It will still cost the City if the A’s move but for a stadium with less fans, it’s cheaper.   If the A’s move, then you now have an empty arena with no team in Oracle, and you have an old stadium that can be torn down.  When the Warriors leave you now can use the Oracle area for a shopping or business complex, extra parking or whatever you want.

This keeps both teams in Oakland and you have two great stadiums.  Cal Berkeley has said in the past they are open to sharing their newly upgraded stadium for the rental revenue it would provide.  God help those in traffic but that is for another day.

Who May Be The Raiders Savior & How the A’s Can Help Them:

Below we will discuss why the the majority owner of the A’s is so important.  Don’t think for a second that major league owners aren’t sick of the A’s making money every year and doing nothing to bring in more revenue.  Lew Wolf is cheaper than a celebrity at dinner time and the other owners are sick of it and they want a new stadium in Oakland.  Of course the owners don’t have the plums to tell the Giants to get bent on the territorial rights that the A’s gave them in the first place to save them, but that’s again for another time.

Remember that since 2000, the A’s are ONLY 1 of three teams in MLB that has made money every year.  The A’s make between $35-45 million per year due to the profit sharing in MLB.  If it were up to Wolf, he’d keep cashing checks and do nothing but that isn’t popular anymore among MLB owners.

When you ask fans who owns the A’s, everyone says Lew Wolf.  Well not exactly.  Wolf owns approximately 20% of the A’s.  He IS the managing general partner though and he’s been allowed to make the business decisions and speak as the owner.  The MAJORITY owner is John Fisher the son of the Gap Founder.  (man does every owner have family money?).  He owns 80% of the A’s but he’s never really wanted to be involved in the day to day business until now.  Get this; the A’s ownership is the 5th richest ownership in MLB.  Johnson is younger, more personable and more reasonable than the volatile Wolf & he can help the Raiders.

Wolf and Johnson brought the San Jose Earthquakes back into the professional soccer world in 2008.  They built Avaya stadium in San Jose using no tax money which is a fans dream.  No one thought they could do it.  I think Johnson would have great idea’s for a new park for the A’s, shoring up the Coliseum for the Raiders.  It’s like watching a game in a theater and it officially has the largest outdoor bar in the U.S.  It has standing room only and a huge drink rail near the bar.  It also has field level club suites that are behind the benches.  It’s a beautiful place.  At the opening of Avaya, Johnson; who rarely speaks anywhere; told the media it’s now time to bring an A’s stadium in Oakland.  Here is beautiful Avaya Stadium.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HiU5JQu2uGQ

Future NFL Stadium:

I don’t know why it hasn’t been thought of more but this is what construction experts see as the future NFL stadium which can be used for the City as well as the team.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ERvARKwPtiU

Proposed Sites For a New Oakland Stadium: 

Howard Terminal:

Howard Terminal Oakland A’s, Raiders Stadium

This is the sexy pick for many to bring the Raiders here but again, the city would rather try and move the A’s first because it’s easier.  I think if the A’s balked at the idea, then the Raiders could fit well here too.

Let’s be real.  Lew Wolf does NOT want to move; Johnson does though.  He wants to move and MLB wants that too.  Even though Wolf is a charitable person to the community he is very hard headed, abrasive and a close minded man in business.  It’s part of the reason the Fremont deal fell through.  The 49ers president Jed York kissed many a butt and greased many palms to get Levi’s stadium.  That’s how you deal with politicians and business people.  It’s what you have to do.

Howard Terminal was first brought up in the mid 2000’s.  The City of Oakland loved the idea; Lew Wolf hated it and he nixed it saying in anger, “I may as well move to Treasure Island.  This is a terrible spot”.  When recently asked about the area again, Wolf said he had no comment and he was in the middle of research and it was ridiculous to ask him that question right now.  What a softy.  The land is owned by the Port of Oakland so the City is in control there.

In contrast, A’s owner Johnson has told the media HE LOVES the area and they would love to build a stadium there.  It is literally right across the water from AT&T Park in San Francisco.  Just like the 49ers @ Levi’s, the Raiders would also have to get State approval but that shouldn’t be a problem.

The cons of the stadium is that it will create a traffic nightmare but let’s be real; new studies show that we have the worst traffic in the country now if you add SF and San Jose, so there isn’t a good place.  The biggest negative though is no BART trains.  BART is hugely popular at the O.co and having it is a must.  The City would have to rezone some areas and put in train tracks and a close by station.  Oakland has said it’s doable.  This is a very promising site.  Libby Schaaf stated last week she is already working on rezoning with the stadium area put in.  If Lew Wolf would say yes; or better yet John Fisher or Mark Davis; then this could start immediately and the Raider stadium at the Coliseum could begin as well.

Golden Gate Fields:

This was first proposed in 1980 when the race track was struggling and the Raiders wanted to move.  Some are bringing this site up again but it’s a very congested area for traffic and there are just too many hills to climb.  Not happening.

Laney College in Oakland: 

Another area that is being talked about for the A’s or the Raiders is the Laney College plan close to Lake Merritt.  In the early 2000’s, the A’s and the City Planning Commission held meetings on a new stadium.  The meetings had so many A’s fans going that they had to put the fans in adjacent rooms to hold them all.  The meetings were very charged.

A’s fan Larry Jackson kept bugging the city with a plan to build on Laney College.  Eventually the City Manager Robert Bobb ran with the idea.  The city endorsed it as long as the A’s would foot some of the bill.  The A’s LITERALLY never responded.  A secondary plan was also submitted at the north side of downtown Oakland by the 19th Street Bart Station.  The A’s then made Lew Wolf the lone voice talking to the City and he finally began to listen.

Laney College Oakland Raiders Stadium Plan

Who nixed those plans was then mayor and future California Governor Jerry Brown who was a political enemy of Bobb.  Brown was angry at the A’s for talking to the City of Sacramento about moving without telling the City of Oakland which many said Brown never forgave the A’s for.  Brown said it was an act of betrayal and that the A’s were not negotiating in good faith. Brown sabotaged both plans saying they would not work and he would not support them.  Laney College by Lake Merritt is still a feasible possibility.  The City of Oakland also has said they would want a small parcel of the land still to be given to them but that is very doable.  There would also have to be money set aside extra for ample parking but that is also very doable.  Lew Wolf and Jerry Brown were very negative about this almost 20 years ago.  Both have moved on.  This is a maybe with a capital M.

Laney College Plan for Raiders Stadium

Levi’s Stadium: 

The NFL has ALWAYS LOVED this idea; and still does.  When the 49ers and the NFL talked about it at the beginning, Al Davis bristled and said no way.  Mark Davis has said the same thing but he’s been a little more silent of late about it.  Before they started building Jed York said on local radio that they would entertain thoughts of the Raiders playing in Santa Clara.  The 49ers were open to it from the beginning but now that they are making boatloads of cash, the 49ers are more lukewarm about it.  With concert money, sporting events, wrestling, conventions and other forms of year round revenue (oh and that thing called the Super Bowl), Levi’s is a cash cow and they are printing money.  The NFL said again at the latest meetings that this is what they prefer for the Raiders.  They also have seed money that was given to them by the NFL to “morph” Levi’s so the Raiders could use it.  This is very doable.  The video below shows how the Raiders and 49ers could share the stadium and how it would morph between teams.  This is the how they do it video for the Jet’s and the Giant’s.  (I apologize for the annoying lady).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mRBbvSxXvmI

O.co Stadium:

I still call it the Coliseum.  This is the ideal place for the Raiders and if one of the Oakland teams move, the other will call O.co home.  If the Raiders move to let’s say Howard Terminal, than Lew Wolf is happy and the A’s can call it home.  Both teams love the easy freeway access, close proximity to airports, and BART is at the doorstep.  It’s an amazing spot for a stadium.

Frank Youell Field in Downtown Oakland 1962 (Laney College is There Now)

In the end the saga will be the same as the vote.  You will hear many rumors; some smart; some so out there you wish you could drug test.  But in reality; just like with the NFL vote; use common sense and use your head when following this stuff.  Most people are very emotional and biased in their thinking.  They either support teams or cities or owners but in reality these decisions have NOTHING to do with the heart.  Think like a business person and you will get more of a feel on what’s going on.  And as ALWAYS; follow the money.

“Bored With the Same Old 1st Round Talk? Let’s Look at NFL PIcks Rounds 2-7 For The Raiders”

Are you bored with the 100000th, “do the Raiders take White, Cooper or Williams” post? Me too.

Now let’s look outside the box at the later rounds, and the players that I like to possibly help the Oakland Raiders quickly.  The emphasis on wide receiver and defensive end positions are up first.

WIDE RECEIVERS:

 

Devin Smith, WR Ohio St. (round 2)

I LOVE Devin Smith and he was born to be a Raider. he has a little swagger to his game and he backs it up. The knock on him is that he’s a little short at 6′ 0″. He has amazing football speed and this guy is a big playmaker who played his best games in the biggest games.

Some of the NFL sites actually have a video of his Michigan St. game highlights which should be a teaching video on how to play college WR. Huge blocks on clutch running plays; over the shoulder catches on third downs and taking hits over the middle. He’s ultra fast with NFL speed. He has that rare talent like Cliff Branch did of not losing speed when he makes cuts.

Rumors in Boston have the Patriots drooling over him and they are thinking of taking him in the first round. If not he should be there for the Raiders for an early 2nd round pick.   Leonard Williams and Smith would be an amazing start to the draft.

He reminds me a lot of ex Carolina Panthers WR Steve Smith, but he’s bigger.  Tough as nails, and a skilled playmaker willing to do anything to win.

Jaelen Strong, WR Arizona St. (Round 1)

This is a well known name for most and if the Raiders trade down; which I doubt they will because they never do; this would be a great pick. Strong has stud pro player written all over him. Some think he’s the best WR in the draft.  I don’t think he’ll be a Raider.

Chris Conley, WR Georgia (Round 4)

A speedster who is a freakish athlete. He’s 6′ 2″ 210 and some feel he needs to add a little bulk and strength. He’s a playmaker that may be a better pro than college player.

Tre McBride, WR William & Mary (Round 3)

I saw many announcers compare him to Pierre Garcon. He’s got amazing instinct and football savvy and rarely makes mistakes. He plays best under pressure and he is a very smart player. He always got the first down when they needed one. I saw him twice and he was obviously the best player on the field. Fast enough for the pro’s but not a track star. Teams really like him.

Darren Waller, WR Georgia Tech (4-5 round)

Waller is huge at 6′ 5″ 240 pounds and is a great athlete who ran a 4.45 40 yard dash. The knock on him is no one knows how good he is. Georgia Tech runs the flexbone offense which is a lot like the wishbone; thus they rarely pass. When they did though, Waller thrived. He could be the steal of the draft.

DEFENSIVE LINE:

Marcus Hardison, DT Arizona St. (3rd round)

I LOVE watching this guy play. He was everywhere. He’s a late bloomer and has been soaring up the ladder in the draft. His numbers last year were ridiculous; 53 tackles, 15 tackles for losses and 10 sacks with 6 forced turnovers. No one in college had those numbers.

He’s big; 6′ 3″ and 310 but he’s quick as a cat. He’s not as strong as his size though and that is the knock on him.   If the Raiders reached and took him in the second round I would still call it a good pick. I think this guys best football is ahead of him and he is just scratching the surface as an inside rusher.

Alvin Dupree, DE Kentucky (1-2nd Round) 

If you follow college football, you know how good this guy is. Playing in the SEC he still stood out and is a great edge pass rusher that will be better in the pro’s. Kentucky often asked him to drop back in coverage due to the Wildcats bad defense, at 6′ 4″ and 270 lb. and he even did that well.

He’s savvy, and has many different moves. The only knock on him is that he needs to get a little stronger. I think #4 may be too early to take him and he won’t last into the 2nd round so the Raiders may not get the chance to take him.

Danielle Hunter, DE LSU (2nd round)

Danielle Hunter will be a massive hit or a big miss in my opinion. Is he an NFL combine warrior or a football player.   He is another freakish athlete who wreaked havoc in the SEC with his edge pass rushing skills. He’s long and lean and will have to put on a little weight.

He’s raw but has all the skills to make it as a 3 down defensive end. He caused many hurries and had 14 tackles for losses his last year and played the run very well. His sack numbers are not high but most feel it’s because of the double teams. They also look at the hurries and high tackles for losses. If this guy gets good teaching, he could be special. Reminds me of Jason Pierre-Paul. Will he be Mario Williams, or Vernon Gholston.

Henry Anderson, DL/DE Stanford (3-4th round)

A tall player at 6′ 6″ and 295 pounds, who has good strength and speed as a pass rusher. He has solid technique as well. The knock on him is that he’s not a freakish athlete like some of the other DE’s but he’s a sleeper. Look for him to do well in the pro’s as do many of the lineman at Stanford.

RUNNING BACK:

Tevon Coleman, RB Indiana (2nd round)

If the Raiders do draft a running back; which I don’t think they will early on; Coleman would be a stud. He ran for 2000 yards last year and had an amazing 7.5 yards per carry average. He was the Hoosiers offense. Reminds some of Demarco Murray.

David Cobb, RB Minnesota (3-4th Round)

Cobb is the clone of Marion Barber. Physical, tough, and a good finisher. He’s fast enough to make long runs but isn’t a burner. He was made for the NFL power running game.

TIGHT END:

Blake Bell, TE Oklahoma (4-5th round)

At Oklahoma, Blake Bell was known for his famous quarterback power runs called the Belldozer. He played quarterback for 2 years but switched to tight end his senior year knowing he couldn’t make it in the NFL as a QB. He’s huge; 6′ 6″ 250 pounds; and is very physical. He’s a good blocker and has great instinct and good hands.   The knock on him is he doesn’t have much experience at tight end but look for his stock to rise.

Offensive Line:

TCU OT Tayo Fabuluje, G/T TCU (6-7th round)

Try saying this name kids. He is massive; 6′ 6″ 365 pounds. Tayo was born in Nigeria and moved to Texas in high school. He’s only played football in college for two years but wow, was he good at TCU. He demolished people blocking in the run game but needs polish in the passing game.

He’s still raw. The bad rap on him is his lack of experience, weight fluctuations and transferring schools in college 3 times. He is a project that may pay huge dividends for a patient team.

Andrew Donnal, T Iowa (4-6th round)

Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz is one of the most popular people with NFL teams and coaches. No one does a better job at teaching offensive line technique than Ferentz and his coaching staff. Donnal played in the shadow of probable top 10 pick, Tackle Brandon Scherff.

He’s not a great athlete but he is a sound tactician who has good size.   He did not give up a sack his senior season as a starter. Some teams frowned on him because he was not as strong as he should be but he’s worked on that and improved his weight lifting numbers in the NFL combines and looks stronger.   Some want more athleticism but others are very high on Donnal being a pro starter thus the difference in draft position.

Players I’m NOT Into:

Randy Gregory, DE Nebraska (1st Round)

In last years preview I stated how Jadeveon Clowney would not be the second coming everyone thought he’d be. Injuries again happened to him but I still think he’s never going to be a great player in the pro’s. Teams in college realized that if you run right at him, he would stand up and struggle. I think the same about Randy Gregory.

Forget the pot conviction, I’m talking football.   In the last 3 games he played for the Cornhuskers, the defense gave up an unreal 1058 yards rushing; again, that’s just in 3 games! Wisconsin alone ran for 583 yards and had two plays; run off left tackle and run off right tackle. Guess who one of these ends was that they ran through. Gregory is a freakish athlete that the NFL combines LOVE but against the run he’s atrocious at times because he stands up so often. He’s very raw and is a project.

Jameis Winston, QB Florida St. (1st Round)

Winston is a winner for sure but he also plays in a bad conference. One thing the scouts don’t talk about is that Florida St. and Winston struggled a lot last year. If teams took away the run, Winston had problems moving the team when they had to pass. I think Winston is better made for the pro’s because of his accuracy but his immaturity and arrogance at times is a bit much. I’d be afraid of putting my billion dollar corporation in the hands of such a guy.   He may be alright but I don’t see greatness in him.

Owamagbe Odighizuwa, DE/OLB UCLA   (1st/2nd round)

I admit, I’m a baby bear, go Bruins, all that rah rah stuff but I’m also honest. Owamagbe is a physical specimen but he’s also inconsistent. Some games he disappears and that isn’t what first round picks are supposed to do.

Brent Hurley, QB UCLA (3rd Round)

Another Bruin makes the list. He’s an athlete playing QB and he isn’t a pro quarterback. He’s uncomfortable in the pocket and has poor mechanics.