“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.

After losing to Detroit, Real Answers on How to Make the Raiders Elite Again”

After losing 18-13 to the Detroit Lions yesterday , the Oakland Raiders need to do some soul searching. It’s time to get down and dirty and see what needs to happen for the Raiders to be an elite team in the NFL.  Today lets look at the front office and the offense.

A Different Era:

Many experts are kind of shaking their heads at how bad the NFL has become.   The salary cap has created parity alright; now most teams aren’t good.

The days of the super teams are over and to get good in the NFL doesn’t take as much as people think.

Let’s look at the Raiders from the top on down to see what is happening and what should happen.

Owner:

It’s not his fault but Mark Davis is not his dad. He got an NFL team because he inherited it. Unfortunately just like 49er head Jed York, I think at times he is way in over his head. Many media outlets say he is the main reason the NFL isn’t too thrilled about the Raiders going to Carson.

I’m also sick of the Raiders stadium issue. I go by a man’s actions and not by what they say and his actions say I want out of Oakland while his words say I want to stay. I’m not a fan of his but you can’t change the owner.   He has though for the most part stayed out of the way of the football operations which is smart on his part.

If I’m Mark Davis I have a big meeting with GM Reggie McKenzie and the coaching staff. I say these things. “If we don’t make the playoffs by next year, I’m paying you off and letting you go.   If we don’t win a playoff game within 2 years I’m letting you all go. Anything less is unacceptable. In that time I will listen to you and do what I can to support you in any way but mediocrity and losing doesn’t live here anymore. Just win baby is what my dad lived by and it’s what we are going to live by. It’s not a corny phrase it’s a way of life.  Nothing less is acceptable.”

General Manager:

For most Oakland Raider fans, there is no middle ground and they either hate or love Raiders GM Reggie McKenzie. Some are just allergic to saying anything bad about the players and they blame it all on the GM, and some sing his praises saying he’s been an amazing GM fixing the Raiders salary cap hell and bringing them to respectability again.

I’m in the middle. He’s done some nice things with Carr, Mack, Jackson, Crabtree, Williams and others.   Donald Penn was considered somewhat washed up and he picked him up and he’s resurrected his career. His drafts have been brutal at times but he’s also had some great picks that are creating a good foundation for the future. For every Dan Williams though there are the Lamarr Woodley’s.

For example one mistake for sure was drafting DJ Hayden. DL Star Lotulelei dropped into their lap and they went with Hayden. Star now is a key player on the best DL in the NFL in Carolina.  I had to drink two extra Bass and 4 extra Guinness beers due to this draft pick.  (Ok well that’s what I told my girlfriend at the time).

Coaching:

People that follow me know I’m very lukewarm on Jack Del Rio as head coach.   I think he’s had limited success as a coach in his career.   He is a good motivator and a good football man but I think to get to the next level, I’m not sure he can do it.

I was TOTALLY against offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave who has had very little true success in his almost 2 decade career. He is just way too conservative for my taste, especially in the second half of games. Teams are now protecting against the deep ball against the Raiders and they still haven’t had many adjustments. You also have to put some blame on QB Derek Carr. In the end he’s the captain of the ship and he can change the play at any time but he doesn’t.

I love what Mike Tice has done to the offensive line and Ken Norton Jr. will be good in time. I like him and his aggressive style but the Raiders defense isn’t that talented.

Quarterback:

I like Derek Carr and when he was drafted I was singing his praises. Derek Carr is going to be a solid NFL quarterback for years to come.  He has limitations though.

Lately the Raiders have struggled.  The Raiders have only scored in 2 of the last 8 quarters.  He still struggles with a rush and as long as the OL gives him a lot of time, he can dissect any defense. If you get in his face though, he’s a totally different quarterback. He also does not audible much.

People will say,”but his stats against a blitz are among the top 10 in the NFL”.  So what.   If the blitz is picked up; which usually is by the Raiders stud OL with the help of Lee Smith and their running backs; then of course the QB will do well. Many of these stats that people like to use don’t tell the whole story but they are used to try and prove points that they agree with.

The Lions did what the Vikings did and played a lot more cover 2, or 2 high or Tampa 2 or whatever you want to call it. That’s when your safeties play back to guard against the deep ball. As announcers Steve Beurlin and Steve Tasker brought up a couple of times, the stats for the Raiders medium passing game are near the bottom of the NFL. So far the Raiders aren’t adjusting to what defenses are doing.

Carr doesn’t audible much which is puzzling. If the safeties are back for the long ball, audible and change the play to a running play because the defense now has only 9 players to stop the run. If they play up; which at times Detroit did on first down protecting against the run; then do a play action pass and throw deep.

On twitter at half time I said that. Detroit was guarding against the run on 1st down.  “On the first play, do a play action pass and throw deep and then go no huddle.” The Raiders did do a play action pass and low and behold they completed a 43 yard pass play. You throw deep to do two things; try to complete a deep ball AND to stretch the defense and keep them honest knowing you have the threat of the long ball. When you don’t throw the long ball, the DB’s creep up and it makes running the ball harder, and it takes away a key cog in your arsenal.

Like most college spread QB’s they are wide receiver happy. Carr has to look for his tight ends more. He threw to tight ends only 4 times against Detroit, completing 2 of those passes.

Again, I like Carr but he still is in his second year and is learning.

Offensive Line:

The Raiders offensive line is really good and one of the top ones in the NFL. What they need though is depth.   If center Rodney Hudson, Donald Penn or Gabe Jackson goes down, the level of play drops. The Raiders have been lucky that for the most part they have been healthy. Menelik Watson will be back next year and that should help. Look at the Vikings; they’ve lost 3 starting OL. Mike Tice has also been a good influence. I like this group a lot.

Running Back:

No changes needed.  The Raiders should stick with this group.  They are good and don’t cost a lot.  I don’t think Latavius Murray is a work horse that can carry it 25-30 times a game but he’s good as a starter. Bring in the very underrated Jamize Olawale who I think could start on some teams. Add Marcel Reece with an occasional carry and this is a very solid group. The Raiders running backs are good blockers when they are called to help with blitzes.

I am still disappointed though that Roy Helu Jr. doesn’t get more touches. I think the Raiders are not using him properly. He’s as solid as it gets and he’s having a rough time getting on the field in passing downs where he excels. I would love to see him in no huddle situations.

Wide Receivers:

The Raiders are going to have to break the bank a bit to keep Michael Crabtree.   Crabtree on purpose signed a one year deal for less money in the hopes he’d rebound and then he’d sign a big long term deal in the off season. It’s not for sure that the Raiders can keep him. Crabtree is a loner type and money and appreciation is something he will want.   He is probably their best receiver.   Amari Cooper will be a very good pro despite having a bad game.

I’m not a big fan of Seth Roberts and would rather play Andre Holmes who to me has a lot more talent. The Raiders will need to keep Crabtree or this could get ugly.  Please no more Calvin Johnson talk.  He doesn’t have that epic burst anymore and the Raiders need young speed.  I LOVE Johnson and actually wanted him or my favorite college player since Billy Simms; Adrian Peterson; to be drafted by the Raiders but we know where that went.  Jamarcus Russell. sigh.

Tight Ends:

Mychal Rivera and Clive Walford have done a nice job for the Raiders.   Problem is the Raiders offense is just not a tight end offense. Lee Smith never gets credit but he’s the best blocking tight end in the business and was a great pick up. I say stick with these guys but start throwing to them more. Without a medium passing game, you are not going to do well consistently on offense.

Against the Vikings, Rivera caught 6 passes for 46 yards. Against the Lions, he was only thrown to twice and caught one for 21 yards. Walford only had 2 passes thrown to him all game and he caught one. For the entire game you only throw to your tight ends 4 times and you are a passing team? That’s not going to win you games.

 

Tomorrow we will look at the defense.

“Ron Wolf enters the Hall of Fame With Tim Brown; Wolf, The Greatest Raider of Them All”

The Greatest Raider of them all.

Other than Al Davis, NO ONE ever made an impact on the Oakland Raiders like Ron Wolf did.

When you ask a Raider fan who is the greatest Raider of all time, you will get several different answers. Maybe you will hear Ken Stabler, Art Shell or Gene Upshaw. Some may say Tim Brown or Marcus Allen or any of the other all time Raider greats like Jim Otto. In reality though, the greatest Raider of them all is Ron Wolf. Some under 30 years old are saying, “Who is Ron Wolf?”

Ron Wolf was Oakland’s Player Personnel Director and one of the greatest evaluators of talent in the history of the NFL and he now takes his place among the games greatest, recently being voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He was the architect of the great Raider and Packer teams and was in charge of the draft and player moves starting in 1963. Few teams in history had a better scout team lead by Wolf.

Ron Wolf & Al Davis before a Raiders game

Wolf was the perfect fit to team up with Al Davis. He was the strong silent type who didn’t compete for attention. It is fairly common knowledge that Wolf was one of the few people that Al Davis actually listened to, and followed. Many of the great Raiders of all time like Stabler, Shell, Upshaw, Tatum, Villapiano and Cliff Branch were all key choices by Ron Wolf. Wolf and Davis had no peers when picking up castoffs that other teams gave up on.

In 1975 Wolf took the job of Vice President of Operations for the expansion Tampa Bay Buccaneers.  He went on to be the architect of the Bucs great early teams. His first draft included one of the greatest defensive lineman of all time Lee Roy Selmon and his brother Dewey, along with future 49er HOF QB Steve Young.  In the second draft he selected the great USC running back Ricky Bell (whose career was cut short tragically by a terminal illness which took his life in 1984) and 12 year NFL starter Charley Hannah who played 6 years with the Raiders and won a Super Bowl v.s. Washington. With these key players, Tampa Bay is still the fastest expansion team in the history of the post merger era to win a division, a playoff game, and host an NFC championship game.

Citing differences with the meddling Bucs owner Hugh Culverhouse and head coach John McKay, Wolf came back to the Raiders before the 1979 season. In usual fashion the Raiders soon drafted players like Marcus Allen (who they literally had to con Mr. Davis into thinking he was faster than he was) and Howie Long. Allen was considered a question mark by many because he was considered too slow and Long was thought to be a long shot due to him coming out of Villanova who no longer had football. Unfortunately though, Mr. Davis transformation had begun.

Al Davis Change is Complete:

What changed the NFL and the Raiders forever was in 1982, when Dallas Owner Tex Schramm asked the NFL competition committee to hold an evaluation time for all of the players together, so all of the teams can evaluate them at the same time. Before that, teams had the option to share notes, films, and evaluations. Now players would be timed and rated on basic exercises and drills in gym shorts at the NFL combines. Al Davis loved it, especially the 40 yard dash times which was his main tool when drafting a player. Ron Wolf considered the Raiders evaluation of players to be superior so he hated it. When he was asked once why he doesn’t share information or films with the rest of the league he said, “why would we; we know more than everyone else”. A true Raider.

As time went on in the 80’s their relationship became strained. The draft became a mini war between the two. In the 70’s they both often said, “the quarterback must go down, and go down hard”. The key to that was a strong defensive front seven but Al Davis had gone away from that formula.

The Green Bay Magic:

In 1991 without new Green Bay GM Wolf’s input, Mr. Davis was in total control and the Raiders 1st and 2nd round picks were Todd Marinovich and Nick Bell.  Both would be out of the NFL in 3 years, which is easily one of the worst first 2 picks in history.  With pretty much no one to contradict him, Wolf’s first moves for the Packers was to fire head coach Lindy Infante, hire Mike Holmgren and trade for an awkward quarterback in Atlanta by the name of Brett Favre.  Within 4 years he transformed one of the worst defensive lines in the NFL to one of the best.  He signed free agent DL’s Reggie White, Sean Jones, Santana Dotson and “The Gravedigger” Gilbert Brown.  Along with free agency, he also drafted key pieces like RB’s Edgar Bennett and Dorsey Levens, TE Mark Chmura, WR’s Antonio Freeman and Robert Brooks just to name a few.  A little vindication for sure.

In his 9 years as GM of the Packers, Wolf helped lead them to the second best record in the NFL (second only to Bill Walsh’s 49er’s) and two Super Bowl appearances with one Super Bowl win.

His Rightful Place in the Pro Football HOF:

In time, every team that Ron Wolf directed became a winner. Last year during his daily interview on KCBS sports in the bay area, John Madden said, “The unsung hero of the Raiders will always be Ron Wolf. When Ron and Al were on the same page, it was pure magic. The genius of Mr. Davis at that time was to trust Ron Wolf and the scouts and it helped create a winning formula”.

Wolf’s mentoring tree is long and talented. It includes Packers GM Ted Thompson, Seahawks GM John Schneider, Chiefs GM John Dorsey, Washington GM Scot McCloughan, and Raiders GM Reggie McKenzie.

During their glory years, the Raiders had not only the highest winning percentage in football, but the highest winning percentage of any U.S. sports franchise during a two and a half decade span.  In today’s world where teams tell you what they are going to do and mediocrity is celebrated, can you imagine how fans would react to such dominance?  There aren’t enough memes or gifs to express it.  Thus, every Raider fan young and old, should appreciate the legacy and foundation that was created with the talents of Ron Wolf; the greatest Raider of them all.

 

 

“Part CSI, Part Breaking Bad. The Real Reasons Why Ken Stabler is NOT in the Hall of Fame”

Rod Serling would love this story.  Pull up a chair, get a drink and sit back.  This is a wild one.

In the annals of sports, the behind the scenes power and bias of sportswriters is of legend. In baseball it’s out in the open, but in the NFL it’s a little harder to see.

From the Oakland A’s Mike Norris not getting a Cy Young award to the great Cris Carter not being voted into the hall of fame 5 times; writers have a way of getting the last laugh.

Enter the legendary story of Bob Padecky.

A California Thing:
Bob Padecky was an award winning writer for the Sacramento Bee. He was covering the Raiders during the 70’s and 80’s and he wanted to talk to Ken Stabler. After the 1978 season, Ken was coming off what would be his worst year in Oakland. The Raiders were 9-7 that year which was a near tragedy at that time for a team that ended the 1970’s with the most regular season wins of any NFL team. Ken was frustrated and said that he would talk to the media after the season was over.

Bob said he went to the 1979 New Years day Sugarbowl between Penn St. and Alabama. He decided that since New Orleans was not far from Alabama, that he would just drive over there. For some reason he just went.

Ken wasn’t happy when Bob showed up unannounced. He said he did not want to talk. Bob then said I’m going to go to Foley, AL (where Ken is from) and Gulf Shores and talk to people. Ken said, “I wish you wouldn’t do that Bob, but if you are; just talk to me”. Bob refused, and then left.  So much for wanting to talk.

Padecky came back and did a three part story on Ken’s issues; mostly what he said was how Stabler was partying too much and wasn’t in shape. Bob felt it wasn’t all that bad (writers never do) but Ken and his friends were not amused. Bob also said others made remarks about Ken and his private life including how he should marry the woman he was with, and not just play around. It may be tame for today’s standards, but at the time it was not taken lightly.

The Cocaine Bust:

Stabler called Padecky during Super Bowl week and said he wanted to spill his guts. He wanted to confront some of the things he was going through with Al Davis including Al blaming many of the Raiders failures on him and now not wanting to pay him.

Padecky flew over the day after the Super Bowl to meet with Snake. They met at Lefty’s; a restaurant Stabler partially owned; and eventually ended up at the Silver Dollar Lounge.

When they finally sat down, Kenny was not happy. With Ken was Kenny Walker, a 250 pound ex Alabama center.  Along with him was Randall Watson; a convicted bank robber in 1971 who had recently plead guilty to trying to extort $75,000 from an Alabama telephone executive.

Ken asked Padecky why he was out to get him. “I never met anyone like you”, Ken said. “Why are you coming to my hometown trying to dig up dirt?”.

During the conversation Bob had the tape recorder rolling without asking Ken if he could tape their discussion. I didn’t think this was cool and I always thought reporters would ask the people they interviewed if it was ok to tape the conversation. Ken got mad again cussing occasionally and then took another call. He said I’m sorry I have to go and told him to meet him at a different restaurant.

http://www.si.com/vault/1979/04/23/823571/the-key-to-the-case-is-missing-even-now-no-one-can-say-whether-kenny-stabler-was-involved-when-cocaine-in-a-key-case-was-used-to-set-up-a-sportswriter-for-a-drug-bust

Stabler left and Bob got up and walked outside to his rental car. As he did, officers were there and arrested him. When he asked what for, they told him that an anonymous caller said that he was carrying cocaine. People forget that in the 70’s, some were doing prison time for having small amounts of pot, so cocaine was the big time. An officer looked under one of the wheel wells of the car and found a magnetic key holder with cocaine in it. Bob was taken to the police department to be booked.

The Nightmare As Bob Padecky Tells It:

He implied that they did a full cavity search and threatened him saying that they were going to ask for the hardest sentence the judge could hand down. He called the Sac Bee Managing Editor Frank McCulloch and went into his cell. Another cop, Cotton Long came up and said I think you were set up. They escorted him to his hotel where he talked more with Police Chief Jimmy Maples who had a .357 magnum in his hand. In future investigations, no arrest record was ever found.

Maples called out several patrol cars to stake out the area and protect them. Officer Long came into the room and said that rumors were swirling Padecky’s life might be in danger and that he has to leave immediately. They offered a police escort to the airport and he took it. Padecky said Maples then got a machine gun and (insert pun now) rode shotgun and told him to move away from the window just in case someone pulled up beside them so he could shoot them if they tried anything.

They drove him to the tarmac of the plane and he left. Padecky immediately began writing the story which broke to shock and outrage nationwide. Sportswriters everywhere blamed this on the Snake and were angered that someone would do this to one of their own. Kenny to his last days denied any involvement or knowledge of the situation.

Sportswriters Including Paul “Dr. Z” Zimmerman Were Outraged:

ESPN NFL draft guru (he was the NFL draft guru that made it popular to watch the draft before Mel Kiper had thick hair) and Sports Illustrated legend Paul “Dr. Z” Zimmerman was especially outraged. He vented his displeasure to anyone that would listen and at that time ESPN was the only voice in Sports.  At that time Dr. Z held a lot of weight and he was quoted as saying I will never vote for Stabler to get into the Hall of Fame as long as I live.  Many writers supported Bod Padecky and Dr. Z, and a deep resentment began.  They felt Stabler bullied Padecky.  I saw quotes from Dr. Z in the Google archives from an old Sports Illustrated article and he stated that the only player eligible for the Hall of Fame that he ever lobbied against was Ken Stabler.

Here is a recent podcast of Bob’s on local radio. I like his writing but his personality rubbed me the wrong way especially when he started calling the Alabama cops “bubba’s”.  (I downloaded it here)

http://media.957thegame.com/a/107400103/bob-padecky.htm?q=padecky

With cocaine involved; The FBI, State of Alabama and the NFL launched what was called “routine” investigations but nothing could be proven. The cocaine was tested; it had been diluted or “cut” a lot and on the streets it was worth $100. Problem was being in possession of any cocaine in Alabama carried a mandatory 2-15 year sentence depending on the circumstance.

On February 13th, the Alabama Attorney General said that Ken’s friend, Randall Watson was seen having a waitress buy a magnetic key holder for him that looked exactly like the one that was found on Padecky. He stated that at the time they could not find Mr. Watson and wanted to talk to him. Eventually Watson was investigated for planting the cocaine but due to a lack of evidence they could not try him for anything.

https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1817&dat=19790213&id=KjAdAAAAIBAJ&sjid=2J4EAAAAIBAJ&pg=6732,2540036&hl=en

What is very interesting is that I got the original article from a gulf shores throwback site. At the time, many in the police department including Police Chief Maples said Padecky embellished the story.

http://www.gulfcoastnewstoday.com/people/history/article_25922712-6fde-11e2-b04d-001a4bcf887a.html

The Aftermath:

The press went crazy. Police Chief Maples said he got calls from all over the country for stories including Penthouse magazine. They started calling the Gulf Shores area the Redneck Riviera. Local reporters laughed because every southern stereotype was being written about by the national media.

The lies told were of legend including how everyone there now hated Ken for what happened which was a literal lie. It got so bad that country music singer Madison “Shine” Powell wrote the song Redneck Riviera.

Stabler Linked to Gamblers, Radicals:

This is as bizarre as the Bob Padecky story and is rarely known or talked about. For about a 4 year period in the late 70’s and early 80’s, the FBI tailed Raiders QB Ken Stabler.  Along with the FBI, the NFL and different agencies investigated Ken for his friendship with long time New Jersey gambling figure Nicholas Dudich. Dudich was also an associate of the Simone DeCavalcante organized crime family.  The Feds in the past have been relentless in hounding the likes of Charlie Chaplin and Martin Luther King Jr. looking for any type of dirt.  They did that to Kenny as well.

Due to the extreme hate from owners and commissioner Pete Rozelle towards Al Davis and the Raiders (The late 70’s was the start of the 10 year lawsuit and war between Davis and the NFL), many wanted to see them go down. Davis had heard that several rival owners had contacted the NFL and the other agencies complaining about Stabler’s association with Dudich.

At first it was denied but in time different Law enforcement agencies including the FBI admitted to putting Stabler under surveillance without a shred of negative evidence against him ever being found. Much to the chagrin of the media and the NFL, after the 4 year investigation, nothing wrong was ever reported on Ken Stabler.

In the NFL constitution it does state players can’t associate with known gamblers or penalties including termination can result. There have been suspensions and threats like in the cases of Paul Hornung, Alex Karras and Joe Namath, so this was a serious issue for the league.  Again, Stabler was found to be not guilty to anything but the damage and resentment had been done.

Remember the Ray Rice situation? In true NFL form, when Pete Rozelle was asked about the situation between Stabler and Dudich in 1981, Pete Rozelle said he had never heard of Dudich and that the league was never told about any investigation or problems with the Snake and his possible association with Dudich. Pete seemed to be the only person in the country not knowing about the situation. Even the Raiders said they were giving regular reports to the NFL via executive assistant Al LoCosale.  Sadly TMZ and Twitter was not around to help.

When Stabler was traded for Houston quarterback Dan Pastorini, the Oilers ownership didn’t think there was a problem and were very happy to go along with the trade. The FBI in Houston still tailed Stabler without telling the Oilers.

Many writers also bristled at Ken’s association with other people. He was seen having beers with Huey Newton of the radical Black Panther movement and he played pool with Sonny Barger, the founder of the Oakland chapter of the Hell’s Angel’s.

Here’s the Deal; What Really Happened:

I get Ken Stabler. I have friends of all colors, sexual orientations and backgrounds too. Not everyone approves of them. Not all of them have been church folk let’s say.  I do know that they are always there for me when I need them.  They don’t hurt me and they are loyal to the end so I give them the same love. The only one’s that have ever screwed me over wore nice clothes, drove great cars and were well thought of due to their looks, money or charm.

Ken Stabler was a loyal and good friend. If you were good to him, he was good to you. He was a fun person who wanted to have a good time and didn’t care who you were.  He didn’t gamble and he didn’t plant cocaine on Bob Padecky.

I’m not naive.  Of course drugs were planted. After listening to people that knew Kenny, I don’t think he was involved at all. Snake was a straight shooter who was definitely not shy to tell you how he felt and this wasn’t his style.  I’m sure someone close to Ken without his knowledge planted the cocaine to send a message and to get him off of Stabler’s back.  Most feel Watson was the one that did it.

Will Ken Stabler be Elected Into the Hall of Fame?:

Yes. After years of investigation he was never seen doing anything wrong. Many have had crimes linked to them including Lawrence Taylor and others but it’s all good for the Hall of Fame. Baseball never forgets; football at least moves on, and close minded and biased writers fade away.  Let’s be real; it’s funny how all is forgiven when a player passes away.  It’s almost like they just want to punish the player by not allowing him to have his day.

Padecky & Stabler Meet Again:

In 2009 here at the Sonoma Raceway, Bob saw Kenny for the last time. In a press conference during race week, he asked a question to Ken on how he was doing and as always, Kenny talked about enjoying his 3 daughters and family and friends. He had adjusted to life and was very happy.  Afterwards, the two men met and shook hands and after each did a little small talk, they walked away. As with most men, time and age soften old wounds, mellow out spirits, and pain is better left in the past.

To Bob’s credit, he wrote an article on how he will miss Ken Stabler and that he was the most enjoyable quarterback to watch along with Joe Montana.

I hope that the Hall of Fame Voters will do the right thing and vote Kenny Stabler into the Hall of Fame; something they have failed to do for the last 25 years. His adoring fans in Oakland and Alabama; and especially his family and friends; deserve no less.

“The Truth About Oakland Raiders and San Francisco 49er Fan Violence”

“The Truth About Oakland Raiders and San Francisco 49er Fan Violence”

In 2011 the Raiders played the 49ers in an exhibition game at Candlestick Park.  It was one of the most violent football games in a long time.  Not from player violence, but from fan violence.  There were shootings, stabbings and several arrests.  The violence was so shocking that the NFL talked about ending the Raiders/49ers pre season games.

Let me see if I can put this delicately.  First off, ANY fan that goes to any sporting event and fights is a TOTAL loser.  You should be jailed, and your kids, parents and grand parents should have to see video of what a drunken idiot you are.  You should have to work at a homeless shelter for 1000 hours and that is after your jail time.  You should have to wear a sign that says, “I’m a violent tool that can’t control themselves”.  Was that nice enough?

Second of all I’m sick of the San Francisco media including the SF Gate, the San Francisco Chronicle, and KNBR acting like the 49er fans are these artsy laid back pot smoking hippies that wouldn’t hurt a fly.  You get more real news from Youtube than you get from the San Francisco media who have made hiding Giants and 49ers violence an art form.  If I hear Gary Radnich of KNBR call the San Francisco fans sophisticated one more time I’ll throw up.  Some of the most violent and slimy people that have ever fought at a football game are 49er fans.  Youtube should have their own channel for them.

Local NBC bay area did a great story on the truth about fan violence in the bay area.  Even with a higher socioeconomic type of fan base at Levi’s Stadium, the Santa Clara police department reported that there were 25 arrests per game at Levi’s stadium in the first part of the season.  In contrast, the Oakland Raiders were reported to have only 12 arrests per game.

Now I’m not a mindless homer, and I’m not naive.  Some Raider fans are far from angels.  The Raider fans violence really took off in the days in Los Angeles.  The fights among L.A. Raider fans and opponents were of legend.  So many pathetic idiots committed violent assaults because someone didn’t like their team.  There were stabbings in the Los Angeles Coliseum and @ San Diego games as well as occasional shootings outside the stadium.  In Oakland before the move, the Raider fans could be nasty but they weren’t this violent.  You didn’t see fights every game or craziness.  The fans were loud, abrasive, and vulgar, but they weren’t Mike Tyson on roid rage.

What bothers me even more is what cowards these fighters are.  ALL of the videos that I saw online; and I watched about 30 of them; had one side outnumber or outsize the other one.  Most punches were thrown by losers hitting people from behind or the side or in situations where they outnumber the people they were fighting.  Wow, that kind of “courage” is pathetic.  And these people have or will have kids?  This type of parental guidance we don’t need.  No wonder America is so screwed up.

Our society is a mess right now.  Violence and vulgarity is the norm and many think it’s cool.  I just watched a 10 minute video of about 10 female 49er fans fighting 2 female Raider fans.  Stay classy.

Whenever I think of sporting fan violence I think of Bryan Stow who had his life ruined because of 2 thugs looking for trouble at Dodger stadium.  Or what about the 49er fan who was beaten by two pathetic losers in a bathroom because of a nudge?  His injuries are permanent.  His life is changed forever because of two nobody thugs.  There are dozens more experiences out there that are forgotten about quickly.

We are violent and out of control and right and wrong has little meaning anymore to many.  Social media has exposed our society as shallow, insecure, hyper sensitive and ready to rip on someone or attack someone in a second.  People don’t care about truth anymore, they care about their biased opinion and perspective.

The same people that are committing violence are also the same ones that I’m sure rip on Ray Rice and are outraged by Ferguson.  Their standards for the players and others are much higher than themselves.

This IS A GAME PEOPLE.  People are dying of deadly diseases.  Children are suffering from terrible cancers.  Big business corruption is running rampant.  Colleges are getting rich off of raising tuitions to ridiculous levels while lining their pockets.  There are school and mass shootings, sexual assaults and rapes, and so many other tragic things to be outraged about.  Yet some fans feel passionate enough about their team to get sloppy drunk and fight? Lol wow.  Use that passion and buy some toys for a children’s hospital or donate to a homeless shelter instead.

I’m so sick of fans bragging about how awesome of fans they are.  Insulting people or fighting isn’t what being a good fan is.  This isn’t high school.  There are lots of good fans but please stop being so naive.  If you were broke and needed your bills paid, none of the players or owners would help you.  They wouldn’t cross the street to shake your hand and if you were sick they wouldn’t be making you soup and getting you medicine while you are whining about how you don’t feel good.  This is a game.  Be passionate about your team and have fun with it but stop acting like your life depends on it.

To all fans that can’t hold your liquor and get into fights and bully people, I wish terrible evil karma on you.  To any fan that witnesses these types of situations; call security and make sure these scumbags go to jail.  It’s time to make a change.

“What the Raiders Should Do About the Good & Bad of Derek Carr”

“What the Raiders Should Do About the Good & Bad of Derek Carr”

The Oakland Raiders have a lot of problems.  Their defense is not good and they are last in sacks and they have trouble stopping the run.  The offense is so vanilla some fans can call the plays before they happen.  The Raiders lack long ball threats and the ones they have they platoon.  You can’t blame all of their problems on one player or one key thing.  The way to turn a team around quick though is to have a quarterback that is really on his game.  The question is how can they get Carr to step up and be that player.

I just watched the end of the San Diego Chargers and Baltimore Ravens game.  San Diego quarterback Phillip Rivers had an amazing series which ended up being the game winning touchdown.

Rivers was blitzed by the Ravens on almost every play.  He barely had time to breathe let alone throw.  He handled it very well.  He threw the ball away 3 times, and then passed for quick hitters to wide receiver Keenan Allen and it was very impressive.

Right now that is the difference between a Phillip Rivers and a Derek Carr.  Carr can’t handle a pass rush.  Experience does matter of course, but ask the 49er fans how they feel about the lack of improvement with Colin Kaepernick.

Part of the blame goes to the NFL.  They have a cookie cutter for an NFL quarterback.  They want the QB to be tall and have a rocket for an arm.  If you have those qualities, you will get lots of chances to play in the NFL.

The problem is the NFL is full of tall quarterbacks who have rocket arms, but have average to bad quarterback skills.  Does anyone see RGIII, Cam Newton, Andy Dalton or Jay Cutler holding up a Lombardi Trophy any time soon?  Yet some of these players are making staggering amounts of money.

I’m different in my evaluation of quarterbacks.  I think the most important qualities in a quarterback are:

1. Accuracy
2. Can handle a rush/pocket awareness & footwork
3. Can read a defense
4. Good arm

Some say give him time, but time alone doesn’t make a player better.  There comes a time when the player has to take responsibility.

In college, Carr looked great when there was no one rushing him, but he struggled mightily when he was rushed.  So often did he hurry his throws, not step to the side to avoid a rush, and/or miss a wide open player while throwing to a covered wide receiver.  So far in his first year, Carr hasn’t improved in this area.  When he’s blitzed instead of getting the ball off quickly, he often back peddles which limits his lateral agility and can cause sacks or bad throws off his back foot.  He also seems to panic and sometimes throws to the wrong outlet man because he made the wrong read.  It’s what separates the Tom Brady’s from the Jay Cutlers.

Teams now know that if they stop the Raiders running game, for the most part the Raiders are toast.  The play calling would make Woody Hayes roll over in his grave because even he would think it’s too conservative.  The Raiders have thrown less passes downfield than any other team in the NFL; and it’s not close.  This includes Mr. Safe himself, Alex Smith of Kansas City who may lead the league in 1-2 yard check down passes.

What good is it to have a strong armed quarterback if you won’t throw downfield?  The Raiders almost always run off tackle on first down and their play calling is so predictable it sometimes looks like the opponent’s defense is calling the plays.  Going into a jumbo short yardage package and then emptying the backfield and pretty much telling your opponent that you are going to pass the ball would make Rod Serling wonder what the heck was going on.

What should the Raiders direction for Derek Carr be:

1. How long do you give him? I think the Raiders should give him 2 more years.
2. The key to Derek Carr’s future is improvement. He must show improvement in handling a rush, choosing the right outlets to throw to, and he needs to audible more and audible correctly.
3. Derek Carr reminds me of a Brett Favre type. If I were the Raiders or Carr, I would have some talks and meetings with Favre to go over tape and to see where he can improve.  Favre was fast enough that he could make yards with his feet, but Carr’s footwork in the pocket is so bad at times he can’t run. If Carr can start making yards by running some, he will open things up and keep the defense honest.  I would also buddy up to Aaron Rodgers and get all the information that he will give them.  They are alike in style.
4. Get an offensive minded coach in here that will be a good play caller and who will use the middle of the field. Slants are impossible to stop with today’s ridiculous NFL rules and the Raiders rarely do so.  Greg Olsen is just awful and they need an offensive coordinator that will work with Carr on how to react properly to pass rushes.  He has to learn how to throw the ball away instead of taking bad sacks and terrible chances with throws off his back foot.  You can’t scramble if you are back peddling.  It would be nice to not run off tackle on first down 95% of the time too.
5. It’s obvious they have told him to not audible much, but they need to let him do it more. He needs to read the defense and then audible.  If there are 8 guys in the box you don’t run up the middle on first down.  You play action pass and go deep.

There is no guarantee Derek Carr is the answer in Oakland, but he has shown a good work ethic and a humbleness that usually is a great atmosphere for learning something.

He has a good arm, a good attitude, and has shown an accuracy when he throws on the run.

You will always have the lunatic fringe members who dub him a good quarterback or say he’s terrible and he needs to go now; but in reality he has potential and lots of room to grow.  Whether you want to admit it or not, the Raiders support Derek Carr and he’s going to be here for a while.  To what extent he will succeed remains to be seen.