“Raider News; Cliff Branch Loses His Home to the North Bay Fire: Immediate Fixes for the Raiders Woes”

 

This year is a nightmare.

In a fire storm that some are calling apocalyptic, 670 people are now missing and 3500 homes are destroyed.  It’s also far from over.  Sadly, as was being reported last night by several news outlets, All-Time Raider great Cliff Branch announced his house was burned down during the Santa Rosa fire storm. He lived near the Coffey neighborhood which looked like a war zone after the raging fire went through the area. All he could get out of his house was money, and his 3 Super Bowl rings. He drove off in one car but lost his other 2.

(below; Mercury News Story on Cliff Branch’s home)

Raiders’ legend Cliff Branch loses home in Santa Rosa fire

“My house was a Raiders house” said Branch. “All three Super Bowl trophies are gone. We all got replica Lombardi Trophies when we won the Super Bowl. A lot of great Raider history from the 1970s and 1980s is gone.” When Mark Davis saw his home he called it a Raiders museum.

I’m sure all of Raider Nations positive vibes and prayers of support are with the Raider great during an extremely difficult time. At least Cliff is safe.

How to Fix the Raiders On the field:

Yesterday I read on social media some very interesting comments.   Let’s address them and see how to make the Raiders as good as they can be to have a successful season.

Raiders OC Todd Downing and Derek Carr

Offense:

Offensive Philosophy:

I have one word for Jack Del Rio and Raiders OC Todd Downing.   ADJUST!

The Raiders are running the same plays as last year but teams are attacking them differently. I’ve been saying it for 3 weeks, the Raiders have to change their philosophy. No longer are teams afraid of the deep ball against Oakland, so teams are going from a cover 2 to press coverage. If you look at the films of last year, many games the Raiders got easy short passes due to the huge cushions Amari Cooper and Michael Crabtree got.

 Former Cowboys QB Tony Romo said it best in the Washington game; “teams are no longer giving the Raiders the easy short to mid range passes, so they have to adjust and look to go deep more often to stretch them out”.

Teams don’t allow Cooper to run free on short passes. They are in his face playing physical and he has not responded well.

Amari Cooper

How to Fix It?:

The Raiders bragged all off season about picking up Cordarrelle Patterson, the speed burner WR from Minnesota. NOW USE HIM. The Raiders have 3 fast WR; Patterson, Cooper and Johnny Holton who has already caught a deep ball for a TD. Throw to these guys. It’s funny; when you start to hit some deep passes all of a sudden the DB’s start to give you cushions and the offense opens up. Cooper has lost his confidence and if there was ever a confident Raider, him talking to Cliff Branch would not be the worst thing for him.   He has to be involved more.

Run Game:

All you heard this off season was beast mode, beast mode, beast mode.   I wasn’t thrilled with the signing of Marshawn Lynch and in fact said several times the Raiders committee of running backs was more than enough. I stand by that.

Marshawn Lynch and DeAndre Washington

How to Fix it:

The Raiders need to make Marshawn Lynch a short yardage, goal line back.   He does not have the burst he did during his younger days. I like youth in my RB’s and Lynch is now 31 and is not the same player. You see the same thing with Frank Gore at Indianapolis.   When someone with speed comes in it’s like night and day.

Jalen Richard and DeAndre Washington need to start getting the brunt of the carries. Jamize Olawale is an underrated player and also needs 5 touches a game. All 3 are good pass blockers and pass catchers. Lynch is limited and it’s limiting the offense.

Offensive Line:

After their amazing season from last year, the standards are very high.   The Raiders have only given up 12 sacks in 5 games but for this group that’s a lot. Last year Carr was the best protected QB in the NFL and he thrived.   This year there have been 12 sacks and he’s struggled. It’s not a coincidence. His weakness is throwing under pressure and keeping him free of pass rushers is imperative to the offenses success.

Donald Penn confronting a Fan

How to Fix It:

There is only one answer; they need to step up. Oakland is #1 in spending on the OL with 26% of their salary cap spent on this group. You can’t spend more money on the OL especially when the defense needs so much help.

Derek Carr:

Carr got spoiled last year when he had so much time, and on occasion he has held onto the ball too long this year. He’s now being rushed more and it’s obvious he is not comfortable in the pocket.

Derek Carr

How to Fix it:

He needs to audible more and be much more aggressive with the deep ball.   Some old fashioned play action passes while throwing a deep pass on first down would stretch the field and make Al Davis up in heaven happy for sure. Dump off passes to the RB would also take off the pressure some.

Linebackers and Defensive Backs:

This group has no interceptions in 5 games. I’m tiring a little with some fans on social media saying how great this defense is and that if they had a good DC they’d be awesome.   Ken Norton may not be the answer, but this defense is not talented. Before the season started, Sports Illustrated and ESPN had the Raiders LB’s ranked last in the NFL. Their DB’s are not much better at times and take out Mack out of the DL and it will make any Raider fan cry.

Karl Joseph

Teams found out David Amerson struggles with the deep ball, and Sean Smith now struggles with any ball. Safety Reggie Nelson really isn’t making much of a difference and Karl Joseph is better against the run v.s. the pass but he’s still learning. Rookie Gareon Conley is still hurt and rumors have him being out for a while, but take that for what it is worth. Conley was not good against the run at Ohio St. and it remains to be seen how good he is covering because he’s missed so much this year. The hope is that Conley is a great cover guy but this may be a wasted year for a #1 pick.

How To Fix It:

Shalom Luani deserves a chance at safety. Allow him to play more. I’d like him to get some time with Joseph because he has such good safety instincts.

At LB, the Raiders are in big trouble. There are a handful of people in the free agent pool but to be honest, there are no answers for this group this year. They need to disguise their blitzes and be super aggressive and get to the QB to hide their week back 7.

Defensive Line:

Unless you have a pass rush in today’s NFL, you are going to struggle.   These rules are so biased for the offense that passing records are falling left and right. As Jack Del Rio has said, they are a few times that they are the Khalil Mack show and not much else. Mario Edwards Jr. has his moments early in a game but he disappears and is not consistent. Bruce Irvin doesn’t have a sack all year and hasn’t had the impact the team was hoping for.   Eddie Vanderdoes has also not been as impactful as was hoped and Justin Ellis has occasional good moments but it isn’t enough to make a difference.

How to Fix It:

Again, this is going to have to be addressed next year. Someone on social media was raving about the possible signing of ex Bear DT Jaye Howard but that is beyond positive thinking.   Howard played 5 years; 2 missed from injury and he only has 7.5 sacks and no one would sign him this year.

The Raiders HAVE to get to the QB. Start blitzing like mad on 3^rd down and long and make sure that you do a better job at disguising it. Also it’s insane to blitz and then give WR cushions because you know a quick pass is coming.  Get in the WR faces when you blitz.  Sometimes the DB’s are lazy when they are blitzing and they give it up too quick.   I saw Nelson and Joseph Blitz against Baltimore and you could see it a mile away.

Jims Jamz:

This is a must win for Oakland. San Diego is not a great team and they finally scored a TD late in the 4^th quarter for the first time in 24 games. Oakland should handle the Chargers but nothing is for sure.   With the last part of the Raiders schedule being so difficult, this is a must win.

They are running the same offensive plays as last year and teams have caught up. Oakland also has been trying to solve their pass defense for years with DB’s and it doesn’t work. Until the Raiders get a stud DT and a pass rush, get ready for issues up front. And if the Raiders draft an offensive player over a LB or DT next year, heads should roll. Defense wins championships and this defense isn’t winning any championships. Seeing the response online, if the Raiders don’t turn this thing around this is going to get real ugly.

If the offensive philosophy changes and the Raiders adjust, the offense can carry them a long way. The defense will have to take chances and blitz though. It’s put up or shut up time in Oakland and a win against San Diego would be a nice start to a new chapter.

“Video Surfaces Of Donald Penn’s Confrontation with A Fan; Bad Behavior; Raider Nation’s Black Sunday”

Tomorrow I will be writing about the solutions the Raiders need to be successful this year.  But today I’m doing something much different.

I pride myself on being objective but today I’m writing as a fan.  Yesterday I read a lot of social media after the Raiders 30-17 loss at home to the Baltimore Ravens.  I’ll have to agree with many Raider fans; never have I seen so much anger and nastiness from Raider fans towards the team, players and other fans in all of my life.  The last 10 days there has been a heaviness on so many people.  With the Las Vegas shooting and the overall dysfunction of our country in general, we are a depressed mess.

Athletes Acting Badly:

I see the anger and nastiness on Twitter and it’s scary that people like this are living among us.  Why do athletes listen so much?  We see it almost every day on social media.  So many 20 and 30 something athletes losing their minds on social media over fans or media who say negative things about them.  The NBA is the worst.  You see players constantly slap fighting with each other verbally like little spoiled Jr. High School girls over petty squabbles or imaginary slights.

The Golden State Warriors Kevin Durrant; who many around the team say is a tad eccentric; was hurt by such negativity and was even caught with a fake Twitter account that he used to attack fans and to defend himself.  He later apologized.  A grown friggin man worried about what mostly young fans said behind a computer screen.  That’s some kind of insecurity.

That pales in comparison to what is going on with others.  We now have a video going viral of a long time NFL offensive line coach snorting a “white substance” and sending the video to a female stripper.  How many players like Adrian Peterson are exposed with bad lifestyles when so many look up to them.  Steve McNair; one of the most respected players in the last 25 years and the 1994 recipient of the Walter Payton Award; was murdered by his 20 y/o mistress.  Why? Because he was seeing another mistress.

(Below; Miami Dolphins Offensive Line Coach Chris Foerster snorting a white substance)

https://deadspin.com/video-appears-to-show-dolphins-o-line-coach-chris-foers-1819270506

Some players in the NFL have some pretty insane lifestyles; I get that; but it’s out of hand how inappropriate they and society have become.

Raiders Fans & Players Behaving Badly:

Donald Penn was the darling of Raider fans last year.  The year before on social media he was trashed for being old and that he wasn’t worth the money.  He gave up only one sack to Raiders QB Derek Carr all year but unfortunately that sack resulted in Carr breaking his ankle.  It’s all been downhill after that.

(Below: Link to ESPN Donald Penn Story)

http://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/20962438

Penn held out but eventually signed for a 21 million dollar contract, and he’s struggled at times this year.  Fan’s have made him know how upset they are about it on social media and Penn called out one of the fans.  The fan showed up after the game and it got ugly.

(Below; video of Donald Penn confronting Fan)

https://www.si.com/nfl/2017/10/08/raiders-donald-penn-approaches-trash-talking-fan-video

Penn has had several young male Raider fans trash him online and he’s no stranger to battling with them.  During the confrontation several Raider fans started taunting him calling out 21 million, and other fun loving things.  Internet trolls trying to make a name for themselves  on social media acting inappropriately; wow there’s a shocker.  Players feeding into the negativity due to frustration and anger at a 2-3 start with the hardest part of there schedule still in their future has fueled the fire.

There was also a video that I’m not going to post of Raider fans urinating in the stands.  Men are pathetic at times.

What the Hell Has Happened:

Our society is a train wreck of classlessness and selfish behavior.  The arrogance is through the roof.  People hurt others and don’t think twice about it.  Anger and violence is acceptable to many and it’s seen in NFL fans behavior time and time again.

The anger of the team going to Las Vegas and the poor play has created a negativity that I’ve never seen before.  Even as a kid when the Raiders were leaving to Los Angeles, we didn’t want to hurt the players and people for the most part weren’t angry; they were just very sad they were leaving.

The day Al Davis moved to Los Angeles is the day the magic of the Raiders died.  They have never and they will never be the same.  The innocence of that time is gone.  The Raiders were the winningest TEAM in U.S. sports for 25 years (and it wasn’t close) and would soon lose their mojo in Southern California.  When they left, most in LA didn’t bat an eye.  Even the LA Times said good riddance.

The team has never been the same but neither have the fans.  The Raiders have a nice niche of younger fans in Southern California but as Raider great Tim Brown said on 95.7 The Game, “not enough to support an NFL Team unless everything is going great”.  In LA the violence of fans during a tumultuous time in society fueled the crime and anger at Raiders games, and it’s been continued to some in a new generation.  In the first 3 months of 2016, 3 of my female Raider followers had been MURDERED by their partners.  All 3 were from Southern California and all 3 of the males had past gang involvement and were vocal Raider fans.  Obviously not all So Cal fans are bad or violent, but this was greatly disturbing.

How to Not Get Caught Up In It:

I’m not Pollyanna.  Raider fans were always pretty vulgar and aggressive, but they were never like this.  And Oakland never was the cesspool of violence that the media portrayed they were.

(Below: link to my article on Raiders v.s. 49ers Fan violence)

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

In reality some people have forgotten what it is to be a Raider fan and they are too caught up in the drama or the attention of it.  It’s about loyalty and family.  The Raider tradition is about winning and having high standards without trolling on the internet and attacking players verbally.  And for God’s sakes it’s not about violence and not being able to control your anger like an 8 year old bully.  Appreciate the tradition and the amazing success the team has had in the past and grow from that tradition to generation to generation.  Life is tough but Raider fans always came through for each other.

It’s not about acting like angry pigs.  It’s not about classlessness and disrespecting the players and those around you.  It’s ok to say something about a players play if they are failing, but to attack them like an anger management flunky shows a new kind of low.

NO ONE; has told the truth about how bad the Raiders have been over the years like I have.  So many trashed me online for being negative but I wasn’t negative.  I was honest and right almost every time.  But I also see improvement in this team with still more work in the front office and on the field to do.  I’ve been honest.  Many have been blind to my honesty and just believe what they want to believe.  Facts > biased opinion.  Being critical is one thing though; being abusive, vulgar and so angry is just weird.

What’s worse, is that many of the people that were so angry yesterday, were the same ones attacking fans and writers who questioned just how good the Raiders were at the beginning of the year.  They change like the wind.  They used to call others haters and now they hate. Often wrong, never in doubt. Some seem to always be attacking someone.

Yesterday was the 6^th Anniversary of Al Davis passing.  One of the 5 greatest and most important figures in modern football.  And in all of my years of knowing about this amazing team and dynasty, I’ve never seen so many bad displays from fans.

I was too young to remember a lot of what happened in the Raiders early years, but I’m going to watch a bunch of Raiders videos from the Ken Stabler era tonight.  So many things are messed up with fans behaviors that I just need normality.  I need to see winning and I need to see loyalty.  And I need to feel a team and a fan base acting as one with pure joy, win or lose.  This has been an awful year for me personally and with all that is happening with the Raiders and the fans, I feel like crap and I don’t want to anymore.

Young fans always wonder why people love to talk about the glory days of the Raiders.  It’s because it was life changing.  It was special, fun and inclusive.  No Racism; no violence; no anger in losing.  It was a time of glory and family.  Tomorrow I’ll talk about what is needed on this team and if they can salvage the dreams of this season.  But for today, I’m celebrating the Raiders.  I need this and I think others do too.

 

“The Two Reasons Why the Raiders Offense Is Struggling & How to Fix it; A Quick Evaluation of the Raiders & AFC West”

 

After the Raiders 16-10 loss to the Denver Broncos, there were more questions than answers in Oakland.  The Raiders have fallen to 2-2 and this was supposed to be a part of the schedule that was easier than the daunting last 7 games of the season.  Let’s look at what has happened the last 2 weeks for the Raiders and how they can fix it.

 Offense:

Washington’s defense played a great game and Denver’s defense is getting back to being dominating, but both teams made adjustments that most teams are sure to do in the future.

Last year, teams were afraid of giving up the deep ball to the Raiders.  Almost all teams played off the WR; sometimes 10-15 yards; often giving up easy passes.  For all his annoying sayings and talking up each player like they are all headed to the hall of fame, Tony Romo gets what is going on.  “Teams are taking away the easy short passes the Raiders are used to getting”, he said in the 4^th quarter.

First off, for fans complaining about play calling, remember that Derek Carr is the last coach on the field.  He can change the play anytime he wants so if the play is not a good one, he needs to change it.  That’s one thing that separates great QB’s from really good ones.

In regards to the passing game, Washington and Denver both played physical, press coverage.  For newer fans that means that the DB’s play on the line of scrimmage and are in the WR faces to not allow for easy passes.  The last two weeks NOTHING has been given to the Raiders passing game and they are struggling big time.

And no EJ Manuel didn’t all of a sudden play great when Carr struggled.  Carr is still really good.  What did Denver do when EJ Manuel came into the game?  They did what most NFL coaches do; they got conservative and almost blew it.  They stopped playing press coverage and it allowed the Raiders to get back into the game.  Yes the cover 2 defense helped seal the win with the last interception when the Safety came over to help, but it also allowed Manuel to hit wide open targets who weren’t open at the start of the game.  The Broncos kicker missed an easy kick and Denver got conservative which almost cost them the game.

How do you beat press coverage?  You throw deep.  The Raiders have a lot of speed with Johnny Holton, Cordarralle Patterson, Amari Cooper, and Jared Cook is also fast at TE and can get deep.  Wheel routes to the RB’s also would work.  Teams have adjusted to the Raiders offense and now they have to make changes.  The Raiders are pretty much running the same offense as last year and they need to get that most teams are going to risk getting beat with the deep ball, by stopping their short and medium passes.

Amari Cooper has to step up. He is a talented but passive person and the Raiders lose their mojo and aggressiveness when Michael Crabtree is not in the game.  Cooper has to establish himself as the deep threat that he was in his rookie year.  When the Raiders start stretching the field with the deep ball, now you pound the ball with 4 quality running backs.  A sweep once in a while with those two quality guards pulling isn’t the dumbest idea either.

Offensive Line:

The OL of the Raiders has basked in a little bit of glory due to their mild success, but they have to get back to work and be physical and play to their potential.  This is the engine of the Raiders.  If they play well, so do the Raiders.  They have to step up and just get back to playing like they are capable of.  No real changes other than quality play is needed. Many publications have pointed out that 25% of the Raiders salary cap was spent on the offensive line.  No team has spent more money on their OL.  This unit is not as good as last year for some reason.  Where teams often blitzed last year, that is no longer the case.  All night Denver and Washington got to Derek Carr rushing only 4 players.  If you get to Carr he struggles like he did with Washington and Denver.  Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers and Ben Roethlisberger can handle big rushes, but Derek Carr doesn’t have that skill.

If  your passing game isn’t working, teams stop respecting the deep ball and the DB’s play up close to the line.  If they are afraid of the deep ball the DB’s play back worrying about getting beat deep.  With a bad passing game, the run game becomes predictable.

The play calling has been just that at times, but the run game has also not been the same due to the OL’s poor play and the lack of success in the passing game.  Where the Raiders wore teams down, they now struggle running the ball when they have to.  The Jets are awful and the Titans defense just gave up 57 points to a rookie QB, but Washington’s is pretty good and Denver’s is elite.  The Raiders should handle Baltimore next week but against the better defenses, they need to make adjustments.

Carr HAS to have time.  He was the best protected QB in the NFL last year and it wasn’t a coincidence he had an amazing year.

Defense:

Jack Del Rio said it several times in interviews this off season.  “We just haven’t put in the money into our defense. To our defense there isn’t enough money to go around”.  This is why teams of today always have some kind of weakness.  Khalil Mack is the only player getting to the QB for four quarters.  For whatever reason, Mario Edwards looks great in the first quarter of games and then he disappears.  If Khalil Mack ever got hurt, this DL would be scary to watch and that’s in a bad way.  Many teams do not double team Mack and I think that’s crazy.  He is Oakland’s only consistent pass rusher.

The LB’s are struggling big time in pass coverage and aren’t exactly dominating against the run.  Trevor Siemian is not a good QB and at times the Broncos seem lost with their play calling.  When they tried to run the ball exclusively they struggled.  When they started to pass the ball they opened up the run game.  Overall Denver’s offense isn’t that good, but the Raiders have good offenses to play in their future.

The DB’s played better but Siemian missed several passes.  Emmanuel Sanders was wide open up the middle twice for long passes but Siemian wasn’t even looking at him.  The Raiders pass defense struggled again.  When teams start passing to their RB’s and TE’s the Raiders are toast because their back 7 can’t cover them.  They are going to have to continue to mix up their schemes with blitzes and zones and just hope for the best.

The State of the AFC West:

It’s obvious for right now that the KC Chiefs are the best team in this division.  Their offense is better and they can beat you with their quick passing game or their run game.  With Justin Houston playing well, their pass rush is back to form.  With a deep throwing new hot shot QB breathing down his neck, Alex Smith has finally started to throw deeper passes which has opened up their offense.  KC plays Washington tonight, which was the same team that dominated the Raiders so it will be interesting how they do.

Phillip Rivers is a media darling but he’s overrated.  He is the poster boy for today’s NFL.  The rules have allowed even average QB’s to get pinball passing numbers which makes them look better than they are.  The Chargers now have gone 24 straight games without a 2 minute drill touchdown and no team has struggled in the second half and the fourth quarter more than the Chargers over the years.  I was ripped on by those that tried to tell me in week one that San Diego was a sleeper team and is a dark horse to get to the Super Bowl and I just kind of laughed.  They are now 0-4 and 0-3 at home.  Hmmm

Siemian isn’t a good QB and the Broncos are limited offensively.  Their formula is to get ahead early, and then rely on their defense to close out the game.  Denver is not the type of team to make big come backs and I don’t see Siemian winning many games late.

The Raiders have to adjust on offense.  Teams are no longer willing to give them the easy throws.  The smart ones are going to try and force them to throw deep which Oakland has to do successfully.  Watch the DB’s.  If you see them playing up, look to see if the Raiders throw deep to gain their respect.

If the Raiders don’t score, they are going to struggle.  This defense is no where near a championship defense and if they don’t score, they don’t win.  With quality offenses on the horizon, they need to make sure that they make changes on how to attack the press coverage that teams are likely to use in the future.

Players on the defense have to step up, but you wonder if they have the talent to do that.  Even Jack Del Rio has said at times the Raiders D is like the Khalil Mack show.  Unless they get a consistent pass rusher not named Mack, the back 7 are going to be exposed week by week.  Will the offense adjust to the changes on how defenses attack them?  And will Amari Cooper and Carr rise to the occasion behind the offensive line that finally plays up to their talent level.

The talk from fans before the season was all about the Super Bowl.  Now they have more questions than answers about the poor start of the Raiders.  Unless they make the proper changes, this dream season will be just that; a dream.  This winning the Super Bowl thing is not as easy as you think kids.

“Tired of All The Drama Surrounding the NFL’s National Anthem? Here’s How to Survive It”

 

Are you sick of the drama? Me too.

Social media has literally changed everything in our country. It is the fuel of any online forest fire. With most people on facebook and some on twitter, issues get blown way out of proportion.  Where before we were somewhat open minded, tolerant and respectful, the world now laughs at us for being childish, close minded, ignorant, and drop outs for anger management. Some are so hyper sensitive, even the smallest things can set them off. Honey Boo Boo’s reality show looks like Masterpiece Theater compared to what is happening now in America.  The mantra in the U.S. today is, think as I do or you are an idiot. I thought people were supposed to get smarter with age?  Instead many are more aggressive and close minded as ever.  Are you sick of it?  Let’s look at how we can survive all of this Jr. High School drama.

How To Survive This Drama:

1. Be Open Minded:

Good leadership is so rare in our country because most can’t do 4 things; listen, understand, be compassionate and compromise. If you can’t do these 4 things, you can never be a great leader.

In this situation I totally respect and understand both sides. I think both have good and bad points. If you listen and understand people’s feelings in a rational manner without acting like a hot head, you can get that both sides have valid thoughts and a compromise can be reached.  If we respected each other’s opinions, we could see both sides.

2. Don’t talk about it or react online.

When people talk about it online, I just move on. Everyone says the same thing over and over and I’m pretty sick of it.   The media is loving this. They now show the national anthem as if it was a game itself. And oh the commentary.

I’m not a drama guy so I don’t get off on it. I’ll avoid it and watch the game. I don’t care what some jock, ex jock, celebrity or team owner has to say about the situation. I don’t know them and they are not my role models. I don’t look up to them for moral or spiritual leadership. And for all the love he is getting, I especially don’t look up to Jerry Jones. Just look on the internet to Jerry Jones history and partying ways. Character is what you do behind closed doors, NOT what you do when you know everyone is watching.

So many are nasty online and if you engage with them, you are just going to make yourself crazy.  On Facebook just keep scrolling.  Even if it’s a friend or even if you are asked what you think, just move on.  People no longer want to talk about things so they can get others viewpoints.  All they want to do is have people agree with them, or to attack those that don’t.

3. Stop debating with those that are close minded:

Remember that a lot of adults today are close minded and it really comes out online. Two thirds of the country blindly back either the Republican or Democratic party like cult members, and the final third of the country is shaking their heads.  Social media has also made us all feel very self important; especially through our viewpoints. For many their biases and prejudices from their parents have really stuck to them.

I remember being 18 and my father trying to tell me how to vote in my first election.   I told him I’d listen to him but I’d vote how I felt I should. My dad liked that I stood up to him and thought for myself.  My parents told me to always do what is right even if the world is going the other way.  When you deal with facts and what is right or wrong, you realize you should not trust ANY politician or ANY political party. Just look at history.  In fact it sounds ignorant and naive to me to trust these people.

AVOID talking to biased people about this situation like the plague. NO GOOD can come from it. You cannot debate them or reason with them. They will not listen to you and they think if you don’t think like them then you are an idiot. I personally listen to everyone but I also realize talking to a rock is pointless.

Jims Jamz:

First off I have several relatives and friends that have and are serving in the military. That’s from WWII, to Vietnam, to the Gulf War to the Iraq War.  They fought for the very rights and freedoms that we have today and I’m extremely proud of all of them.  As some of them say, one of those freedoms they fought for is the freedom to protest.  I would like the players to stand up but it’s not a big deal if they don’t.  I don’t look to them to set my moral standards.

Our country was founded on protest.  Many of the same people ripping on the players now are the same families that called people against the Iraq war Commies, un-America traitors, and many even thought they should be charged with treason. A total of 93% of Americans were for that war when the 7% were right.  History. Those who forget the past are condemned to repeat it.

And as I watch the amazing Vietnam series by Ken Burns on PBS, I see the millions of people of all ages; including soldiers and ex soldiers; who protested a war that was motivated for all the wrong reasons.  The day after the Kent St. murders, millions of students across the country protested on the streets and highways of our country demanding justice in an unjust war.  Millions of mothers, fathers and ex military protested on Washington and other areas to bring our brave young men home.  They were so passionate and loud that President Nixon listened.  He had to.  If you haven’t watched it you should.  It has inspired me and brought a new respect for those of that time that fought, and for those that fought to bring them home.

The National Anthem issue hasn’t affected me in any way. If fans feel they need to burn their jerseys and not go to games or watch, then I respect that. If players and fans want to protest racism and other issues then I support that too.  THIS IS AMERICA!  When did we lose the right to do what we wanted?  When political parties infused into the older generations that they were perfect, that’s when.

What is funny is that many of the people that are burning jerseys, are white and I don’t think that is a coincidence.  If you never experienced racism and you live in a non sensitive society like we have today, you are not going to understand the issue or the feelings.  And some that are for the protesters have little to no knowledge of the sacrifice of the military and their families.  Remember those 4 points of leadership I had? If both sides would follow that, they both would understand each other.

I think the players are misunderstood as well. They don’t hate America; right or wrong, they think this is the loudest way of protesting the lack of justice and racism that they see in our country today.  I guarantee if dozens of rich white people were unjustly killed by cops in rich areas around the country, caucasians would be outraged and wonder what is going on!

If you are sick of the pettiness, anger and dramatics of this issue and you just want to watch football, then do it. Personally I don’t see any change coming from this, only more division. Change is only found with dialog and compromise; something most adults are no longer willing to do in America. Men’s ego, close mindedness and greed has screwed up so much in the world and the NFL is no exception.

Our love for Patriotism is strange.  While some scream USA and say respect the flag, almost half of people that can vote don’t.  Corporations take jobs away from Americans just so they could get slave labor wages overseas so more generations of trust fund babies can be taken care of.  On the other hand, many that are kneeling during the Anthem have never done much of anything in their lives in regards to fighting for people’s rights.  Many of them now talk like they are civil rights experts when in reality they have a lot to learn.

So in ending, in true GOOD American fashion, I say respect people’s view points and then YOU do what you think is right.  I for one will continue to worry about the X’s and O’s and still watch the NFL while respecting people’s rights to be angry at the players, and the players right to protest.  I’ll also greatly respect those things that our country holds dear, but THAT IS MY RIGHT.  If you do what you think is right without berating others that disagree, you will not only be a good American, but you will also be rid of the drama.

“Tyler Summitt’s Affair & Resignation; How The Media & College Basketball Dropped the Ball”

Tyler & Pat Summitt After A National Championship Win

After Tyler Summitt was fired as head coach of the Louisiana Tech women’s basketball team for an affair that he had with a player, the anger and outrage in the media was epic.  Looking back though, they sure didn’t act that way when he got hired.  With rumors of a possible pregnancy also looming, there is much pain to go around.

When Summitt was hired by Athletic Director Tommy McClelland, he called the hire a home run.  The media came to Ruston in droves wanting to know more about the golden child of icon Pat Summitt.  Many praised his maturity, drive and character.  Those same people are now shredding him to bits.

I remember a few nasty comments directed at me when Tyler was hired.  I posted on social media one statement; LOL what a joke.

Mechelle Voepel of ESPN W has been very outspoken about the present situation; and rightfully so; but she sure wasn’t that outraged when he was originally hired.  Here is an interview with her and west coast writer Michelle Smith when Tyler Summitt was hired.

http://espn.go.com/espnw/video/10717147/louisiana-tech-hires-tyler-summitt

(Here is another article announcing the rebirth of LTU basketball under Tyler Summitt.  This is from last year.  ESPN W’s Lynn Olszowy wrote it in 12/2014)

http://espn.go.com/womens-college-basketball/story/_/id/12072301/tyler-summitt-trying-turn-louisiana-tech

When Tyler Was Hired:

Let’s be real; the baby boomer’s love to spoil their kids.  With some parents it’s almost a competition.  But in reality it’s created a very self-absorbed generation who is used to their parents paving the way.

Tyler was hired because his last name was Summitt, but when he was hired, only a handful of reporters were outraged.  Name another 23 year old on the planet that is going to get a head basketball coaching job at a major college university.  Gordon Ramsey will become a vegetarian before that happens again.  Most reporters said all the politically correct things that they could.

It reminds me of the great speech that actor Ralph Fiennes gave in the movie “Quiz Show”.  Even though it was not part of the actual statement from Charles Van Doren who was implicated in the scandal, it is a telling sign of what our society at times has become.

“I’ve been acting a role, maybe all my life, of thinking that I’ve done more, accomplished more, and produced more than I have. I have had all the breaks. I have stood on the shoulders of life, and I’ve never gotten down into the dirt to build, to erect a foundation of my own. I have flown too high on borrowed wings. Everything came too easy.”

 Ralph Fiennes playing Charles Van Doren in “Quiz Show”

A Slap in the Face for Those That Deserve Jobs:

When Tyler was hired I literally was in shock.  What a slap in the face it was to all of the assistant coaches who wait years for their big break.  I’m sure many around the country shook their heads when Tyler Summitt waltzed into this job.

Below is the resume of ex associate head coach for Tennessee’s women’s basketball Kyra Elzy.  After 20 years of being in the college game she has never even been offered a head coaching spot.  Now she is finally being rumored to possibly be hired as head coach of UCF.  She’s been in the game almost as long as Tyler has been alive.

Coaching Experience

Tennessee Lady Vols

• Associate Head Coach (2015-Present)
• Assistant Coach (2012-15)

Kentucky

• Associate Head Coach (2010-12)
• Assistant Coach (2008-10)

Kansas

• Assistant Coach (2004-08)

Western Kentucky

• Assistant Coach (2002-04)

Virginia Tech

• Administrative Assistant (2001-02)

Collegiate Playing Experience

• Tennessee (1996-2001)
• 1997 & 1998 NCAA Champs
• 1998, 1999, 2000 & 2001 SEC Champs
• 1998, 1999 & 2000 SEC Tourney Champs

Elzy also has been lauded for her recruiting skills which are huge at the college level.  She’s helped keep Tennessee’s program afloat after Pat Summitt retired.  How in the world can she not get a job but 23 year old Tyler can be the head coach of the Lady Techsters?  Sheer madness.  I watched about 5 interviews back when he was hired and when they started bringing up all the notes he took and how he followed his mom, I looked as confused as Jessica Simpson at a spelling bee.  Who were they kidding?

Pat Summitt & Kyla Elzy

Our Weirdness Towards Cheating:

Cheating among college basketball coaches is not new.  LSU head coach Pokey Chatman had a bizarre situation when one of her ex players; and present assistants; threw her under the bus and said they were in a relationship.  Supposedly even after she did that, they were still close.  The details were never really discussed.  Louisville head basketball coach Rick Pitino had sex in a restaurant after hours and then paid for the woman to have an abortion so his wife wouldn’t find out.  She then tried to blackmail him into giving her millions.  Newly retired Wisconsin Men’s coach Bo Ryan’s supposed mistress is on the attack.  He mysteriously resigned.  That’s just off the top of my head.  I’m sure there are more stories.  Heck, here in California our Governor (yes we can be dumb) had a baby from one of his hired help and his wife Maria Shriver within a month of each other.

Of course we give ALL of those people a pass; but a dumb 25 year old who is in over his head is the devil.  Give me a break.

I see a lot of self-righteous grandstanding out there in the media about this story, but let’s be real.  Cheating is now a part of many peoples lifestyle.  There are sites now for married people that want to cheat anonymously with millions of people on it.  Celeb’s & athletes cheat all the time but hey they are famous so it’s all good to some.  Over half of American married people have cheated.  We are lauding a great NBA basketball player right now who is retiring and his sexual escapades are of legend.  Glass houses.

Many US presidents had someone on the side, and only God knows about the Senate and the House.  It’s as wrong as could be but we’ve created this mess.  Having morals is uncool to some, especially the younger you are.  If you want a hit  tv show nowadays you need 3 things; Sexy people, sex, and violence.  The Waltons’ isn’t playing anymore.  In fact the worse a character is the more we like them.  From Breaking Bad to Tony Soprano; we eat it up like it’s got the antidote.

The Deeper Pain:

Forget about sports for a minute.  Again, there have been rumors that the girl Tyler had an affair with is pregnant.  I’m not going to say her name or get into the details but I feel beyond sad for Tylers wife.  To realize that the whole world knows about your husband cheating is pretty rough.  Add the fact that they may financially and emotionally now have to take care of a kid that he may have fathered because he cheated, and this is a bad dream for this girl.  The immature comments of one of the girls on the team who was first suspected to be the person he cheated with; along with players parents getting more & more into the drama while talking to the media; leads to even more pain.  And don’t get me started on all the fools that have unprotected sex.  If that was the case for Tyler and this girl, then you can’t get any dumber.

I feel bad for Tennessee fans. They love Pat Summitt like UCLA loves John Wooden.  Tyler was the golden boy and fans already had hopes that he would someday coach the Lady Volunteers.  I also feel bad for Louisiana Tech fans.  They’ve had some lean years and this will set them back again emotionally.  The pain of this disgrace happening to a once proud program has hurt a lot of people.  Recruit signings have been put on hold.

I don’t feel bad for the administration and AD Tommy McClelland of Louisiana Tech though.  What a stupid hire.  If I was in charge heads would straight up roll.  LTU needs to clean house and start anew in my opinion.

And of course we all ache for Pat Summitt.  Inflicted at a relatively young age with an insidious condition that many are saying is hard to watch progress.  The pain that she must feel after she spent so many years creating a program based on toughness, discipline, and character is hard to think about.  She deserved better than this.  I’m sure Tyler feels terrible for the pain his selfish act is causing to the one person that always put light into his eyes.

My Hopes for Tyler:

If I was Tyler’s friend I would say that your resignation was weak.  I’d do another pressor or even a Youtube video turning off the comments section; and tell him to be much more contrite.  I’d also tell him to go back to the drawing board.  I would take a year off and then go to a Division 2 or 3 school and start over.  I would make accountability my goal.  I also would get out of the woman’s game and coach men.  In reality it’s going to be awful hard for him to ever get this opportunity again but it will be a chance for him to get his life back together.  Financially he’s set for life.  He was the sole heir and Pat chose the option for her pension that gives Tyler 14,000 a month for the rest of his life.  He also got her cars and her house that was put up for sale.

http://www.tennessean.com/story/sports/college/ut/2016/08/25/pat-summitts-leaves-personal-property-tyler-summitt/89317990/

He screwed up big time.  If an ordinary person cheats it’s bad enough.  If a son of an icon cheats the pitch forks and torches will follow and it’s out in the open for all to see.  Like most sons he adores his mom, and now he’s brought a shame that has stained their name.  My hopes are that he humbly takes time to take responsibility and mature in a way he hasn’t yet.  He needs to man up and fix this.  And maybe someday; after he has paid his dues; he will stand on his own two feet and no longer fly on borrowed wings.

“Can the Run Defense Bounce Back and Who Will Win; The Minnesota Vikings v.s. Oakland Raiders”

Week 10 Preview Minnesota Vikings (6-2) v.s. Oakland Raiders (4-4):

11/15/15, 1:15 PM (PST) @ O.Co Coliseum, Oakland, California

Fox TV

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Thoughts and prayers to Fred McNeill and his family and friends.  A former UCLA and Minnesota Viking great at linebacker, who later became an attorney.  He had suffered several severe concussions as a player which were documented on television and video interviews.  The book, “League of Denial” was greatly inspired by his story.

He got ALS; Lou Gehrig’s disease; which destroys the body and he also had dementia which destroys the mind. He eventually died yesterday from complications of it.  He was the first to ever block a Ray Guy punt.  It was in the Super Bowl loss to the Raiders. A big loss to the NFL community and the people of Minnesota. 

http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/14052644/minnesota-vikings-long-linebacker-fred-mcneill-dies-63

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The name Minnesota Vikings is like sweet music to most Raider fans ears.  Thoughts of Ken Stabler floating passes through the Purple People eaters. Bill King in classic form using words the rest of the country had never heard of.   Jack Tatum’s demolishing hit on Vikings WR Sammy White while bringing home a Super Bowl trophy are sweet memories indeed.

Now its 2015 and the Vikings come into Oakland for a key game for both teams.  In an interesting match-up, the Minnesota Vikings come in with an impressive 6-2 record.  But let’s look at it closer and see who the upcoming opponent of the Raiders really is.

As Good as Their Record?: 

Friends and followers in Minnesota have beaten on me pretty good on twitter for not getting on the Viking band wagon and believing they are a really good team.  Let’s look at the reasons why I haven’t.

Schedule:

As time marches on, the number of quality teams in the NFL gets smaller.  For 2015, you see it especially in the AFC.  The NFL is getting what they want with the salary cap; parity; or mediocrity if you want to be honest.  The Raiders have had a fairly easy schedule so far, but the Vikings have had an easier one.  Minnesota has two wins over a terrible Detroit Lions team, and have also played Chicago, San Diego, Kansas City, and the 49ers.

In reality they have faced only 2 teams this year with a winning record; Denver and St. Louis; and they are 1-1 with a victory at home in OT over the Rams last week.  The Raiders have played 4 teams with a winning record and are 1-3.

Offense:

To be fair, no team in the NFL has been beaten up by injuries like the Vikings.  They have a lot of young talent but they are hurting.  They have lost 3 of their starting offensive linemen for the year including stud tackle Phil Loadholt, and fellow tackle Carter Bykowski.  Quality center John Sullivan was supposed to return this week after spinal surgery to begin the year but he has undergone another procedure and he probably is out for the season.  Few teams could overcome this.

To their credit a patchwork offensive line has held their own but they have struggled in the passing game at times.  Teddy Bridgewater had a nice rookie campaign but I’m not impressed by him like others are.  His delivery is painfully slow and he needs a lot of time in the pocket to be successful.  If you rush him and decrease his time, he struggles.

At times he looks like he’s playing chess when going through his progressions.  He just takes too long, a lot like 49er QB Colin Kaepernick.  In the Denver game he struggled a lot by not getting rid of the ball faster.  He is just too slow in the pocket for my taste.  Adrian Peterson off the field may not be man of the year but on the field he remains one of the great running backs of this era.

The surprise of the year in the NFL may be fifth round draft choice Stefon Diggs.  He’s been a breakout player at wide receiver who has shown game breaking speed and the ability to make big plays.

Defense:

Again, it’s hard to measure how good this defense is because they have played such an easy schedule.  The Vikings are known as a good group of tacklers though with athletic linebackers.  Noseguard/Tackle Linval Joseph is playing great football this year and is coming off an amazing 10 tackle 1/2 sack effort against the Rams earning him defensive player of the week honors.

Linebackers Eric Kendricks and Anthony Barr are expected to play but both are coming off injuries.  They are athletic, physical and good tacklers when healthy.  DT Sharrif Floyd comes back from missing 3 games and he said he’s ready to go.  Their defensive front seven is good when healthy.

The Vikings CB’s are healthy and they have good depth there but no one that wows you.  They have their own Charles Woodsen in highly decorated 37 y/o Terence Newman who has had another solid season.

Run Defense Struggles Against the Steelers; Will They Continue Against Minnesota?:

The Raiders run defense was shredded for 195 yards last week against the Pittsburgh Steeler’s and there was a partial reason to it that is easily seen.

First, give them credit; the Pittsburgh Steeler offensive line is a top OL in the NFL.  Other things are important to note though.

Nate Allen coming back at safety is huge.  Some didn’t like the signing but I thought he played pretty well.  Now the Raiders can move TJ Carrie to cornerback.  The Raiders cornerbacks have been shredded for big chunks of yardage for most of the year and struggled even with TJ Carrie playing; but he was an upgrade.

People no longer use Pro Football Focus stats to prove why DJ Hayden is really not that bad because EVEN THEY now get that he isn’t good.  Oakland is now last in passing yards given up per game, and 23rd in sacks, and 30th in total yards per game.

With the CB’s struggles, the Raiders safeties are having to be supermen and stay back to help the corners against the deep ball.  Hopefully with better play from TJ Carrie at corner, the Raiders safeties wont have to help out as much and can make some tackles in the run game.  Against Pittsburgh, if they’d run up to stop the run and it was a play action pass, the corners would now be in a one on one situation and they could not guard the Steelers quality pass catchers.

Ben Roethlesberger missed Pittsburgh WR Antonio Bryant on a long ball by 5 yards where he beat DJ Hayden, and Martavis Bryant just flat out dropped a long ball against David Amerson.  If you add those 2 plays the Steelers would have had over 700 yards total offense; IN ONE GAME; and would have won going away!

Minnesota’s line is relying on backups and rookie TJ Cummings at tackle and I see the Raiders playing well against them.  Cummings will have to block Khalil Mack who has had his struggles.  He was completely shut out against the Steelers and he’s had games against Baltimore and San Diego where he had 1 and 2 tackles with no sacks respectively.  A total of 3 tackles in 12 quarters of football isn’t getting it done.  If he struggles against this rookie, then something isn’t right.  I see him having a big day though.

The Raiders will win if:

DEFENSE:  PASS RUSH PASS RUSH PASS RUSH.  The Raiders cornerbacks are not going to all of a sudden be good.  They are who they are.   TJ Carrie helps this struggling unit but he’s not a world beater.  They still need a pass rush.

I watch every Raiders game twice (thank you DVR) and metric sites kept saying the Raiders had several pressures against Ben Roethlesberger and I’m kind of wondering what game they watched.  I mean was it peer pressure or atmospheric pressure, because it sure wasn’t quarterback pressure.  Roethlesberger was off at times and still threw for over 300 yards in 3 quarters and the Raiders gave up almost 400 yards passing.  If they had so many pressures, I’d hate to see when the pass rush struggles.  Roethlesberger had good time to throw all game and so did Landry Jones.  Aldon Smith had the only sack and knocked Ben out of the game.

Nate Allen coming back is a great help.  The Raiders are going to need at least the free safety to stay back at times though to protect against Stefon Diggs and the long ball.

I personally think they will do much better against the run with Peterson struggling at times during the game.  Even if he does get 100 yards, I think it’s going to take a whole lot of carries.

OFFENSE:  Derek Carr is having a great year and it’s fun to watch such a quality person do so well.  Let’s also look at other things though.  Put an average NFL QB behind a good offensive line and he will be good.  Put a good NFL QB behind a good offensive line and he will be really good.  Derek Carr is having a great year but the Raiders offensive line in my mind is the second best in the NFL behind the Patriots OL and possibly the Steelers. They are a nice part of that success.

Derek Carr has gone through games WHERE HE WAS NOT TOUCHED and the Raiders have given up only 10 sacks in 8 games which is 2nd in the NFL.  The Steelers threw some complex blitzes at the Raiders and they did a great job against them.  Lee Smith is the best blocking TE in the NFL and he’s also helped out at times in the passing game as well as the running game.  Add an occasional pass catch and he’s been very underrated.  When you watch the game, sometimes just watch the offensive line and see how they do.  You will be pleasantly surprised.

Add the fact that even with his ups and downs, Latavius Murray is the 2nd leading rusher in the AFC.  Derek Carr isn’t blocking for Murray, so you see what kind of year the Raiders offensive line is having.  Friends laughed at me at our annual draft party a while back when I was so happy that guard Gabe Jackson was drafted by the Raiders in the 3rd round.  They don’t laugh anymore.  This Raiders OL is young (except for Donald Penn) and physical and I love watching them play.  (I need to get over it but I still can’t believe how far Jackson dropped in the draft.)

The Vikings are banged up and I see the Raiders playing well against them.  I don’t like their DB’s as much as other people do but I do like their front 7 when healthy; they aren’t healthy though.  Unfortunately the Raiders may be without center Rodney Hudson who hasn’t practiced this week and that could be a big factor.  People are now leaning on him missing this game.  Tony Bergstrom would get the call and Joseph; a key former Giants Super Bowl winning defensive lineman; is a bear to block.

Running the ball wont be easy against the Vikings interior line but they will be vulnerable to the pass with their LB’s hobbling and I see another good day for Carr and the Raiders.  Look for the Raider running backs and tight ends to do well.

Conclusion:

You have to give it up for the Vikings.  Raider backers are biting their nails about center Rodney Hudson missing time due to injury, but the Vikings have lost 3 OL starters for the year and have still done well.  They also have struggled with injuries on the other side of the ball but have managed to get a 6-2 record.  With them playing a weak schedule and their division being a mess, I think they are a little overrated but the Vikings could make the playoffs.

My take on them is that they are an up and coming team with good talent but a lot of injuries.  They are also playing mostly against bad teams.  I think they are a little overrated and their year will be next year.  I don’t like Bridgewater that much and his painfully slow release either.  He has to have a lot of time in the pocket to succeed and in today’s NFL, that is a lot of pressure to put on your offensive line.  Healthy, their OL could pull it off possibly but not with 3 starters out.

Some on the east coast are asking why the Vikings are the underdog but I’m not.  I see the Raiders winning this one pulling away.   P.S. For amusement only, yes I like the over (44 points).

Final Score:  Raiders 31

                      Vikings 20