Circle The Wagons
Circle the wagons, Raiders fans, because here come the bandwagons.
The commencement of training camp and the public smackdown of Jerry Porter have put Art Shell and the Oakland Raiders on center stage, and now folks are discovering what we’ve known all along—that Art Shell is a man with a plan, and that the Raiders are for real.
The revisionism is now officially underway, and when the Raiders start winning big again, the revisionism will turn into outright amnesia. Art Shell? What a brilliant hire! That Al Davis, I told you he still had it!
Actually, no, you didn’t. You told me that Art Shell’s hiring was an act of desperation and that Mr. Davis was a senile loser.
Remember five months ago, when the Raiders were methodically conducting their coaching search? Remember when teams were snatching up the gilded likes of Dick Jauron, Mike McCarthy and Sean Payton, and the Raiders were supposedly left in the dust? At that time, the sports world cackled in near unison over the supposed madness of the Raiders and the alleged craziness of Al Davis. Now they’re discovering that there was a method to the madness after all, and that Al Davis is crazy like a fox.
We won’t be fooled by the revisionism. We will not accept the amnesia. We will pull your bandwagons over and ask for credentials. We will remember you asking us in the wake of Shell’s hiring, “Are we supposed to be impressed?” We will remember you telling us that “bringing back Art Shell is not the answer.”
We will remember that day, not long ago, when we stood resolute in the face of mockery, still believing and still faithful. The Return to Glory is being paved. Our wagons go first. Bandwagons can follow.
The commencement of training camp and the public smackdown of Jerry Porter have put Art Shell and the Oakland Raiders on center stage, and now folks are discovering what we’ve known all along—that Art Shell is a man with a plan, and that the Raiders are for real.
The revisionism is now officially underway, and when the Raiders start winning big again, the revisionism will turn into outright amnesia. Art Shell? What a brilliant hire! That Al Davis, I told you he still had it!
Actually, no, you didn’t. You told me that Art Shell’s hiring was an act of desperation and that Mr. Davis was a senile loser.
Remember five months ago, when the Raiders were methodically conducting their coaching search? Remember when teams were snatching up the gilded likes of Dick Jauron, Mike McCarthy and Sean Payton, and the Raiders were supposedly left in the dust? At that time, the sports world cackled in near unison over the supposed madness of the Raiders and the alleged craziness of Al Davis. Now they’re discovering that there was a method to the madness after all, and that Al Davis is crazy like a fox.
We won’t be fooled by the revisionism. We will not accept the amnesia. We will pull your bandwagons over and ask for credentials. We will remember you asking us in the wake of Shell’s hiring, “Are we supposed to be impressed?” We will remember you telling us that “bringing back Art Shell is not the answer.”
We will remember that day, not long ago, when we stood resolute in the face of mockery, still believing and still faithful. The Return to Glory is being paved. Our wagons go first. Bandwagons can follow.
posted by Raider Take at 12:47 AM
18 Comments:
I agree 100% I fumed at all those who thought Art Shell being brought back was stupid. The numbers speak for themselves he's a winning coach but wasn't able to find a job as a head coach with another team.
Now he's going to show everyone of those doubters how stupid they really are. Old School Raider Football is back Thank god.
Man I am on board a 100%. I wrote the following on the Oakland Raider Blog with the TOOZ http://oaklandraiderblog.blogspot.com/ back before Art was hired. Tooz was calling for Art to be hired. The other day on NFL Live they were comparing Oakland to SF and Houston on who the worst organization in the NFL is. What the hell......Detroit, Cleveland, New Orleans......How is it that you have 3 bad seasons and it puts you in the bottom of the class. You idiots running your mouth need to look at the big picture. Look at the success of the organization. Who has been making the decisions. Who was the man that drafted or added free agents that has introduced more hall of famers than any other person at the induction ceremony? You think that is just luck. Man I gotta go, every time I talk about this I just about blow a gasket. Oh and San Diego and Kansas City fans, just shut it. How many super bowls have you won. Yeah exactly. Later.
JK said...
I am so sick and tired of hearing the media and fans rip on Al. I am listening to The Herd on ESPN this morning and he compared the Raiders to the Lions. Are you kidding me. At Norvs press conference a reporter asked why things have been bad for "all these years" Unreal. How long ago was it that the Raiders were in the Super Bowl. How long ago was it when we dominated the AFC West year after year. How long ago was it that Al was a "Genious" for bringing in the right veterans. I have been a Raider fan since I was 2 years old. Not a fan that wears the Raider colors and then has to ask how the game went because they had to go out to eat with their wife. I don't miss a game. I bleed silver and black like many of you who are reading this do. I am so sick of hearing people rip on Al. Atleast we don't rebuild for 10 years at a time. Al always, always spends the money, goes after the free agents, and gives you hope every year. Oh yeah, and has won a few football games, AFC West Titles, AFC Championships, and Super Bowls along the way. Its been 3 years since the Super Bowl run, so now it has been so long since we have been good. Come on, how many teams can say they have been in the Superbowl this decade. How many can dominate a division for 4-5 years. It is so easy to forget when times are tough but Al will right the ship. He always does. Remember, at Penn State football had passed JO PA by too. When you know football and players inside and out, I don't care how supposedly advanced the game gets, you still know football. And Al knows football. Listen to the idiot 30-40 year olds media guys on the radio or tv and he needs to go. He doesn't know what he is doing. He is washed up. Yeah they know football. They once played in a pee wee game with a mix of boys and girls in 4th grade and accidentaly touched a girls boob and wet themselves, so they know football. Then listen to the people who haved lived the game. Coaches, GM's, Players and they will all tell you the same thing. The Raiders have accomplished what they have because of Al. And for those of you who are too stupid and are laughing saying "what accomlishements?" Go past the last three years and look at the winning percentage, the playoff births, the AFC West and AFC crowns, and the Super Bowls. Then for the sake of all the true Raider fans, shut your trap.
JK
I think it's pure laziness. You'd be hard pressed to find an original thought from 95% of them - the Herd is an accurate description.
From the few legitimate analysts, I think it's more of a compliment that they state "how long we've been down". You don't hear it about Detroit, Arizona, etc, because no one ever expects them to win. Aspirations should be high for the Silver & Black each year.
Anyways, I'd rather have them hatin' on the Raiders, 'cause the alternative is we become irrelevent, which means we've actually become the Lions, the Cardinals, etc, and I don't think any of us want that.
Long live RT! The best thing about blogs is it allows anyone to have the power to hold those with "respected" opinions accountable, because the voice of truth can be heard any time of day or night by those watching closely enough. And that goes for politics and football. Finally, we have as much power as the fumbling idiots like Jay Mohr...
P.S. On a side note...I got my first ever set of Raider Season Tix today! Bring on the season! Vive La Resistence! I'm so happy I could (expletive here)
i always liked Art as a head coach i have seen alot of doom & gloomers oh no what is Al thinking. i am pleased with Art and i think he will bring Us back to Respectability and to the motherland... i can't stand the mainstream media they hated on us in 2002 when we lost 4 in a row saying how we were done and our season was over...
i really enjoy reading your Take thanks for the great reads!!!!!!!!!!
Thanks for circling the wagons, lhayes37, jk, stickum, horsecallarjack and twysted!
Congrats Horsecollarjack, that's great news on the tix! Who was your sales rep?
Revisionism is much easier for the broadcast media, because their words aren't in print. I know that some of the same guys who were ripping the Raiders on Sirius NFL Radio several months ago are starting to change their tune.
We won't let them get away with it. I bet by week 4 some of the experts will be high on Art Shell and the Raiders
Make room in the circle for my wagon!
I remember standing in the North End Zone on New Year's Eve last year, saying farewell to yet another season, and wondering who I would want to see standing on the sideline as head coach next year. I got a strong mental picture of Art Shell standing there, and I thought "That's a man who will command respect, both from the players and the fans."
Call it a premonition, but I hung on to that thought the whole offseason. Then, when Shell was named our new head coach and came in with such a strong vision of what he wanted to accomplish, I knew that the force was strong and I had somehow tapped into what was meant to be.
I am glad that Artie-Wan Kenobi has come back to the Dark Side!
AllyOop, you have the ultimate wagon with your RaiderRV, and your premonition about Art Shell puts you first in line on the Return to Glory!
Art Shell will prove to be a brilliant hire by Al Davis.
Just listen to what Art has preached so far: Roll up your sleeves, get down in the mud, and blood, get dirty, stop crying, get tough, be a Raider, and get to work. Simply brilliant.
Sure Al could've brought in another hot shot offensive coordinator. They all promise the same things, deep passes, and long TD runs. This all sounds good, until there are no holes for the runners, and the Qb is flat on his back. This was the problem with Norv Turner.
Al realized that the Raiders badly needed direction more then anything else. Enter Art Shell to show these guys how to be winners, how to finish games, and how to be Raiders. This is going to be a very interesting season to be sure.
I must have missed the start of the season.... how many games have the Raiders won so far?
Anonymous, how many games had the Raiders lost in 2006 before most folks trashed Art Shell's hiring and doomed the Raiders to failure? None. And how many of these folks are suddenly changing their tune now that they've seen Art Shell in action? A lot.
There was a rush to judgement, and now there's a rush to cover collective butts.
Seen Art in action? LOL! What action exactly? Raider take, you are out of your fucking mind. Art Shell hasnt done a damn thing. I am not saying he wont do a good job, he may. But for ou to write an article that suggests he has righted the ship, is just plain stupid. This is a bad team, with a coaching staff that leaves a ton to be desired. Art Shell may fix this thing, but it sure as hell wont be this year and it wont be with Walsh at OC, Ryan at DC and Aaron Brooks at quarterback. This team will win no more than 6 games this year. Period.
I believe that Art Shell is righting the ship. You believe he is not, and that he hasn't done a damn thing. I am stupid. I get it.
The Raiders players are saying that Shell has done a lot of things to instill direction, attitude and accountability. That is what I would call action. If it wasn't action, then these would feel like the Norv Turner days, and by all accounts, they do not.
You say six wins max, I say eight wins minimum. We shall see.
By the way, I sure hope you participated in my Glass Half Empty Week!
Anyone been following camp stories? The offense has looked abysmal. It's not the players fault, it's the antiquated 70's system. It simply doesn't wark anymore. You need the best running back in the league to make it work. It relys on brute strength, no gimmicks. That's fine if you have Don Mosebar, wisniewski and Bo Jackson. Not so good with Langston Walker, Sims and Jordon. If Jordan goes down, the season could end worse than last year, no ,matter how pumped all us silver and blackers get.
It's about the time every year when all we Raider fans get in a fevered, psyched pitch, but I ain't buying it. Walsh sux and Al's system looks like bell bottoms and a big Elvis belt buckle at a formal dinner. Just doesn't work anymore. I wish it did. If it does work this year it'll be becuase Brooks is improvising his way through the archaic script. I hopes he does.
Fargas as the back up RB, and everyone starting to throw the rah-rah, half-full treatment around that is making me absolutely sick. He ain't worth doo doo and will not do squat. PLEASE, GOD TRADE PORTER FOR A RB!!!!! The defense might not be half bad if the offense could manage a few scores and a 1st down here and there, but that's looking bleak while running a circa '73 offense. I just can't believe we brought Tom Walsh in. Can't believe it. I have read multiple accounts from Tim Brown, to Jeff Hoestetler, to several sporting mags that have said ad naseam that theis system doesn't work. Maybe it doesn't fellows. I mean could all these people have really been poor coaches, players etc: Shroeder, Beurlein, George, marinovich, Hoss, Collins, Callahan, White, Turner, Bugel...
Maybe it's the "AL" system guys! Gruden ignored it and our talent was able to beat 98% of the league. Since he left it's back to bunker city and Al's 1976 approach. Depressing.
Raider Take, you are funny. 8 wins minimum??? Based on what? Where are the big improvements? QB? NO. O-Line? Maybe. Defense? Maybe. D Line- No. LBS- Maybe. RB- No. TE- No. Coching Staff- Nope. So exaclty where are the improvements? This is the same line of shit you spew before EVERY year, your like a broken record. If you need directions to a little place called " Reality", let me know, I will draw yo a map.
Yes, eight wins minimum. Based on addition through subtraction of Norv Turner and Kerry Collins; based on an easier schedule; based on a weakening of AFC West rivals, specifically Philip Rivers starting at QB for San Diego and Kansas City trying to fit a square peg in a round hole with Herman Edwards and losing their much-heralded offensive coordinator to D.C.; based on a young secondary building upon experience; based on Art Shell instilling direction and purpose to a team that was in "disarray" last year, in the words of Randy Moss, who has nothing but praise for Art Shell's approach.
I'll be right here in late December to eat my crow if we don't win eight games. Please stick around until then. You can serve me my crow--unless, of course, I'm doing the serving in the wake of eight victories.
Fair enough.
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