News You Can't Use
In the long, sordid history of News You Can’t Use, this just might be the most odious of them all.
According to the San Francisco Chronicle, Lane Kiffin is undermining and threatening the potential of the Oakland Raiders by making personnel decisions from the vantage of his own alleged insecurities.
According the Chronicle: “Why did the Raiders release long snapper and center Adam Treu? Word has it that Treu—an acknowledged team leader and very personable player—did not get off on the "right foot" with coach Lane Kiffin
Yes, I will remember this day—this is the day the San Francisco Chronicle lost total control of the distinction between opinion commentary and reporting, hiding behind unnamed sources to irresponsibly question the character of Lane Kiffin while engaging in rampant speculation and illogic. This isn't merely an attack on Lane Kiffin, it's an attack on professional journalism.
After limping along last year with an old coaching staff and ineffective veterans, the team has done exactly what the media wanted them to do—clear the decks, start over, get younger.
Yet the San Francisco Chronicle wants us to read something dark and disturbing into the fact that an injured 33-year-old long snapper was cut and a fullback who turns 35 before the season’s end might not be a big part of our plans?
Meanwhile, Al Davis is constantly ripped for interfering in personnel matters. Yet when his head coach exercises autonomy by cutting one of
Treu “won’t be the last older player to be waived?” Wow, that’s really shocking and unsettling, the notion that players nearing their mid 30s might fade out of the picture.
In other news, youngsters Jarrod Cooper and Darnell Bing were released yesterday. According to unnamed sources, the rest of the team’s younger players are on shaky ground, as Al Davis is overriding Lane Kiffin’s personnel decisions and skewing the roster toward older players, because Mr. Davis wants to secure stadium naming sponsorship from the AARP. JaMarcus Russell and Michael Bush are in big trouble.
And that, Raiders fans, is news you can’t use.
Labels: News You Can't Use
posted by Raider Take at 10:36 AM
87 Comments:
"RT"...these "Mediot"s slant everything in so many differant directions it is imposible to get a clear picture...(just like politicians)....they do this as an assult on the Raiders while trying to stop the fan groath...but they will fail...the "Hater"s ship will sink as soon as this team starts winning again....
Cooper was released but Darnell Bing was waved....what is the differance...simple....if Bing clears the waver wire he can be resigned as a free agent....he has not been claimed yet...
Chiefs RB Holmes to report for camp
NFL.com wire reports
So where does this leave "LJ"...out I hope and maybe the Raiders can trade for him....if Burgas holds out and is trade bait would you pull the triger for "LJ".....
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- As the Kansas City Chiefs prepared to leave for training camp in River Falls, Wis. Thursday morning, FOX 4 Sports learned that Pro Bowl RB Larry Johnson will not be with the team as it leaves Kansas City.
Johnson's absence starts what would be considered a training camp absence, or hold out.
Free agent Culpepper meets with Buccaneers
PantyRaider...UsableNews!!!!
Hey SF Chronicle: Isn't it a little too early in the season to start throwing conspiracy theories around? Perhaps equally damning to their credibility is this piece:
-- The Raiders have not had a No. 1 pick hold out, but they might not be alone. As of today, none of the top 14 picks has signed, although Miami is close to signing wide receiver Ted Ginn Jr. (9th overall).
Correct me if I'm wrong here, but isn't it the normal flow of events that 1st rounders determine the ceiling first by seeing what the the top 2-3 picks sign for before signing accordingly with their teams? If that's the case, why is it so surprising that the top 14 picks haven't signed? Once Russell, C. Johnson and J.Thomas sign, you'll probably see the rest of the picks start signing.
Panty:
I understand that LJ is a head case and doesn't get along with his teammates. Besides Holmes is getting along in years, and KC will not release LJ because of his return.
As for Burges, the mediots have been duely reporting that he's pissed off. Funny, though, Burges doesn't say that. Davis told him that they'd redo his contract. Davis keeps his word with players. But he's probably also told Burges that it isn't going to happen until after the draft picks have been signed so they know how much cap room they have to work with.
As for JRuss, I wouldn't be surprised if he isn't signed until the end of next week. The Raiders haven't had to deal with #1 overall picks in the past, and these require league approval. That's one of the reasons getting McCown was important.
The next headline we'll see from Nancy Gay and the Chron? "Kiffin will not sign any rookie over 35! Age discrimination suit likely!"
Even if Kiffin is cutting guys for the reasons given, so what? If he feels someone might be a disruption to HIS team, it's his responsibility as coach to act.
Sapp has said how much he likes Lane and his father. Lane and Sapp have a long time relationship and Kiffin is going to cut him because he is 34?!?!?!?! I know where im putting in my next resume!! see ya in the papers.
EKGRAIDER
Anthony Carroll posted today, and even the media writers are saying she's full of shit.
Additional information about Treu. He failed his physical. He's 33, never earned a starting job, 3 others on the team capable of long snapping, 14 offensive lineman on the roster (all younger than Treu), and he failed his physical. I guess this makes an obvious starter in Nancy Gay's eagle eyes.
A 49ers official confirmed Thursday the the club had made a waiver claim on safety Darnell Bing, waived by Oakland Wednesday.
FUdge! THIS IS WHAT I WAS AFRAID OF!
Scorpio:
Now we will never konw if the Raiders were planning to resign Bing....I figured they did this move before anyone saw him play in preseason so he would clear the wire....wooooops!....those damn "Winners".....must have had a spy in the corner....
Courtney Anderson cut by Raiders....
The Raiders signed defensive end Bill Swancutt, who was waived by Detroit earlier this week.
PantyRaider....KeepinTrack!!!
Oakland did sign a pair of third-round picks Thursday: defensive end Quentin Moses of Georgia and receiver Johnnie Lee Higgins from Texas-El Paso.
PantyRaider....AsReported!!!!
courtney anderson we ALL saw coming. how could this guy be on a pro football roster for this long?
panty, as you could probably tell, i'm not very happy about the bing loss, nor the darius signing.
let's look at this: bing and huff were the TOP 2 safeties in the draft last year. we got BOTH. don't we think that based on bing's high draft rating (in '06 he was slated to go late first to mid second) that that was a case to give this kid a chance to displace schweigert from the starting lineup? schweigert missed all those tackles, took all those bad angles etc. on down the line. let's look at the non-starter safety depth chart.
colin branch
hiram eugene
eric frampton
who the F are these GD people?????
you think bing wasn't better than these clowns whoever they are? you think they'll actually make this roster? ok so now people are coming up with reasons as to why he was cut. he was too slow. if he was slow, at least he made up for it by being a sure tackler who could also hit hard. isn't that already better than schweigert? and now this darius. an older version of bing is what i hear. why take on a more expensive and fragile older version when you can have a younger, stronger, HEALTHIER version for next to nothing?
i don't agree at all with that darius signing. and bing's release was the direct result of that signing. and now the F-ING whiners of all teams gets him! a fragile older vet is gonna break down yet again and where will that leave us? relying on colin branch, hiram eugene, eric frampton that's where!!!!! this just doesn't make sense!
Scorpio:
I too am disturbed by the Bing situation. I know he was picked by the old regime, but that can't be reason enough to release him without getting any playing time whasoever. I can't recall seeing him in any games, preseason or regular last year. Unless there is something that has yet to be made public I can't understand why they didn't give him more of a chance.
On another front, are there any fantasy footballers around here? I know of RT and a few others. There are some custom league drafts coming up you might be interested in, including some IDP leagues.
The Bing cut doesn't bother me--he played for Kiffin--so he must feel the guy can't play. Gotta go with Kiffin's judgement on this. Nancy Gay's take just stupid; nothing else to be said that RT didn't cover. the only way Sapp doesn't make the squad is if he's done--highly unlikely after last year and after dropping about 50 lbs of excess Warren...
Oh, my God! Kiffin cuts Anderson! That must mean that he's going to cut everyone over the age of 25! And he waived Bing! That must mean that he's going to waive everyone under the age of 24!
Bing... Don't forget, folks, that the Raiders are, right now as I write this, in the process of trying to put enough money together for JRuss without mortgaging the future.
Scorpio, Branch has been a starter, and Frampton was very highly touted. These aren't nobody's. I, too, was very curious to see what Bing could bring, but sometimes the situation just doesn't work out. But Kiffin had the decency to waive him early to allow him to stick with somebody else. So what if he goes to the whiners? If he turns out great, we only have to worry about him every four years.
I would have prefered to have kept Bing, and not sign Darious, but Darious is the better gamble that he'll be an immediate contributor, and Kiffin will be looking for as many immediate contributors as possible.
You'd think with training camps opening up, Rookie signings, etc, there would be enough news to report without making S@#$ up. Apparently, Ms Gay has some maniacal Raider-bashing tendencies and she vents them at the expense of her employer. Nice!
Scorpio-
I agree about Bing. He was a top-rated S out of USC. Obviously, Kiffin knows something we don't, having coached on that team.
Raiderealist-
Bing injured himself in camp last year and was placed on reserve (out for the season). So, he's never been given a "gaming" chance.
From Raiders.com:
Bing was the Raiders fourth round selection in the 2006 NFL Draft. He was injured during the 2006 pre-season and placed on injured reserve. In 37 games at USC, Bing started 35 times, recorded 182 tackles (120 solos), 12.5 tackles for a loss including one sack, three fumbles, one fumble recovery, eight INTs, and one TD. Bing was an All-American first-team selection by the Associated Press and Rivals.com and garnered second-team honors from The NFL Draft Report and Walter Camp Foundation in 2005.
Maybe Bing had an attitude problem because, it seems with the veritable plethora of DB’s on the camp roster, Bing shouldn’t have been the first casualty.
bingo.
Take a deep breath on the Bing thing. He didn't play last year and was moved back to safety from Linebacker in the spring.
Whey queried about the move Kiffin said "It was his best chance to make the team." In other words, he was still a question mark even before Darius was signed. And remember, Kiffin knew him in college.
For Pantyraider - even if the Chefs wanted to trade Johnson they would never trade him to us.
Players report today and there are no rumors on the net about Burgess not showing up or even planning not to show up.
H
Bama
Hey Nancy Gay, thinking Sapp's gonna get cut(and I honestly believe you think that and that you're not a Raider hater) shows that you have no real understanding of football. Sapp is one of the top three players on a 2-14 football team. He's going nowhere. You're credibility is however, going right out the window.
Good moves on Treu, Anderson & Bing. With Bing, we already have several prototype SS's (darius, Frampton and Branch) Any more bodies vying for that slot and it would be counterproductive. Same for Anderson, but Whitted & Francis should have been sent with him and help with the massive clutter at WR.
What's with all the Chicken Little action on Darnell Bing?
The sky is falling 'cause this guy is going to be f'ing Ronnie Lott for the Whiners?
Please. We heard the same outcries when Kenyon Rambo was cut. He's going to be All-Pro. baby! Um... still waiting...
While I'm not going to get as deep in the Kool-Aid for our new coach as some (having a new HC every year will do that to ya), it does seem pretty likely Kiffin knows Bing better than we do.
Get yer panties outta tha wad and realize that Darius is gonna get this secondary together like R-Wood did (and like Rodney Harrison could have).
If we'd drafted more DBs, we wouldn't be in this predicament!
Anonymous 10:17 AM
I agree about KC not wanting to send "LJ" to us...in a past post I said it would have to be done through a 3-way so "KC" does not know where he is going...."GB" is apearently interested but we may be able to arange a trade where "GB" gets Walter as "QB" and our "LJ" (Jordan) for the rights to "LJ" of "KC"....and "KC" gets whatever "GB" wants to give them....
Stick'em: "Get yer panties outta tha wad"....I like it....that's funny....
Scorpio:
I agree about the Bing thing but as was said by others..."Kiff Knows Bing"....
PantyRaider..Who's Next(AlDavis is too old)
Take, are there any news of training camp yet!
I wish I had some insights regarding training camp, but nothing yet.
Heck, all the Chronicle can come up with, despite all of their press passes and full-time jobs covering sports, is whack-job conspiracy theories about Adam Treu.
For me to get info out of the Raiders is like pulling teeth, yet they hand out press passes to Mrs. Conspiracy Theory and Raider Take's Favorite Columnist. Go figure.
But I think we'll all have a lot to talk about and analyze very soon. I'm afraid that Russell's contract might become a hot topic, same with Burgess.
It's going to be very interesting to watch the development of our new running back corps, as well as the tight end position. The O-line is going to attract serious scrutiny. Can Jerry Porter man up and be the man? Can McCown excel where Collins, Brooks and, to some degree, Walter have failed? Are we going to take baby steps this year, or make a big leap!?
This is going to be fun!
Russell's contract:
Russell's agents have never held a client out. I expect Russell will be on his way from Mobile over the weekend. Russell wants to get it done, and Davis has a very good record getting players signed and in camp.
If it drags into next week, expect the mediots to say that Davis is cheap and everyone should have seen that they'd never be able to sign Russell because of Davis' penny pinching. That should give RT some grist for "News You Can't Use."
As for Burgess:
The reality here is that recent money given to top DLs is way out of line. No team that I can think of has gone to a Super Bowl riding on the back of a DL. It is true, however, that Burgess deserves a raise.
Reportedly, Al Davis thinks so too. Davis has also reportedly said that it's just bad form to rework a contract that has 3 more years left on it. I agree with Davis on both points.
My feeling is that Burgess, while knowing he deserves a raise, sees the pitfalls in trying to get one. He knows that the Raiders went into the off season sapped for cash, and they were faced with signing the #1 overall draft pick.
Consider this for a moment. If it was a choice between making Burgess absolutely happy or getting JRuss into camp, which would you pick? I think the reason that Burgess isn't holding out is because he sees these things and is respectful of them. He's willing to wait until everyone's been signed, and then see what's left on the table. If he's not made happy this year, he'll hold out next year.
However, the mediots will dutifully inform us that Burgess is one pissed off dude, and that he was tricked into showing up in camp. You won't, however, hear or see any quotes from Burgess in that regard. They'll say, "according to his agent."
BTW... How will they get that "quote" from his agent. Someone like Nancy Gay will call him, and if he has the time to return her phone call, she'll ask, "Would it be fair to say that Burgess is very unhappy about his contract situation?"
The agent will respond, "Well, Derrick understands the Raiders current financial situation and wants to work with the team, but obviously he's not happy at not being able to get a raise which everyone is very aware he deserves."
The headline for Nancy's article the next day in the Chron? "Burgess 'not happy!' Rift brewing?"
Bama7
I think one thing about Russell's contract that makes it tough is that the agent knows that a lot is riding on his reputation by this deal: Screw it up and lose future high dollar clients. Not sure who else this guy represents but this is certainly one of the most important deals of this agent's career.
How about Simeon Rice fellas: now that he's been cut I'd think we'd take a look at him. Money be damned. I'm ready to kick serious ass this year. The cap will be bigger in the future. We'll be fine. I want the defense so strong that we only need 17 points a game out of the O.
"JRus" gets all the attention and with very good reason but let's not forget that there is another un-signed player....our #2...."TE" VernonDavis....and will not be in camp until he has a contract....so the Raiders have to find enough money for two top players....not very easy....
"And then, in the stunner of the day, Tampa Bay cut longtime Pro Bowl defensive end Simeon Rice after he failed his physical. Apparently, Rice still has not recovered from his shoulder problems"....do we need an injured player with a 7.2mil pay-check....
PantyRaider....Impaitiant!!!!
I haven't mentioned anything until now, but I was not sorry to hear about Cooper being cut. Cooper was nowhere to be found last season on the STs. I think I remember him making one tackle.
I'd be interested in Rice, but not with knowledge that he was cut because he failed the physical.
As for Burgess, I'd be inclined to deal with it this way (although I don't know whether it's within legue rules).
I'd tell Burgess to wait the year. At the end of the season I'd grant him permission to negotiate with any other team with the understanding that if another team wants to sign him, they also have to give up a #1 draft pick. This essentially makes Burgess a restricted FA. If another team bites, all the Raiders have to do is match it, or get another first round pick.
This is the same thing that Davis did with Tim Brown (but who came to RFA because his contract expired). Denver offered Brown a contract that he liked, Davis matched it so Brown was happy, and the Raiders didn't have to do any negotiating.
Pantyraider:
Don't you mean Zach Miller? Vernon Davis is a Niner.
RaiderRealist:
There goes that learning disorder again....but how did I mix up a "Niner" for a Raider"....Thanks for the corection...
PantyRaider....DumbDumb-n-Dumbist!!!
Seventh rounder Jonathan Holland got cut today. The Turk's been busy. Plus, Vegas has the Raiders at 150:1 to win the Super Bowl. Two dollars, anyone?
Stick-em-
Just seems strange that we can’t even keep Bing on a 90-man roster. Instead, we keep a laundry list of undrafted FA DBs who played in NFL Europe and have no more NFL experience than Bing.
RT is right, we’re just gearing up to draft more DBs.
not to beat a dead horse but doesn't that whole deal is strange? i sent that very question to the chron raider beat writer and he was stumped too. the guy NEVER had a fair shake. he played all pre-season games last year and the coaching staff came up with a mysterious neck injury so he sat out the entire year. perhaps an attitude prob? maybe he and kiffin had issues at SC? we will never know. but i tell you what - when darius gets hurt i'll be really pissed. this guy's injury prone and it's not if he'll get hurt it's WHEN he gets hurt is when we feel that bing cut!
I hate Nancy Gay and everything she stands for, and hope she dies a horrible death beginning soon, and ending a few months later, at which time I will piss on her grave the first chance I get, and possibly go #2 if the timing is right.
Psycho
Lombardi signs with Denver. Fortunately, he takes with him no knowledge of the Raiders because he didn't really do anything last year except promise Burgess a contract extension, who is now left swinging in the wind.
JMcDonald has an interesting Day 1 summary. Most encouraging is Huff practicing at FS when Darius is in at SS (in a perfect world). Also, Kelly is practicing at DE, where he's had the most success.
Jordan dropping passes is just business as usual. Higgins was fielding punts and we have no heir apparent at long-snapper.
bama7
Gallery's at LG. Could be a real key to our running game this season... he's agile and smart... cutting and pulling, he could be a strong factor for us at guard.
I suppose the coaches saw something in Bing they didn't like. The upside on him was he was always around the ball but the knock was he shy'd away from contact. Can't do that at SS in the nfl.
This comment has been removed by the author.
Thing is, Bing might be Derrick Gibson Part II for all we know. He's never been on the freaking field, so why all the hype?!
Maybe Bing is stoopid and can't line up right. Maybe he can only play close to the line of scrimmage in the SS/LB role Radio used to play.
Maybe he took a cr@p on Kiffin's desk one day after practice. I dunno. But there is a reason.
The biggest knock I have heard on Bing is his lack of consistency. This is a huge problem when you are the last line of defense, as a safety usually is.
None of the current Safeties are Tony Dorsett Jr., Marques The F'ing Pope, or Radio. Those guys defined the term "UNsafe safety."
Huff, Darius, Stu, and Frampton are enough for me to sleep at night and keep quiet the bad angle/ missed tackle nightmares.
"ZACK" is in the house....he signed so now we only have one left....the big one..."JRus"...but it will get done...
PantyRaider...JustWaitenBaby!!!
"Zack"-n-"Walter" played together at ASU....will that help them with the Raiders....
PantyRaider....Anticipation!!!
If I recall correctly, there was some knock on Bing coming out of college that his talents may not translate to the pros...presumably why the Raiders tried to convert him to LB.
Hey, it happens. Eric Crouch won the Heisman as Nebraska's QB in 2001. He then got drafted as a WR because what he did in Nebraska wouldn't work in the NFL. 2003 Heisman winner Jason White (QB-Oklahoma) didn't get drafted at all.
Sure, the QB position is a bit flakier than others because of the different offenses run in college, but it still shows that what works on one level doesn't always work on the next.
RT: Regarding whack-job conspiracy theories about Adam Treu...
Here is The Treuth.
Bama7
Good find, Stick-em.
"If we'd drafted more DBs, we wouldn't be in this predicament!"
I'm with you there RT, you can never have too many DB's.
I was surprised by Bing getting cut, I didn't like it and still don't. But that is the way of things in the business of football.
As for Burgess, he has come out and said,"It's no big deal. It's not on my mind. It sounds like it's on your minds though."
He eventually said the subject was talked about (with Lombardi) who is no longer there. He said he signed the deal, and he'll live and play by the deal.
I'm not worried though, unless his recovery from hernia surgery takes a turn for the worse.
Which is another reason why we should have drafted more DB's.....
07/28/2007 QB Cody Pickett Signed:
I had to look for a while to find anything about the guy...so he was with the "Winners" for 2 seasons and traded to the Titans who released him....
He should be the starter....NO doubt....obviously we signed him because AlDavis does not want "JRus" and he is too cheap and wants to save money...the hell with "JustWinBaby"....it's "JustSaveMoneyBaby"....GOOOOOoooooo Cody!!!!
So now just wait and see what "Mediot" jumps on that one...."Raiders can't sign #1 Draft choice so Cody comes to the rescue"....
PantyRaider....JustLaughinBaby!!!!
from the Sac Bee "Echemandu is taking advantage of Kiffin's pledge to give every player a fair shot to earn a roster spot.
He ended practice by breaking a tackle, then darting back against the grain for a big gain.
"As long as you're not dancing, and you can see the play develop, you'll be OK," he said."
dancing? ummm, lamont?
you guys really didn't expect russell to sign before camp did ya? it doesn't matter 'cause he won't see the field for a while anyway so this holdout is really not a big deal.
panty, before the draft, and during all the russell hype, i was screaming for walter to get his fair shake. we all know the circumstances of last year. but.... it ain't gonna happen. if pickett sticks heck, he could play special teams and other positions and that spells bad news for andrew walter.
btw guys, what happened to that humble background russell has or had? seems that matching last years 1st pick williams at 26 mil should be enough for a supposedly religious, humble guy. i know the nfl is a violent sport and i know there is a need to take care of his family but if he is what he says he is - a Christian, then "enough" for a Christian should be enough. was your guy just acting and positioning himself to be this humble, quiet, unassuming cat to be picked 1st? just wondering fellas..... :o)
scorpio,
i agree with part of your argument about christians, errr, j-russ. however,i disagree with a lot of the substance in your argument.
who says a christian cannot do business or negotiate to make money for themselves? did you know the Bible (and Jesus for this matter) talks about managing your finances, and how to deal in the business world more than it (he) talks about heaven or hell?
you can be humble in negotiations for big $$. you don't know what he has in store for how he uses his money to help people. there are a lot of athletes who make millions, only to keep a portion for themselves, and the rest goes into programs they develop to help those who are less fortunate. to judge him as "greedy" by an amount on a contract is fruitless. judgement, if you think there should be any, should be based on what he does (or doesn't do) with his money. if you do this, then you have to judge yourself in the same judgement. ask yourself, what you would do with the same amount of money? if the majority of it is for you to keep (like some athletes do), how are you any different? to judge someone guilty for doing something that you would do if in their position; is hypocrocy. this is the same logic Jesus used, when he asked a crowd willing to stone someone, "he who is without sin, let him cast the first stone."
you are also forgetting that j-russ, is not in the negotiation process; his agents are. that is according to kiffin himself (see insidebayarea.com/raiders, for that story).
in the long run of things, i agree with you on one thing; how much is "enough?" it never seems to be "enough" in our society. it never will be either. but that has to do more with economics, capitalism, and greed.
i say these things, not out of ignorance. not only am i a "Christian," I am also a licensed minister. i work as a minister part-time, and i am a corporate tax accountant as my full-time job.
Amen, brother
nate, i'm with you. i am not judging the guy nor am i calling him greedy. i'm just stirring it up a little. i do hope the kid can stay humble and not cocky as a lot of these athletes are. look where mike vick is now. by all means, i don't want the 1st overall pick - OUR 1st overall pick to end up like that. not only is vick a lousy QB (but a great RB) but he's a lousy human being to boot! we're ALL in this with russell for the long haul. and i just hope this kid doesn't have any hidden skeletons down the road. with his background and family support, hopefully he won't.
Bama7
Good job, Raider Nate.
Plus keep in mind that Al might be low balling things because he feels a position of power with camp starting and Russell anxious not to get behind. Think about it. What happens Russell caves for less than 30 mill guaranteed and then Calvin Johnson signs for more at #2? That would lose Russell's agent a whole lotta of future business. Don't underestimate the MIGHTY influence the agent AND AL are having in all of this. This is a tricky situation.
Side note: Kiffen on which new guys are standing out:
"Quentin Moses. continues to show up out here. He continues to make plays and we’re having a hard time blocking him on offense."
btw, no-one's mentioned this yet but i hope the guy (russell) if and whenever he signs, comes into camp in shape. we need him to be a lean, mean throwin' machine!
remember the combine......
time to put away our differences with Niner fans....
Bill Walsh passed away today. This is truly a sad day in the world of sports. We thank him for his huge contributions to the sport of football.
Bill Walsh:
He got his first NFL coaching job with AlDavis and the Raiders in 1966....and than it was Al who recomended him to Debartalo to coach the "Winners"....there was a differance in philosaphy between the two but there was always alot of respect...and that showed up when his last coaching appearince was at the Raiders "MiniCamp" with CoachKiffen....again on the Raider sidelines where his NFL career began....
Bill was just 2 years younger than Al and my hope is that when that day comes when Al joins Bill in death that people of the sports comunity can put aside there hatered and give Al the same respect that they will be extending to Bill now....
PantyRaider....Honoring!!!!
"Bucks" QB CrisSimms:
He is suffering from a similar problem as me....
"Simms, 26, still is struggling to regain his form since undergoing spleen surgery last September. He is suffering from symptoms of irregular proprioception, a kinesthetic sixth sense that allows you to know the position of your arms and legs in relation to your body."
I have this symptom from a cirvical spinal injury from C2-C7 with SpinalCordLeasions and damage to the Tri-GeminalNuerve#5 at the BrainCortex....NOT cool....after 35 years of construction as a welder I am no longer able to stay in the puddle....even when looking at my hand I loose the ability to know it's position and how to make fine motor adjustments....This and other injuies have become disabling to me at almost "57" but I don't know how to quit....
I hope Simms can find a way to get through this problem....if he can it gives me hope also....that is one of the things that keeps me pushing myself is seeing athletes come back from severe injuries and continue to play in some capasity...That's where true "Faith" comes in...it's easy to be strong and tough when you are healthy buy as is said..."Toughness comes after the hit"...so true....
Sense Simms is most likely heading for the "IR" the Raiders should consider a trade of Walter and give the guy a fair opertunity to become a starter....don't do to him like we did to "Tuie"....
PantyRaider.....KeepingFaith!!!!
panty, trading walter is an option i didn't think about. BUT..... 2 things. 1, he isn't a west coast QB. those guys need mobility 2, if we trade walter, who'll be our 3rd QB? at least walter has had some work in this new offense and 3 if i may, we'll be throwing yet another QB prospect away.
that's too bad about Bill Walsh. From what I read, he was just an awesome person, let alone a coach. he will be missed!
A report from the NFL Rumor Mill http://www.profootballtalk.com/rumormill.htm says that money is not the issue to sign the #1 pick, structure of the deal is. Russell and his agents apparently want an “allocation of guaranteed money to an option bonus..., which is not subject to forfeiture if a player holds out or gets suspended." That doesn’t sound too good.... is he planning a holdout or overdose of illegal supplements?
Another rumor is that “Russell's agents won't do a deal at No. 1 until the package paid to Lions receiver Calvin Johnson at No. 2 is known.” Obviously, it would be bad for business if they sign Russell, then Johnson gets more money.
Whatever the case, it’s time for Russell to get to camp!
Condolences to the Bill Walsh Family. Clearly one of the greatest football coaches in NFL history.
this is AMAZING!!!!! ira miller, a writer i have respected for his work doesn't have any mention of where Bill Walsh got his start in coaching. of course , that wopuld be wit Al Davis and the Raiders. NOT ONE WORD!
http://ira.mysportspage.com
/viewblog.php
Big deal Russell isn't in camp.....
the only contribution he was going to make until "possibly" late this season was a warm spot on the bench and a huge bite out of the cap.
If we'd drafted more DBs, we wouldn't be in this predicament!
If we'd wasted our 2nd and 3rd round picks too, we wouldn't be in this predicament!
Dirty panties in pirate land.....What no "jay-rust" in sliver and whack?, no "roidrage-coop", are the faidas panties coming apart at the seams? "big al (MR.) davis" will get "jay-rust" to sign....but what season? Ha ha ha ha ha "the autumn wind is a broken down garbage scow" ready to sink before she sails! 0-16 coming to a murder capital near you soooonnnnn. just believe baby. defend the "nation" Yuk yuk yuk yor yar har har gurh yar ugh mmmmmnnnn.
Hey, look who's back, our favorite infant, the spelling-challenged misfit with coping issues and a mommy complex, a.k.a. Faida Boy.
that gurh yar ugh mmmmmnnnn gurgling sound you hear is Faida Boy going down on Al.....
what a jackass. these people have nothing better to do. what's more is, they don't state their name being the cowards that they are.
Even at the passing of Bill Walsh this lady has to take a swipe at Al:
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/dayinla/2007/07/and-now-for-a-v.html
Pantyraider-
looks like you got your wish. Check out who's coming to town for a workout:
http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news;_ylt=AkpHVoTQofFzZHt0C_p3U1k5nYcB?slug=ap-raiders-culpepper&prov=ap&type=lgns
I think it's pretty obvious that Al's using Culpepper as a pawn to pressure Jamarcus into signing. But, hey, if this signing issue really IS as big of a deal as the media's making it out to be, I can think of worse QBs to lead this team than Culpepper...assuming he's finally healthy of course.
The problem is that signing Culpepper would have to be a last resort (Russell would either have to hold out the entire year or be traded) since they more than likely wouldn't be able to fit both of them in under the cap.
Been out of pocket for a few days.
Scorpio:
JRuss isn't running the negotiations. It's true that if he told his agent get me a contract today, no matter what, that his agent would likely do the deal. But we're not just dealing with JRuss and Lane Kiffin. We're dealing with negotiators, on both sides, who have reputations to build and maintain. It's all going to be in their ball park for at least the next week, until Davis or JRuss says, "what the hell are you guys doing? Get the damn deal done."
After Wednesday, if the deal isn't done, don't expect JRuss to put in any time at the first preseason game. We can go into next week before we should seriously worry about JRuss getting too far behind to have an effective season and not just trying to catch up.
Some in the press are saying that this will be a prolonged "hold out." Their sources? Other agents in the NFL. Not the ones working on the deal, but "other agents in the NFL." That's kind of "Nancy Gay Journalism."
New word out from JMac is that Culpepper is expected to sign. That is not a good sign.
From what I'm hearing, money is not the issue in the JRuss negotiations. His agents are apparently asking that all of his money is guaranteed even if he gets suspended or decides to subsequently hold out. His agents should reconsider that. Al Davis is never going to put himself in the position of having one of his players, even a highly touted one, have the upper hand in personnel decisions.
Signing Culpepper shows that either the Raiders have more money than some have specultated, or they patently and irrevocably stupid. If they were trying to put enough money together to pay JRuss, they wouldn't dole out starter money for Culpepper. Apparently they have the money they need, and then some, and are trying to put pressure on JRuss' agents, telling them you can hold him out all year, but that won't increase his value - it will only decrease it.
If JRuss' agents don't bite, expect him to miss most, if not all of the preseason. If it drags on longer than that, he might miss the year. I view the signing of Culpepper, if they sign him, as an impulse buy with a plan to it.
BLANDA
could both sides also be waiting for CJ to sign?
Also going back to your take RT, so Kiffin has so much control over the team now that he can make the desicions of cutting or hiring anybody that is available without Al Davis' approval? What a hell is going on with this people, before you know it they will be speculating that Kiffin is part owner or something!
raiderdecoachella
How many picks could we have traded the first overall pick for and address immeadiate needs?????
Players who could have, and would have contributed this year.
Such as franchise quarterback?
Heartland:
Even if the Raiders fail to sign JRuss, and I don't think that's going to come close to happening, the Raiders could still get quite a bit for trading away the right to sign him. No matter how it pans out, the Raiders get more for drafting JRuss than for trading away the first pick. I still think he'll be signed by Wednesday or Thursday.
raidercoachella is also right. It might take the signing of the #2 pick before there is radical movement on Russell. I doubt that CJ will get the option on his contract of whether he plays or not.
That kind of negotiating is what killed John Travolta's acting career early on. His first movie contract gave him final editing rights to any movie he appeared in. That negated the possibility of him ever working with a good director. Can you image Martin Scorsese agreeing to turn over final editing to a 25 year old kid with a new movie contract? IMHO.
Yeah trading the rights away after the draft...what a bargain.
If we were in such a need for a franchise QB ...why draft one that won't be ready to play for damn near a whole season or maybe even next year now?
A couple more offensive lineman or a defensive tackles would look good right now.
No franchise QB's to be had in next years draft?? Like Brohm or Woodson??? Wait the media hasn't jumped all over them yet like Russell so they're still a mystery.
Yes, this whole concept of getting your franchise QB through the first round of the draft, like Peyton Manning, Carson Palmer, Ben Roethlisberger, Philip Rivers, Donovan McNabb, Matt Leinart, Jay Cutler, Vince Young, etc. never really pans out. I'm sure the fans of those teams would much prefer Aaron Brooks or Josh McCown.
Yes... this is the last year ever for the NFL draft. A first round QB will never be available again.
But wait maybe there will be a draft next year... look at this guy....size, stats, and conference remind you of anyone???
Andre Woodson, Kentucky
Height: 6-5. Weight: 230.
40 Time: 4.72.
No one knows who he is, yet he led the "SEC" in passing yards. Threw 31 TDs and just 7 INTs, completing 63 percent of his passes in the process.
You're worried about the adjustment period for a rookie QB, but you want to wait another year to start the adjustment period?
You,re the ones convinced (or believing the mediots)that you can't win a championship without a marquee QB ...I'm not.
Building a solid team to surround a good to great college QB with makes more sense to me. It sure shortens his learning curve and builds his confidence quicker.
And who, exactly, is that method working for at the moment, compared to the teams/quarterbacks that I cited earlier?
Heartland-
Are you going to now rehash the whole "Who should be our QB?" argument now? The Raiders selected Russell in April, and you're still gripping about in in darn near August. If we had waited till next year and selected Brohm, what makes you so sure HE wouldn't be sitting on the bench taking up cap space, as you put it?
WE ALL KNOW YOU DIDN'T WANT RUSSELL, there is no need to remind us of that with each and every post you make. Tell the truth and shame the devil, you're glad he's sitting out right now, aren't you? You were hoping he'd hold out so you rip him a new one, weren't you? Let it go already, he's the guy they took. Why not at least wait until he gets on the field to either shine or bust? If he's a bust blast away, and I'll admit you were right. Will you do the same if he shines?
Scorpio-
I do believe you succeeded in stirring the pot.
Cue the Jeopardy music...Still waiting...and don't come at me with Tom Brady, as the exception simply proves the rule. I want some other teams/names.
Heartland:
In the run up to the draft, who was the franchise QB we were going to sign that would have been cheeper and better for the team than JRuss? Culpepper wasn't available because he was still signed with the fish. Seems to me, we all looked around and all we could find were table scraps.
McCown was the best available, and we got him in addition to drafting Russell. Now Culpepper is available, and it looks like we might sign him too. This is going to give us Walter, McCown, Culpepper, and eventually Russell.
No matter how we set these sails, we're going to be a tighter ship than we were before. We are thick and deep at RB, WR, DB and now QB. We're solid in kicking and punting. We're improving at OL and DL. So what's your issue? That Russell might hold out for a week?
Every day Russell is out of camp is significant. He needs interaction with his coaches, teammates and the playbook in order to keep his maturation on pace. If true, what’s up with the unrestricted signing bonus demands? Who’s the brain surgeon behind that one? Russell’s agents need to stop pissing upwind if they want to stay dry.
I agree with signing Culpepper. The price might be right, and he has similar traits to Russell (can be agile for a big guy and has a strong arm) which could make him a good mentor. Also, hate to say it, but I might have seen all I need of Walter. The only trait that I really admire about Walter is his ability to handle the media (to perfection). Otherwise, I struggle to stay open-minded with respect to his quarterbacking. McCown is probably no better of a passer than Walter, but offers superior mobility that is a necessity for the Raiders (at least short-term).
Culpepper, McCown and Russell; or Culpepper, McCown and Walter if Russell holds out.
I just had to share this. I saw it on a post to a blog last week. I don't think any of us here wrote it (unless some of you guys use different handles on different sites).
The line in the blog being responded to had to do with the coaches "determining the make up of the offensive line."
The posted response: "Judging by last year, that would be lipstick and eye liner."
I just read this from Blitzchick on her trip to camp.
"They were working on play action fakes, where the ball is handed off and QB pretends to still have it. This is one area I think Walter has an edge over McCown. Josh was reminded he needed to sell the pass. Running back Domininc Rhodes looked good in this particular drill, getting the ball from Walter. Dominic was reminded to keep the ball in his right arm. All punctuated by shouts of "TEMPO" from the coaches."
We're already ahead of last year. My most consistant complaint last year was the inability to sell fakes.
Bama7
I like the Culpepper signing, better than McCown's and I agree with NY Raider that I'm a bit jaded against Walter.
This is the first camp since the 80's (except the year we picked up Romanowski) that I feel we have SOMETHING REALLY SPECIAL DEVELOPING. We have a lot of really good football players on this team... unlike recent years past. We need to get Russell's ass in camp because Kiffen's crew and schemes are good... really good. He's seems the real deal. We need Russell involved as this thing blooms. If we think this guy has potential to be a franchise QB, and I think we do, then I can't imagine dragging this crap out just so we don't have to get him in the mix and risk messing him up early in his career.
McCown has already thrown how many picks in practice? It seems I've read about at least 5. Walter's arm wears out and he holds the damn ball too long. Culpepper I like, but his problem in Minnesota was his small hands lost too many footballs, particularly when he was on the move and Kiffen seems to like the qb on the move.
No sir, we need to get what we gambled on being the best player in the draft into camp and get the Russell era started. It's the lone cloud on an otherwise bright summer camp.
It's official, Culpepper has been signed to a one-year deal.
Thanks Doobie.
I look at the Culpepper signing as an insurance policy with many options. It also increases (not decreases) the likelihood of JRuss signing sooner rather than later.
The signing of Dr. Pepper gives us more competition at QB. It also provides flexibility or numerous options before, during, and after the completion of the 2007 season.
If/when JRuss signs on the dotted line ... we can
(a) trade Walter for a conditional 2008 pick
(b) Keep Russell, McCown, Pepper, and Walter up until the final roster cuts & go with the best 3
(c) Cut Walter or Pepper right away
Depending on JRuss' development and the performance of McCown/Pepper, we could (if necessary) resign McCown or Pepper for 2008.
I am extremely confident that JRuss will sign within the next few weeks at the latest. This hold out will stunt his development and ability to get on the field in 2007.
However, this holdout has been for only 4 days so far & there needs to be a bit of perspective here. The sky is not falling, JRuss will get signed and he will be our franchise QB for our long term success.
calico - you took the words out of my mouth. but i wanted to say it like this: walter's days in a raider uniform are numbered. it is more beneficial to keep culpepper over walter for a veterans presence and for him to learn from.
might as well trade walter now to see what kind of pick we can get OR trade him for a player /position we need now.
then again, that scenario may not make sense, as walter still has contract time, whereas mccown is a rental. i guess we wait to see how that plays out.
i'm worried about what the chron raider beat writer said about the confusion in the russell negotiations:
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.
cgi?f=/chronicle/archive/2007/07/31/
SPCIR9U0T1.DTL
somebody's gotta take charge here!
Why is it that the Russell negotiations are considered "embarrasing" and everything that you can throw in the book but the negotiations for Queen and CJ are just part of a prosess and both sides need to be in complete agreement for the best of the player, the team and the league?
Amazing!!!!
raiderdecoachellla
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