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BIG DAWG'S BLOG 04-26-09
Well the draft has come to an end and just like previous years I am confused, let down, and did I mention confused. I do not even know where to start but here it goes. My previous blog stated that if Al chose to draft speed over talent we would be screwed, well Raider Nation we have all been officially screwed. I was watching draft coverage on ESPN and heard our coach, Tom Cable, make a profound statement that still resonates in my mind some 10 hours later, “We don’t care what people think.” To me that statement defines Al Davis. He does not care, even the slightest, what people think and that is the problem. If every one in the league believed that Darrius was a second round pick then, Damn It, he was a second round pick. The league owes Al a great deal of thanks. He invented training camp, was the first to scout in the modern fashion, and picked players that no one else knew about because he had a huge network of scouts like no one else in the league. Al, those days are gone. Every one has training camp, everyone has scouts, and if every one in the league thinks a guy will not produce in the NFL they are probably right. It is time for Al to care what others think and start making logical decisions. Check with your scouts and if 90 percent of them think a player’s talents will not translate to the next level then here is what you do, you do not add them to the Raider Nation.
It has been a known fact that our offensive line has been bad, extremely bad, over the last few years. So I was shocked when we passed over linemen Phil Loadholt and Andrew Levitre to pick Michael Mitchell, another guy we've never heard of, a DB from Ohio. Here is another news flash to Al “If Jamarcus does not have time to do a seven yard drop, and heave the ball 80 yards down field, he is going to get sacked waiting for all these track stars to run down field.” It is basic knowledge that a QB in the NFL has three seconds or less to throw the football. It takes Darrius 4.2 seconds to run 40 yards. This means by the time Darrius runs the 50 yard routes that Al likes, Jamarcus will have had time to get sacked and get back up. It is basic math! Remember the Randy Moss experiment Al? The Randy Moss experiment did not work. You thought he was washed up, but he went to the Patriots and broke records in a current system. Maybe it is our system that is washed up.
This blog is passionate because I love the Raiders and I am a proud member of the Raider Nation. I will never give up on the Nation and hope that we will catch up to the rest of the league, and stop moving in the wrong direction.
BIG DAWG’S BLOG 05-02-09
Who is going to start at quarter back this year for the Oakland Raiders? The question was much easier to answer before Jeff Garcia signed on the silver dotted line, with black ink. During draft week I heard the label “DRAFT BUST” over and over. Every analyst on TV had a long list of players they thought were busts at the quarterback position and I was fine with all their choices. You know the usual suspects Ryan Leaf, Akeli Smith, Tim Couch, and David Carr. I was fine with all of these choices until I heard this shocking statement from an analyst, “If Jamarcus Russell does not get it done this year it will be time to start talking bust.” I want to let all my fellow Raider Nationbrothers and sisters know that was a ridiculous statement, so do not believe the hype. I can already feel the media waiting, gearing up, to throw Jamarcus under the bus. Our job, as fans, is to support Jamarcus and not believe in what the media is sure to be selling during the 2009 football season if Jamarcus is not perfect. Here is the bottom line; if Jamarcus does not succeed this season his failure will have been caused by three different offensive systems, two head coaches, and an owner who will not let the team evolve. None of those things are Jamarcus’ fault. I also anticipate Garcia starting some games this year because he gives us a chance to win with his mobility and experience. He also seems to win everywhere he goes, and I am sure that players will believe in him and play hard for him. If Garcia does start some games does that mean Jamarcus is a bust? No it does not. Garcia starting games will just mean that Jamarcus will have time to grow watching Garcia, and until we have some offensive stability Jamarcus having a mentor may not be a bad thing. I love Jamarcus’ upside and believe he will be a great quarterback, if given the chance, so Raider fans lets show Jamarcus love and help him grow as a Raider. We cannot start the booing if Jamarcus struggles. We must be patient fans, and if Garcia is the short term answer to winning then so be it. Go Raiders!!!!
BIG DAWG’S BLOG 05-07-09
I was sitting in my office reading articles for this site, as I do everyday, and came across a ton of articles that spewed venom and hatred towards the Oakland Raiders and the Nation. I read statements like “The Raiders are an embarrassment”, “The raiders are the worst franchise in all of sports”, and “The Raiders are not going to win again until Al Davis sells or dies”. I am tired of the trash talk, so lets address all of these statements. First off the Raiders are not an embarrassment and never will be an embarrassment because, no matter what happens, Al is trying to win. Yeah we go through coaches like a stripper goes through ones during a shopping spree but Al fires people because they are not winning not because he does not know what he is doing. Yes I get frustrated that our players have no consistency and that they do not get a chance to learn a system before they are handed a new playbook. I get that trust me, but I also understand that firings happen because of a lack of wins and I cannot be mad at Al for that, because he is trying to win. Get the theme? Trying to win! There are teams in pro sports that are an embarrassment due to them not trying to win and we as fans know who they are so I am not going to pile on. The Raiders are the worst franchise in all of sports? Not even close. Every year the Raiders get criticized because they are not what they used to be, but every team has to rebuild and reload. The Raiders have a ton of talent and try year after year to add pieces to get better. I could name many teams that do not even attempt to make moves. Although I am tired of dragging my butt to Oakland eight times a year, and watching them struggle, I see promise. I understand that Jamarcus will be a great QB over time, I see the speed and potential on defense, and I see our team with a running game that will dominate in the years to come. If we were the worst franchise in all of sports we would have no upside, and believe me we have upside falling out of our backside! Last but not least lets get to Al. Al changed the game, so every time I hear someone say that Al is the worst owner in the league it pisses me off! Here is a little of what Al has done. Playoff Appearences: (21) Super Bowls Appearances: (5) Super Bowl Champions: (3) So are you experts going to tell the Raider Nation that all of that means nothing? If you are going to give Al hell for the last six years you better give him credit for what he has accomplished over the last 40 years. There is no way a man that has had that much success can be seen as the worst anything, let alone owner. He has given the NFL his life and dedicated himself to providing fans with a winning franchise. Am I always happy with what Al does? No, but I will always be grateful that he has allowed me to watch my team dominate for most of my lifetime. I was born in ’76 so check the history of the Raiders and you will find that I have seen a lot more winning than losing. I will always represent the Nation and no matter how much we lose I will always be proud of the fight of our leader (Al Davis)!
1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1980, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1990, 1991, 1993, 2000, 2001, 2002
II (1967), XI (1976), XV (1980), XVIII (1983), XXXVII (2002)
XI (1976), XV (1980), XVIII (1983)