Will Davis Cede Control Of Decision-Making?
RAIDERS FUTURE DEPENDS ON MORE PROGRESSIVE IDEAS
The Norval Turner era mercifully ended in Oakland last Tuesday. Gee, we hardly knew ya'. Get outta here!
Since The T is all about speculation--shall we begin?
Figuring out whom Al Davis will choose as the successor to Turner usually comes with a distinct template. First, no defensive coordinators need apply. Second, a propensity to bend over (backwards?) to the demands of the Raider Czar is a must and third, a gratuitous mention of Art Shell returning from coaching oblivion must be floated exactly one day into the search.
Except for number three--which already happened--this search for a new Raiders head coach might give a glimpse into whether the aged Davis is nearing the end of his Silver and Black reign.
Davis, 76, has been scene strolling the pregame sidelines with the aid of a walker--albeit a black version to match his Raiders jumpsuit. Could Davis' health and the delegation of control over the team's decisions about to change starting with the next coach?
A few reports have mentioned off the record accounts of a struggle within the Raiders organization to bring in a fresh faced talent to Oakland. The fact that opposition has developed in the ranks is enough to believe that Davis is, indeed, ceding control of the team to others.
Of course, this would be huge. There are few teams in all of North American sports that are more cozy with such a stubborn addiction to running a team in the old-fashioned ways. With Davis, a few things are non-negotiable. The same jersey and logo will never be tinkered with and the deep threat philosophy of the 1960s is always en vogue. These factors will never change with Davis in complete control. Retro as a clothing line is cool, but retro football is a losing proposition. Since beating Tennessee in the 2002 AFC Championship Game the Raiders have won 13 games.
A commitment to an array of flashy wide receivers like Randy Moss and older quarterbacks is a wasted expenditure in a league where defensive speed and running the ball effectively is the name of the game.
It remains to be seen whether a defensive mind like Chicago's Ron Rivera might be considered or if the old school ways of Davis will prevail. No matter what, this off-season will go a long way in forming the future of da Raidahs.
The Norval Turner era mercifully ended in Oakland last Tuesday. Gee, we hardly knew ya'. Get outta here!
Since The T is all about speculation--shall we begin?
Figuring out whom Al Davis will choose as the successor to Turner usually comes with a distinct template. First, no defensive coordinators need apply. Second, a propensity to bend over (backwards?) to the demands of the Raider Czar is a must and third, a gratuitous mention of Art Shell returning from coaching oblivion must be floated exactly one day into the search.
Except for number three--which already happened--this search for a new Raiders head coach might give a glimpse into whether the aged Davis is nearing the end of his Silver and Black reign.
Davis, 76, has been scene strolling the pregame sidelines with the aid of a walker--albeit a black version to match his Raiders jumpsuit. Could Davis' health and the delegation of control over the team's decisions about to change starting with the next coach?
A few reports have mentioned off the record accounts of a struggle within the Raiders organization to bring in a fresh faced talent to Oakland. The fact that opposition has developed in the ranks is enough to believe that Davis is, indeed, ceding control of the team to others.
Of course, this would be huge. There are few teams in all of North American sports that are more cozy with such a stubborn addiction to running a team in the old-fashioned ways. With Davis, a few things are non-negotiable. The same jersey and logo will never be tinkered with and the deep threat philosophy of the 1960s is always en vogue. These factors will never change with Davis in complete control. Retro as a clothing line is cool, but retro football is a losing proposition. Since beating Tennessee in the 2002 AFC Championship Game the Raiders have won 13 games.
A commitment to an array of flashy wide receivers like Randy Moss and older quarterbacks is a wasted expenditure in a league where defensive speed and running the ball effectively is the name of the game.
It remains to be seen whether a defensive mind like Chicago's Ron Rivera might be considered or if the old school ways of Davis will prevail. No matter what, this off-season will go a long way in forming the future of da Raidahs.
