Davis's Faith In Sarkisian Is All We Need
2ND INTERVIEW FOR USC COACH HEIGHTENS RUMORS IN OAKLAND
Despite James Lofton's believe that terms were discussed regarding the Raiders perpetual search for a head coach, it looks like former BYU QB Steve Sarkisian might be Big Al's guy.
Why not? I guess.
The San Jose Mercury's Tim Kawakami agreed in his column this morning and did a fine job of sorting out the Raiders self-imposed dilemma with regards to the dearth of desirable coaching candidates. Basically, we're looking at the bottom of the barrel, but that doesn't mean Sarkisian can't revive the Raiders.
Kawakami is correct that the Raiders cannot attract a sane man willing to wear a silly headset while roaming the sidelines of McAfee Coliseum. It's the worst job in the NFL for many reasons luborious detailed in this blog. The meddling of Davis, the rundown and neglicated state of the organization and a relentless zeal to keep the calendars stuck at 1967 is a large part of the demise of this club. The "greatness of da Raidahs" and "commitment to excellence" clearly refer to a place much more ballyhooed in Davis' memory. It's called the past.
Despite the limited credentials of the Raiders coaching candidates and the inexperience of Sarkisian, we are once again left to believe in Big Al's golden touch. There is no doubt that he's an NFL visionary who is noted for his ability to salvage once-promising careers. He's led the way in hiring black coaches and hired the first female executive in the NFL. Most importantly, when Big Al chooses a young coach to just win baby, his credentials are nearly flawless.
John Madden, Tom Flores, Mike Shanahan and Jon Gruden. All with Super Bowl rings (although all not with the Raiders and one against). Davis nearly hired the surefire coach of the year Sean Payton and was turned down by Atlanta's Bobby Petrino.
It's a matter of faith with Big Al. His eye for young coaching is still intact and if Sarkisian is his man success will follow if history is our guide.
Labels: Al Davis, Raiders, Steve Sarkisian
