LFR Sports

WHY NOT HAVE EVERY BAY AREA TEAM PLAY IN STADIUM?

Sure, the logistics and cost-effectiveness of building one massive football stadium in the Bay Area instead of two sounds the most practical to most, except to one man.

Al Davis, a notorious 49er-hater would never enter into such a deal even if, as Matier & Ross note, the NFL could heavily fund such an endeavor like they have with the New York Giants and Jets in New Jersey.

The reality is Davis would rather install the wishbone offense for his beloved Raiders than make nice with John York's Niners and his legal nemesis--the National Football League.

This notion is so set in stone and impervious to any rationality around the NFL and the Bay Area it begs the question why did Matier & Ross even bring it up? Because York off-handily mentioned it to a Raiders executive? I'm sure the caterers for Candlestick Park mentioned selling quiche at the Coliseum, but, of course, the Raider Nation would never eat quiche. Period.

Which now leads to the Chronicle's editorial today. Not only did they latch upon the story, but add this non-sensical proposal--including the University of California into the equation. The Cal athletic department is having difficulty remodeling Memorial Stadium, trouble meaning' left wing tree-huggers--literally, wackos sitting in oak trees at the proposed site of a new training center.

This 3-for-1 proposal only foments within a certain liberal constituency in the Bay Area that is openly hostile to professional sports and the expenditure of building venues with public money.

Why not include every single Bay Area team in the equation, then? Have Stanford play there too. Put a tent over the field and have the Sharks and Warriors play there and for good measure build the new stadium without a scoreboard so nobody ever loses.

This cheapo way of building a stadium in the Bay Area almost makes me wonder whether we deserve any professional franchises in this part of the world.

Labels: 49ers, Al Davis, California, NFL, Raiders, San Francisco Chronicle

BUT COLUMNIST'S PORTRAYAL OF BIG AL'S RAIDERS IS RIGHT ON

Paul Attner's piece in the current issue of The Sporting News puts the spotlight on nearly everything wrong with the Raiders organization. Read it here.

Aside from the truth that Attner's cover story conveys, the cover is unbelievably demeaning to Al Davis. The headline is a bit confrontational for The Sporting News, too.

Second, they chose the worst possible photo of Davis to splatter on the cover. The Sporting News should remember that the renegade owner of the Oakland Raiders is also an elderly man struggling along with the aid of a walker for his two ailing legs.

Davis' decisions in the past decade need to be viewed in a critical manner but not by attack journalism from a second-tier sports publication.

Labels: Al Davis, Raiders, Sporting News

YOUTHFUL, GOATEED COACH IS THE BEST AMONGST FEW CHOICES

This entire flitation Al Davis has had with Southern Cal coaching staff continues to sound like one school yard soap opera. First, Steve Sarkisian shuns Big Al and basically dumps him and then consoles him by saying there's other fish in the sea.

Now, with the hiring of USC'S Lane Kiffin it's a case of the Trojan taking sloppy seconds.

By most accounts, Sarkisian turned down the Raiders offer. It's not known how Kiffin, who was reportedly interviewed for the offensive coordinator position suddenly became the favorite other than the fact few in America wanted the job.

In the end, by just perusing the Kiffin's resume the Raiders got the better prospect. Not only has he been more actively involved with USC's pro-style offense than Sarkisian and seen a large quantity of high quality future NFL stars pass through the program, but he also has a very esteemed coaching pedigree.

Being Tampa Bay's highly-respected defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin's son, the new Raider coach's youth probably wasn't much of a concern to Big Al.

All in all, the hiring of Kiffin seems like the very best the Raiders can do considering the state of the team and its reputation around the league. They get an offensive mind who may not be noted as a offensive genius just yet, but at least, he's been in the midst of a high-powered offense living in the present rather than circa 1976.

Oh, and he also looks young and tough. Somehow, this is something that seems very important to the Raider Nation.

Labels: Al Davis, Lane Kiffin, Monte Kiffin, Raiders, Steve Sarkisian

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

Well, cross Bobby Petrino off the Raiders' coaching wishlist. The successful Louisville coach who spurned the Silver and Black last year has taken the Atlanta Falcons job before the ugly step-sister of the NFL came-a-courtin'.

There's a myriad of reasons beyond X's and O's that illustrate why the Raiders are the NFL's worst and Petrino's swift hire by the Falcons is one of them.

Is Al Davis going to pigeon-hole himself again by waiting until every single viable coaching candidate has been hired and then wait out until every "hot" coordinator has been hired, too?

The Falcons, by contrast, quickly interviewed Pittsburgh offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt, Chicago defensive coordinator Ron Rivera, San Diego offensive coordinator Cam Cameron and San Francisco assistant head coach Mike Singletary.

All some of the cream of the crop of next generation coaching prospects. Will the Raiders interview any of them or, more likely, will any of them want to talk to Big Al?

Whisenhunt for one cancelled his interview at the last moment and Petrino said no thanks to just the interview.

If Davis sits on his decision again the Raiders will likely end up with the leftovers and that turkey looks like it will be former Giants head man, Jim Fassel.

He's a former Raider assistant, unwanted by most teams; therefore desperate for a job, and offensive-minded.

The RaiderNation could live with someone like Fassel and return the "glory years" of Norv Turner, who share eerily similar resumes, but new blood is sorely needed to turnaround this pirate ship. Coaches like Petrino are slipping through the Raiders hand too often.

Remember, what happened the last time Al took a chance on a young and dynamic coaching prospect (he passed him over for Joe Bugel before hiring him)? His name was Jon Gruden and we were all proud to be Raider fans.

Labels: Al Davis, Bobby Petrino, Falcons, Jim Fassel, Jon Gruden, Raiders