Saturday, January 20, 2007

Setting it straight for a-holes and media lemmings

Being a Raider fan since the Immaculate Reception game when I was just a little kid, I've come to expect nothing but BS and personal attacks on Al Davis from the media and other a-holes jealous of Him (yes thats right, I capitalized the H). This has gone on since the 70's whether or not the Raiders were winning or losing, whether we were up or down.

What is pissing me off the most is this new generation or version of Raider fans who give a rats ass about what anyone outside the Raider organziation is saying, who doesn't understand that any source reporting on the Raiders is guessing 100%, with a very hard slant against the Raiders. There are no inside sources, there are no reliable sources. Reporters, local or national, for years have had an axe to grind against Al Davis and his Silver and Black Empire because unlike any other organization in professional sports, they are not invited or privied to anything of substance - and it pisses them off - thats it - end of story. Again, there are no inside sources, there are no reliable sources. Get that through your "chicken-little-he-said-she-said heads"... And I'll even say this: if you don't understand and believe what I have just described you can't possibly be a Raider fan because obviously you do not understand what the Raider Way really is...

A couple of observations:
+Sarkisian needed a decision - and isn't Kiffen the recruiting portfolio lead at USC? This weekend is a huge recruiting weekend at USC and Sarkisian and Kiffen needed to know by Friday latest. We are afterall talking about USC and not HillBilly State U. My guess is, money-wise Sarkisian's pay envelope will be a little heavier next week.

+Lofton did not remove his name from the list, but he must feel pretty damned embarrassed, acting like he had the job after his interview.

+Al Davis Head Coaching interviews have always consisted of marathon sessions, typically lasting a number of days, even with candidates that don't work out. If a candidate interviews once for a couple of hours, he ain't getting the job ie Whisenhunt. The Petrino thing was different, but its odd that Al Davis referred to him as Bernard, don't you think?

+Denny Green did not turn down the Raiders invitation for an interview. To say so implies alot of things that just are not true. Green has met with Davis many times over the years, they know each other well, they have a strong mutual admiration for each other and are friends. Al knows where to find him if he wants him. BTW, I would be VERY happy with Green... beside being a proven coach that can bring Moss back to the fold, his drafts are always solid...

+Did I hear right? the Defensive Coordinator at Miami is making more money that new Head Coach Cam Cameron? And we are f'ed up?

+What happened in Zona? They settled on a guy but forgot to ask him how much he wanted? When they did, it was too much so they offered the job to the next guy? And we are f'ed up?

+Al Davis will never be rushed into a decision, and thats a good thing.

11 comments:

Raider Take said...

I guess you would consider me this “new version” of Raiders fan since I blog about biased media coverage of the Oakland Raiders?

Last season, there were several reports about Al Davis nearly picking a fight with a reporter in the locker room over some unfair attacks. That’s the Raider Way as I understand it. If a certain columnist across the Bay wants to make a literal sport of bashing the Oakland Raiders organization without backing up his words, then why shouldn’t we pop him in the proverbial mouth? That’s the Raider Way as I understand it.

If someone picks a fight with us (the media in this case), give me a good reason why we shouldn’t follow Mr. Davis’s lead and push back? Maybe the reason the media are so full of BS and personal attacks when it comes to the Raiders is because no one has ever held them accountable? Is that something we should accept, or should we start holding them accountable, now that we have blogs, email and other ways to be heard? An ESPN reporter apologized to the Raider Nation a few months ago after the Raider Nation rose up and ripped her back after an unfair story. You can bet she’ll bring her “A” Game the next time she writes about the Raiders and the Raider Nation.

Aside from the primal reasons to fight back, there are practical reasons as well. Unfair media coverage skews public perception of the Raiders and their fans. This in turn keeps people away from the Coliseum. This is a fact. We can’t sell out the Coliseum entirely with people who (like me) have been fans of the team dating back to the 70s. This is also a fact. I don’t want this team to have to move away from Oakland for economic reasons, therefore I will not stand silent as the media chips away at our potential fan base. This is why I give a rat’s ass about what people outside the organization are saying. To ignore what other people are saying about our team, in this age of growing media influence, is irresponsible in my opinion.

Also, I don’t think that all media are biased toward the Raiders. I think the biased ones are in the minority, but they are a vocal and influential minority, and I think we owe them a response.

Just my two cents.

"The Tooz" said...

I understand what your are saying in your blog and your comment raidertake.... however you talk about a biased minority and I couldn't disagree more... let name media folks (print, media et al) who will give the S&B a fair honest shake and not take opportunities to take shots at Al Davis...

I can only think of The Great Howie Long and of course The Great JOhn Madden... the media is full of JImmy JOhnson's who may, from time to time, say a few positives but at the same time say "AL Davis can't attact coaching talent" after his recommendation only 2-3 years ago was Norv Turner...

Anonymous said...

The Raiders organization interacts very poorly with the media. The organization behaves like the Fidel Castro-controlled "government." Everything is a state-secret; without ok from Al Davis, no one is allowed to speak for the Raiders. Anyone taking a view against the Raiders is treated as an "enemy of the state."

That's why there's so much misinformation or rumors [true or not] from the media and "fans."

If the Raiders won't disclose some information, then there's the great vacuum of news; and the media begins to speculating on the Raider activities based on what they observe or NOT observe. Credibility of whatever info that does come out from the Raiders is very low. The organization lacks a good PR department; Al Davis intimidates the media rather than work with them....He reaps what he sows.

Anonymous said...

Well, I've been a Raider fan longer than you, going to my first game in '62 at Youell Field when the Raiders were the worst team in the AFL. Even though, I still am capable of using my mind to take what is said in the media and discern what is fact and what is fiction; I am also able to see that the Raiders are in a sad state of affairs, mostly do to Al Davis. There are real Raider fans like myself who want the BEST for the team and there are the blinded by ignorance Raider fans that will drink the Kool-aid concoction Al has mixed for people like you. If you were from the Bay Area, you would understand the Kool-aid reference.

I find it ironic that you are all the way up in Canada and yet you seem to know what the real truths are coming from behind the stone walls of Raider HQ. What possible sources do you have to claim that what you are trying to feed us? Having grown up in the Oakland-East Bay Area, I followed Al Davis from the day he took over the Raiders on the sidelines in '63. Al Davis has always been "the Man" to me when it came to football. But I'm not going to pretend that he is the same man he once was. I will always have reverence for him, but not blind loyalty. The Raiders are not the team I grew up with. They are not feared, they are only mocked. Davis is stuck in a "Back to the Future" rerun. The game is different, the players are different, and the business side of things are different.

As far as the media goes, the Raider's lie and spin half-truths just as much as the media. One just has to look at the lame attempt to characterize Adam Schefter over the story of Shell's imminent firing as a liar and hater. Yet, I didn't see you come with your chests puffed out when his prediction came to pass. I didn't hear a peep defending Al's rant then. You can talk all you want about what journalists say, but if we weren't such a dysfunctional, pathetic team and the laughing stock of the NFL, they wouldn't have anything much to say.....but the Raiders have been giving the media a lot of ammo these last 4 years...15 wins and 49 loses, 3 winning seasons in the last 12 years. Now that there are cold hard truths, brotha......not some fictitious pompous BS that you spout as you keep your head in the sand to avoid the realities of what this team has become.

I am and will always be a Raider fan, a REAL Raider fan. I will always want what's best for the Raiders....at least as I see it. If that means Al Davis needs to step down then I'm for it, irregardless of my personal feelings about the guy. I say this not because of what some writer writes, but because its what I see.

Raider Take said...

Yes, good points.

At the local level, I think that for every Ray Ratto there are a few Phil Barbers or Jerry McDonalds, who conduct solid reporting and journalism.

At the national level (ESPN, SI, network TV, etc.), however, and on second thought, I concede that you might be right!

As for Anonymous's comment, even if that's true, it doesn't stop some of the aforementioned writers from conducting professional journalism. Just because the Raiders might give journalists a harder time than other teams, that doesn't give them carte blanche to conduct awful journalism.

"The Tooz" said...

Sure the Raiders have given them alot of ammo lately, and no question the game, the players have changed and yes the media is treated poorly by the Raiders... but being a Raider Fan for so long you must admit that the media was very biased against the Raiders when they were winning as well... Tatum and Atkinson had no talent, they were just thugs, when Al signed Plunkett it was a joke, trading Stabler - Al was vindictive prick, Al Davis wore Madden out, Al Davis wore Flores out, there was no way that we beat Vermiel , Upshaw, Shell were too old and then with Philly, Theisman and the Hoggs were going to kill us, we were too old with Millen and Hendricks and Branch and Alzado was overrated... Marcus was a reach, he had no speed, he didn't translate to the NFL, Long was a reach, a wasted pick... get the point? don't you remember any ot it, even from the glory years? it has always been the same thing....

Just today Corkan writes about Sark's press conference, using Sark qoutes about how the timing was just not right and then Corkan says: "He (Sark) arrived at his decision based, in part, on how he felt about his chances of succeeding in an environment where the coach lacks freedom to determine the personnel and coaching staff." Sark said NOTHING of the sort...its complete conjecture on Corkan's part and by using Sark quotes first he embedds his own agenda in the article and makes it look like Sark said it... its typical and its BS and if you buy that, well what can I say< I'd like to think that you and other "Raider Fans" are smarter than that...

And what does me being in Canada have to do with pointing out that Corkan is a sneek and another false rumour mongerer?!? esp. if I'm right.

"The Tooz" said...

The Castro comment is completely innappropriate and I think shows alot about how you really feel about Al and the Raiders... go cheer for New Orleans and Tom Benson, or the Cowboys and Jerry Jones

Anonymous said...

The following quote from today's San Francisco Chronicle has not been confirmed or denied by the Oakland Raiders.

<< Sarkisian indicated one reason he turned down the job was he wasn't going to be given enough say in personnel and staff decisions.>>

"The Tooz" said...

Come on! RU you guys that stupid? Honestly, If Sark really said that don't you think there would be a actual quote that would have made head-lines villifying Al Davis on network playoff coverage today? This is a typical media trick by Corkan thats nothing but BS that the "lemmings" swallow...

BTW, even if Sark did say that and it was true... do you really think that Sark should have more say in personnel than say Gruden did when he started, or say than Madden or Flores did?

Talk about Raider Kool-Aid? how about biased media Kool-Aid?... I expect Raider Fans see through that crap...

Anonymous said...

I truely think Al can find great Coaching talent. Hell, if I was the GM of another team I'd simply wait to see who it looks like he's gonna hire, wait for them to turn Al down and then hire them...

The hard truth is that when a coach is expected to get results w/in 2 yrs (maybe 3) its pretty damn hard to not desire your own people around you.

His way makes a tough sell. This is why you'll see a washed up retread or a young stud who will deal with it for about 5yrs (if we're lucky) then run... and we'll be back here again.

I hope I'm wrong... we get a coach for 10+ yrs or more who will make us feared again but that hope is slowely getting beat out of me by watching the circus that is the Raiders lately.

Bears and Indy... Al might get his interview now.

Anonymous said...

Thats the beauty in these blogs...everyone is entitled to there own opinion.
Ok, fine. Lets say your right in all this. Who was the snake that Art was refering to when he went ballistic and had to decomission T. Walsh? Lombardi? If it wasnt Lombardi? Was Art Shell just having a bad day and his guilty conscious about how terrible Walsh was,just got to him?
Sean Payton. I really do believe he was offered the job but when Parcells had his talk with him, Sean then backed off. Al said Sean was never offered the Job. Who was the source here?, Lombardi again? My point is, in every business work environment, there will always be inside valid talk & news and stems from inside sources.
Question: If it were true about SARK comment, wouldnt be a no brainer and in the best interest of the Raiders Org. to make statement to the effect of Sark wanting an answer by Fri. I think I would and not hurt my org. by looking like a football team nobody wants to coach. Which brings us back to the real question. WHO or What is a valid,reliable source? We"ll never know but as long as RaiderNews is around I'll read/eat it all up, 365 days a year and make my own anaylsis.
Raider4Life - TONY C.