The Last F-word

OH MY GOD!!!!!!  If I hear the F-word one more time I’m going to throw up on a cheese head.  You can’t escape it, it’s everywhere.  Go to the store, listen to the radio, the F-word.  Walk down the street, turn on the TV, the F-word.  Before I wake up screaming from a bad dream about the F-word I have decided to take drastic measures…

I, from this day forth do solemnly swear to never ever say the dreaded F-word until the Raiders win the Super Bowl, or I die, whichever happens first.  And even then I won’t say the F-word no matter how prompted I am from the influence of the outside world, stupid people, or some particularly good beer.

So hear me now, listen carefully because this is it, my last and final time to ever utter (or type) that ugly & disgusting F-word that just won’t go away (it ruins every episode of Sportscenter or NFL Total Access these days).

OK here goes………

FAVRE

(long pause for added effect)

Never have I so disliked a guy that I used to respect.

Retire, come back and play, take up knitting, run for office, flee to f***ing Mexico and become a bandito I don’t care.  Just stop clogging up my airwaves because I’m sick of hearing about you!

Ahh I’m starting to feel better already.

Josh Outman & The Great Baseball Name Game

The Oakland A’s won their 7^th game in a row last night over the Twins.  The winning pitcher was their much heralded rookie named Josh Outman (as in “Out-Man”).  A great name for a pitcher don’t you think?

This reminded me of a fun baseball discussion I had many years ago with my old friend Tim Hanson.  Given the timing of “the Out-Man” I thought maybe it was time to revisit the great names of baseball players.

The best name by far belongs to a Hall of Fame pitcher from the 1040’s & ‘50’s named Early Wynn.  Doesn’t every team want a pitcher to give them an “Early Win?”

As the old physics axiom goes for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.  The opposite of Early Wynn has to be the former pitcher for the Pirates named Bob Walk.  Running a close second would be A’s pitcher Eric Plunk.  While both men had decent careers they would never outlive their name.

While I’m hard pressed to find better suited names the world of baseball has brought many names that range from the silly to ones that border on disgusting…

Can you imagine an infielder named Mickey Klutts?  One can only hope that Oil Can Boyd once pitched to Rusty Kuntz.

Of course there is Johnny Bench, who spent very little time there.  Clint Hurdle, Bake McBride, Cookie Rojas, Chet Lemon, & Pie Traynor.  Cecil (who ironically wasn’t a very good) Fielder had a son named Prince.

Who will ever forget former Hollywood Squares host Peter Marshall’s son who once played for the KC Royals, named Pete LaCock.  Added to the poor taste list is Dick Pole, Dick Hauser, Dick Burns, Dick Cox, Stubby Clapp, Randy Bush, Ed Head, & Dave Morehead.  You can’t make up stuff like this!

Would you have Darryl Strawberry on your Coco Crisp?

Would you play a game made by Milton Bradley with Don Money or Dave Cash?

Would you give your Bobby Valentine a Pete Rose or Candy Maldonado?

Many players had animal names like Rabbit Maranville, Catfish Hunter, Charlie Fox, Steve Trout, Tim Salmon, Pete Falcone, Goose Gossage, Ducky Medwick, Moose Haas, & Rob Deer.  Dave Parker was the Cobra, Ken Harrelson was the Hawk, and of course there was Mark the Bird Fidrych.

The Atlanta Braves had Roland Office, Tom House, & Phil Roof all on the same team.  It seems like Jim Brewer and Tim Belcher should have been teammates but they weren’t.

In 1970 a songwriter named Dave Frishberg wrote an entire song whose lyrics consisted of the names of baseball players.  The song is called Van Lingle Mungo, named after a player from the 1930’s & ‘40’s.  Unfortunately the song isn’t on YouTube or I would have given you the link.

I could go on forever with this but let’s stop here for now.  Feel free to add any suggestions in the comment section.  I will finish up with perhaps the best name game poem from my youth.  It  was written by the father of my buddy Fritz Kerr who used the names of former Oakland A’s players… and it goes like this…

“Would you be Fosse if I put a Bando on your Fingers?  No I wouldn’t be Fosse if you put a Bando on my Fingers, but I would if it turned Green during a Blue Moon!”

A Painful Raiders Draft Day Experience

It has often been said that NFL Draft Day is similar to Christmas Day for a football fan. You wait for that one day a year when you get to open up all those exciting presents and to see what new toys you get to play with. In the days before the draft you get to look at all the wrapped gifts under the tree, you shake some of the boxes trying to figure out what is in them. The night before you are eager with anticipation hoping you will get that beautiful new Wilson baseball glove you wanted. Or perhaps a polished wide receiver.

Once the presents start getting unwrapped you must wait anxiously for your turn. Finally Mom or Dad gives you the signal and the paper begins to fly. Before you get all the wrapping paper removed there is that instant when you are able to read the contents of the box and you know exactly what’s inside.

“Oh no!,” you think but don’t say out loud as you realize this present is not even close to what you had hoped for. “What were they thinking?” you ask yourself as you hold up your new glove for all to see. Inside your heart sinks as the disappointment rushes in “It’s not even made out of leather, it’s a baseball glove made out of plastic!”

Similar was my draft day experience of 2009. I watched and waited as 6 other teams unwrapped their new gift. When it was “our turn” the present I had hoped for, wide receiver Michael Crabtree, was still under the tree waiting to be picked. But like the poor little boy who got the plastic glove I too was disappointed.

“With the 7^th pick the Raiders select Darius Heyward-Bey!” the commissioner said to a chorus of boos. Around Raider Nation hearts sank as the reality of the situation set in.

All offseason long we had gone to the wide receiver store and looked at the shiny new Crabtree. We held it in our hands and tried to imagine what it would be like seeing a silver & black Crabtree. Unfortunately many others wanted that very same Crabtree, so we didn’t even know if the Crabtree would be available when our turn came. Alas our turn did come and there still under the tree was the polished Crabtree we wanted so badly. Sadly it wasn’t meant to be, when we opened our gift it was a plastic baseball glove.

Is Darius Heyward-Bey a good football player? Yes, he was ranked 30^th best by draft expert Mel Kiper and 25^th best by his colleague Todd McShay. McShay said “Heyward-Bey is the 4^th best receiver in this draft.” Unfortunately for us in Rader Nation the Raiders weren’t picking at #25 or #30, they were picking 7^th. This also indicates that the Raiders could have traded down about 15 or so spots, still picked Heyward-Bey, AND picked up an additional 2^nd round pick!

Just for fun let’s compare Crabtree and Heyward-Bey:

- Crabtree was thought to be the 2^nd or 3^rd best player in the draft (easily the best wide receiver.

- Heyward-Bey was considered the 25^th to 30^th best player in the draft (4^th or 5^th best receiver).

- Crabtree is a star football player who may not have the “measurables” such as a fast 40 time but when he puts on the pads he performs at an elite level.

- Heyward-Bey is fast, really fast. He clocked the fastest 40 yd. time at the scouting combine. His hands are suspect and he has a tendency to disappear in games.

And perhaps the comparison that says it all…

- Michael Crabtree was awarded the coveted Fred Biletnikoff Award (given to the nation’s top collegiate wide receiver) TWO YEARS IN A ROW!

- Darius Heyward-Bey was given honorable mention as an All ACC performer (he wasn’t even among the top two receivers in his conference!).

So all the kids of Raider Nation went home with a plastic glove!

I won’t even bore you with the Raiders 2^nd round pick Michael Mitchell, a safety out of Ohio U.. Many teams didn’t even have him listed on their draft board, he was considered to be perhaps an undrafted free agent. When he was selected with the 47^th pick overall (15^th pick in the 2^nd round) one commentator on the NFL Network said, “I had him listed as a 7^th rounder at best.” Draft guru Mel Kiper had Mitchell ranked as the 73^rd best safety in the nation. Mitchell was so lightly regarded he was not even invited to the scouting combine or to any All Star bowl games.

The next day a Chicago newspaper reported that the Bears were set to pick Mitchell at #49, but the Raiders snagged him just two picks ahead of the Bears. Odd so many had such varying opinions about Michael Mitchell. Perhaps only time will tell.

It was obvious to a trained observer that these two picks were as a direct result of “the genius mind” of Al Davis. I seriously doubt he listened to his scouting staff led by Jon Kingdon & Mickey Marvin, if he had they would have told him to trade down in round one. Had they done this they might have been able to pick one of the nation’s top rated centers, a position where help is needed. Or better yet they might have convinced him to pick Michael Crabtree.

To make matters worse the 49ers selected Crabtree so we will get to see him play every Sunday as a painful reminder of what could have been on Draft Day 2009.

**Added note: Let’s hope this works out better than the famous 1985 Draft when the Raiders selected receiver Jessie Hester and the 49ers picked Jerry Rice!

John Madden Announces Retirement!

John Madden, Hall of Fame head coach, author, video game mogul, and TV announcer is calling it quits. In a brief interview he stated, “It’s time. My grandkids are at the age now where they realize when I’m gone and when I’m not. This year is my 50^th wedding anniversary. I had fun but that part of my life is over now. The thing that made it hard is that I enjoyed it so damn much. I know it’s the right thing to do.”

Madden left coaching after the 1978 season for health reasons. By 1981 he was CBS’s number one color commentator working with Pat Summerall. The very popular duo left CBS in ‘94 for Fox.  In 2002 ABC lured Madden to their Monday Night Football package. When the NFL switched their Monday night games to ESPN for the ‘05 season Madden & Al Michaels were hired by NBC to announce Sunday Night Football.

For years Madden would bus himself across country in the now famous “Madden Cruiser” due to his fear of flying. This fear began in 1960 as an assistant for Cal Poly. He was scheduled to fly with the team to a road game but his plans changed at the last minute. The team’s plane crashed in Toledo, OH and 16 members of the team were killed, many more were seriously injured. By chance his life was spared because of an injured player, he was the person chosen to remain at the school to assist the player in his rehabilitation.

To put his fans and friends at ease, and to dispel any potential rumors, Madden stated, “There is absolutely nothing wrong with me. I have spent 50 years in football, I’ve loved every minute of it.” He said that he was seriously considering retirement last year at Super Bowl XLIII but that he wanted to go home and seriously consider his future.

Selected by the Philadelphia Eagles in the 21^st round of the 1958 NFL Draft, Madden played as an offensive lineman. Injuries limited his playing career to just one season, so he began coaching. In 1967 & ’68 he was the linebacker coach for the Raiders, and in 1969 at the age of 33 he became the league’s youngest head coach. During his 10 seasons as coach Madden’s record was an incredible 103-32-7, including 7 AFC West titles, 7 AFC Conference Championship appearances (5 in a row). He was the Coach of the Year in 1969, and was inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame in 2006.

Perhaps the most colorful color announcers ever, the man who made phrases like “bam”, “boom”, & “turducken” famous, he will certainly be missed. His first Super Bowl as an announcer was in January of ’82 between the 49ers and Bengals. Sixteen Emmy’s & millions of dollars earned, ironically much more than he ever made as a head coach for the Oakland Raiders, he has left his mark on the NFL. His proudest sports moment occurred in Super Bowl XI when his Raiders trounced the Vikings in 1977.

John Madden is 73 years old, he has two sons, five grandchildren, along with his wife Virginia. From now on your best chance to see him is strolling down a sidewalk in Carmel, CA.

*In July of 1982 I had the good fortune of meeting John along with Pat Summerall at the El Rancho Tropicana, the Raiders summer camp training facility in Santa Rosa, CA.. He was nice, friendly, and had the biggest head I’ve ever seen on a human. It was a thrill to meet coach Madden, a day I will always remember.

**ADDED LATER:  Heard an inresting story from the coach’s old friend Dick Ebersol:  “A young kid would approach John Madden and say “Hey Madden” because they grew up knowing him asthe guy who’s video game they always played.

If a guy said, “Hey John” he was probably between 25 to 40 yrs. old  and grew up listening to Pat Summerall always refer to him as John.

Now if a guy said “Hey Coach” I knew he was old like me and simply thought of him as the coach of the Raiders.”

Lane Kiffin Needs A History Lesson

Oh to be a fly on the wall…

 

Former Raiders coach Lane Kiffin was in town this week. It wasn’t a sight-seeing trip, it was all about money. On Monday Kiffin spoke in his deposition regarding his breach of contract grievance vs. Al Davis & the Raiders. Kiffin is seeking the remaining balance of the money he feels is owed to him for 12 games in 2008 & the entire 2009 salary.

 

Al Davis contends Kiffin was fired “for cause” which, according to him, means he doesn’t have to pay Kiffin a dime. It is customary in the NFL for fired coaches to receive any money due to them under the terms of their contract, but Al Davis doesn’t give a damn about what is customary. In an equally interesting side note NFL coaches are not protected by the NFL Players Union.

 

Kiffin completed his portion of the deposition on Monday, so it was assumed that he would fly back to Knoxville, TN as soon as possible. Now that he is the head coach of the Tennessee Volunteers one would think he has plenty to do. He did not fly back however. Instead he stuck around an extra day so he could sit in and listen to Al Davis give his deposition. This was a bit odd, does Kiffin think his presence would rattle Davis? Not a chance.

 

Perhaps young Lane needs a history lesson. Al Davis has taken on much bigger foes than him. He has taken on the NFL, several cities, a county or two, countless high powered men, and he usually wins. Davis isn’t likely to be intimidated by a brash young coach.

 

Does Kiffin deserve his money? Perhaps under historical precedence, but certainly not for his job performance. Kiffin won just 5 of the 20 games he was the head coach. He also complained to the media about his surroundings instead of solving his problems in-house (a huge character flaw for a man in his position). Worse yet (at least in my book as a fan), he was not a good field general. Countless times he made errors late in games either with ill-conceived play calling or poor use of the clock. This is something all those in Tennessee will soon discover.

 

Even if Kiffin wins his grievance will he ever collect his money? Well just ask Mike Shanahan, who is still waiting for the $50,000 he thinks Davis owes him from 1989.

 

Lane Kiffin should learn from his mistakes and slink out of town quietly. He might also want to read up about proper clock management. Complainers never win, instead they find someone else to blame when they fail.

 

Good luck Tennessee.

Raiders Address Line Problems, Sign Barnes

It appears the left tackle position has been filled for the Oakland Raiders, and it will not be by a guy named Pace or Henderson. Khalif Barnes signed a 1 year contract with the Oakland Raiders on Saturday.

 

Barnes, 26 and in his prime, spent the last four years primarily as the starter at left tackle for Jacksonville. Until last season the Jags were one of the top rushing teams in the NFL, however injuries and off-field issues turned their top flight offensive line into swiss cheese. Barnes was one of the “off-field issue” due to his DUI.

 

The Raiders were in negotiations with Barnes early last week but Al Davis stepped in and halted the talks. One wonders if the possibility of landing Orlando Pace may have had something to do with this. Then just as quickly as negotiations were off they were back on again, ending in a signed contract Saturday.

 

The Raiders were one of the teams rumored to be interested in trading for Orlando Pace. When St. Louis was not able to work out a trade for Pace they then released him making him a free agent. At that point it seemed likely that the Raiders & Pace would be in contact with each other. Perhaps Pace wanted more money than the Raiders were willing to offer, or maybe Pace simply didn’t want to play for Oakland. Meanwhile no other NFL team has signed Pace so perhaps his NFL days are numbered. Given the lack of quality left tackles in the league I would suspect that Pace will be back in 2009, but where?

 

The Raiders left tackle position was owned by former SF 49er Kwame Harris at the start of the ’08 season. By the end of last year Harris led the NFL in penalties and he was replaced by Mario Henderson. Offensive line was an obvious weakness for Oakland last year so an upgrade was needed.

 

Many speculate that the Raiders will select one of the top two tackles in the April NFL Draft. This is still possible however it now appears unlikely that the two highly rated tackles will still be on the board when Oakland takes their #7 pick. This could be one of the reasons why the Raiders changed their mind about Khalif Barnes.

 

Equally as interesting is that Oakland has done nothing to shore up its below par wide receiver corps (which ranked last in the NFL in production). Several decent WR’s are available on the free agent market but none of them have visited the Alameda facility for a tryout. Does this give us a hint as to what the Raiders may do in the Draft? Perhaps, but don’t count on it because Al Davis is extremely high on the two young WR’s currently on the roster (Higgins & Schilens). These two are good but I still would like to see them add a top flight receiver.

 

The obvious choice is Michael Crabtree from Texas Tech, however there is a good chance he may be already gone before the Raiders turn comes up. The second rated WR in the Draft is Jeremy Maclin from Missouri.

 

Former starting center Jay Grove was released and he quickly signed a huge deal with the Dolphins. This leaves a hole that will also likely be filled in the Draft, however there is nobody ranked high enough to warrant a selection at the #7 pick. This may give us a clue as to where the Raiders may go in the 2^nd or 3^rd round.

 

We are still over a month away from the 2009 NFL Draft, there are quite a few quality players still available on the free agent market, so much could change.

 

 

Will Orlando Pace Become A Raider?

Former #1 pick in the 1997 NFL Draft Orlando Pace was released today by the St. Louis Rams.  I have it on good authority that the Raiders are interested in signing him.  Actually the rumor was that the Raiders were trying to trade for the former Pro Bowl left tackle but were not able to come to an agreement with the Rams.  Now that Pace is a free agent look for the Raiders to sign him very quickly.

Orlando Pace was drafted with the 1st pick in the ‘97 draft, then the Raiders selected the late Darrell Russell with the 2nd pick.  At that time there were strong rumors that the Raiders were trying to trade up to select Pace.  Here we are 12 years later and it appears the Raiders may finally have a shot at landing the huge left tackle.  Unfortunately for Pace he has been slowed the last two seasons with shoulder injuries, an issue Pace claims is fully healed.

Raiders Make More Moves

With a Thursday salary cap deadline looming the Oakland Raiders & coach Tom Cable are thinning the herd. Cutting the fat is a requirement in order to get the Raiders in under the salary cap, making room for new free agent acquisitions, and to finalize the new deals for Nnamdi Asomugha & Shane Lechler. Nobody is safe from the ax on a team that has lost 11 games or more for six consecutive seasons.

 

Some of the moves were predictable, one was not. As of this moment gone are Kwame Harris, Kalimba Edwards, Justin Griffith, Ronald Curry, & Gibril Wilson. Rumors continue to swirls that Tommy Kelly, Javon Walker, Terdell Sands, & Michael Huff could be next.

 

Perhaps the biggest surprise was the release of safety Gibril Wilson, who was second on the team in tackles last season. Often productive players like Wilson are offered the opportunity to restructure their contracts in order to make them more “cap friendly,” a tactic the Raiders have used often over the years. My suspicion is that Wilson was given this option but instead chose to get out of Oakland. The release of Wilson makes Huff’s spot on the roster more secure.

 

In the not-so-surprising moves the Raiders cut tackle Kwame Harris, who led the NFL in penalties. Harris was benched late last season in favor of the younger Mario Henderson. Also released was fullback Justin Griffith, who will be replaced by Oren O’Neal. Cutting these two players saved the Raiders $8.3 million against the 2009 salary cap.

 

The much improved play of young wide receivers Johnnie Lee Higgins & Chaz Schilens made Ronald Curry expendable. Curry, who has been slowed by several injuries, has been a solid performer for the Raiders. It is sad to see him go. The move leaves the team thin in an already below average wide receiver squad. Look for the team to draft additional help.

 

Cutting players saves the team money but it also has a cost. Any signing bonus paid to a player is averaged over the term of the contract, however if the player is cut the remaining pro-rated portion of the bonus is immediately added to the team’s current salary cap number (don’t worry you won’t be tested on this). The bottom line is that players who no longer play for the team can count against the current salary cap. Gibril Wilson will cost the Raiders $7 million & DeAngelo Hall is $5.8 million.

 

If the Raiders were to cut Tommy Kelly he would count as $10.8 million, Javon Walker would be $9 million, Michael Huff would be $6.8 million, & Terdell Sands would be $2 million.. Obviously this is an important consideration in deciding whether or not to keep or cut a high priced player.

 

Thursday’s midnight deadline also triggers the beginning of the free agent signing period. Teams can then officially sign players who are available on the open market. This year’s free agent class has some solid players but unfortunately for the Raiders there aren’t many quality wide receivers. Since there is such a premium placed on offensive tackles it is unlikely the Raiders will find any help without paying a heavy price tag.

 

So what will the Raiders do with their #7 pick in the 2009 NFL Draft? Casual fans might hope they take a wide receiver and JaMarcus Russell probably hopes they choose an offensive tackle. Two possible draftees are WR Michael Crabtree (Texas Tech or OT Paul Waxler (Wake Forrest). Both are extremely gifted and would be a great addition to the Raiders roster. If I had to bet I suspect the Raiders will take Waxler, but much can change between now and the Draft.

 

MLB Network Is On The Air: Great News For Oakland A’s Fans!

Great News for Baseball Fans!

This week the MLB Network was launched, 24/7 of all baseball all the time. For those in the know this channel is as a direct result of the huge success generated by both the NFL Network & NHL Network. Here is the really exciting part for those of us who love vintage sports…

In addition to tons of current shows, MLB News, Hot Stove talk, the MLB Network also plays tons of old original broadcasts of the great games of our past (I suspect we won’t see as much of this as the season begins). The debut of the channel was highlighted by the re-airing of the Don Larson perfect game. This week they are rebroadcasting the 1989 ALCS between the Oakland A’s & the Toronto Blue Jays. At least for a few hours Rickey, Hendu, Carney, the Eck, & Big Mac are back!

Lots of fun stuff for those who remember it.

Sea Of Hands Revisited: 1974 Miami Dolphins at Oakland Raiders

Originally written on 12/18/09:

See Update below…

Holy Toledo It’s official the football gods will forever keep the Sea Of Hands game a mystery.

Tonight was to be the debut of the NFL Films version of the 1974 AFC Divisional Playoff game between the Miami Dolphins and the Oakland Raiders, better known as the Sea of Hands Game. It occurred some 34 years ago December 21^st, 1974.

Instead of an hour and a half of never seen footage what we ended up with was 1 hour and 1 minute of a condensed version of the show we were supposed to see. As if by some higher power this show was joined in progress due to a women’s volleyball tournament that ran late.

From what we saw this is what we learned.

To those who collect vintage NFL games, this is the most sought after footage in NFL history. As Steve Sabol described it, “It’s the Holy Grail of games.”

Why? Well first of all it ranks among the greatest games ever played (yes even arguably better than the ’58 Colts vs. Giants). The game “had it all, high stakes, great drama, Hall of Fame talent,, and one of the most unforgettable finishes in NFL history.”

Secondly it has no video history. Steve Sabol of NFL Films said, “When we moved the company from Philadelphia to Mt. Laurel the footage was either misplaced or mislabeled, whatever it was we just couldn’t find it. In fact all visual records of this game have met a similar fate. The lone remaining copy of NBC’s TV broadcast is thought to be in Spanish and lost in Mexico. In the underground cyber-world where hundreds collect vhs broadcasts of NFL broadcasts this is the Holy Grail of games.”

Well Steve is correct, the original broadcast of this game is gone. A decent copy of this game would likely fetch more than a Mickey Mantle rookie card. A LOT more! Also, we don’t collect them on vhs these days, they are all on dvd now. Much nicer. And a special thank you goes out to whoever it was at NFL Films that did the hard work to find this wonderful footage. Trust me there are many who are thrilled with your findings.

** UPDATE:

The entire broadcast of NFL’s Greatest Games – The Sea of Hands finally aired on January 2^nd in its entirety. The show is great, full of little tidbits we have never seen until now. What makes the show ever better is that they used the radio voice of Bill King (Mr. Holy Toledo himself) for most of the descriptions (I have the original entire radio broadcast on CD for those interested).

The entire show ran for an hour and a half, after digitally removing the commercials it is 1 hour & 11 minutes. It is now firmly ensconced in my vintage NFL video collection as a prize piece.

I consider myself a Sea Of Hands historian. Over my lifetime I have collected every bit of film I could find on this game. I would love to find someone who has more video of this game than I do so that we could share our collection.

I still believe this was the greatest game I’ve ever seen.