Wednesday, April 25, 2012
Why NOT in the Hall of Fame
John Brodie, Snake Stabler, Ray Guy and Fred Dryer. Four all time greats who should be in the Hall of Fame. Why they are not, I have no idea.
No draft picks? No big deal!
Lots of my fellow Raider fans are moaning that our silver and black has no early round draft choices, and normally I'd think that was a big problem. This year is different. Al Davis is gone, and all of our draft struggles in recent years have been a result of his lack of touch with football in today's era.
Al focused on speed, which is a great component in a footbal player. In the end, it's more important to draft great football talent, and not base it all on the speed. We should be drafting guys who played well in the big games, who were consistent on the field, have good character and are able to learn the position. Obviously Al didn't think only of speed, but he was certainly obsessed with it.
I'm happy that we are scrounging in the mid to lower rounds to find talent. Lots of hidden gems are there, as well as a decided lack of head cases. These players aren't prima donnas and will work hard to earn a spot on the team, and become great Raiders.
Al focused on speed, which is a great component in a footbal player. In the end, it's more important to draft great football talent, and not base it all on the speed. We should be drafting guys who played well in the big games, who were consistent on the field, have good character and are able to learn the position. Obviously Al didn't think only of speed, but he was certainly obsessed with it.
I'm happy that we are scrounging in the mid to lower rounds to find talent. Lots of hidden gems are there, as well as a decided lack of head cases. These players aren't prima donnas and will work hard to earn a spot on the team, and become great Raiders.
Sunday, April 22, 2012
Carson Palmer: Worth it?
I've always been a big Carson Palmer fan. He's got it all. The big arm, he's physically what you'd want a quarterback to be. Tall and strong, he can take a hit. And with the Raiders, he's wearing Daryle Lamonica's number 3.
Last year, the Raiders gave up 2 number one draft choices, when Jason Campbell went down, in an effort to salvage the teams 4-2 start. An understandable decision. The silver and black were driving for a possible playoff spot and a good quarterback was necessary. Carson was the best available option, and with Al Davis dead, Head Coach Hue Jackson made the call, dealt the picks, and Carson Palmer was a Raider.
The Raiders finished 8-8, no playoff spot and no first or second draft pick, which they could use now, to strengthen the team. They'd also have no Carson Palmer and I don't see that they'd be better off.
Palmer is still an elite quarterback in my opinion. He had a rough first year, but considering he was thrown in to a tough situation with no training camp, I think he did damn well. There were some great moments along the way, and with a training camp under his belt, we will see great things this year.
In no way did they over pay. This cat has 4 good seasons left. The key will be to scout a QB of the future and draft smart. Identify the QB of the future and give him the chance to work with Carson and learn what it takes to be a top QB in the league.
Super Bowl this year? No dice on that. But the table is being set for the next Super Bowl appearanc.
Last year, the Raiders gave up 2 number one draft choices, when Jason Campbell went down, in an effort to salvage the teams 4-2 start. An understandable decision. The silver and black were driving for a possible playoff spot and a good quarterback was necessary. Carson was the best available option, and with Al Davis dead, Head Coach Hue Jackson made the call, dealt the picks, and Carson Palmer was a Raider.
The Raiders finished 8-8, no playoff spot and no first or second draft pick, which they could use now, to strengthen the team. They'd also have no Carson Palmer and I don't see that they'd be better off.
Palmer is still an elite quarterback in my opinion. He had a rough first year, but considering he was thrown in to a tough situation with no training camp, I think he did damn well. There were some great moments along the way, and with a training camp under his belt, we will see great things this year.
In no way did they over pay. This cat has 4 good seasons left. The key will be to scout a QB of the future and draft smart. Identify the QB of the future and give him the chance to work with Carson and learn what it takes to be a top QB in the league.
Super Bowl this year? No dice on that. But the table is being set for the next Super Bowl appearanc.
The most dominant player of the 1970's
The 1970's were to me, the most dominant era of professional football. Player skill was at it's highest, the league was not watered down with expansion, though they did add 2 teams, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Seattle Seahawks. The television era was at it's peak, and the game was not the corporate spectacle it is today. That was emerging and while the corporate direction was obviously coming, the league still relied on it's fan base as the top priority, corporate interests were secondary.
Ask the average fan of that day, who was the greatest player of 1970's NFL. Most would say Roger Staubach, OJ Simpson (before he became a killer) Mean Joe Green or Larry Csonka. Few would say Ray Guy. I however, say Ray Guy.
Ray Guy was the greatest punter in NFL history. Bar none. The punter is the afterthought of the team. Not a player of zero value, a good punter can make the difference on many occasions, but a punter will not change the course of a game the same way a great quarterback, running back or defensive star is able to. Teams are content with a solid punter, choosing to invest in the other areas of the roster, and for good reason. There are very few great punters in the history of the league, solid is good enough.
Ray Guy was different. He WAS a dominant punter. For the first 9 years of his career he didn't a kick blocked. Ray showed that a punter can be a dominant member of the roster, and while seeking a punter, you have to take your scouting as seriously as you would a wide receiver or any other position player.
Why was Ray Guy the most dominant player of the 70's? Because taking every other position into account, there was always a question as to who was the greatest in the league. Was Joe Namath, Terry Bradshaw, Bob Griese or Roger Staubach the greatest QB in the league? Was Walter Payton, OJ, or Franco Harris the greatest RB in the league? With every position, this question is asked. Even Place kickers. Was Garo Yepremian or Jan Stenerud the greatest? But with Punters, there was no doubt. It started and ended with Ray Guy.
That's why Ray Guy dominated the 70's.
Ask the average fan of that day, who was the greatest player of 1970's NFL. Most would say Roger Staubach, OJ Simpson (before he became a killer) Mean Joe Green or Larry Csonka. Few would say Ray Guy. I however, say Ray Guy.
Ray Guy was the greatest punter in NFL history. Bar none. The punter is the afterthought of the team. Not a player of zero value, a good punter can make the difference on many occasions, but a punter will not change the course of a game the same way a great quarterback, running back or defensive star is able to. Teams are content with a solid punter, choosing to invest in the other areas of the roster, and for good reason. There are very few great punters in the history of the league, solid is good enough.
Ray Guy was different. He WAS a dominant punter. For the first 9 years of his career he didn't a kick blocked. Ray showed that a punter can be a dominant member of the roster, and while seeking a punter, you have to take your scouting as seriously as you would a wide receiver or any other position player.
Why was Ray Guy the most dominant player of the 70's? Because taking every other position into account, there was always a question as to who was the greatest in the league. Was Joe Namath, Terry Bradshaw, Bob Griese or Roger Staubach the greatest QB in the league? Was Walter Payton, OJ, or Franco Harris the greatest RB in the league? With every position, this question is asked. Even Place kickers. Was Garo Yepremian or Jan Stenerud the greatest? But with Punters, there was no doubt. It started and ended with Ray Guy.
That's why Ray Guy dominated the 70's.
Why "Los Angeles Raiders"?
That will be the first question asked by visitors to this site. Why "Los Angeles" Raiders? Currently they are the Oakland Raiders, but I see that changing very, very soon. The NFL has not had a Los Angeles presence since 1995. There's always been some question if the Raiders would return to LA (I don't know why Al ever left!), and everyone has discounted the possiblity for as long as I can remember. I do believe the Raiders (and the Rams) will return to SoCal, and most importantly for Raider fans, the death of longtime owner Al Davis makes this possible.
Al was most definitely NOT the most popular guy at owners meetings, and for good reason. Al bucked the ownership hierarchy for so long, and having once moved to LA, and suing the league successfully to maintain his position in LA, Al made a point of not being a team player. Where the owners were concerned.
Now Al is gone, and his son Mark is the owner. I can't believe Mark is much popular than his father, but Mark can revisit the prospects of moving to the Los Angeles market, much more readily than Al could. No way they'd let Al have LA again, but with Mark, it's possible.
Irwindale or downtown Los Angeles are the stadium options. The Irwindale site is ready for construction. The environmental impact studies are done, and the site owner, Ed Roski hasn't made the sort of demands for team ownership that Phillip Anshultz and the AEG people have made. AEG has been wildly successful with the Staples Center, and while they have the experience in running a major sports venue, the heavy team ownership demands they've made could be deal breakers.
Al was most definitely NOT the most popular guy at owners meetings, and for good reason. Al bucked the ownership hierarchy for so long, and having once moved to LA, and suing the league successfully to maintain his position in LA, Al made a point of not being a team player. Where the owners were concerned.
Now Al is gone, and his son Mark is the owner. I can't believe Mark is much popular than his father, but Mark can revisit the prospects of moving to the Los Angeles market, much more readily than Al could. No way they'd let Al have LA again, but with Mark, it's possible.
Irwindale or downtown Los Angeles are the stadium options. The Irwindale site is ready for construction. The environmental impact studies are done, and the site owner, Ed Roski hasn't made the sort of demands for team ownership that Phillip Anshultz and the AEG people have made. AEG has been wildly successful with the Staples Center, and while they have the experience in running a major sports venue, the heavy team ownership demands they've made could be deal breakers.
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