The Oakland Raiders found their man last week, selecting Dennis Allen as their new head coach. And thus with this hiring, the new era of Raiders football is firmly underway. Many fans of Raider Nation are both a bit nervously skeptical and pleasantly optimistic. Allen has had no previous head coaching experience; but his expertise on the defensive side of the ball is intriguing for a team that ranked near the bottom in the NFL in most defensive categories last season. While Oakland has many items to address in terms of new coaching personnel, there are other decisions that need ...
As some of you know, I live in Evansville, Indiana, in the heart of Colts country. Well, the heart of Colts country once Peyton Manning became a Colt, but that's another story.So I write this article in part to poke fun at "nouveau riche" Colts fans, and in part to imagine how it would go down if Peyton Manning actually did take his talents to Oakland, an admittedly unlikely scenario. So with that disclaimer out of the way, let's toss some things around. Let's assume Manning will be healthy and not a shell of his former self, and let's have some ...
ForewordSunday morning, Oakland, Calif., was on the news because of the protesting that some say stems from economic and social inequities around the United States. A more entertaining event was also televised Sunday morning, showing riders on motorcycles going up and down and all around O.co Coliseum. The announcers bragged about the Coliseum being the home of the Oakland Raiders and the Oakland Athletics.I wondered, "Why would anyone want to move the Oakland Raiders from Oakland?" Certainly the area needs some type of economic stimulus to help move it forward and help the Oakland Raiders become more stable.Since the franchise ...
Looking back at the list of Oakland Raiders head coaches in the last decade-plus, the term "coaching carousel" comes to mind. The term "slaughterhouse" does as well.The organization appeared to be the place for promising young coaches (Gruden) to start, then get run out of town by a controlling, micromanaging owner. It was a place for coaches with no name recognition (and even less talent) came and, after failing to deliver, were unceremoniously disposed of (Cable, Kiffin, Callahan, White). Finally, Oakland was also a place where over-the-hill has-beens came to wait out a year or two under Lord Davis until ...
The 2012 Oakland Athletics are a team that has had tremendous turnover this offseason. There has been an exodus of players from last season, as this winter has seen multiple veterans depart via trade and free agency. With such an excavation of talent, many people have decided that the Athletics are for the meantime unworthy of their fanship, as the team is more focused on moving to San Jose than fielding a winning team.In an effort to bolster their outfield, it was reported last week that Oakland has come to terms with free-agent outfielder Jonny Gomes. The latent function is ...
So another season has come and gone in Raider Nation but the result has been the same as it has been since 2003—missing the playoffs. There have been numerous issues since 2003 that have come and gone, but there are two consistent issues: penalties and defense.The defense hasn't been terrible since 2003 (ranking among league leaders in pass defense a few times), but this past season it was terrible under Chuck Bresnahan, who I would call a has been—though that would imply he was good at one time, which he wasn't. The offense carried the Raiders from 2000-2002 when they ...
With the Dennis Allen deal finalized, and the likelihood of additional changes to be made in the staff and roster, Raider Nation is anxiously awaiting Allen's first moves.It's always fascinating how the first few moves by a new head coach energize a fan base, and Oakland has gotten really good at judging new head coaches. Unlike most NFL teams that prefer consistency, the Raiders have chosen to go through head coaches like toilet paper. Allen is Oakland's seventh head coach since 2002.While it has not done much to stabilize the franchise, it has taught this fan base all about new head coaches ...
Reggie McKenzie didn’t hesitate when he punctuated his first Oakland Raiders press conference with the following: “I’m going to keep this short, ‘cause we’ve got a lot of work to do.” And he wasn’t kidding, either. In just three weeks time, the new Raiders general manager has effectively started rebuilding and putting his own touches on the Raiders’ franchise. And that type of house cleaning is an excellent stepping stone to a more successful Raider team. Keep in mind, McKenzie is not just making quick decisions. He is also showing confidence in his choices. And he made it very clear ...
With the Dennis Allen hiring in its final stages, and the offseason officially ready to get started, disturbing rumors are popping up about the future of Run DMC. There are whispers that Darren McFadden may be trade fodder to bolster better draft picks in the 2012 draft. It's not surprising to see that Oakland's new GM would be looking to reboot this roster, but it may be a little overzealous to trade away someone this valuable.It goes without saying that Oakland has a talented backfield, and McFadden is a major component of that group. Did Michael Bush have a fantastic season when McFadden went down? Sure, for ...
The Oakland Athletics will not be able to compete in the A.L. West with the lineups they will have in any game this year. It’s a plain fact. A very sad fact. Don’t point the finger at the players on the team or manager Bob Melvin. General Manager Billy Beane is “building” for that hopeful future stadium in San Jose. Constructing the "future" has meant the present is a sidebar. There’s no player on the roster that opposing pitchers don’t want to face. Why is that?Because there isn't a player currently on the A's roster that can be a pure ...