In case you have been in a cave since the 2007 draft, I'll let you in on a secret...JaMarcus Russell has not led the Raiders out of the Raider Nation recession. The Raiders are still a below average team, but with some very good players. The Raiders had a need for a franchise QB when they drafted Russell, they still have a need for a franchise QB. Coming out of college, Russell was a great quarterback. His college finale was a Sugar Bowl massacre of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, and I was praying that the Raiders would draft this kid. Sure enough, they did. JaMarcus Russell spins twice & slings it 53 yards
But the bigger they come, the harder they fall. And Russell's 6'6" 260+pounds fell hard. [...]
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On Black Monday (the first day of the off-season for non-playoff teams) ESPN reported that "Al Davis is 'inclined' to fire Tom Cable" and every other sports outlet assumed he would be gone within a week. At his Monday news conference (on Black Monday) Cable said he would meet with Al Davis "sometime next week." Media reports claimed that the meeting would be on Monday, January 11th and after Monday had come and gone there was no announcement from the Raiders.
After that, reports said anyday it would happen and it happened (the meeting) on Thursday, January 14th. After there was no second day of face-to-face meeting between Davis and Cable reports began to pick-up again saying Marc Trestman, Jim Fassell and Jim Harbaugh were candidates and Al Davis was interviewing them [...]
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No I am not mentally disabled. This thought came into my mind when I heard Mike Waufle will be the Raiders D-line coach in 2010.
I know that Al Davis doesn't like to pay his coach's high salaries, Tom Cable is getting $2M in 2010. He doesn't like coach's who want lots of control. I know that the Raiders organization did not want photos of Gruden with Raiders personnel to be on the internet.
But think about the time that Waufle was the Raiders D-line coach...1998-2003. Who was the head coach of that era, Jon Gruden! When J.P Losman signed with the Raiders rumors began to spread it was setting up Jim Fassel to coach Oakland in 2010. This is just as reasonable as the Fassel-Losman connection.
Tom Cable was unaware of Hue Jackson's interview with the team, [...]
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When Al Davis publicly fired Lane Kiffin he made many accusations about Lane wanting out of Oakland, wanting the free agents they signed, not telling the truth to the media and causing distractions. When Kiffin was fired I was mad as hell about it because I, like much of the Raider Nation, felt he had the team on the right track. I thought everything Al Davis said was crazy BS. But when Kiffin joined Tennesee, he caused many problems. He has accused other teams of tampering with recruiting, he has cut some of his recruits and has called out people across the SEC.
Al Davis called Kiffin a "flat out liar" among many other things. When Kiffin said he was happy to join Tennessee he clearly was talking through his you- know-what.. He has left that school after one season [...]
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With this loss to the Ravens to close the seaon, the Raiders finish 5-11. That ties the best they have done since the Super Bowl season. Four of the five wins were against playoff teams and the defending champion Steelers and the other was a come from behind thriller at Kansas City. The Raiders also had two close games with the Chargers this year. But they have been blown out too many times: New York Giants and Jets, Broncos, Texans, Cowboys and they lost at home to the Redskins and Chiefs. But is that all the fault of Tom Cable.
What do most of the losses have in common? Who was at QB? JaMarcus Russell. The Raiders were 2-7 with Russell starting and then they fell out of a close game with the Redskins when Russell entered. Lately Russell has been somewhat [...]
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Who saw this one coming. The Steelers are the defending Super Bowl champions and are fighting for a playoff spot and were at Heinz Field against the 3-8 Raiders. The opening kickoff was returned by the Steelers all the way to the Raiders 20. But a solid effort by the defense held the Steelers to no first downs and a field goal made it 3-0. The Raiders drove to mid-field when 4th and 1 came up. Gradkowsi ran a play action and rolled out and hit Justin Fargas to move the chains. That drive tied the game 3-3.
Then it looked like it would become the blow out that many people expected. Big Ben executed back to back huge plays with the last one being a strike to Santonio Holmes for the first touchdown, 10-3 Steelers lead. The Raiders didn't go down though, they [...]
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For "A Day in the Life, Pt. 1," click here
When we left: Tom Cable was waiting for players to arrive for their Monday meetings.
Cable, trying to rub away the pickaxe-wielding gnomes in his head, is waiting for Russell while trying to think of a new way to reach him.
“Maybe I should invite him over for dinner like Al Pacino invited Steamin’ Willie Beamon in On Any Given Sunday. Wait, that’s not going to work. What am I going to do, microwave some Hot Pockets and have a sit down in the office? Maybe I could make him watch the movie; or, better yet—I should invite him over [...]
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Any resemblance to reality of the below events is purely coincidental.
Monday, 5 a.m., at the Cable household—an alarm goes off...
“Just wake up, baby! Just wake up, baby!” screams the alarm—louder and louder each time. Carol Cable, tired from a long night sleeping next to a restless mate, reaches her hand over and stumbles for the alarm.
In the meantime, after a night of cold sweat and night-terror-filled sleep, Tom Cable grunts and swings his arm to hit the snooze button on an alarm he wishes he had never set.
Tom misses the snooze but does hit his wife’s fumbling hand.
“Ow! My hand! Tom, you hit me! I can’t believe you hit me!” Carol [...]
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