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The Tighter You Squeeze, The Less You Have

Of course it’s not ideal--it’s not even sane on some levels--but when you’re the owner, it’s your right to hire and fire as you please. Kiffin forgot this is Mr. Davis’ team. Adam Treu

Bookmark and Share Print This Send This September 23, 2008, 07:09 AM EST
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Bugel, Gruden, Callahan, Turner, Shell, Rowan, Callahan, Kroemer, Colletto, Eatman, Slater, Tillman, Ganz, Casullo, Avezzano, Daisher.  In my ten seasons with the Raiders, this is the list of my Head Coaches (5), O-Line Coaches (6) and Special Teams Coaches (5).   If this is some record then I am bummed I own it.   With rapid reports of Kiffin’s imminent firing (before KC/after KC/this Monday/next Sunday/bye week) the streak stays alive. While I believe Kiffin is wrong to talk about private, professional turmoil to anyone who is going to print it, I also don’t think firing him is going to help the Raiders in any way.  Fire a coach and the air around the facility starts to reek of frustration, apathy and anger.

Of course it’s not ideal--it’s not even sane on some levels--but when you’re the owner, it’s your right to hire and fire as you please.  Kiffin forgot this is Mr. Davis’ team.  Mr. Davis forgot turbulence rarely translates well.  I’ve tried to stay pretty Zen about it, as disappointing as it is.  Some of you have not.  And before the chest puffing and fist pumping over who loves the Raiders the most commences (because I don’t doubt that you do), ask yourself the following questions:  Have I wished the owner dead? Have I threatened to pummel Kiffin into a lifeless, bloody heap?  Did I say if given the chance, I’d take a tube sock and a roll of nickels to Rob Ryan’s temple?  Do I find myself surprised and/or disappointed by personal fouls and (alleged) DUI’s?  Have I screamed at a player/fellow fan/family member/pet so violently I needed a Zoloft, a bourbon and my blankie? 

If this sounds like you, it’s time to push back from the keyboard, recycle the newspapers, turn off the NFL Network and find something else to do.  It may even be time to find something else to love.  Because this much is true: This is the Raider way.  Mr. Davis owns the Raiders.  Lane Kiffin probably never wanted to coach here.  The refs actually don’t have it out for this team.  Players with limited self-control will continue to be limited by their self-control. If you’re unhappy with the product, stop wasting your time, money and energy on it.  Unless you’ve got $800 million or so, things probably aren’t going to go the way you want.   I had to accept I wasn’t going to have the same coaches for more than a couple seasons at a time.  I had to accept when things were bad because it taught me to appreciate when things were good.  I played with some real dummies and some guys I wished I could be like. I loved football and football loved me back.  But I also walked away with the knowledge that The Raiders, though highly entertaining and deeply loved Is Not Life.  Once you accept all of the above maybe you can start loving football simply for what it is.

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Daniel
Sep 23, 2008
09:26 AM

"This is the Raider way."

Never fails to make me smile! But seriousl

Daniel
Sep 23, 2008
09:27 AM

... But seriously, I'm rooting for Kiffin! It'll be interesting to see how long he can hang in there

Chad
Sep 23, 2008
09:43 AM

I have a feeling that Kiffin will land on his feet and end up being a pretty good coach down the line. No doubt Davis will rewrite history in his own mind and turn this into some sort of Gruden-like betrayal scenario. As someone who's only interest in the Raiders is out of sheer curiosity, I just feel sorry for them as an organization.

Raider Nate 75
Sep 23, 2008
10:13 AM

As a very frustrated Raiders' fan, here are my sentiments:

The winter cold killed a pirate
Frustration on the sea
With a lamenting song, he weeps, he longs
To recover from his injury

He hangs his head in defeat
He feels helpless as the cold waves crash
He's lost his sense of direction
And has snot-sickles on his mustache

He moans and begs for mercy
He reflects on his glory of old
He begins to shake, and quiver and quake
As the winter robs him of his gold.

The winter cold killed a Raider
A legacy ends in turmoil and shun
He's been knocked around, hung upside down
Disgraced, defeated, undone...

Adam Treu
Sep 23, 2008
10:37 AM

Daniel, I'm rooting for Kiffin, too. I like him.

Michael Lombardi
Sep 23, 2008
10:41 AM
Michael Lombardi

Kiffin is in a tough spot, there are too many people in the building killing him...he has very few he can trust...

Patrick Craig
Sep 23, 2008
10:52 AM

It's never a good idea to call out your employer even if he happens to be wrong but c'mon already. Between the Lions and the Raiders it's hard to pick a Team who's owner is the most clueless.

BigJohn
Sep 23, 2008
12:15 PM

RaiderNate:

Very nice poem. I wrote one about Ray Nitshcke right after he died; maybe I'll post it sometime.

Nation Collective-Chaos
Sep 23, 2008
12:50 PM

Adam,

Thanks for the read. I must say though, the Raider Nation is not like some typical fan base. You know that more then a lot of people. We are not all thugs, rowdy, and unemployed, but we are dedicated to "OUR TEAM".

To comment on your statement calling for fans to walk away, maybe not in so many words, but Kiffin said it perfectly yesterday. I AM NOT QUITTING! To be honest with you, I do not think anyone else in the Nation is quitting either, except for the oldies that are having heart attacks and checking out. More so, I think it has become quite clear that there is a deep rumble in the Raider Nation. This is a rumble that I have not ever heard in my 28 years of fanhood. People are tired of the Tyrant. You will see this weekend how tired they are. Look in the stands. Watch the crowd. The voices of the people who support the team and bring the revenue to the team that pays the saleries will be heard.
Do not be mistaken!

JimT
Sep 23, 2008
12:54 PM

While the truth of any situations is almost always somewhere in the middle, it sure is fun for people to believe in the extremes. Both Davis and Kiffin are probably wrong but without a mediator, will they both realize this before it is too late for the current team?

Former Hotel guest
Sep 23, 2008
12:57 PM

I have to say as a former 11 yr guest at the hotel, I feel that Adam is absolutely right. We should just accept the Raiders/AL for who they/HE are..entertainers. Unfortunatley they/HE are doing all of the entertaining off of the field. Leave the real desire to win and compete to the other 31 teams in the NFL.
A good friend of mine once reminded that Albert Einsteins definition of insanity was to do the same thing over and over again expecting a different result.
So, from this we should assume that Al is insane, right? He keeps doing the same thing over and over again expecting to win. Giving coaches 1-2 yr stints, and giving the wrong players more than 2-3 times the $$$ any other team would have even considered. Kelly, Walker, Hall (entertainment at its best here folks). Ok, fine, that said are fans, players and coaches insane for expecting Al not to act differently year after year? Just accept that he is doing what HE wants to do because he owns the team.
My advise is to do what I do, watch every other Raider game (road games of course) read an article once or twice a week. Enjoy the entertainment!! That is all Al can offer us at this point. Again, being a former guest, I have to say that I am enjoying the show....thanks Al!

Steve
Sep 23, 2008
12:57 PM

Al appears to be more interested in winning petty fights with the media and employees he hired than winning games. He should be much more worried about the fact that he has a backup TE as his third DT and that his WR's can't separate than what Kawakami writes in the paper.

I have been a loyal Raiders fan for 30+ years and I refuse to buy anymore tickets, gear, etc. until this franchise convinces me that it is doing everything it can to win on Sundays.

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