Courtesy of Vampa at Silver and Black Pride:
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Saturday, January 07, 2012
Raiders Head Into Uncharted Territory With GM Reggie McKenzie
It's been widely reported that the Oakland Raiders are prepared to make Green Bay Packers Director of Football Operations Reggie McKenzie their first GM. The Raiders have refused to comment even though McKenzie personally texted ESPN to confirm the news.
The fact the Raiders still persist in trying to put up a shroud of secrecy is exactly the reason why the organization needs a massive shakeup. Of course Al Davis was always the de facto GM for Raider Nation when he was alive -- for better or worse. His hands-on meddling on and off the field contributed to the recent precipitous fall from face for the Silver and Black. After all it's been almost a decade since the Raiders have reached to the playoffs and the nine years since have been littered with embarrassments, busts and, most importantly, plenty of losses.
Shortly after Oakland fell yet again short of the playoffs Al's son and current Raiders owner Marc Davis brought in a group of former Raider greats including Ron Wolf and John Madden to assist in the GM search. In the end that group endorsed Reggie McKenzie.
Reggie McKenzie represents hope. He's been with the Packers front office since 1994. During that time Green Bay has been one of the most successful teams in the NFL, punctuated by Super Bowl victories in 1997 and last year. He was considered one of the rising GM candidates in the league. He's also a former Raider having began his football career as an Oakland linebacker in 1985.
The first order of business for Reggie will be to determine whether to fire the current head coach. Hue Jackson left a bad taste after torching the team after it laid an egg against the Chargers in the season finale. Also many football pundits believe he grossly overpaid for Carson Palmer and generally wants too much influence within the organization.
Whatever happens with the Raiders going forward this offseason... In Reggie We Trust.
The fact the Raiders still persist in trying to put up a shroud of secrecy is exactly the reason why the organization needs a massive shakeup. Of course Al Davis was always the de facto GM for Raider Nation when he was alive -- for better or worse. His hands-on meddling on and off the field contributed to the recent precipitous fall from face for the Silver and Black. After all it's been almost a decade since the Raiders have reached to the playoffs and the nine years since have been littered with embarrassments, busts and, most importantly, plenty of losses.
Shortly after Oakland fell yet again short of the playoffs Al's son and current Raiders owner Marc Davis brought in a group of former Raider greats including Ron Wolf and John Madden to assist in the GM search. In the end that group endorsed Reggie McKenzie.
Reggie McKenzie represents hope. He's been with the Packers front office since 1994. During that time Green Bay has been one of the most successful teams in the NFL, punctuated by Super Bowl victories in 1997 and last year. He was considered one of the rising GM candidates in the league. He's also a former Raider having began his football career as an Oakland linebacker in 1985.
The first order of business for Reggie will be to determine whether to fire the current head coach. Hue Jackson left a bad taste after torching the team after it laid an egg against the Chargers in the season finale. Also many football pundits believe he grossly overpaid for Carson Palmer and generally wants too much influence within the organization.
Whatever happens with the Raiders going forward this offseason... In Reggie We Trust.
Sunday, December 25, 2011
The Running Collection Of DJ Steve Porter NFL Remixes From ESPN
Whatever ESPN is paying Skip Bayless it should instead reward DJ Steve Porter for his amazing Auto-Tune remixes.
Props to sportsremixes for uploading these videos:
Tebow Magic
Philly Dream Team
Fear
Can't Wait To Play (Patriots vs. Jets)
2011 NFL Offseason Review
Props to sportsremixes for uploading these videos:
Tebow Magic
Philly Dream Team
Fear
Can't Wait To Play (Patriots vs. Jets)
2011 NFL Offseason Review
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Friday, December 09, 2011
Chris Paul Got Bojangled By The NBA
What David Stern did last night was unethical. When the commissioner blocks a trade that would send arguably the best point guard in the game to the most glamorous team in the league due to the transaction not fulfilling "the best interests of the game" something is horribly wrong.
Bill Simmons hits all the rights notes in his latest Grantland column about why this power move feels so wrong. This blockade smacks of NBA owners, who collectively own the New Orleans Hornets, imposing their wills on Stern. They whined to get what they wanted from the lockout and now they whine and win again. It sets a unfair precedent the likes of which sports fans haven't seen since the arcane days of pre-free agency baseball when players were essentially treated like property.
New Orleans GM Dell Demps was supposedly "disconsolate" following last night's cancellation. Who could blame him? Demps is working in a no-win situation yet still managed to orchestrate a blockbuster deal that would have maximized a return on Chris Paul. It got leaked that Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert, perhaps the whiniest and most shameful of all the NBA owners (and that's saying something), wrote Stern an email pleading with him to not let the trade go through. Gilbert wishes he had a GM with the foresight to trade a NBA superstar before he flees your mediocre franchise.
Paul is now likely a lameduck with the Hornets for the entire season and will certainly not resign with the team in 2012. Had Chris been traded to the Lakers he would have been able to sign a huge contract extension as well as benefit from a season of playing in Hollywood. The nixed traded probably cost him several tens of millions in potential wages and marketing. Yea, no wonder he's allegedly reached out to Billy Hunter about the possibility of suing the NBA.
The NBA: Where Appalling Happens
Bill Simmons hits all the rights notes in his latest Grantland column about why this power move feels so wrong. This blockade smacks of NBA owners, who collectively own the New Orleans Hornets, imposing their wills on Stern. They whined to get what they wanted from the lockout and now they whine and win again. It sets a unfair precedent the likes of which sports fans haven't seen since the arcane days of pre-free agency baseball when players were essentially treated like property.
New Orleans GM Dell Demps was supposedly "disconsolate" following last night's cancellation. Who could blame him? Demps is working in a no-win situation yet still managed to orchestrate a blockbuster deal that would have maximized a return on Chris Paul. It got leaked that Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert, perhaps the whiniest and most shameful of all the NBA owners (and that's saying something), wrote Stern an email pleading with him to not let the trade go through. Gilbert wishes he had a GM with the foresight to trade a NBA superstar before he flees your mediocre franchise.
Paul is now likely a lameduck with the Hornets for the entire season and will certainly not resign with the team in 2012. Had Chris been traded to the Lakers he would have been able to sign a huge contract extension as well as benefit from a season of playing in Hollywood. The nixed traded probably cost him several tens of millions in potential wages and marketing. Yea, no wonder he's allegedly reached out to Billy Hunter about the possibility of suing the NBA.
The NBA: Where Appalling Happens
Friday, December 02, 2011
Rolando McClain Arrested For Almost Shooting A Guy In The Head
From The Washington Post:
Oakland Raiders linebacker Rolando McClain was arrested Thursday on misdemeanor assault, firearms and other charges after police said he fired a gun during a fight in his Alabama hometown.To be fair the guy Rolando threatened to shoot was JaMarcus Russell.
McClain, 22, held a gun beside a man’s head during an altercation and the man begged him not to shoot, according to a statement released by Lt. John Crouch of the Decatur Police Department.
McClain, an All American at Alabama during his junior year, moved the gun but fired a round beside the man’s ear.
Sunday, November 27, 2011
USC Trojans Finish Strong
If I told you one year ago that between Joe Paterno and Lane Kiffin one coach would be unceremoniously dismissed in scandal while the other would be credited with reviving a powerhouse program...
Funny how quickly things can change.
Credit to Kiffin and the coaching staff for getting the team to play with maximum effort in the second half of the season. Following the loss to Arizona State and with contests looming at Notre Dame, Stanford and at Oregon the Trojans could have easily imploded. Instead USC, led by Heisman contender Matt Barkley, played with brilliance and toughness the rest of the way. Only a triple-OT loss to Stanford would be the only blemish in the second leg of the 2011 campaign, which included upsets at South Bend as well as at Eugene and culminated in last night's 50-0 bulldozing of crosstown UCLA.
Even with no possibility of playing for the Pac-12 Championship or bowl game the Trojans performed with tenacity and precision not seen since the Pete Carroll glory days (ironically those times are what led to the current sanctions against the team. But I digress). Monte Kiffin should feel especially vindicated as the linebackers and secondary gelled and USC's defense "zoned" in on opponents.
I think most USC fans coming into the season would have considered 10-2 (with wins against the Irish and Bruins) a roaring success. While 2011 will be remember with sunny fondness 2012 is looking a lot murkier. Juniors Matt Barkley, Matt Kalil, TJ McDonald and Nick Perry all projected to jump to the NFL. But in his sophomore year as head coach Lane Kiffin proved the doubters wrong. The football monopoly in LA isn't going anywhere.
Funny how quickly things can change.
Credit to Kiffin and the coaching staff for getting the team to play with maximum effort in the second half of the season. Following the loss to Arizona State and with contests looming at Notre Dame, Stanford and at Oregon the Trojans could have easily imploded. Instead USC, led by Heisman contender Matt Barkley, played with brilliance and toughness the rest of the way. Only a triple-OT loss to Stanford would be the only blemish in the second leg of the 2011 campaign, which included upsets at South Bend as well as at Eugene and culminated in last night's 50-0 bulldozing of crosstown UCLA.
Even with no possibility of playing for the Pac-12 Championship or bowl game the Trojans performed with tenacity and precision not seen since the Pete Carroll glory days (ironically those times are what led to the current sanctions against the team. But I digress). Monte Kiffin should feel especially vindicated as the linebackers and secondary gelled and USC's defense "zoned" in on opponents.
I think most USC fans coming into the season would have considered 10-2 (with wins against the Irish and Bruins) a roaring success. While 2011 will be remember with sunny fondness 2012 is looking a lot murkier. Juniors Matt Barkley, Matt Kalil, TJ McDonald and Nick Perry all projected to jump to the NFL. But in his sophomore year as head coach Lane Kiffin proved the doubters wrong. The football monopoly in LA isn't going anywhere.
Monday, November 21, 2011
RIP Greg Halman
Tragic news this morning as 24-year-old outfielder Greg Halman was murdered at a home in the Netherlands. His 22-year-old brother has been taken in as a suspect.
I always rooted for Greg. He oozed athleticism yet was extremely raw as a ballplayer. Halman could swing at a slider three feet in the dirt and smash a fastball 450 feet in the same at-bat. Either way there was never a dull moment watching him.
2012 was going to be a critical season for Greg's development. He was one of many young, talented outfielders who had been accumulated to play left and potentially replace CF Franklin Gutierrez and RF Ichiro Suzuki.
Halman could have went in any direction. Perhaps his hand-eye coordination would improve to the point he would develop into a solid Major Leaguer. Maybe he'd always struggle hitting offspeed stuff. There was even a chance he would have been traded this winter.
But now all of that is meaningless. Greg Halman has left all of us far too soon and we're left to look for answers.
I always rooted for Greg. He oozed athleticism yet was extremely raw as a ballplayer. Halman could swing at a slider three feet in the dirt and smash a fastball 450 feet in the same at-bat. Either way there was never a dull moment watching him.
2012 was going to be a critical season for Greg's development. He was one of many young, talented outfielders who had been accumulated to play left and potentially replace CF Franklin Gutierrez and RF Ichiro Suzuki.
Halman could have went in any direction. Perhaps his hand-eye coordination would improve to the point he would develop into a solid Major Leaguer. Maybe he'd always struggle hitting offspeed stuff. There was even a chance he would have been traded this winter.
But now all of that is meaningless. Greg Halman has left all of us far too soon and we're left to look for answers.
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