The Worm Has Turned

In the world of football driven college athletic conferences, a reality check takes place on an almost monthly basis. Just as the furor and excitement over the "Catholic Seven" schools breaking away from the Big East had subsided, Boise St. Univ. threw another gallon of gasoline on the fire by announcing that they would stay put in the Mountain West. The Broncos had been scheduled to depart the MWC and join the Big East in 2013. The departure of the seven basketball-only schools, apparently gave Boise St. cause to reconsider.

While common sense dictated that they stay in the Mountain West, it could cost the Broncos dearly to break away from a league that they were never a part of. The Big East, which has turned collecting exit fees into a cottage industry, claims that Boise St. owes them $10 million for reneging on their deal. The Mountain West and Boise St. put that figure at $5 million with the league willing to kick in a portion of the penalty. Let's just call it the $5 million dollar mistake and sweep it under the rug, we've all done that at some point.

In a world where loyalty, tradition and fair play have gone out the window, the MWC pulled a dirty trick straight out of  Big East commissioner  Mike Aresco's bag 'o tricks, they bribed Boise St. to reconsider their move. What's good for the goose.... The Big East's lack of scruples has turned on them, potential member schools are awakening to the fact that Mike Aresco is nothing more than the Bernie Madoff of college football, running a Ponzi scheme on those naive hicks out west. Turns out those potato farmers aren't as dumb as they seem.

The Broncos negotiated a provision that applies only to Boise St., among its MWC peers, allowing the Broncos to negotiate their own TV deal for all home games. They will also work with the MWC to land a television contract that's inclusive of all member schools. Money from the deal goes to the league and then is distributed back to Boise St. and other league members in a bonus plan. The bonuses factor in the network that carries the games and whether the games are broadcast on Saturdays or not.

The MWC also agreed to split 50/50 with any league team, the revenue paid for making it to a BCS bowl game. Reports from CBS Sports have that amount pegged at between $2 or $3.5 million dollars. It's win-win for all involved, The Mountain West is much more attractive to the networks with Boise St. as a member. That should keep the second tier of MWC schools happy for awhile, and if they're not happy, what are their options? For their part, The Big East claimed that they worked hard to keep Boise State on board, but that ultimately the Broncos called their bluff and they flinched.

Let's back this up just a tad, here's the timeline of events that led Boise St. to seek a better deal closer to home.  Mike Aresco's skills as a conference killer are starting to rival those of Karl Benson (WAC, Sun Belt) but this latest round started with the Big Ten adding Maryland and Rutgers as members. This led to the domino effect of the ACC plucking Louisville from the Big East, which resulted in Aresco inviting East Carolina (football only) & Tulane(all sports) to join the Big East. As it turned out, the Comish overplayed his hand. 

East Carolina made sense from a football standpoint, Tulane on the other hand, as a full member did not. (although road trips to NOLA would be fun) That proved to be the final straw for the basketball only schools that had helped build the Big East into a hoops power conference. Of all the schools scheduled to join the Big East, only two, Memphis & San Diego St. are competitive in basketball. The seven basketball only schools in the Big East had learned the hard way, that their legacy of hardwood achievement be damned, football was now in the driver's seat.  

Villanova, Georgetown, St. John's, DePaul, Marquette, Providence and Seton Hall banded together and announced that they were breaking away from the football playing Big East Schools. This set in place a pending legal battle, which is in the preliminary stages, of deciding how to split up millions in NCAA tournament revenue and exit fees. Also to be settled is which faction will get to use the name "Big East" The name has always been synonymous with excellence in basketball, not so much so in football. The football schools should start brainstorming for a new league name. 

Weighing on Mike Aresco is the lack of a television contract and the fact that in 2014,  the Big East will be lumped in with the MWC, MAC, CUSA & Sun Belt for a bracket spot in the college football playoffs. In the eyes of the BCS & NCAA selection process, losing Pittsburgh, Syracuse, Louisville, West Virginia and possibly Cincinnati or UConn is more than enough to put the Big East on equal footing those supposedly "lesser" football associations. As the sixth rated football conference, the Big East has become the football equivalent of a "border state" during the Civil War. 

As the BSC raiders swooped down and made off with the goods, the Big East was reduced to doing the same.... to their unsuspecting neighbors to the west. As Malcolm X once stated "the chickens have come home to roost" Boise St's decision now puts San Diego St. on the clock. The low hanging fruit of the MWC is now out of reach for Aresco's Raiders, perhaps they should turn to the MAC, CUSA or the Sun Belt.... ouch!  San Diego St. has yet to make its move, though a clause in their contract allows them to back out if there's not another Big East school west of the Rocky Mountains.

The current Mountain West schools aren't the prettiest gals at the ball, but they do put out. I mean that in terms of commitment to their athletic programs & facilities. A scattering of big name coaches, a solid core of good coaching staffs and more talent than anyone outside the BCS top four, makes the MWC attractive, even without BYU, Utah or TCU.  The Horned Frogs were probably a shoo-in for a playoff spot every now and then, had they stayed in the MWC. As a Big 12 member, TCU will never (mark my words) garner a playoff berth (the same goes for Utah and BYU, ~snicker~ )

Greed and selfishness make you do silly things, not that Utah or TCU were in any position to say no when the PAC 12 and Big 12 came-a-calling. Which brings me to the subject of continued conference realignment. The Big 10 and ACC have raised the ante, the Big 12 and PAC 12 must follow suit or fall behind. Who gets the golden ticket?, Maryland & Rutgers hit the jackpot by unexpectedly landing in the Big Ten, could the same happen to New Mexico?  A recent post in BeaverBlitz.com, the website for Oregon St. athletics, brings up an interesting point.

The PAC 12 in all likelihood will have to expand by two more schools, assuming that Texas & Oklahoma are no longer in the mix... who would that be? BeaverBlitz.com has Hawaii at the top of their list, which makes sense geographically and who wouldn't like going to Hawaii several times a year? The next two schools on their list are long shots  Nevada & Boise St..., even in this day and age of football madness, The  PAC 12 still values its academic reputation. Nevada is little more than a glorified teacher's college and Boise St. is a community college with one bad ass football team. 

Next on the list is the Univ. of New Mexico. UNM is a solid academic institution, most folks don't realize that. UNM's academics are on par with Utah, Washington St. & Oregon St., though I won't pretend that they can match those of Cal-Berkeley, Stanford, Colorado, UCLA, USC, U-Dub or Oregon. Athletically, UNM's football program is laughable, but no more so than say Colorado or Washington St. New Mexico's basketball prowess and commitment is well documented as is their commitment to women's athletics and the so called Olympic sports.

San Diego St. would seem to be a sure shot, but the PAC 12 SoCal television market is already saturated, do they really need another Southern California school? The same goes for Fresno St. and San Jose St.  Other western schools such as Wyoming, Air Force & Utah St. don't fit the bill and UNLV is too fucking shady for the discerning tastes of the PAC 12 leadership.  What about BYU?, the powers that be in the PAC 12 have practically gone on record as saying that a religious based school would never be allowed in the league. 

It's that cold shoulder from the PAC 12 that has BYU pursuing membership in the Big 12. The Cougars would fit right in with the Baptists and Methodists. The Big 12 faces a steeper climb to fourteen schools, seeing how they're only at 10 schools now. Barring lateral moves like Clemson or Florida St. jumping from the ACC to the Big 12, the lucky four could include, Houston, SMU, Rice, BYU, Memphis or Cincinnatti. Some schools like (UConn, UCF & Southern Miss) could get squeezed out, their best bet would be to re-join CUSA or the Sun Belt. (apparently, the MAC is immune to all this madness) 

Just days before Boise St. dropped the bomb on the Big East, rumors were circulating that BYU was in the process of putting together a new conference, that would include Boise St., BYU, Colorado St., New Mexico and god knows who else. With Louisville gone, plus Cincinnati and UConn looking for a way out, the Big East made a desperate bid to remain solvent by reaching out to Fresno St.and  UNLV.... they were rebuffed. After Boise St. made its plans official, MWC commissioner Craig Thompson (flush with a victor's glow) announced that the league would continue to hold talks with "several Western schools" (possibly Houston, SMU, Tulsa or BYU)

Thompson left us with the impression that the MWC was good to go with or without San Diego St.   SDSU, judging from the comments in the Union-Tribune and those of AD Jim Sterk would like to put some distance between themselves and the Mountain West. But without the Big East, the Aztecs are almost out of options.  As part of Boise State's contract with the Mountain West, the MWC must offer membership to San Diego State before any other school, but that doesn't mean the Aztecs are in. A MWC source told ESPN that "right now the votes are not there for SDSU to gain readmission to the MWC" 

The door slams shut for the Aztecs on Jan. 31st. MWC commissioner Craig Thompson claims that he's been in contact with Jim Sterk "every 20 minutes" when asked on the Tim Brando Show. GoAztecs.com no longer has the Big East logo on their website, and that's enough news to speculate that a return is likely to happen for San Diego State. Or is it?.... reports out of Colorado Springs & Albuquerque say that Thompson has been meeting with the BYU Cougars and that their return to the fold is imminent. 'Curiouser and curiouser!' indeed.

Left Nut Sports is a New Mexico based and New Mexico centric sports blog, so let's speculate on the future of the UNM Lobos. The PAC 12 expands, adding San Diego St. and New Mexico. One spot opens in the MWC, UTEP gets the nod. The Big 12 adds four schools... Houston, SMU, Cincinnati & BYU, this move effectively kills off the Big East, as the remaining schools in that league scramble to join either CUSA or the Sun Belt. New Mexico St. and Idaho land in CUSA, while Navy elects to remain an independent along with Notre Dame.

How would New Mexico fare in the PAC 12? On the gridiron they would suffer, on the hardwood they would prosper. New Mexico's women sports are strong and their minor men's sports such as golf, tennis, soccer, baseball and skiing are more than competitive. The move up would call for some major infrastructure upgrades especially in football. University Arena (the Pit) was recently renovated and Isotope's Park is a nice place for baseball games. UNM has an athletic budget that is equal to that of Washington St. and Utah, who bring up the rear in the PAC 12.

Stranger things have happened, who would have thought that either Rutgers or Maryland would be asked to join the Big 10? The entire issue of realignment probably won't go away until all five of the major conferences have at least 14 member schools. Television networks already are jockeying for position to negotiate with the seven Catholic basketball schools that ditched the Big East.   Butler and Xavier from the Atlantic 10 and Creighton from the Missouri Valley have been approached, which would  give the new conference 10 members.

Closer to home, the WAC is striving to continue on as a basketball only league.  The WAC needs at least seven basketball schools in order to keep its automatic bid. To this end they've added Grand Canyon Univ.,  a for-profit Christian university located in Phoenix, Az. Grand Canyon will be the first for-profit institution to compete in NCAA Division 1 sports. The school has had success at both the NAIA (National Champions in 1975) and NCAA Div. II level. Beyond 2012-13, just two of the current ten teams in the WAC will still be on board.

The new look WAC will feature, NMSU, Seattle, Chicago State, Cal St.- Bakersfield, Grand Canyon, Utah Valley and Texas Pan American. It's not pretty by a long shot and it's a far cry from the days of Rick Majerus, Don Haskins, Lavell Anderson, Danny Ainge, Tim Hardaway, Keith Van Horn, Fennis Dembo or Tiny Archibald. No matter... the downgraded WAC gets to hold on to its automatic NCAA tournament bid. Idaho could possibly give the conference eight schools for 2013-14 if they decide against returning to the Big Sky.  

Raiders- Chargers Week 16

In order to crash and burn, you have to get off the launching pad, which the Raiders never did. You can't even say that this was a season that started out with promise and ended badly... it started badly with the Raiders winless during the pre-season and continued on through the remainder of the schedule.   Oakland won back to back games just once this year and Carson Palmer, while putting up some decent numbers... never took command of the offense or clicked with his receivers.

The weakest link in the armor was the defense, they ran out of gas in the second half of the season opener and didn't find their second wind until the return match-up against Kansas City. Jason Tarver's defensive unit hit a stretch where they gave up 42, 55, 38 & 34 points in succession. Then, in the midst of a close loss to the Cleveland Browns... the defense suddenly started to gel. Somehow or another, Tarver's rotating roster of waiver wire stiffs, malcontents and retreads actually started playing with pride and poise.

It was too little, too late and the burden of a predictable  misfiring offense was too much to overcome. The same goes for the plague of injuries that forced Oakland to go with a revolving cast of corners & safeties. Two major factors emerged that can't be overlooked. 1.)The defense got better once Rolando McClain was suspended and then demoted. 2.) Richard Seymour is done. McClain's melt down and lack of production, spells a hasty exit for the former high draft pick. Excise the tumor, kill the cancer.

The concept of keeping it simple must be beyond Greg Knapp's grasp. His offensive (pun intended) zone blocking schemes, stifled the Raiders running game.  Darren McFadden, who at least finished the season still on the field, produced 707 rushing yards for an anemic 3.3  yard per carry average. The Raiders finished 28th in the NFL, averaging just 89 rushing yards per game.  The big play all but disappeared from the Raider playbook and having Carson Palmer nickel and dime his way down the field ultimately led to a bevy of Palmer interceptions.

The Raiders kept Al Saunders around as the Senior offensive assistant, though his total contribution may have been limited to collecting a paycheck. The Raiders had no trouble scoring with Saunders as Offensive Coordinator in 2011 (Hue Jackson called the plays) The fact that both Knapp and Allen were incapable of thinking outside the box, is puzzling. For all his whiz kid aura, Allen is an old guard coach, unwilling to shake things up. This, in an era where teams are taking bold gambles and young (even rookie) quarterbacks are stepping in, taking charge and changing the face of the NFL.

Dennis Allen was reluctant to work Terrelle Pryor into the offense. Both Allen & Knapp stuck with Carson Palmer the way Vince Lombardi stuck with Bart Starr, except that Starr was a proven leader and a winner. You have to wonder if Palmer has a clause in his contract that says he must play every minute of every game, unless he's injured. When finally given a real chance in the season finale, Pryor performed effectively. He didn't dazzle us with his brilliance or abilities, but it was a competent outing that showed that he's matured and matriculated on the sidelines.

Oakland Raiders  21    San Diego Chargers  24

Terrelle Pryor got his first start of the season and performed well enough to rally the Raiders from a 24-7 deficit late in the game to close within three points. Throughout the game, Coach Allen who seemed dead set against playing Pryor, had to be thinking "Why haven't we tried this before?" Pryor finished 13-28 passing for 150 yards and two touchdowns. He did however, throw an interception in the endzone in the third quarter. That aborted drive, had it been successful would have made all the difference... as it turned out. 

For the third straight game, the defense played with determination, allowing San Diego just 210 yards of total offense and shutting down the Chargers running game (31 carries, 70 yards) Once more the lack of balance between offense and defense torpedoed the Raiders chance. When the defense had its lapses (a sustained drive that netted the Chargers an 11 yd. td. pass to Antonio Gates and a 34 yd. td. strike to Danorio Alexander) the offense failed to respond in kind. Oakland's erratic special teams unit also came into play.

Mike Spurlock took the opening kickoff, 99 yards for a Charger touchdown to start the game. Then with just under two minutes left, Coye Francis blocked a San Diego punt which was recovered by Kaelin Burnett at the Charger eleven yard line. Terrelle Pryor connected with Denarius Moore on a five yard td pass to pull within three points. Sebastian Janikowski attempted an onside kick which bounced San Diego's way and allowed the Chargers to run the clock down. The loss dropped Oakland to 4-12 on the season, giving them a favourable position in the draft order. 

Mike Goodson who had one carry for nine yards, was ejected from the game following a skirmish Charger LB, Takeo Spikes. It didn't turn into a bench clearing brawl, though Terrelle Pryor did jump in and pry Goodson away from Spikes. It was a good show of leadership by Pryor, though Goodson didn't seem to appreciate it at the time. Spikes furious at being ejected then went off on Referee John Parry and had to be restrained by his teammates, he then flung his helmet towards Melvin Ingram before being escorted to the tunnel by Randy McMichael, where the two Chargers hugged it out.... bitches.

The Raiders finished 4-12 overall, 0-2 vs. Denver, 0-2 vs. San Diego, 2-0 vs. Kansas City, for a dismal 2-4 division record. Once again, they failed to win a game played in the Eastern time zone and the highlight of the season was easily their unexpected win over the Pittsburgh Steelers. The revamped Denver Broncos led by Peyton Manning are the best team in the AFC, as well as the only AFC West team to finish with a winning record. The Broncos seem to make the right moves, going with Tim Tebow got them into the 2011 playoffs and signing Manning has them pegged as a favorite to make the Super Bowl.

Raider Notes: 

Those who paid attention after Reggie McKenzie was hired, knew that even matching 2011's 8-8 record would be an uphill climb. A quick look at the roster when training camp started showed Oakland coming up short on both sides of the ball. It would have taken an extraordinary effort from the coaching staff to pull it all together.... we didn't get that. The 2012 season seemed to test the patience of Raider Nation unlike any other. The season was a wash almost from the time Hue Jackson was let go. Would we have done better with Hue and Al Saunders running the offense?.... I certainly think so, never underestimate the power of continuity.

Carson was Hue's man and was productive enough in 2011 given the circumstances. Hue also had a way of finding DMC some wiggle room to break off runs. Once it became apparent that Knapp's zone blocking scheme didn't mesh with McFadden's strengths, why not change it up? Greg Knapp held the course and spent the entire season forcing a square peg into a round hole. 

Terrelle Pryor proved his mettle on Sunday, firmly planting himself as the new back-up. Carson Palmer could well have some real competition for the starting spot in 2013. Matt Leinart who  was brought in due to his familiarity with Greg Knapp's offense is one and done.

Darren McFadden who up until now, has put up Justin Fargas type numbers, is coming up on a contract year and needs to have a break out season in 2013. Darrius Heyward-Bey and his $7 million plus salary is a burden that the Raiders need to jettison. The same with Richard Seymour and his $12 million salary, even Tommy Kelly who is due $9 million including bonuses could find himself playing for another team in 2013. "I know we have some guys that are going to be the core of what we want and the type of players we want," Allen said. "I also know we've got some work to do to get more of those types of players." 

McKenzie's goal is to clear up $121 million in cap money and go after some quality free agents, without exceeding the cap limit. Al Davis was notorious for doing so and we now reap the "rewards" of his way of thinking. McKenzie is on record as saying that "Oakland would be in position "to do some things" but lamented that he didn't see being able to bring aboard a big-ticket free agent" In the short run, Reggie's fiscal discipline will prove frustrating for fans. It is however, a sound strategy to build towards the future.  

Reggie also has the #3 pick overall in the NFL draft and he may use it to pick up more draft picks in later rounds. No word or speculation yet on who the Raiders would pick (assuming they hold on to the #3 pick) The needs on defense probably outweigh those on offense, Barkevious Mingo DE LSU,  Star Lotulelei D Utah, Damontre Moore DE Texas A&M, Manti Te'o LB Notre Dame, come to mind. CBS Sports' Mock NFL draft has Oakland picking  Jarvis Jones, OLB from Georgia  or Bjoern Werner, DE from Florida State in the first round. With the NFL combines coming up in late Feb., Reggie has time to evaluate the talent pool and pull a rabbit out of his hat. 

Black Monday was in full effect as the reaper mowed its way through the ranks of NFL coaching staffs. Romeo Crennel, Norv Turner, Pat Shurmur, Lovie Smith, Ken Whisenhunt, Andy Reid and Chan Gailey were all fired on Monday. Five GM's were let go, (Mike Tannenbaum, A.J. Smith, Rod Graves, Tom Heckert, Gene Smith) Reid's departure from Philadelphia had been rumored for weeks, Lovie Smith's caught some Chicago Bears fans off guard. Their reasoning being, How do you fire a coach after a ten win season?

Last year we were asking "how can you fire a coach after an 8-8 record?" Dennis Allen is still head coach of the Oakland Raiders and Reggie McKenzie is still the general manager... at least for the time being.  Keep in mind that at this time last year, Hue Jackson was a sure bet to return for another season. Defensive Coordinator, Jason Tarver's future with the club is still undecided, but Offensive Coordinator, Greg Knapp was fired on Monday. Citing the regression of the Raider running game, Coach Allen spoke at the season ending news conference "We weren't getting the production that we needed to, an I felt like we needed to make a change.

Raider faithful have felt that way about Greg Knapp and his offense since the pre-season. As the Raiders failed to score points, the outcry grew louder, the ranks of the boo birds and bag heads (gasp!) started to swell. Knapp was joined on the cut list by, Frank Pollack (offensive line coach) Johnny Holland (linebackers coach) and Steve Hoffman (special teams coordinator) You have to think that more heads will roll, this isn't over by a longshot. Rumors have Al Saunders stepping back into the offensive coordinator's spot, no other candidates for Knapp's job have yet surfaced. 

 

In retrospect, firing Hue Jackson was a mistake. Trying to implement new schemes to an offense that really wasn't broken was a mistake. Reggie is committed to Dennis Allen for another year. I had high hopes for Dennis Allen coming into the 2012 season, those hopes have diminished. Will 2013 be the big turn around year for the Raiders?... call me a glass is half empty kind of guy, but the answer is an emphatic  NO!   It would take a couple of big headline grabbing free agent signings to get the Raiders back on track and as McKenzie already stated, that's not likely to happen.  Go Raiders! 

The End

Raiders- Panthers Week 15

Oakland Raiders  6         Carolina Panthers   17

A lump of coal in the guise of another loss was stuffed into the old Oaktown Christmas stocking. Then, as to further dampen the holiday spirit, Raider quarterback Carson Palmer will miss the final game of the season following a helmet spear to the back from Carolina defensive end Greg Hardy. The exacting hit by Hardy (for which he was penalized) left  Palmer, with broken ribs and a bruised lung. He was hopitalized overnight upon his return to the Bay Area.  Palmer had started all 15 games for the Raiders, racking up 4,018 yards passing, 22 touchdowns and 14 soul crushing interceptions.

The onus is now on backup Matt Leinart who spelled Palmer against the Panthers. Leinart saw extensive playing for the first time since an injury during his only start for the Texans, in 2011. Leinart was out of sync, but avoided total disaster  (and injury) completing 16-32 pass for 115 yards and one interception. Terrelle Pryor will backup Leinart in the season finale at San Diego. Pryor, was to receive substantial playing time, but he took just three snaps on Sunday. (all out of the shotgun formation) Pryor threw a lateral to Palmer, who threw a screen back to Pryor for a 22 yard gain. Later, he was stopped on the four yard line after a two yard carry in the red zone.

"Matt's our backup quarterback," Allen said. "Terrelle's done a nice job. He's working extremely hard, we don't feel like he's ready to be the backup quarterback yet." said Coach Allen, before circumstances forced his hand. Ready or not Terrelle is now the backup. “Our plan right now is to work both of them this week,” Allen said, “and then we’ll see how practice goes. Later in the week, we’ll be ready to name a starter.” Shane Lechler, who serves as the emergency Qb. will be slotted in at No. 3, if worse comes to worse. "I'm definitely going to prepare this week like I'm going to be starting," Matt Leinart said.

A column by Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle, suggested that  offensive coordinator Greg Knapp planned to deploy third-string quarterback Terrelle Pryor on third-down and red zone situations in order to "use his athletic ability." Oakland used a third round pick in the 2011 supplemental draft to select him, he's languished on the inactive list ever since. As for the Raiders getting their moneys worth, Tafur says, "Given how things go in Raider-land, a third-round pick for a quarterback who will see his first meaningful action in two meaningless games over a year after he was drafted, well, that's a bargain"

The Raiders haven't scored a touchdown since the fourth quarter against the Denver Broncos (Dec. 6th) Sebastian Janikowski, for the second game in a row scored all of Oakland's points on field goals. The running game which showed some spark against Kansas City was shutdown by Carolina's defense. Darren McFadden reverted to Darren McFadden type numbers (17 attempts for 33 yards) and the Raiders as a team picked up a trifling 47 yards on a mere 22 carries. The 17 points allowed by the defense, was the fewest against a team not named the Chiefs. The Raiders did leave some points on the field, specifically the DMC touchdown that was called back.  

My Monte Poole quote of the day: "NFL schedules dictate that each team receives one bye week per season. Defensive coordinators fortunate enough to face the Raiders practically steal another" During Oakland's six game losing streak, the defense was abysmal while the offense shouldered the burden. Now, the defense has come together and the offense has done a 360 and is in full blown retreat.  Why is it that we always have peanut butter but no jelly, Kool-Aid but no sugar, cereal but no milk? Why can't the two units come together, if not in the same game...  then at least in the same season?

Raider Notes:

We'll have to wait and see if Tommy Kelly suffers any consequences for his forthright admission  that he targeted Carolina Qb., Cam Newton for a little payback. "You take our guy out, we're going to take your guy out,'' Kelly stated "We're not out to hurt someone, but when that happens ... ." Newton writhing around in pain ala Joe Theisman, is what Kelly had in mind.  

In frustration at being the target of some rough play, Newton kicked Kelly at the end of a scrum. Kelly was penalized for unnecessary roughness "He kicked me, and I ain't fixing to take that off nobody," Kelly said. "What are you going to do when someone kicks you? You going to take it? Nah.''  Cam Newton later bumped an official as he was pleading his case for another personal foul penalty on Oakland. 

Newton was called for unsportsmanlike conduct, but was not ejected. The ref, Jerome Boger later corrected himself, saying that Newton was penalized for " "disrespectfully addressing an official'' and that the contact "was not of a malicious nature.'' Newton issued an apology after the game.  Past Raider coaches would have applauded Kelly's behavior, Coach Allen did not "We're trying to change the culture, and what we have to understand is we have to keep our composure in those types of situations because nothing good comes out of it."  

Interesting column in Deadspin this week. Oakland, Ca., paid the Oakland Raiders $17.3 million for the ten home games staged this season, while attempting to balance their budget by cutting the police force by 200 officers. "If someone calls 911, you're looking at an indeterminate amount of time before an officer can respond," says Barry Donelan, president of the Oakland police union. "Citizens are suffering." 

Oakland which has the fifth highest crime rate in America, pays the Raiders to cover "debt financing & operations" that is supplemented by another $13.3 million from Alameda County. Donelan says that "Reversing a renewed rise in violent crime is out of the question" During  2012 murders rose in Oakland by 16%, rapes by 24%,  and burglaries by a whopping 43%. The average response time for emergency calls has increased to 17 minutes. Man! don't call the cops, they can't help you, just call Tommy Kelly!

Raider Trash Talk:

(Let's go to the Raider FB page and see what Raider fans have to say on this joyous Christmas Day.)

 Just sell the team so they can go somewhere else. Put us raider fans out of our misery! so tired of this BS!!!!

Growing up I loved the Raiders they've always been my favorite team but I can't stand to watch them anymore, its a joke. They need to hire Bill Parcells or someone who knows football to build this once proud franchise back to its glory.

 JUST WIN BABY!!!

 The NFL is better when the Raiders are good.

Merry Christmas Raiders, fans and team! We'll get them next year , or the year after that God willing!

better luck next time!

Palmer is dead weight and Leinart just isn't good. Play Pryor and I'd bet my house we'll start competing.

I don't care if we go 0-16, just PLEASE do not bring Michael Vick to Oakland. I've been a Raiders fan my entire life and would like to continue being one. But I will dump the only team I've ever loved if that piece of crap ends up in Oakland.

Play Pryor for the whole game, Dennis!!!

Leinart sucks. Put Pryor in.

fire that stupid oc now!

dont worry raiders i still love ya for life

Hahahahahahahaha!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Cant wait til a team moves to los angeles so i can stop being a raider fan 

#Fail

Why didn't they play Pryor!!!!!!

Coaching staff sux

Why in the world we play linart? Cus he is he back up dummy.....lol

 At one point offensive coordinator Greg Knapp called back 2 back screen plays. Both failed miserably!

Coach ALLEN PLEASE KEEP OUR LONG TIME RAIDER "SHANE LECHLER"HE 'S A COMMITMENT TO EXCELLENCE PLAYEr

Vote For A New Qb.....! im watching now they talking bout Tim Tebow... what yall think

 Los Angeles Raiders !

 Convince John Gruden to come back to the silver and black!!!!!

WTF!!!!

Raiders- Chiefs Week 14

The emotional surge that led the Kansas City Chiefs to their second victory of the season following the Jovan Belcher tragedy has subsided. A 30-7 thumping by the Cleveland Browns brought them back to reality and this past Sunday at O.co, the Chiefs came up empty against  Oakland,15-0.  For the Raiders, this meaningless victory can be viewed two different ways, it was a win and wins are scarce. However the victory also pushed the Silver and Black further down the draft order. Any win for the Raiders is good, let's not lose sight of that fact, and  I'm not advocating that they should tank the remainder of the season.

The reality is that finishing the season with two or three more wins does nothing for our future.
 To quote (as I often do) Oakland Trib NFL beat writer, Monte Poole "Oakland entered the game with the third worst record in the NFL, firmly in possession of the third overall draft pick. By walking away in triumph, they now join a gaggle of teams that will hold the rights to pick as low as 11th. in the first round" Our dire needs are on defense, Manti Te'o will be gone by the time we pick, is now the time for those bums on the Raider defense to man up?  I'm probably worrying about nothing, it would take a miracle for the Silver & Black to win out.

Granted, a 6-10 record would be a sign of progress, given that Sunday's win over Kansas City broke a six game losing streak. If Coach Allen can will these bloated stiffs to six wins, just think what he'll do with some motivated players. Beating Kansas City probably assures us that Dennis Allen will be back as head coach next year. I know what the Gruden faction is thinking.... but fuck them anyway!  The Raiders need stability on the coaching staff, there's been nothing but chaos and confusion for the last three years. Losing would get us a higher draft pick, but Coach Allen and the Raiders are sure to keep trying to win, inspite of the implications.

Coach Allen despite all his detractors has been steadfast and straight-up. He's kept us moving forward, even if at times it appeared that he was leading us off a cliff. The circumstances that doomed the 2012 season, were in place even before Coach Allen was hired, he has done what he could with what he was given to work with. This franchise needs to find some firm footing and nobody said that the loss of Al Davis and the subsequent restructuring of the entire organization would be easy. The process has started and cannot be reversed.

Hue Jackson has moved on, under performing malcontents and high priced sandbaggers are being cast off and we sure as hell don't need or want Chucky Gruden back. With Al Davis in command, the team was trapped in past, living off a reputation that had grown to become a cartoonish stereotype. The Raiders' own legacy of phony tough guy posturing hindered the process of rebuilding more than it helped. It's been obvious for years, that a change of attitude and culture was long overdue.

Oakland Raiders  15        Kansas City 0

The shutout did come against Kansas City (their offense kept them out of the end zone as much as the Raider defense) but as far as I know nobody's talking about giving this one back. "It felt really, really good, no matter who the opponent is," linebacker Philip Wheeler said. "It's great to hold a team to zero and minimal rushing yards and just dominate like that."  For once both the offensive and defensive units played in dominate fashion, snapping a six game win streak and giving the Oakland players a rare opportunity to show some swagger. 

The Kansas City press was ready to pounce on Chiefs head coach Romeo Crennel after what will go down in history as one of the least productive offensive efforts in the annals of Kansas City Chiefs football. THE QUESTION TO ROMEO CRENNEL WAS SUCCINCT: "COACH WAS THIS THE WORST PERFORMANCE BY THE OFFENSE OF ANY TEAM YOU'VE COACHED?" How do you respond to that?, the question answers itself. Sadly, Crennel is starting to resemble Art Shell during his ill fated homecoming season in 2006.

"Couldn't run the ball, couldn't throw the ball, got in the red zone and couldn't get any points," Chiefs coach Romeo Crennel said. "Defensively we tried to hang in there, but we missed too many tackles and on third down were unable to get off the field." I don't blame them for wanting top get off the field, nothing good whatsoever was happening for them between the stripes. The Chiefs finished with 119 yds. in total offense. By comparison, Darren McFadden, who was in rare form, had a career high 30 carries for 110 yds. rushing. 

The Raider defense sacked Chiefs Qb. Brady Quinn four times, they limited K.C. to 1 of 12 third down conversions, denying Kansas City a first down until the third quarter. I don't care who the hell you're playing against, in the NFL that counts as "total domination" For the Raiders it was a feel good game, one that was badly needed. The Raider faithful greeted the win with mixed emotions, "BIG DEAL! We win against the other worst team in the league and call it what? A turning point?" screamed one fan. 

"Oh, man, you just love that," Raider LOT, Jared Veldheer said. "We're going forward, not backward ... we were committed to it. Everyone had the right mindset, and the biggest thing of all we were able to execute it. That's the biggest thing. It was awesome." Raiders 4 Now fans couldn't wait to mock Veldheer's enthusiastic glee, "Man it was awesome, we shut out the worse team in the NFL by all field goals, could not even make a touchdown" said one "We win, we win. Sea Bass for MVP. Knapp still sucks, our offense still sucks. We beat the Chiefs by field goals. Still can't score touch downs. Pathetic" chimed in another.

Carson Palmer, who was under the weather finished with some lackluster numbers, 18-29 for 182 yards, no touchdowns and no interceptions. For the first time this season the running game made up for the passing game coming up short. The Raiders had 203 rushing yards on 45 carries (30 by DMC) Mike Goodson ran for 89 yards on 13 carries to compliment McFadden's 110 yards rushing. Oakland also picked up 10 rushing first downs. Sebastian Janikowski connected on field goals of 20, 50, 57, 30 and 41 yards. He missed one from 51 yards.

Raider Notes:

Darrius Heyward-Bey, didn't do much of anything on Sunday, given that he's making $8,159,000

this season, his future with the Raiders is tenuous at best. Heyward-Bey needs to go, add Richard Seymour, Taiwan Jones, David Ausberry, Rolando McClain & Shawntae Spencer to that list. That's an easy $15 million trimmed off the roster. The Raiders are supposedly evaluating Terrelle Pryor, though the three snaps he got on Sunday probably didn't tell them much... or maybe it told them everything they need to know?

Up next for the Raiders are the Carolina Panthers, who are coming off two big wins over Atlanta and San Diego. At 5-9 the Panthers are also keeping an eye on the draft order, but don't expect them to lay down for Oakland to help that cause. Since 2007, the Raiders are 3-10 in games played in the Eastern Time Zone. A Raider victory, while not totally out of the question, is highly unlikely. I will however, flaunt conventional wisdom and pick Oakland to win by 7. 

Transactions:

Dec 10 Rolando McClain MLB Suspension lifted by Oakland

Dec 10 Chimdi Chekwa LCB Active/prac. squad by Oakland

Dec 10 Ron Bartell CB Cut by Oakland

Dec 10 Owen Schmitt RB Cut by Oakland

Dec 10 Akwasi Owusu-Ansah S Pract. squad add by Oakland

McClain's suspension was lifted but he didn't see any action. Chimdi Chedwa moved up to the active roster from the practice squad. Ron Bartell was cut, we saw this one coming, signing Bartell was a bad decision, he contributed next to nothing during his stay in Oakland. Owen Schmitt is a role player that the Raiders can't afford to keep around. His playing time and production were both negligible. Owusu-Ansah is back on the practice squad, having been cut twice before. 

(image from an actual college textbook)

Fat Face Picks

The New Year's Day bowl games are not what they used to be, thanks to undeserving interlopers like Northern Illinois and Wisconsin. The Heart of Dallas bowl seems to have been hastily put together so that T. Boone Pickens (who graduated from Oklahoma St. and lives in Dallas) could see the Cowboys play (the Oklahoma variety) without having to travel.

The rest of the 2013 bowl games are strictly dog shows, with the exception of Oregon vs. Kansas St.  and Texas A&M vs. Oklahoma. Those are worth the price of admission. The national title game is a doozy, Notre Dame vs. Alabama.  All you Golden Domers can stop kidding yourselves, Alabama is the best collegiate team in the land, and they will prove that on January 7th.

TaxSlayer.com Gator    Mississippi State vs. Northwestern Jacksonville, Fla.  Jan. 1

Left Nut:  The Bulldogs got off to a 7-0 start before the wheels came off (wins over four teams with losing records, two Sun Belt schools and one FCS club) Northwestern won its first five, then went 4-3 the rest of the way.  This is one instance where the Big Ten is superior to the SEC.    Phat Pick: Northwestern

Fat Face:     Pat Fitzgerald & Dan Mullen! they're like a human bowl of mashed potatoes with nary a drop of gravy in sight.  Last year, Dale Earnhardt Jr. drove the TaxSlayer.com Nationwide Series car onto the field and flipped the coin for the opening coin toss. Yep! it's that kind of event.  Shitty swag, Fossil watch, hats, garment bag, carry-on bag, a football


Heart of Dallas       Purdue vs. Oklahoma State    Dallas   Jan. 1

Left Nut: A 6-6 Boilermaker squad facing off with 7-5 Oklahoma St., please tell me again why this game isn't played in mid-December?  Cowboy O.C. Todd Monken took the head coach job at Southern Miss, so Mike Gundy will run the offense.   Phat Pick: I defer to the Fat Face

Fat Face:  I smell the oily, greasy essence of T. Boone Pickens  all over this one. A prolonged, throbbing hangover complete with retching dry heaves would be preferable to watching this game.  Fat Face Pick: OK State     The swag is being kept under wraps.

Outback        South Carolina vs. Michigan    Tampa, Fla.    Jan. 1

Left Nut: The 'ol Ball Coach willed the Gamecocks to a 10-2 finish, losing only to LSU & Florida. Michigan was never much of a factor in 2012. Steve Spurrier going up against Brady Hoke, that's like a pitbull fighting a fat chubby poodle.  Phat Pick: South Carolina

Fat Face: Michigan finished second in the No-Legends Division of the Big Ten, having never really recovered from that season opening beat down at the hands of  'Bama. I roll with the SEC on this one. Run of the mill swag: Best Buy gift card, Fossil watch, ring, cap, Outback gift card.

Capital One     Georgia vs. Nebraska        Orlando, Fla. Jan. 1

Left Nut:  You're not cool unless you pee your pants. ... Bo Pelini in all probability pissed his pants during a game against the Texas Longhorns in 2010. LOL!, Espn did not photoshop the urine spot onto Bo Pelini's khakis, that was a genuine spread offense.     Phat Pick: Georgia

Fat Face:  Geez! at least Joe Paterno and Woody Hayes had the sense to wear Depends on the sideline. Georgia will chuck that corn and make Pelini & the Huskers drop a load in their pants. Swag is light: $420 shopping trip to Best Buy, Fossil watch

Rose Bowl     Wisconsin vs. Stanford   Pasadena, Calif.    Jan. 1

Left Nut:  I like how everyone is ignoring the fact that Wisconsin wormed its way to Pasadena. Both, unbeaten Ohio St. & second place Penn St. are ineligible for post season play.  Wisconsin was 4-4 in the Loss-Leaders division of the Big Ten, 8-5 overall, losing three of their last five games. Phat Pick: Stanford

Fat Face:   Stanford is the real deal and on a seven game winning streak.  The Badgers will need more than Barry Alvarez back on the sidelines to win this one.  The major bowls all do gift suites (shopping sprees) Fossil watch, Oakley backpack, New Era gear

Orange   Northern Illinois vs. Florida State     Miami   Jan. 1

NIU head coach  Dave Doeren couldn't wait till after the bowl season before he  took the job at North Carolina State. The Huskies will now fulfill their dream of a BCS bowl game, minus the man who got them there. NIU was allocated 17,500 tickets for the game, they average just over the FBS minimum of 15,000 fans per game. The school had to eat the unsold tickets, which they gave away to students.  Phat Pick: Florida State

Fat Face: They paid for them.... you eat them!  Undeserving and with their head coach gone the Huskies will suffer a fate similar to that of Colt Brennan and the Hawaii Warriors in the 2008 Sugar Bowl (granted that Georgia squad had Matt Stafford and Knowshon Moreno)  Light on the swag for a major: Gift Suite, Tourneau watch

Allstate Sugar       Louisville vs. Florida    New Orleans     Jan. 2

Louisville just joined the ACC, good move for them and they managed to hold on to Charlie Strong, their head coach. Florida coach Will Muschamp is being heralded as the next Urban Meyer. I knew Urban Meyer and Will Muschamp is no Urban Meyer.... hell! he's even better!       Phat Pick: Florida

Fat Face: Louisville lost two of its last three games, (U.Conn & Syracuse) they have a habit of playing everyone close and Charlie Strong has the imagination of a rock, which makes for some ugly, grind 'em out games. Swaggish Swag: Gift Suite, Fossil watch, New Era cap, Boxer & Stone hoodie

Tostitos Fiesta   Oregon vs. Kansas State   Glendale, Ariz.     Jan. 3

Two explosive teams, each with just one loss.  If the final score isn't something like 54-50,  I'll  be extremely dissapointed. Three points is all that kept the Oregon Ducks from facing off against Notre Dame for the national championship. Baylor exposed the Wildcats as pretenders not contenders.  Phat Pick: Oregon

Fat Face: The Ducks will have a six week layoff between games, which should give Chip Kelly's staff plenty of time to come up with more of  those eye-catching, poster-sized placards  that  are Oregon's calling card.  Swag does not include Tostitos: Gift Suite, Fossil watch, Orgio Mercur backpack 

AT&T Cotton   Texas A&M vs. Oklahoma   Arlington,Tx.  Jan. 4

Left Nut: This game was set up as a showcase for Heisman winner, John Manziel... Johnny Football of A&M, he's  the poor white trash version of Tim Tebow. Smart enough to win football games and dumb enough to get arrested for disorderly conduct and possessing a false id card (Louisiana, at that!) 

Fat Face:  Here's the story, Manziel and Steven Brant were found fighting in the street with 47 year old Marvin McKinney, who told police that the fight started after Brant called him a racial slur. When McKinney approached Brant, Manziel shoved McKinney and punches were thrown. 

Left Nut: "We are disappointed with his actions and this is out of character for Johnny" said head coach Kevin Sumlin. Sumlin had only been on the job a few months and it's doubtful that he knew anything about Mr. Football's true character at the time.    Phat Pick: TAMU

Fat Face: A&M always takes the high road, Manziel spent the night in jail and was released after he slept it off. Gig 'em Aggies!  Swag is top secret (hookers, guns, drugs & cash payoffs.... no doubt!)

BBVA Compass   Pittsburgh vs. Ole Miss    Birmingham, Ala.          Jan. 5

Left Nut: On any given Jan 5th. I would rather be in Boise,  Albuquerque N.M.  or El Paso, Tx. than in Birmingham, Ala.  Don't let the fact that this game is played just two days before the national championship game fool you,  this bowl game exists simply to fill a time slot for ESPN.   Phat Pick: Ole Miss

Fat Face: Ole Miss is 6-6 and lost three of its last four games, Pittsburgh is 6-6. Both teams had losing records within their respective conferences.  Swag: Fossil watch, Oakley sunglasses, portable speaker, backpack, football

GoDaddy.com    Kent State vs. Arkansas State   Mobile    Jan.6

Left Nut: How ridiculous are the BCS rankings? Kent St. was within a touchdown of playing in the Orange Bowl and now they get the GoDaddy Bowl as a consolation.  Just like the BBVA Bowl, the GoDaddy is a mid-December bowl game at best.  Phat Pick: Kent State

Fat Face: Both head coaches skedaddled for greener pastures (Malzahn for Auburn, Hazell for Purdue) Arkansas St. Db. Don Jones said it best:  "Lol dese coaches run a train on Arkansas State, get a nut an gone bout they business" Get Your Swag on:  Sol Republic headphones, Fossil watch, garment bag, football

BCS National Championship     Notre Dame vs. Alabama    Miami   Jan. 7

Left Nut: Every game and every down of the 2012 collegiate season has been leading up to this. The Big Papa, the BCS national championship game.  This year we have a classic match-up, the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame and the Crimson Tide of Alabama. 

Fat Face: This is the kind of game that guys like Bear Bryant, Barry Switzer & Woody Hayes lived for. Having said that, if Notre Dame loses and Ohio St. Univ. is sole team left undefeated then the NCAA be damned, the Buckeyes are the national champions. 

Left Nut: I see your logic and raise it with my sarcasm  after all that was the criteria used when BYU won its national title back in 1984. If 'Bama wins, we will crown a true champion, because as everybody knows, the Tide would roll all over the Buckeyes.

Fat Face: Don't let Alabama's loss to A&M fool you, the Tide beat themselves, Johnny Football just went along for the ride. Nick Saban will not allow that to happen again. 

Left Nut: On a level playing field, which we have.... Brian Kelly is no match for Nick Saban. Fighting Irish Qb. Everett Golson has been getting by on the luck of the Irish, which is about to run out.

Fat Face: Last year Jordan Jefferson found out just how hard it can be to move the ball on Alabama when they've had weeks to prepare. To me this game is shaping up the same way, 'Bama's defense will shut down Notre Dame's less than prolific offense.

Left Nut: I'm calling my shot.... Alabama 13  Notre Dame  10,  it will come down to which defense has a better day. Manti Te'o is overrated, he'll be exposed in this game.

Fat Face: I'm rolling with the Tide, 9-3.  Golson will be nursing an injury on the sidelines by halftime (ribs or shoulder) Tommy Rees will then come in an screw the pooch. The swag is hardly befitting of a title game. Gift Suite, Tourneau watch.... surely there's stuff they can't tell us about (bags full 'o cash, strippers, hedonistic Roman style banquets, porn shoots, gladiator battles.... a Fossil watch)

Raiders- Broncos Week 13

Oakland Raiders head coach Dennis Allen's father Grady Allen passed away on Tuesday morning from heart failure. Coach Allen returned to practice on Wednesday and addressed the team as they prepared for the game on Thursday night.  "I took my father off life support and that's not easy to do" said Allen following the game. "So was it hard?, Yeah, it was hard. But I know my father would want me to be here with this football team" Coach Allen paused, "I wanted to be here with this football team, so I'm sure you guys can imagine it wasn't an easy situation"

Condolences to Coach Allen, he carried a heavy burden this week and he carried himself in an admirable manner. No matter how the team does on the field, Dennis Allen has shown more character, perseverance and maturity that the players (some older than him) he's in charge of. They should learn from him. Raider fans more than the media have not held back on showering abuse at Coach Allen, he doesn't deserve it, but that's how the blame game goes.

The Raider fanatics have split into three camps, The "Hue Jackson" faction, the deplorable "We want Chucky Back!" faction and the more reasonable "We've had three coaches in three years.. let's not change coaches again" faction. So far, nobody is imploring the Raider front office to bring back Tom Cable.  The ugliest thing to come out of this short week was the rumor floated about by Publisher & editor of Pro Football Weekly, Hub Arkush, that the Raiders were meeting with Jon Gruden to negotiate his return to Oakland as the head football coach.

Raiders media director Zak Gilbert sent out an e-mail to members of the media, stating that "there are two people on this planet that have the ability to make talks happen between Jon Gruden and the Raiders, each of those individuals, owner Mark Davis and G.M. Reggie McKenzie wanted me to communicate that his rumor has no validity whatsoever  Gilbert continued "for the record, I'm personally disgusted that Hub Arkush would spread such an untruth on the the day our head coach had to determine with his mom, brother & sister, whether to take his dad off life support or wait and hope that he would regain consciousness"

Not sure what Hub Arkush's motives would be, or where he got his information. Either way, it's a despicable act. Reggie McKenzie is a man with strong morals & character, even if Gruden showed interest, neither party would be so gauche as to discuss such matters while Coach Allen was dealing with a death in the family.  By any standard of doing business, that would be fucked up. Neither Reggie McKenzie nor Mark Davis have ever given us a reason to think that they would operate in that fashion.

The myth is busted, Raider fans.... Chucky is not coming back. Jon Gruden is a narcissistic bastard, who craves the attention. He's the kind of guy who loves the idea that everyone wants him, but can't have him. The Gruden coaching rumors follow a sick pattern, any team (college or pro) that's ever had any connection whatsoever to him is suddenly in the running for his services. It's time to leave childhood thing like Chucky behind  and start thinking and acting like grown men (and women).  All this knee jerk second guessing and self loathing is for the birds, there's no future in it.

Oakland Raiders  13      Denver Broncos  26

Don't be fooled by the final score, it wasn't even that close. Peyton Manning dissected Oakland's defense in the same manner as he had earlier in the season at Denver. Peyton moves like a zombie but his passes are heat seeking missiles that always seem to find their target. On the field Field Marshall Manning isn't just taking on the defense in the physical sense, he's also matching wits with the defensive coordinator. The score now stands Manning 2 Tarver 0, Peyton has Jason's number and there's nothing Tarver can do about it.

It's that same sad refrain "can't stop the run, can't stop the pass..." This defense is infected with ineptitude and the infection has spread to every vital organ. Oakland won the toss but deferred to Denver. Manning took full advantage and carved the turkey, culminating the opening drive with his 30th touchdown pass of the season. The Raiders got first possession to start the second half, a drive that promptly petered out. The reasoning behind giving Denver first crack is unclear (Oakland would run just 47 offensive plays in the entire game)

Maybe... it was meant as a show of solidarity for a defense that has screwed the pooch all season long. Then too, it may have been a tribute to Coach Allen's father, who played defense for the Atlanta Falcon during his run in the NFL. "Don't worry Coach, we got you on this one" Whatever it was, it exemplified what's wrong with Oakland.... bad decisions by a befuddled coaching staff. It seems like every week I come up with a new "this is what's wrong" just as the Raiders seem to come up with new ways to look bad and lose games.

The Raider defense did show enough resolve to hold Denver to four Matt Prater field goals, holding Denver under 30 points. (Denver has a 1st. & goal at the one and couldn't punch it in)  The lack of points on the board wasn't actually the result of anything the Oakland defense did, it seemed as if the Broncos were content to toy with the Raiders. This game was in the bag before kickoff, "Let's save the afterburners for next week against the Ravens" Knowshown Moreno however, didn't hold back as he came out of Knowwhere to rip Oakland for 119 yards and 1 touchdown.

The Raiders scored on a yard screen pass from Carson Palmer to Darren McFadden, cutting Denver's lead to 13-7. Following a Prater field goal that gave Denver some elbow room at 16-7, Oakland responded with a comedy of errors that put any hopes of an upset to rest. Mike Goodson elected to return the ensuing kickoff  from the end zone, he was stopped at the eight yard line. A couple of plays later, Von Miller sacked Carson Palmer at the line of scrimmage forcing a fumble that Denver recovered, this led to the Knowshown Moreno touchdown two plays later.

As disappointing as the play of the Oakland defense has been, Carson Palmer's regression is  heartbreaking.  The man cannot help but fuck things up, I get the one or two key interceptions per game... he's gambling, trying to make things happen. (at least he's not tossing picks simply to get off the field like Kerry Collins)  But!, what the fuck is it with the sudden case of the fumbles? Palmer conceivably cost them the Browns game and the fumble sure didn't help their efforts against the Broncos. I never thought I would say this, but it's time to spell Carson. Sit him down, let him watch the action from the sidelines, sometimes that really does help.

Terrelle Pryor gets paid handsomely to do nothing, let's see what else he can do. (Matt Leinart is a non-option at this point) The worst that can happen is that the Raiders lose another game or Pryor gets hurt, either way it puts a stop to the Terrelle Pryor speculation. But, if Terrelle leads them to win against K.C. or San Diego, then the Raiders immediately start working to rid themselves of Carson and get Pryor ready to start next year.  I know, I know... it's like wishing that Unicorns, Big Foot and Low Every Day Prices! are real, but what else do we have at this point? 

Denver's defense on the other hand is really good. They popped and twisted Oakland's offense around so much that after a catch in the second quarter, Denarius Moore went  into the ground headfirst, rolled over untouched and took off running in the wrong direction (though he was just four yard from the first down marker) Moore picked up four yards (the wrong way) before a Bronco linebacker stupidly tackled him. Chances are Denarius would have gone at least 20 yards, or all the way, if not for that ill-advised tackle. 

That's probably not a scenario that gets mentioned while drawing up a game plan. Denver's excellent defensive play is especially grating for Dennis Allen, who was Denver's defensive coordinator last season, a job now held by Jack Del Rio. That's right! Del Rio is the glory boy, while Allen has to put up with taunts of "We Want Chucky!" or "Bring Back Hue!" on a daily (hourly?) basis.  It seems like life is hardly fair, and nobody appreciates that better than Raider fans.  

Raider Notes:

Carson Palmer completed 19-30 passes for 273 yards, two touchdowns, he lost a fumble that Denver converted into a touchdown and was picked off in the end zone (again) Darren McFadden and Mike Gooden both returned to action, though McFadden aggravated his ankle injury, giving even more credence to his loathsome nickname "McFragile"  The defense sacked Manning three times and picked him off once, the only bright spot in another wise forgettable defensive effort.

Just three more games left for the Raiders, Kansas City next week, followed by Carolina and then the finale against the Chargers in San Diego. The Chiefs game was once penciled in as a "sure thing" but K.C. in the wake of the Jovan Belcher tragedy, has suddenly found a new spirit. It's the final home game of the 2012 season.   

Transactions:  Chaz Powell was added to the practice squad along with Colin Miller.  Powell is another Green Bay castoff, Miller was with New England.  Jamize Olawale, a fullback, was signed off the Dallas Cowboy's practice squad and added to the 53 man roster, he fills the spot left open by the suspension of Rolando McClain.  Coach Allen is scheduled to meet with McClain (after he attends his father's funeral) to discuss the options. My guess is that he'll remain suspended, to be used as trade bait once the season ends. 

The $12 million dollar man, Richard Seymour is still out, Carson Palmer hurt his thumb and is listed as probable. Darren McFadden & Mike Goodson are also listed as probable. We're beginning to see the first signs of a youth movement, Rob Streater, Juron Criner, Phillip Adams, Christo Bilukidi are just some of the younger players getting more playing time. The development of Streater & Criner will probably lead to the departure of Darrius Heyward-Bey. 

   

A seventeen year old attending the Raiders-Broncos game fell thirty fell thirty feet from the third deck of the Oakland Coliseum just prior to the start of the game.  The young man was not identified and remains in serious condition at a local hospital.  Oakland police described the incident as "a deliberate act" The man, who may have been under the influence of drugs, was said to have been running up and down the stadium steps, shortly before climbing over a wall on the third deck and jumping or falling to the section below. 

Why U Mad?

With Twitter, Facebook & Google+ (lol) the odds of a player sticking his foot firmly in his mouth have gone way up. This year's winner is USC linebacker Tony Burnett who posted messages on Twitter that got the collective panties of El Pasoans all in a bunch. USC plays Georgia Tech of the Atlantic Coast Conference at noon Dec. 31 in the 79th annual Sun Bowl.

"Georgia Tech!? El Paso, Texas!? New Years Eve"  "FML," Burnett stated on his Twitter account FML is slang meaning "Fuck my life." he also tweeted, "if you never seen a real life giant tumbleweed get ready." Somehow it was the crack about tumbleweeds that raised the ire of those who commented to the El Paso Times online edition.

Burnett, temporarily shut down his Twitter account and then send out a scripted apology, "Earlier today I made some tweets I regret. To the city of El Paso and representatives of the Hyundai Sun Bowl, I apologize for my remarks," Burnett said.  "My team and I are grateful for the opportunity to play in our first bowl game in three years ... and we are appreciative of all of the hard work that goes into making the game happen," he stated. "What I tweeted was not representative of my team or my university. I sincerely apologize and hope my apology is taken at its word."

Yeah sure, everything is cool. USC has not played in a bowl game the past two seasons due to NCAA sanctions. The Trojans started this season ranked No. 1 but finished with a 7-5 record, including losses to rivals UCLA and Notre Dame. Georgia Tech lost in the ACC Championship game and because of its 6-7 record had to get a waiver to play in its second-consecutive Sun Bowl. The Yellow Jackets lost to Utah in last year's bowl.

A similar incident took place in 1998, when the Trojans last played in the Sun Bowl against then lightly-regarded Texas Christian University, a 16-point underdog. Several Trojan players ran their mouths about El Paso before the game. This had the effect of turning the Sun Bowl into a TCU home game as  they beat USC 28-19.  In 1998, without the benefit of an online social network, stupid comments had to be made directly to sports reporters, who jotted them down on notepads.

 If you don't study history, you are doomed to repeat it. In 1983 SMU, in the midst of their epic run in the old Southwest Conf., fell victim to the football politics of the time and got bumped all the way down to the Sun Bowl.  This was the year after Craig James & Eric Dickerson had graduated, but the Pony Express still had enough gitty-up to finish at 10-1 (their sole loss came to Texas and cost them a spot in the Cotton Bowl)

The reality of the #6 team in the country having to play in El Paso at the Sun Bowl, slowly sunk in. The SMU players started running their mouths.  As Texans are prone to do, things quickly got racial and derogatory  On game day  despite a forecast of temps in the lower 70s, it was 28 degrees at kickoff with a wind chill factor of 8 degrees.

'Bama in its first season under Ray Perkins, had finished a disappointing 7-4, but the locals treated them like the home team throughout the pre-game festivities and now the Texas crowd turned their backs on their fellow Texans and rooted 'Bama on, as if they were the UTEP Miners.

The Tide delivered four haymaker touchdowns in the first half, running roughshod over SMU, who's vaunted Pony Express offense was relegated to Pony Depressed status by halftime. Alabama jumped out to a 28-0 lead and coasted to an easy 28-7 win, El Pasoans stormed the field when the game ended and lifted Ray Perkins on their shoulders in celebration.

A column poking light fun at the Sun Bowl in El Paso was removed, Tuesday evening from the sports website Bleacher Report.com. The author Lisa Horne called it  a "satirical look" at the El Paso's tourist attractions in a post aimed at USC fans. Horne wrote: "You might want to leave your evening gowns at home (El Paso isn't known for dressy attire) and make sure to bring your Kindle, in case you want to umm... pass some time in the town where Lee Trevino made a name for himself.

"The article was aimed at USC Football fans, however it quickly spread throughout the city of El Paso via social media. It was removed Tuesday afternoon after the author, Lisa Horne allegedly received two death threats from El Paso gang members. It is unknown how the threats were made"  The article has totally disappeared from the interwebs, however, El Paso 411.com posted some excerpts and screen shots. They are mildly humorous in a Mom Cafe kind of way, none are offensive, racists or even mean spirited

"The article was originally described as a “satirical look at all the fun things that are in store for Trojan fans in El Paso, Texas for the Sun Bowl.” Horne poked fun at the historic Plaza Theater as being named the No. 1 El Paso attraction, according to traveladvisor.com. “That’s right Trojan fans, the No. 1 attraction (of 42 attractions) in El Paso is the Plaza movie theater,” read the posting. Another post made fun of the El Paso Museum of Art. It read “Ladies, if you drag your husband to an art museum during bowl week there really isn’t much I can say to save your marriage"

"In another post, Horne made fun of Concordia Cemetery  She writes “Oh hell. The seventh-best thing to do in El Paso is to visit a cemetery?” The El Paso Zoo was also mentioned. ”Since most USC fans live in the Los Angeles or Orange County areas of southern California, this might be a good time to compare your local LA Zoo and San Diego Zoos to what El Paso offers"

And finally Horne ended the article with what traveladvisor.com considers the “17th-ranked best thing to do in El Paso: The H&H Car Wash and Coffee Shop.” ”It’s actually listed as a landmark/point of interest,” wrote Horne. “I don’t want to ruin the suspense for you, but apparently this car wash has “El Paso’s best Chile Rellenos.” Hot diggity!”  “There you have it, USC fans. New Year’s in El Paso! Send me a “Wish you were here” postcard with details on all the fun and exciting things you did in El Paso.”

But, if that's the worst or even the best she could do, then it's much-a-do about nothing. The same could be said about  Steve Mason & John Ireland (who was not in studio on Monday) the sports news makers and the sports news breakers from the 710 ESPN radio in Los Angeles. They also took a few jabs at USC, the Sun Bowl and El Paso. It's nothing overly witty or funny, but then it doesn't take that much to make the over sensitive residents of El Paso feel butthurt.  

Here's some of the things that Steve Mason and his cronies had to say, 

Out in the wild, wild twitter world, apparently somebody is complaining that I'm complaining about USC going to the El Paso Sun Bowl,  because I'm being a homer

No! I'm actually mocking them because that is where they wound up, that is an embarrassment, winding up in El Paso.  

It feels like the NCAA is actually rubbing their faces in this season by sending them to El Paso

I think they reserved that bowl specifically  because its on New Years Eve, they want to make an example, it's for people who are especially disappointing

I've never lived in a world where my wife, who went to Texas A&M and my brother who went to Vanderbilt, are both in more prestigious bowls than my alma mater USC, meanwhile, Vanderbilt is 8-4 and they're going to the Music City Bowl

Nashville is better than El Paso, you cannot see the drug war in Nashville, you can see it from El Paso

Honestly this is a true punishment for the guys, it is every last bit of horribleness, because it' s on New Year's Eve, so still have to keep practicing for another month

It's in El Paso and it's a bad game, the worst possible combination for the guys.  If you're a senior and you have to keep going to practice and It's New Years Eve and you're stuck in El Paso?

I think  we're going to see a new tradition at USC, where the Seniors go over the wall and just keep going and never come back

(someone then asked Mason)

So, are you going to the Sun Bowl?

Hell no!  are you kidding me.... not even if they pay me

We are doing the Sun Bowl pregame, from here not from there

It's one of those times when you're really happy to hear about the budget tightening

Like I said, it's not hardly funny nor entertaining, just some sports talk radio guys doing some mutual pud pulling. My advice to El Pasoans.... easy up on the sensitivity. Get a sense of humor about yourselves, it seems to work for Cleveland.  "Hell Paso" is a gritty, often dirty, blue collar burg, that butts up against the Mogadishu of the Americas.  It will never win any beauty contests, that's for sure!