New Mexico Football Report

UNM 0    TCU  69

Lord have Mercy!... That the Lobos kept TCU under 70 points (or 100) doesn't say anything about their defensive tenacity. No, it's speaks more more about Gary Patterson. TCU started playing reserves in the second quarter and in the second half used primarily third stringers. Casey Paschall, the heir apparent to Andy Dalton did not play at all in the second half, having scorched the Lobo secondary, going 13-17 for 175 yds. and 2 tds. in just two quarters of play.  Gary Patterson is a good man and that's why we didn't have a repeat of Jim "The Weenie" Sweeney's attempt to put 100 pts. on the scoreboard in a 1991 game against Fresno St. (a 94-17 Lobo loss)

Having said that, even the TCU scrubs rolled through the Lobo's defense.  TCU finished with 515 total yds.and 22, 1st. downs, compared to UNM's five 1st. downs (one courtesy of a TCU penalty) Three Lobo fumbles & a blocked punt resulted in TCU td's.  At the half UNM was down 41-0 and Patterson was already thinking of next weeks game with BYU. The Horned Frogs set a school record for most points in a game while holding The Lobos' offense to just 85 yds. UNM faces off against Air Force next week and as Al Bundy was fond of saying "Just Shoot me Now!" 

The sparse talent UNM has on the field is handcuffed by a coaching staff that lacks the ability to draw up a cohesive plan of attack on either side of the ball.  Adjustments,  it seems are a foreign concept to George Barlow and the UNM coaching staff. These were Locksley's boys and like their former boss, they don't have a clue. Their failure to motivate this bunch of underachievers will be their legacy as it is for Mike Locksley. It's plain to see that first on the list of things to do for the new coach will be to clean house.  

Marv Levy, a former Lobo head coach (58-59) and NFL coaching great, has already picked out a head coach for us. Levy is suggesting that UNM hire Brian Polian, a recruiting assistant for Stanford and the son of Peyton Manning's boss, Colt's G.M. Bill Polian. Why is Marv being so helpful? because UNM gave him his start in coaching and he's never forgotten that favor. Levy is also quick to point out that while he's made several calls to UNM, on Brian Polian's behalf, none of his calls have been returned. 

Mike Leach has also been mentioned, though his alleged mistreatment of players is a sticking point. But, when you consider that Mike Locksley went MMA on one of his a.c.'s, then I say we're talking apples and oranges. Robin Cole, a former UNM  and NFL (Steelers) great, has also thrown his hat into the ring. Cole is openly lobbying for the job, although he's out of football now and has been for a while. Robin Cole like Brian Polian has no head coaching experience.

Ultimately, we don't know who'll coach the Lobos or what league they'll play in. The latest rumors have The Mountain West & Conference USA merging. Another scenario has those two leagues joining up with the football leftovers in The Big East Conf., which is trying to entice both Air Force & Boise St. to join them. Meanwhile, BYU currently an independent could be lured into the Big 12, joining TCU who abruptly spurned the Big East. By the time it's all sorted out, The Lobos, Aggies and UTEP Miners could all find themselves competing in the WAC.

Aggies 34  Hawai'i 45

It was a sloppy affair, as so often is the case when mainland teams travel to Hawai'i. The Aggies were forced to punt on their first three possessions. Three was not a charm as they had the third punt blocked and returned for a  Warrior touchdown. Down 14-0 in the first quarter, The Aggies behind Matt Christian closed to within 27-14 at the half. However on the Aggies final drive of the first half, Christian was nailed, fumbled the football and came up hurt.

Travaughn Colwell started at Qb. for the Aggies in the second half, but was woefully ineffective. Matt Christian came back in, and directed a scoring drive for NMSU that was capped off by Kenny Turner's 46 yd. touchdown dash. The Rainbow Warriors rolled to 39-20 lead, before the Aggies could score again. Hawai'i behind Qb. Bryant Moniz would find the end zone one more time to finish with 45 points on the night. The Aggies would score again late in the game,  they tried an onside kick, which was recovered by the Warriors who then ran out the clock. 

The Warriors totaled 503 yds. on offense, Bryant Moniz was  24-39 passing, for 264 yds. and he also carried the ball 11 times for 62 yds. Hawai'i's Joey Iosefa rushed for 90 yds. on 13 carries plus 2 tds.  For the Aggies, Matt Christian threw for 224 yards and 2 td's. Kenny Turner finished with 119 rushing yards, highlighted by his long td. run. (Turner has rushed for 100 or more yds. in 4 straight games for NMSU) Taveon Rogers caught just two passes the entire game but both went for touchdowns. 

What went wrong for the Aggies? Coming in to the game we knew this would be a high scoring affair, 3 punts on their first 3 possessions and the blocked punt put the Aggies in a hole right from the start. In a contest where defense seemed like an afterthought, NMSU sacked Moniz 5 times and recovered a fumble.  However, with the Aggie offense sputtering, the defense failed to make crucial stops. 

It was a homecoming for Andrew Manley, the Aggie starting Qb. sidelined since the UTEP game. Manley is a native of Hawai'i, having graduated from the same high school as Bryant Moniz. The Aggies return to Las Cruces to take on Nevada in their homecoming game. The Wolfpack, coming off an impressive win over Fresno St... are hungry like the wolf.  

Raiders- Chiefs Game 7

As far as cliches go, "What a difference a week makes" applies to the Raiders like no other.  The euphoria brought on by a 4-2 start, was tempered by the loss of Qb. Jason Campbell for the season with a broken collarbone. Moving with steadfast purpose, The Raiders signed Carson Palmer, the Bengal's holdout quarterback. All seemed well, the loss of Campbell would be a mere hiccup. Judging by Kyle Boller's disaster free outing against the Browns, why would the Raider faithful think otherwise. 

That sinking feeling set in almost immediately. On their first drive, into Kansas City territory, the Raiders attempted a trick play with Terrelle Pryor lining up as a wide receiver.  As Pryor moved to take a direct snap from center, he was whistled for illegal motion. On the next play Kyle Boller completed his first pass to Kendrick Lewis, who of course plays for Kansas City.  Lewis ran the interception in for a touchdown and just like that the Raiders were down 7-0.

Boller would then throw another interception resulting in a score for Kansas City. That gave the Chiefs a 14-0 lead and essentially the game. After his third interception, the Kyle Boller era came to an end. In the second half Carson Palmer strapped on his helmet and promptly threw three interceptions, one of which was returned for a touchdown. Boller would finish  7-14, 61 yds. passing, while Palmer was 8-21, 116 yds.  The Chiefs didn't set off any fireworks on offense, but they did coast in for a 28-0 win.

Carson Palmer is the future quarterback for the Raiders, he'll knock off the rust and his game management will improve. As for Kyle Boller.... WTF was that?, it's not like he doesn't know the offense or has never started a game before.  To make matters worse, Darren McFadden left the game with a foot injury after just two carries. Kevin Boss went out with a concussion and Sebastian Janikowski did not dress up due to a hamstring injury. When if fucking rains.... if fucking pours!

Raider Notes:

Jason Campbell claims that he learned about the Carson Palmer trade watching television. I guess the man doesn't have an iPhone or a Twitter account. The story made the sports ticker, but it's a non-issue. Campbell was fooling himself if he thought the Raiders wouldn't make some kind of move. All this does is sour his relationship with Hue Jackson, who according to some sources was not entirely sold on Jason Campbell as the starter.

The Raiders don't play again until Nov. 6th at home against Denver. The bye week comes at a good time. Palmer should get up to speed, though it remains to be seen if McFadden, Janikowski or Boss will be ready.  The Raiders have faced Tim Tebow before, the chosen one made his rookie debut against Oakland in 2010. As we witnessed in the Miami-Denver game, Tebow can play poorly, but if they're within striking distance, he's a very dangerous quarterback.  

It's funny how the loss of a starting quarterback will cause a team's defense to totally collapse. Indianapolis for instance, Peyton Manning is out for the season and suddenly their defense can't stop anybody. Minus Chad Henne, the Dolphins' defense turned into arm waving zombies as Tim Tebow ( who must have deceptive speed because he appears to move in slow motion) made them look foolish.

The Raiders need to take a long look at the Qb. situation, Kyle Boller is basically nothing more than an emergency back-up... to be used with caution. Terrelle Pryor will not be ready this year and we're just one injury away from either one becoming the starter. Almost midway through the season, backup Qb. is still an unsettled issue. In retrospect, letting Bruce Gradkowski go, was a critical mistake and he signed with the Bengals, of all teams.

Highlights:   Are you fucking kidding me?

Lowlights: Boller, that was some sad shit. 

The Other Side: K.C. had the game handed to them, so of course they start taunting, as Hue Jackson said "We play them again"

Thoughts on a bad day:

“We’re not blinking, This football team is not going to blink. We have to play better. We have to play better offensively. I take full responsibility.”  Hue Jackson

"Definitely not my best outing. I feel bad for my teammates. I feel like I let my teammates down. There’s not much to say. The play speaks for itself.”  Kyle Boller

“It was just an awful feeling walking off the field to be beat like that in the fashion that we were beat, we need to regroup.”    Carson Palmer

"This bye week couldn't be at a better time''  Carson Palmer

Raiders- Browns Game 6

On a day when the Raiders memorialized Al Davis, a day on which they won their second straight game to improve to 4-2, nothing it seemed could go wrong. It did however, go very wrong. Jason Campbell left the game with a broken collar bone and is lost for the season. Campbell while not a spectacular quarterback, is capable and efficient. Kyle Boller filled in and played like a back-up who hasn't seen any significant playing time lately. Ultimately it was the special teams play that kept the Browns at bay and allowed The Raiders to escape with a 24-17 win.

Oakland got off to a fast start with Darren McFadden capping off the opening drive with a touchdown run.  After the Browns tied the game at 7-7, Jacoby Ford returned a kick 101 yds. to put the Raiders back in front 14-7 at the break. In the third quarter Boller connected on a 27 yd. pass play to Jacoby Ford to set-up a Janikowski field goal to make the score 17-7. After a Browns turnover, The Raiders caught Cleveland snoozing with a fake punt. Oakland punter Shane Lechler found a wide-open Kevin Boss for an easy Raider touchdown, giving them an insurmountable lead.

The Raider's defense shut down the Brown's running game (65 yds. total rushing) and kept Colt McCoy under pressure the entire game. But, with the Raiders struggling on offense the Browns scored ten unanswered points. A Colt McCoy touchdown pass to Mohamed Massaquoi with 1:06 left, led to a successful onside kick by the Browns. However, that last gasp effort failed as The Raider's defense denied them a first down at midfield to ice the game.

Oakland wasted little time hunting for Jason Campbell's replacement, supposedly having zeroed in on Carson Palmer almost immediately after the game.  Palmer was sitting out the season as a holdout after The Bengals refused to trade him. On Tuesday, the Raiders traded a 1st. round pick in 2012 and a second round pick in 2013, to Cincinnati for the veteran. Palmer who has been working out in Southern California, reported for practice but cautioned reporters that he's nowhere near game shape. 

Hue Jackson and Carson Palmer have some history, Jackson was the wide receivers coach for the Bengals when Palmer was first drafted and also offensive coordinator at USC when Carson played for the Trojans. The Bengals who got nothing when Ochocinco bolted, decided to get some value from Carson while they could. Bengal's owner Mike Brown had stated emphatically that he would not trade Palmer, because doing so would reward him for holding out. However, the progress of rookie Qb. Andy Dalton made Carson expendable and the trade was made.

Raider Notes:

It seems that the changing of the guard is in full swing at Oakland. This has led to a flurry of what we hope are positive changes for the organization. Carson Palmer will have to be a quick study and he'll have to stay healthy, otherwise we're back to Kyle Boller, minus two crucial draft picks over the next two years. A dizzying round of changes for a team that was used to Al Davis' deliberate way of doing things.

At halftime Raider icon, John Madden lit an eternal flame at the stadium, which according to the Raider front office will "burn forever" to honor Al Davis. It was a day full of emotion as several Raider legends attended the first home game following the death of Al Davis. During the lighting ceremony the former Raiders  formed a circle around the midfield emblem. It was a touching display, worthy of the man it honored.

At 4-2 on the season, the Raiders are two games above .500 for the first time since the 2002 season.  Aaron Curry, a defensive linebacker acquired from Seattle, made his Raiders debut. The  former #4 pick in the 2009 draft, impressed both Chuck Bresnahan & Hue Jackson with his play. Oakland after being flagged 50 times for 445 yds. in their first five games, only committed 5 penalties for 35 yds. on Sunday.

Carson Palmer wasn't the only former Bengal signed by the Raiders on Tuesday, safety Chinedum Ndukwe, 26 yrs. old, a four year starter for Cincinnati, also signed on.  The Raiders cut two defensive players during the week, cornerback Joe Porter and linebacker Bruce Davis. Both players were favorites of Al Davis, especially Davis, the son of a former Raider.

Highlights: Jacoby Fords 101 yd. td. run and Shane Lechler's td pass to Kevin Boss. The Raider defense made crucial stops, especially after the Browns recovered that onside kick late in the game.

Lowlights: Jason Campbell going down with a broken collar bone

The Other side: Colt McCoy had a miserable day, but he did rally them in the second half.

The Quote Machine:

“It’ll be a learning curve for him because he hasn’t played football in a while but I’m excited to have a leader on that side of the ball of his caliber" Richard Seymour talking about new Raider Qb. Carson Palmer.

“We also find ourselves rather suddenly in position of being able to receive real value for Carson that can measurably improve our team"  Bengals' Owner Mike Brown (a notorious hard nut to crack) on the trade that sent Carson Palmer to the Raiders.

"I’m not so sure that Hue Jackson was convinced or sold on Jason Campbell. I think that was an Al Davis deal. Hue was doing the best he could. I think when Jason went down this opened up the door to the possibility that they could do something with Carson." Rich Gannon on Palmer trade.

New Mexico Football Report

Visions of Joe Morrison, Joe Lee Dunn, Dennis Franchione & Rocky Long dance through my head.

But, it's not highlights that I see, instead what stands out is the parting shot they took at UNM in particular and Lobo fans in general. "We gave you a winner and you didn't fill the seats"  Morrison's teams were  good... they deserved better, Dunn was handed a solid program and couldn't muster a single winning season, Franchione was overrated... he had one good season and then bolted.

That brings me to the prodigal son... Rawkylawng! (pronounced as one word) Rocky pointed the Lobos down the road to continued success, he built the foundation for a competitive program. Under Long the Lobos were a force, they fought for conference titles and earned respect around the league. Bowl appearances followed, including a rare bowl victory (albeit The New Mexico Bowl) Rocky Long did what he could do, but when the well ran dry he too played out his string and went out the door. 

When first hired, Rocky had advised us to be patient, that it would take time to build the program up. We responded with the patience of Job, Rocky had eleven years to get 'er done. It was his criticism of UNM that hurt the most, even if the poor results during the last two seasons of his tenure, were the product of a head coach on the verge of burn out. Nonetheless, the blueprint was there all we needed was a good craftsman to finish the building.

As UNM Athletic Director, Paul Krebs recently stated "When we hired Mike Locksley, a lot of schools were after him" Locks was out to get paid and that's what he got. What we got from him, I won't say out of decency. All responsibility for the demise of The Lobo football program can be pinned on Paul Krebs. Let's put this shameful episode to rest, and look to the future. Two currently unemployed head coaches come to mind as potential leaders for the UNM football program.

1. Mike Leach (ex-Texas Tech coach, a proven winner who ran afoul of a pissy, but well connected Craig James) Mike is Mormon, New Mexico has a strong LDS church presence. This is a potential fan base that has been ignored by UNM for too long. 2. Rich Rodriguez (West Virginia, Michigan) a winning coach with an Hispanic name (he's no more Hispanic than Al Pacino) what is there not to like? Should race & religion be factors in hiring a head coach?... of course not.  But, they can't be any worse than Krebs criteria for hiring Mike Locksley, "other people wanted him."

UNM  7   Nevada  49

You can leave the interim tag on George Barlow's job description. Nothing that Barlow or his staff have done since Mike Locksley's dismissal warrants their continued employment at UNM. The Lobos are floundering. Coming off a bye-week, their effort against Nevada was embarrassing. It's not even about X's & O's anymore, now it boils down to pride & effort and on Saturday the Lobos fans saw neither.

Fr. Qb. Cody Fajardo passed for 203 yards and ran in two td's as Nevada waltzed past the Lobos, 49-7 this past Saturday in Reno,Nv.  Lampford Mark added 3 short td's runs as The Nevada Wolfpack racked up 598 yards of total offense. Nevada was up 28-0 at halftime and would enjoy an equal amount of success in the second half as well. The Wolfpack, playing out their final season in the WAC before joining the Mountain West were too talented and balanced for the woeful Lobos.

Nevada had 338 yds. total rushing, led by Stefphon Jefferson with 108. The Lobos avoided a shutout with 6:38 left to play when Tarean Austin ran in from 17 yds. out for UNM's lone score of the game. There is nothing else to be said about UNM's effort... simply because there was no effort, it was nothing more than a controlled scrimmage, one where both sides knew the outcome before the kickoff.

This was just another low point in a season that will see plenty more, beginning next week with TCU.  The Horned Frogs are not what they once were, but they are good enough to pour 70-80 points on the Lobos. Six games down and six to go, a win less season is a foregone conclusion. God Help the MWC school and coaching staff that can't whip these jackals of the desert (are you listening Wyoming and UNLV?)

NMSU 31  Univ. of Idaho  24

Are you ready for this Albuquerque? Following rare consecutive wins, NMSU stands a chance at becoming bowl eligible. Could the Duke City be awash in shitkickers & tractors come December's New Mexico Bowl? Don't pack your burlap bags just yet Aggies...it won't happen. But, it's been a while since we've even entertained that thought. The Aggies have seven games left (they play 13 because of the "Hawaii Rule"*) They must  win four to finish at 7-6.

The second half of the Aggie's schedule resembles a death march. They travel to Hawaii this week, followed by games against Nevada, Georgia, Fresno St., BYU, Louisiana Tech & Utah St. By the time they get to the Fresno St. game, the Aggie's thin defense should be busted up beyond repair. La.Tech & Utah St. are the only games where they have a realistic shot at winning. Finishing up at 4-9 would be a stretch, and it wouldn't surprise me if the Aggies lost all seven games.

Let's put the bowl talk on the back burner. The NMSU defensive unit minus three starting linemen and a starting linebacker, forced four turnovers and then sacked Idaho Qb. Brian Reader, to cap off a last minute goal line stand and preserve the victory.  To quote AC-DC "They have big balls"... Buzzkiller Teddy Feinberg of The Las Cruces Sun-News, who is ever so quick to gloat & taunt opponents on those rare occasions when The Aggies  win, just had to kill the joy "It does come against Idaho... a team that, at this point, looks to be the conference's weakest - a slow defensive unit with a below-average quarterback."

After a short stay in the upper echelon of The WAC, The Vandals have rotated back to their accustomed spot at the bottom. When Teddy & the NMSU Aggies dog your ass, you know you're at rock bottom. Aggie Qb. Matt Christian combined with third string Qb. Travaughn Colwell for 202 yds. passing and 2 passing tds. Matt Christian was 8-14, 102 yds. before leaving the game. Coming off the bench, Travaughn Colwell was 7-9 for 100 yds. including a td. strike to Kemonte Bateman. 

Kenny Turner continues to gobble up yardage for The Aggies finishing with 171 yds. rushing on 29 carries and 1 td. Since his move to running back, Turner has turned out three consecutive games of 100 yds. rushing or more. Taveon Rogers, finding his old form after an injury, took a kickoff return 100 yds. for a td. that put the Aggies up 21-7. The Vandal however, didn't roll over, Justin Veltung ran a punt back 64 yds. for a td. and Princeton McCarty hit paydirt with a 95 yd. kickoff return for another Idaho td.

Colwell was called into action after Christian left the game right before halftime, with an injured left shoulder. Colwell, a true freshman stepped in and made some big completions and avoided making any crucial mistakes. No word yet on whether, Matt Christian will return for next week's game with Hawaii or not. The Aggies had already lost original starter Andrew Manley for the season following the UTEP game. The Aggie coaching staff will have little time to shore up the special teams. That beleaguered unit suffered a blocked punt, which led to an easy Idaho td., a punt returned for a td. and a kickoff returned for a td.

*By NCAA mandate,  teams that travel to Hawaii for a regular season game, are allowed to add an extra game to their schedule.

Raiders- Texans Game 5

I'm not going to lead off with something as blatantly sentimental as "Al Davis was looking down on the Raiders from heaven on Sunday" Although it did seem like there was something in the air. Janikowski boots three field goals from 50yds. plus, did Al guide them in? Video replays showed that The Raiders only had 10 men lined up on defense for that final play. Was it instinct that placed Michael Huff in the right spot to intercept Schaub's end zone pass or did Al nudge him over?

If you play the video in slow motion, I bet you can see Al Davis in a leather helmet rushing the line. Crazy talk? sure! but Lady Fortune found us again, and we welcomed her with open arms. It was a day for Al Davis and about Al Davis, emotions ran high as the Raiders took the field wearing black decals on the backs of their helmets with AL in silver letters. It was a day and a game befitting of a man who since 1963 had lived Raiders football. 

The Raiders had been informed by Hue Jackson of Davis' passing at an emotional meeting on Saturday. Raider hall of famer Willie Brown, summed it up: “They need to realize that every tear, every step, every block, every tackle—it’s for him,” Brown said.  A moment of silence was observed around the league, although one can imagine that in certain locales hecklers interjected.

The Raiders struggled the entire first half, Oakland did not pick up a  first down until after the two minute warning. However, they did go into halftime on a high note as Jason Campbell connected with Darrius Heyward-Bey for a 34 yd. td. pass. Down just 14-12 after a miserable half of play, the Raiders needed only to regroup and make adjustments.

After the break, The Raiders got rolling and they took the lead for good on an 18 yd. td. pass from Jason Campbell to Chaz Schilens, which put The Raiders up 22-17. Following another Janikowski field goal to go up 25-17, Neil Rackers connected on a 48yd. fg. for Houston that left the Texans needing just a touchdown to win it. That set up the dramatic final moments of a game that will live on in Raider legend.

With under a minute left to play, down 25-20,  Schaub converted on third and 29 to set The Texans up for the winning score at The Raider 5 yd. line. With the clock winding down, instead of handing off to Arian Foster, Matt Schaub lobbed a pass into the end zone intended for Jacoby Jones, it was picked off by Michael Huff.  With the victory preserved, Hue Jackson slumped to his knees overcome by the emotion of the past two days. 

Raider Notes:

Houston put the Raiders in a hole almost immediately by scoring a touchdown on their opening series for the third consecutive game. The Raiders stayed in the game during the first half, thanks to points off a turnover and a blocked punt. Lamarr Houston's interception set up a Janikowski 54 yd. fg. and Daryl Blackstock blocked a punt that led to a Janikowski 55 yd. fg.

Sebastian Janikowski kicked field goals of 54, 55, 50 and 42 yds. The Raiders pulled off a fake punt in the fourth quarter, the first one I can recall in years. Darrius Heyward-Bey, who's selection in the 2009 draft at No.7 led to cries of derision directed at Al Davis, has really come on the last two games. Heyward-Bey had 7 receptions for 99 yds. and one td. catch.

Houston's vaunted running game led by Arian Foster was held to 70 yds., which probably led to the Texan's decision not to run the ball on that final play. Richard Seymour recovered from a miserable showing against his former team (The Patriots) by recording two sacks and shutting down the running lanes.  "Last year, we probably would have lost this game, but we grew up as a team, we continued to fight," Seymour said. 

With this crucial road win, the Raiders finished up at 2-1 against three good football squads. (Jets, Patriots & Texans) Yes, the Jets have lost three straight, but it was The Raiders that sent them into that tailspin. Up next for the Silver & Black is Cleveland, the first of three consecutive home games. Division foes Kansas City and Denver will follow, with a bye week between those games. 

Highlights: Janikowski's field goals were the difference, the man is an ungodly kicking machine. Darrius Heyward-Bey, much maligned wide receiver, his td. catch right before the half sparked the offense.

Lowlights: any jackass who booed during the moment of silence

The Other Side: Matt Schaub, he had them in a position to win, that 3rd. & 29 conversion was nails.

We got quotes:

"He's a great man, and I appreciate everything he did for me, He's up there, watching over us."  Darrius Heyward-Bey

"I wouldn't be here without him," Michael Huff  when asked what Al Davis meant to him.

"Starting out, things aren't going your way, and it's like, 'What's going on? Everybody said we'll get our breaks. Keep fighting. And that's what we did." Jason Campbell on the Raider's slow start.

"When they decided to pick me up, Al called me himself. To be a second-generation Raider, it meant a lot to go out there and honor his memory." Bruce Davis, the son of former Raider Bruce Davis. 

"I could stand. To me, I just felt like everything needed to come out. As a leader you have to wear this brave face everything now and then, but I'm human like everyone else and I do wear my feelings on my sleeves every now and then.--- Sometimes you don't want people to see all that, but at that moment I had no control over that."  Hue Jackson talking about his reaction as the game ended.

Al Davis: Just Win Baby!

 "Pride and Poise" 

My interest in the NFL started in grade school when I was ten, most kids rooted for the Cowboys, but I was drawn to a different team. Leafing through back issues of Sports Illustrated at the school library, a certain logo drew my attention. It was a silver & black swashbuckler with an eye patch, I instantly became a Raider fan. Since then there's been a litany of heartache, punctuated by rare moments of joy. "The Raiduhs" as Al Davis called them in his Brooklyn accent, were a thing of legend and also of despair.  

Through it all there's been one constant, Al Davis.  He took over a losing team in 1963 that barely had a stadium to play in and transformed them into one of the most marketable and recognized franchises in sport history. After winning the AFC title and making  a Super Bowl appearance in 2002, a blow out loss to Tampa Bay. The Raiders fell on hard times. Seven consecutive losing seasons followed, a streak that was finally broken when they finished 8-8 in 2010.

Al Davis and The Raiders became fodder for the wisecracks of ESPN's trendy sportscasters. They were the butt of every joke, a punchline in football pads.  A dysfunctional, disorganized outfit with no clue led by a crazy maniacal owner. Every move Al Davis made seemed to backfire, most glaringly the drafting of JaMarcus Russell. (which mirrored that of Todd Marinovich) The wizard it seemed, had lost his touch, everyone piled on. The Raiders for so long the exponents of pride, effort, tradition and toughness were a mere shell of their former selves. 

 "Commitment to Excellence."

Raider haters like to point out that Al Davis was the first to hire an Hispanic & African-American head coach and also the first to fire both. It's always been assumed that Al made all the calls and the head coach simply went along. This led to some nasty splits when the relationship between Davis and the head coach went sour, Mike Shanahan, Lane Kiffin, Art Shell per examples. It doesn't detract from the fact that he was a true visionary, a man who proved himself on the sidelines and in the front office. Al Davis was always in charge for better or worse.

Forever loyal to active & former players, it could be his greatest strength and his biggest flaw. Those who's loyalty he questioned felt his wrath, Marcus Allen, the Super Bowl MVP in 1984 was first benched and then unceremoniously released. Davis would later say of Allen  “He was a cancer on the team.” By the time Al passed away Marcus had put it behind him, "It’s no secret that we didn’t see eye-to-eye at times, but I’ve always been grateful for the opportunity that he gave me, and I’ll always remember that.”

He tried to right a perceived wrong by rehiring Art Shell as head coach. Shell was not up to the challenge and bringing him back initiated a downward spiral. Al gave young assistants the chance to be head coaches, although it came back to bite him more than once. The worst example of this was the firing of Lane Kiffin. A ridiculous finger pointing affair that will go down in the annals as Al Davis & The Raider's worst moment. 

 "You don't adjust. You dominate."

I won't lie to you, as the losses piled up and The Raiders floundered, I started to lose faith in Al Davis. More than once I signed on to online Raider forums and demanded that for the good of the team, Al should step down. My love for the team transcended my admiration for the man, although they were one and the same. The one fact that I've always been cognizant of,  is that The Raiders would continue without Al Davis, though never without his memory or presence.

Since that day in 1969 when I first read his name in Sports Illustrated, on through my childhood and as an adult, Al Davis & The Raiders have been a part of my life. As a novice Raider fan I once asked a friend "Is Al Davis the Raider's coach?" he looked at me funny and answered "Not exactly, but I'm not sure what he is" Al Davis went out the only way he knew how, on his shield, a Raider is a Raider  for life.... Go Raiders!

 If you're a Raider fan I don't have to explain it, if you're not then there's no way I can explain it.  

I purposely requested an assignment to Travis AFB in Fairfield, Ca. because of its proximity to the Bay Area. There, my civilian supervisor was a jovial hard drinking career GS, who introduced himself as "A good 'ol Arkie" which he described this way "An Arkie is the same as an Okie, just from Arkansas." I hit it off well with Claude Hurley, for one thing he was an Oakland A's and Raider fan, plus just like me he had no use for The Giants or The 49'ers.

Once he found out I was also a Raider fan, he invited me to go along. It was 1976 and the Raiders led by Kenny "The Snake" Stabler were Super Bowl bound. At the game we took our seats along a row of middle aged men. They were ham fisted, red faced, cigar chomping, whisky drinking dock workers, ship builders, warehouse men and truck drivers. These were the original Raider fans, the ones who stuck with the team during the lean years before Al Davis turned the team around. They were the blue collar holdovers from the AFL days, who had picked The Raiders over The 49'ers because the seats were more affordable.

Everyone knew Claude, most eyed me with curiosity, one passed me a hip flask, I took a swig and gagged, which brought forth a raucous round of laughter. The afternoon and the game went by in a swirl of cigar smoke, beer and whiskey, that's all I really remember. The actual game details were lost right about the time I started throwing up into a trash can after the game.* As we drove back to Fairfield, Claude kept looking at me and asking if I was ok. I was fine, it was my first Raider game and nothing could be finer. 

* A 19–6 win over the Denver Broncos

Al Davis R.I.P.

Al Davis  July 4th 1929- October 8th 2011

The Greatest Raider of them all!

"Just Win Baby"

Raiders- Patriots Game 4

Raiders 19  Patriots 31

Here's what we learned from the Raider's dismal effort against the New England Patriots. 1. The Raiders will not win the Super Bowl  2. The Raiders will not win an AFC title  3. Winning the AFC West is not a given. Lowered expectations? not at all, just a realistic appraisal of what The Raiders are capable of.

What did we expect? with a rookie coach going up against the king of kings. Bill Belichick was looking for a jugular to stomp on, simply put The Hoodie, hoodwinked Hue. Tom Brady after an uncharacteristically poor outing against the Bills, chopped off his Justin Bieber locks, which should have told us something bad was headed our way.

That's what a good team does, coming off a loss they got mad and pissed in the Raider's jungle juice. The bully was bullied, The Patriots kicked sand in their faces and stole their fickle girl. This is setting up as another up and down season. That inconsistency cost The Raiders an AFC West title and a playoff spot last season.

There comes a moment in any Raider loss, when we suddenly realize that our goose is cooked. On Sunday, that moment came when Jason Campbell threw an interception to Patrick Chung. With the score 14-10 in New England's favor and The Raiders on the verge of taking the lead, Jason Campbell made a bonehead mistake that changed the tide of the game.

“I expected to be 4-0. I really did,” Hue Jackson said. “We’re going to get this thing going right. We’re going to go to work, we’re going to fix this thing, I guarantee you that." It's good to dream, I dream of these things too... I really do. The drawback to "fixing things" as you go along is that bad things tend to happen and the losses start to pile up.

Jason Campbell had his best game yet as a Raider, completing 25 of 39 passes for 344 yds. But, it was the interception that everyone was talking about. Campbell said: "That cost us, from that point on, I think it kind of stemmed the momentum." His counterpart Tom Brady had a less than spectacular day, 16-30 passing for 226 yds. with 2 tds. The real difference in the game was New England's 11 first downs rushing and 11 first downs passing, now that's what you call a balanced attack. 

The Raiders started out running the ball well, but once the Patriots went up 24-10, Oakland was forced to abandon the run. Darren McFadden finished with 74yds. rushing (he had 54 yds. on just 8 carries in the 1st. half)  The Raider running game was ineffectual in the second half  gaining  just 36 yds from scrimmage.  The Raiders gained a season-high 504 yards of offense, but six trips past the New England 30 yd. line only netted them 19 points, a season-low.

You should see their kids!

Raider Notes:

The O-line continues to protect Campbell, they've still given up just two sacks this season. A penalty on tackle Jared Veldheer, for an illegal block killed Oakland's opening drive at the New England 13 yd. line. A Janikowski field goal gave the Raiders their only lead of the game 3-0. 

The Raiders had one of those calls go against them, that only seem to happen to The Raiders. Trailing 24-10, Jacoby Ford tangled up with Patriots Db. Kyle Arrington, who was flagged for pass-interference. After a quick huddle, the officials picked up the flag and declared that no penalty was warranted. When have you ever seen a pass interference call waved off?

The Raiders now travel to Houston for a game with The Texans. Oakland hasn't fared well against the Texans, and right now they're the best team this side of the Mississippi.  After the Texas road trip the Raiders will be at home for three straight games starting with Cleveland then followed by Divisional rivals, Kansas City and Denver.

Everyone had something to say except for me and my monkey:

“There’s no excuses about it, The Patriots were better than us today. We’re not going to say it was the officials. We didn’t do enough to win.”   Richard Seymour

“They picked up the flag. They said it’s not, so it’s not, I’m not going to play into all that penalty stuff, because I don’t think it does anybody any good.”  Hue Jackson

“It was pass interference, then it wasn’t. I didn’t know you could overrule a pass-interference call. You learn something new every day.”   Jacoby Ford

Highlights: The Black Hole was feeling it, big crowd... good crowd, bad game.

Lowlights: Jason Campbell, had a Raider career day passing but his two int's killed all the joy in Mudville.  Richard Seymour, was assessed two 15 yd. penalties on New England's opening drive.

The defense, I've seen fewer missed tackles at a Pop Warner game.

The Other side: Wes Welker, Mr. Clutch had nine catches for 158 yards. Stevan Ridley  97 yds on 10 carries, including a 33-yard touchdown run.

New Mexico Football Report

"Never put money down on the UNM Lobos... never!, it's a sucker's play, a losing prop."

(Advice from a gypsy at Bally's sports book while watching Lobos choke against Rice in 1997.)

The Yelp of a Beaten Curr

Will the wolf survive the 2011 college football season? All attempts to re-introduce the Lobo back into the wilds of Div. One (FBS) football have failed. Nothing underscores this fact like a 42-28 loss to instate rivals NMSU. The Lobo's fate was sealed upon the opening kick off. Aggie second stringer Matt Christian played like Willie Joe Namath, I shudder to think what Andrew Manley would have done to the Lobo secondary.

Upon a bright October afternoon, in the wax and wane of seasonal change, the Aggies of Las Cruces strode in from the range. They were not an awe inspiring bunch in their tacky crimson and seemed to mockingly court ridicule with their pistol toting cheesy mustachioed mascot. Yet! on this day, this glorious football Saturday, the tillers of soil and feeders of livestock burned their brand onto the hindquarters of our beloved native canines.  

If UNM's only hope is to "keep on bucking failure till you've worn the piker out!" then this season will wind down to its inevitable conclusion. Failure is and has been a familiar creature on the gridiron of University Stadium and those cocky Aggie shitkickers are more than happy to throw another load on the backs of the Lobos. "Sweet are the dreams of college life, before our faith is nicked-" before the college game kicks us in the teeth, before reality sets in and we realize that no matter how hard we cheer, our hopes always fall on deaf ears.  

"Div. One football... my ass!, this is Pop Warner...  this is bullshit... New Mexico.. fuckin' Lobos can kiss my ass.... motherfuckers!"

(spoken by angry drunken bettor at Bally's sports book as he tore up his betting ticket)

Har, Har sayeth the magpies as they laugh and caw, the Aggies... oh! brother, are better after all.

"No more remembered thunder sweeps the field, No more the cowering scribes hear the call

To one who wore so well both frown and scowl, we bid farewell.

The Big Guy left us standing in the dark, having failed to re-ignite the dying spark.

The shadows creep where night falls deep, but like a babe Mike Locksley sleeps.

What more is there for us to say? for we have cursed his memory away

We are the Lobos hear us howl, and before we learn to win, we must learn to crawl"

*Quotations unless otherwise noted are from Grantland Rice, most of which I altered and modified to fit my selfish needs.

The Tumult and the Taunting

UNM  28    NMSU  42

Last week the NMSU Aggies were the great cure all for what ailed a sagging San Jose St. football program. This week it was The UNM Lobos providing the miracle salve that cured the Aggies of their gridiron doldrums.  I quote Teddy Feinberg, sportswriter for the Las Cruces Sun-News "Yes, the University of New Mexico football team is bad - very bad.  Heads up Lobos, this is bulletin board material "The Lobos are hands down the worst team NMSU has played on their schedule to this point."  

Oh! the Aggies are feeling it, and rightfully so the win on Saturday makes it three in a row for NMSU. The margin of victory for the Aggies was their largest since 1968. The woes for the Lobos amount to a catalog of the obvious. Poor execution, failure to rush the passer, poor secondary play and that's just on defense. Under George Barlow the Lobos will play out the string and nothing more. A realistic look at their remaining schedule tells us that the winless season that UNM has avoided the last two years will be unavoidable this year. 

Christian was 16-of-27 passing  for 296 yards and 4 td's. (3 in the first quarter) while rushing for 106 yards on 15 carries. The Aggies gained 242 yards on the ground on 48 carries, with Kenny Turner going over 100 yards again as well (109 yards on 24 carries). With Taveon Rogers out with a hip injury, Christian went to true freshman Austin Franklin (5 recs. 115 yds.) as his go-to receiver. 

The Lobo offense coming off a high scoring shoot-out with Sam Houston St., was unable to match the Aggies blow by blow. With Tarean Austin out, B.R. Holbrook was 22-36 passing for 265 yds. WR.Deon Long had 6 recs. for 94 yds. and Ty Kirk added 11 recs. for 90 yds, neither receiver made it into the end zone. Crusoe Gongbay, who is shaping up as the Lobo's only productive running back had two touchdown runs, on 10 carries for 54 yds. 

New Mexico Qb. B.R. Holbrook summed up the day and mindset of the Lobo side: “Some of the higher-ups made some decisions and as players it affects us greatly, but at the end of the day, we cannot control their decisions.” When Mike Locksley was fired, I hoped against hope that the Lobos would rally 'round George Barlow and salvage the season. The ingredients needed to make that happen (talent, heart, desire, courage) are sadly missing.  At the end of the day, The Aggies were just a better football team.

"Keep coming back, and though the world may romp across your spine, let every game's end find you still upon the battling line"