Losing Lane, Part 2 - The Aftermath (AKA Sick of it All)

So it has been almost 48 hours now since the Raiders fired yet another coach. Things seem to have settled down on the Raider boards and in the media. The expected has happened, the majority of sports writers and talking heads have crucified Al Davis. Lane Kiffin has wisely shut his mouth and is now doing household chores for his wife. And reigning Brickinthebox man of the year Tom Cable now sits on the hot seat as Raiders head coach.

If you have followed the Raiders for any length of time, you knew that Davis was in a no win situation here. Fire Lane and say nothing, and the media simply runs the same rumors that they have for the last year and a half, showing how dysfunctional Al is and praises Lane for lasting so long. Have the press conference and address the rumors that have come out, and Al is a vindictive old man.

Few, if any, writers or talking head will stick up for Davis in any manner. Davis has burned too many bridges in the media community. Davis didn’t help things any by referring to Mort as a professional liar in the press conference. Davis’s bunker mentality has allowed the media to run wild for years with disinformation when it comes to the Raiders. So when Al does emerge from his self imposed exiles to address issues, he ends up painting the reporters as liars and rumor mongers. Its no wonder that the media doesn’t like him.

That said, the media response is often comical. Mort went on Mike and Mike to address the Lane Kiffin firing and tried to strike back at Al. In trying to show that Lane wasn’t his source for his information, Mort claimed that he learned that Cable was the next head coach before the announcement. Congratulations Mort, we all did thanks to Adam Schefter. But that is typical ESPN, if someone else breaks a story, than ESPN just plugs in the standard phrase “ESPN has learned” rather than credit any other organization.

Mort went on to defend Lane in the same bumbling manner. He brought up Lane’s attempt to bring his father Monte as the new Raiders defensive coordinator. Mort questioned why the Raiders wouldn’t want perhaps the best defensive coordinator of the last 10+ years as their new DC. Lets keep it simple; Monte was under contract with the Bucs. Any attempt by any member of the Raiders organization to recruit Monte would be considered tampering. That tampering could result in the Raiders forfeiting draft picks. However Mort is willing to overlook this to defend his source in Lane, and his honor as a media member.

It doesn’t stop there with the media. Normally fair minded outlets like Pat Kirwan decided to blast Al and defend Lane. Dismissing the possibility that Lane did anything wrong in this matter, using the same old rumors and innuendo that have circulated around the Raiders for years and miss citing the letter sent to Lane after the Denver game. Why, because Lane is a family fried who regularly appears on his program.

Damned if he does, damned if he doesn’t this has become the story of Al’s later years.

Lane predictably has gone strangely quite now. He rewarded his media outlet of choice, ESPN, with an interview where he squirmed under softball questions and a fluff piece with Sirius NFL radio and his friend Pat Kirwan. After months of leaking information and blatantly calling out the organization in press conferences, Lane decided to choose the high road. You could smell the bullshit through the TV screen and over the radio. Lane publicly undermined the team for months, and now that he was called out he hid behind his boyish smirk.

There is no doubt in my mind that had Al not dressed Lane down in his press conference Lane would have gone forward with his planned press conference Wednesday and put his spin out there on the issues. Al beat him to the punch. Lane didn’t take the high road, he had the rug pulled out from under him by an old man. If Lane ever found himself on the high road he would be telling some balding hunter how he must have taken a wrong turn at Albuquerque.

Then there is the final dance partner in this strange threesome. Brickinthebox’s 2007 man of the year; Tom Cable. Obviously I have allot of respect for Cable if I have plastered his face on every page of my website. So how will he fair as the interim head coach of the Raiders, well that is anybody’s guess, lets bore you with mine.

Cable is an ex-offensive lineman, and offensive line coach. Sure he has some experience as a head coach at Northwestern Idaho or something like that (no we don’t have a fact checker here) but the history of ex-offensive lineman dealing with Davis is promising. Offensive linemen generally are not ones to seek out attention and praise. It is a product of the position. If you are getting attention, chances are you fucked up. Working the thankless jobs becomes a way of life.

John Madden was an offensive lineman in his playing days, he may have been linebacker coach prior to taking over as the head coach of the Raiders, but doing the thankless jobs prepared him for working in Al’s shadow. Art Shell was a hall of famer, and say what you will about his last year as the Raider’s HC, his 1st tour of Duty was generally successful, even if he never guided the team to a ring. The key is for Cable to surround himself with coaches who can handle the X’s and O’s, and allow him to work with his lineman, and just take care of the head coach responsibilities of oversight, and clock management. Oh, and living in Al’s shadow.

If Cable can translate his ability to get the most out of offensive lineman, into the ability to get the most out of an entire team, the Raiders should be fine for this season. I’m not seeing playoffs, but respectable play. Will this mean he is retained at head coach at the end of the year, I don’t know. But I think it makes the most sense, as it gives the Raiders their best chance of retaining the offensive staff that has been working with JRuss to date. Which, since it makes the most sense, means it is the least likely outcome.

And finally, how has this affected me. Well we broke all of our traffic records here at Brickinthebox over the last 2 days. Which really excited me, who knows, the Raiders plight could lead to this site taking off. Until I took a closer look at the numbers, it seems that 90% of my hits came from people looking for pictures of Tom Cable, and most of them didn’t stick around long enough to get through one of my diatribes. Oh well, I guess it is back to the grind for me.

Losing Lane, Part 2 - The Press Conference

I won’t lie to you, heading into yesterday’s press conference I was ready to damn Al. I am sick and tired of the revolving door of Raider head coaches. I wish my team had a clear vision for what they are trying to do. Would set a plan and stick to it. I had seen enough of Kiffin so far to say “lets give the kid a little more time and see if he can develop.”

Then I listen to Al as I drove home from work as he laid it all out there. Almost every rumor that we have been subjected to over the past year and a half was addressed. Now I may not take everything Al said at face value, but what he said struck me as being closer to the truth than the reports that we have gotten. I have to face it, when Al speaks, I listen.

So lets break it down.

Al confirmed that there was dissention over the #1 pick in the 2007 draft. This is no surprise, there should be a healthy amount of debate over any pick, let alone one that will receive that much money. As long as both parties agree to disagree and move on this shouldn’t be a problem.

Al confirmed that there was interest in Lane from Arkansas. Now I will leave it up for debate whether or not Lane was interested in them, and if he was upset that he didn’t get the job. Someone at Arkansas contacting Al, does not mean that Lane put his hat into the ring.

Al corrected the whole resignation letter issue from this past off-season. I never put much stock into Mort’s report that Al tried to have Lane resign, the story didn’t pass the smell test. Al and Lane’s lawyers coming up with language to terminate Lane’s contract in the case that Lane wanted to take another job, that jives with me.

Al confirmed that Lane wanted to fire Rob Ryan. Once again, the way Al claims this went down makes perfect sense to me. Lane wanted to bring in his father and the Tampa-2. Not making this move makes sense from a player personnel and contract standpoint. This should have been back burnered until this coming off-season when the elder Kiffin would have been out of his contract.

Al read his letter to Lane. I have written many letters of default, I recognize one when I see it. This was a bad example of writing one, but there is no doubt about what Al was trying to do. This was Lane’s last warning. Frankly too much has been put into this letter by Raider fans. This is not “proof” of any wrong doing by Lane, it is not proof that Lane wanted any of the players mentioned in the letter. A well-written letter of default would have sited chapter and verse the clauses in the contract violated, and how they were violated. This was an emotional warning letter from Al. If I ever sent out a letter like this I would have some serious questions to answer from my superiors.

If you read this blog regularly, you know that I supported Kiffin fully this off-season until he called out Ryan in the media. At that point I felt that he had gone too far. I hoped that everything could still be mended, for the good of the team, but apparently that was the last straw for Al. Sure Al’s letter said that Lane could have rectified the situation, but any misstep, no matter how small would have meant the end of the Kiffin era.

Here is the thing, when Al laid it all out on the table, I came to agree that it was time to fire Kiffin. It was clear that the working environment had deteriorated beyond repair. Why, through the actions of Lane Kiffin. The constant blabbing and leaking of information to the media could only have come from one source, Lane Kiffin.

All day I have heard about what a piece of garbage Al is for handling the press conference the way that he did. For airing the Raider’s dirty laundry in the media. The laundry was already out there, it had been hung by young Lane over the course of the last year. All Al did was put the Raider’s spin on it. For Lane to go on Sirius NFL radio and say he wouldn’t stoop to Al’s level was laughable, Lane dragged him down into the mud, Al just finally slung back.

There are times that I hate what the Raiders have become. I hate how they cannot put a competent team on the field the last 5 years. I hate how there is seemingly no coherent plan to build this team back up. I hate the lack of consistency in coaching. I hate how my team has become a laughing stock. And in the end all of these things trace back to the actions of one person, Al Davis. But for one day yesterday, I was back in Al’s camp. The old man still has it.

Calling out the Raiders, the Lane Kiffin way

Much of Raider Nation is abuzz with the latest installment in the Lane Kiffin vs. Al Davis soap opera. We have not progressed much since Lane was rumored to be on the chopping block and didn’t wear Raider apparel at the Senior Bowl. It is the same old shit, just a different day.

So why has the latest installment drawn much of my, and the rest of Raider Nation’s attention? Well for those who follow the media’s spin job, it’s just the latest example of the Raiders internal dysfunction, and a sure sign that Lane is angling for his release. For me it’s something different. It is a sign of a young coach finding his voice, and for better or worse it warrants comment.

The momentum has been building on this issue since the start of preseason as Kiffin has been quoted saying the following:

Day 1 of training camp: "When you take this job you realize who the owner is and you realize most guys don't last really long, so that is what it is." (He added that he and Davis have a "working relationship" and a shared desire to win.)


Day 3 of camp: After praising defensive lineman Tommy Kelly's potential, Kiffin noted: "He's got a lot to prove now with that contract."


Last Monday, Aug. 11: Disappointed by the team's depth, Kiffin said: "It's been a situation that, unfortunately, we haven't brought guys in. I control what I can control. We come out every day and get our guys as good as we can. I'm pleased with the top of our roster, but we need to add to the bottom of our roster. We need more competition."

"You've got to be willing to release 'em and live with it, and pick other people up for more competition."

Friday night, after losing at Tennessee: In terms of who might supplant punt returner Johnnie Lee Higgins, Kiffin said: "I really don't have anybody to look at, that's the problem. There isn't anybody there that's very dynamic with the ball."


Saturday media conference call: Rightfully irked by wide receiver Javon Walker missing two catch-able passes Friday, Kiffin said: "... That's discouraging because he was paid an awful lot of money, paid like one of the top five receivers in the NFL. We need him to make those plays."

When you read through those quotes can you find one that you disagree with? Davis changes coaches like he changes his underwear. Kelly and Walker both got paid before proving anything. There are problems with the depth on the Raider’s roster. And if Higgins continues with the constant brain farts, do you see anyone on the roster that can replace him (Hall or McFadden, but they are too valuable elsewhere).

Lets start with the Kelly and Walker comments. If this were any other coach, he would be commended for the honesty. The media loves Bill Parcels, despite his disdain for them, due to his frank nature and how he holds the players publicly accountable. The players who bust ass for Parcels love him, because the loyalty is returned. You know who you don’t hear complaining about Lane’s comments? The players, they demand to be treated like men, and Lane is giving them that. He is demanding accountability from the players; in return he will get it. For those who think he is trying to distance himself from these signing, why would he bother? Lane seems to be a smart individual; he knows that no one puts the Raiders roster on the coach. IMO, this is a coach using the media to put pressure on the players, look at the top coaches in the league, and you will see them all use this technique in varying manners.

The depth question does speak to his relationship with Davis, and I believe goes back much further than this preseason. Davis has become so paranoid that a player he releases will become a superstar elsewhere, that he has become almost paralyzed when it comes to roster movement. Lets face it; Davis has seen a lot of talent blossom elsewhere in recent years. Le’roy Glover and Rod Coleman became household names after leaving the Raiders. Randy Moss returned to superstar status as a Patriot. The only player whom I can think of who has come to the Raiders and became a superstar in recent years is Rich Gannon.

Think back to last season, Lane was forced to keep the worthless husk of Lamont Jordan on the Roster, and IR Michael Bush so that Jordan wouldn’t rediscover himself elsewhere. The Raiders waited weeks to release Coop when he was injured in preseason, why, its not like he was going to latch on elsewhere, as proved by how long the Raiders were able to wait before bringing him back.

Kiffin needed to call out Davis on this one, as nobody else would. The place you will truly see the depth of a team is on special teams, a unit that plays 1/3 of the game, but is made up of all the borderline roster players. The Raiders special teams have been abysmal in recent years. The back end of the roster needs to be upgraded. Those who think “why bother, if the guy was going to contribute he would be on a roster” are flat out wrong. There are plenty of players out there who could upgrade the back end of the roster. Why hold on to an injured 3rd string lineman for a week, rather than reach an injury settlement and get some fresh legs in to compete.

Once again, look at the guys who are the best at building a team right now, hardly a day goes by without some waiver wire work from the New England’s of the league. They realize the importance of the backend of the roster, not just the big names.

Which brings us back to quote #1, "When you take this job you realize who the owner is and you realize most guys don't last really long, so that is what it is."

Lane is approaching this differently than other recent Raiders coaches. Which is why I think he has a chance to endear himself to Davis. Davis reportedly loves a good debate on football, and loves the people who tell it like it is, but he also has a habit of surrounding himself with yes men. Shell and Turner spring to mind as coaches who would just take whatever they were given, and never risk tipping the apple cart. Kiffin is proving that he is not going to be the pushover coach that has lead the Raiders into their recent malaise. He has found his voice, and is proving that he will stand up to Davis in ways that few coaches will.

Lane is demanding accountability from everyone, whether it be coach, player or Managing General Partner. Since the days of Gannon, there has been no one in the organization with the balls to demand the accountability, combined with the self-discipline to be accountable themselves. Sapp was verbal in demanding that the other players show up, while he was putting forth little effort on the field. Lamont Jordan loved to call out the team… from the trainer’s table. Jarrod Cooper calls out the team, while making mental mistakes every time he actually set foot on the field.

Kiffin has found his voice; I for one encourage the members of Raider Nation to back his play. I believe that he should be applauded for his honesty, and his demands for accountability, since, as Lane so astutely pointed out:

"The other way hasn't worked around here for the last five years."

Procrastination costs the Raiders

It’s a sad day for Raider Nation. We are less than 3 hours from the deadline to sign Nnamdi Asomugha to a long-term deal under the franchise tag, and there seems to be no movement on getting the deal done.

Sure Al has pulled rabbits out of his hat before, and deals have gotten done when there was no prior indication that talks were even ongoing. Snatching Warren Sapp from Cincinnati immediately comes to mind. But in this case the silence has been deafening since the tag was applied months ago.

Al has played this game before. I need remind no one of the multiple years that the tag was applied to Charles Woodson. Al doesn’t redo contracts ahead of time, players are expected to play out their deal, and then Al will take care of them. Unless of course they under perform, then Al will look for them to redo their deal or cut them. Look, I understand this is how the NFL CBA is set up, and its Al’s prerogative to deal in this manner with his players. Unfortunately Al has started to get stuck in a trend of not being able to retain his best players and overpaying to keep those that stay.

Woodson, Coleman, Barton, Jackson, the names of players who should have stayed in Silver and Black, but ultimately went elsewhere and performed continues to grow. None of these players leaving came as a surprise, as they out performed their initial deals, and Al failed to restructure them with a year remaining. All were allowed to ultimately test the free agent waters, and found that they could go somewhere that would treat them better in the short term.

Had Al taken care of Nnamdi last off-season, after his breakout year, the deal most likely could have gotten done much cheaper than what the current market is demanding for a premier corner. Nnamdi had just one outstanding season under his belt. And the market was about 2 mil less a year than it is now.

Instead Al waited to see Nnamdi do it again, know that he could always just use the franchise tag if a deal didn’t get done. He didn’t count on Nnamdi actually becoming the premier shutdown corner in the league. Teams went so far in avoiding Nnamdi that this years ProFootball Prospectus had to adjust their requirements to even rank Nnamdi.

Then the off-season hit, and the corner market got even more insane. Guys who aren’t in Nnamdi’s league (Samuels, Hall) got deals that a year before would have been up for biggest ever. The price that Nnamdi could now command entered a league previously know only to quarterbacks with names like Brady and Manning. The worst part, Al helped drive this market into the stratosphere with his overpaying of the exceedingly average Daunte Hall.

With the time expiring on the window to sign franchise players long term, the Raiders are left with two choices next season. Franchise Nnamdi for a 2nd season (at a 20% increase over this years tender, or 11.36 million) or let him test the free agent market, where chances are he will go elsewhere.

And if the Raiders do franchise Asomugha for a 2nd year in a row, they are really compounding their problems going into the following season when Howard, Morrison, Routt, and Janowkowski will also be looking at free agency.

So enjoy what may well be the last season of Asomugha in Silver and Black Raider fans. Chances are if not next season, then the following, Nnamdi will be patrolling the secondary for another NFL squad. And the Raiders will be left with the imposing tandem of Hall and Routt (well if he doesn’t leave for greener pastures) to stop the pass. But hey, at least we know that Al has nothing against spending 1st round picks on CB’s to replace his Probowl corners.