The Raiders Situation

I don't know what to believe on the ongoing Raiders-Kiffin saga. Do they want him gone or not? He won't comment and the Raiders deny the reports. It's a question of who do I trust less, rumor-passing sports reporters or the most secretive sports franchise in the America. I'm hoping the Raiders are right and they aren't firing Kiffin, who did a great job in his first year as a head coach anywhere, and showed he can manage a game and instill a good offensive system. Rob Ryan needs to go because in four years with the team, the Raiders haven't improved on defense, save one fluke year when teams didn't try to score on them because the Raiders offense was so horrible. Then again, it could be that Al Davis insists on playing man to man defense as other people have reported, and his defensive coordinator has no say over his own part of the team. I really don't want this to be true because it'll validate what everyone has said about Davis. It will also mean that Davis has to go for the good of the team. And that's the saddest thing about this whole mess. Davis has been a brilliant football mind for so long and has done more to push civil rights in football than any other owner (including Dan Rooney of the Rooney Rule fame). Davis hired black and Hispanic coaches before the league forced people to look that way. He had black players on his team early on, and he was always an outspoken advocate for equality in football. He had a good mind for the Xs and Os of football too. His power run, vertical pass scheme was brilliant in its time, but his time may have passed. The man who has unearth more coaching gems than anyone else (Shanahan, Gruden, Madden, Flores) seemingly had gotten another one in Kiffin. I hope he stays with that one. If not, the Raiders are back to where they started and this last year, full of hope and wins on the road and over AFC rivals, was a wasted one.

AFC/NFC Title Game Thoughts

1. LaDainian Tomlinson = overrated. There, I said it. I didn't think this day would actually come, but what a completely heartless, disgraceful no show by the former league MVP. Two carries, one catch, and a whole lot of time standing on the sideline while Michael Turner came in and showed that the Bolts don't necessarily need Tomlinson and Philip Rivers gutted out the game on a partially torn ACL and Antonio Gates played the whole game with a broken toe. Tomlinson talked big about his first championship opportunity and then didn't show up. LaDainian, that was the time to play hurt, to put your team on your back and at least try. He didn't once lobby the coaches to put him back in the game.

2. Now that's the Norv Turner I know and love. Here's a thought: You're down two scores with less than 5 minutes to go. You're at the 40 yard line facing a 4th and 10. You have the league's best running back, but he's moping on the bench, so he's a non-factor. But you do have a terrific backup in Michael Turner, a receiver playing to his potential in Chris Chambers and a decent, if injured, quarterback in Philip Rivers. You've moved the ball against the Patriots defense for most of the day. You're playing against the best offense in the league, against the most dangerous playoff quarterback in the league. All you need is 10 yards. Sure, let's punt instead. The Chargers never got the ball back. Brady and company worked the clock and the Chargers couldn't stop that Pats offense.

3. The return of Bad Brett Favre at the worst possible time. I actually don't have a lot to say here. I would have loved to see him play against the Pats in the Super Bowl.

4. Eli??!!?? in the Super Bowl?!?!?!? WTF?!?!? How did this happen? It all started in the last week of the season, when Eli came out and played like gangbusters against the Pats. The Patriots gaveth Eli confidence. Will they take it away in the Super Bowl?