Oakland Raiders

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I am sad the Raiders are leaving Oakland for Las Vegas

It’s a shame. The owners have approved for the Raiders to leave Oakland for Las Vegas. (The Dolphins reportedly was only team to vote against the move.)

This sucks for the loyal fans of the Oakland Raiders who had their team leave once and now it’s happening again. The city of Oakland is a great city and has plenty of loyal fans. But the dump that is the Coliseum (which they had to share) has made it so tough for this town to hold on to their teams.

The Raiders are leaving. The Warriors are gone in a few seasons. The A’s are trying to establish their commitment to the city. Continue reading →

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My predictions for Saturday’s Wild Card round games

It’s time for the playoffs once again! Here are my quick predictions on today’s games.

The Texans are stuck with Brock Osweiler.

OAKLAND (5) VS HOUSTON (4)

This is going to be awful. The Houston Texans are not that good of a team but they make the playoffs because their division is awful. The Oakland Raiders on the other hand have played some really improved football but are without Derek Carr and has looked terrible since his injury.

Houston has to turn to Brock Osweiler, who has been the starter for most of the year. He is very inconsistent and the running game for the Texans is suspect. There isn’t much about this team that can get the team hyped. DeAndre Hopkins had a down year and part of it is due to inconsistent offensive play. Rookie Will Fuller is unpredictable (even when healthy) and tight end C.J. Fiedorowicz seems to be the only offensive weapon the Texans are using well. Without J.J. Watt, defensively the Texans are still suspect in what they can do

Oakland on the other hand has Defensive Player of the Year candidate Khalil Mack running a defense that is decent but still isn’t top level just yet. The biggest concern, however, is how Connor Cook can run the offense with such limited experience as a rookie. The running game needs to be their biggest weapon to help set the tone for the Raiders offense. If the Texans can get pressure on the Raiders’ strong offensive line, then Cook is going to have a long day with Clowney in his face.

Continue reading →

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Would a return of an NFL team to Los Angeles really work?

The more I hear about a football coming back to Los Angeles, the more skeptical I get. It’s been over two decades since Los Angeles had a team. In fact, they had two teams. But they have been trying so hard to get one back since losing the Rams and Raiders. And not surprisingly, those are the two teams (along with the Chargers) that appear to be candidates for a move to Los Angeles.

One problem I have always wondered was where they would play. You can’t get the team to play at the Coliseum again, so you have to build a new stadium. Can they get the land and voter approval? What about finances?

There are a lot of things that go into securing a location for a new team. There is a proposal going on tomorrow and the new stadium looks very advanced. Of course, these are ideas for now and I doubt we will see a team in Los Angeles at least for a few years. With cities trying to retain their team, this ongoing battle will go on for a while I believe. Los Angeles is a great big city but has failed in keeping two teams. They might have a better chance at doing it this time, but will everything align for them to even be in serious contention to get a team?

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Maurice Jones-Drew retires and that makes me sad

Maurice Jones-Drew was one of my favorite players of all time. Because I have a soft spot for the Jaguars, I naturally fell in love with the running back and what he did for the Jaguars. (I even own a Jones-Drew jersey.) He was a great complement for Fred Taylor and when the Jones-Drew became the feature back, he was a joy to watch.

In the eight seasons in Jacksonville, he had 8,071 yards and 68 touchdowns, 11 receiving touchdowns to go along with 2,873 receiving yards. But his most impressive stat may have come in the great playoff game against the Steelers. He had 8 carries for 29 yards and a TD. He also had a 43-yard touchdown catch. And on a kickoff, he returned the ball for 96 yards falling short of the goal line. He was so versatile early on and it’s a shame that his health forced him to fall off in the final two years of his career.

But still, he was a joy to watch. His frame, and what I called his thunderous thighs, were not easy for defenders to bring down. Adding his small size, he was able to slip through holes and burst through for big gains. It’s a shame that he played for a small market because he had big talent. I wish he could have played a little longer in the league but nine years is a good career and he got out before his body gave out.

Thank you for all the memories.

Continue reading →

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Warriors are more Oakland than the A’s? Hold up!

https://twitter.com/jadande/status/413440498284503040

The Raiders have an Oakland feel. Sure, I dig that.

The Warriors have an Oakland feel too. That’s correct. But once they move to San Francisco, it will lose that touch.

But the A’s don’t have an Oakland feel? I’ve been going to A’s games since I was a kid and I don’t know what Adande defines as an Oakland feel. Even though the crowds are small, the passion is just as strong as any other fanbase I’ve seen. During the playoffs, you can’t match the passion and cheers from Oakland.

Continue reading →

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The conversion from baseball to football at O.co Coliseum

Normally this process takes 24 hours but the crew had less than that to work with. Pretty good considering the circumstances last night.

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Sebastian Janikowski roots against the A’s so he can avoid kicking field goals off dirt

Sebastian Janikowski does not like the infield dirt.

The Oakland A’s and Oakland Raiders have been sharing the same stadium for almost 30 years. And when the preseason rolls along for the Raiders, the Coliseum goes through changes as it’s converted from a baseball field to a football field. Then in September the process remains as both teams are in regular season mode. If the A’s were to make the playoffs, then the process continues into October.

Raiders kicker Sebastian Janikowski apparently doesn’t like kicking off the infield dirt during games. I don’t blame him. But to openly say he roots against the A’s is kind of harsh.

I can understand him wanting the infield dirt gone as soon as possible, but to openly say he cheers against the A’s is tough. Janikowski must not realize that the success of the A’s is good for the community. And what’s good for the community is absolutely a big help to the Raiders. If the city of Oakland is excited for one successful team, that would influence them to come to the games. That may not necessarily translate to higher attendance rates for the Raiders, but a happy city leads to a lot more good for everyone.

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Another football game could be tragically moved because of an inconsiderate baseball team

Another reason why a new stadium is needed.

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Report: Raiders fire PR director Zak Gilbert after critical SI story

I thought the Raiders had turned a leaf. that SI story actually put the team in a better light knowing that the team was in the right direction. Then Mark Davis decides to become his dad and do something stupid — something the article said they were getting away from.

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Defending Oakland and San Francisco sports, fighting #shame and misconceptions of a supposed Bay Area rivalry

A’s take three out of four games vs the Giants.

** A ramble. A rant. Whatever you want to call it, it’s me expressing my thoughts. May not be very coherent, but it’s from the heart. 

I am so glad that this Bay Bridge interleague series is over. As much as I enjoy the battle of the two Bay Area baseball teams, it does bring out the worst out of some people. And for one national writer, it brings out ignorance.

What Jon Heyman addressed in his post may have been partially true in terms of stadium differences, but what he failed to realize was that he was comparing apples to oranges. And in reality, there can’t be a comparison because the differences of Oakland and San Francisco are so far different that this baseball “rivalry” is different from any other interleague series in baseball.

Take it from me. I grew up in the Bay Area. I know both very well. I was born in Oakland, raised in Richmond, attended school in Berkeley, went to church in San Francisco, worked in San Francisco, went to college in San Jose. I know the Bay Area. I’ve been all over the place. I understand Oakland. I understand San Francisco.

Continue reading →