According to ESPN, the Raiders have made some inquiries into possible replacements for head coach Tom Cable. No surprise, Standford head coach Jim Harbaugh has no interest in the job.
As previously mentioned, no well known successful coach will take a job working for Al Davis. The best thing Davis can do is give Cable an endorsement and let the team move forward.
Davis' tactics of secretly hunting for replacements while leaving Cable dangling is just another example of the bizarre, unprofessional and classless Al Davis.
Sources: Harbaugh rejects overtures
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Bitter Al
Al Davis may be 80, but sometimes him and the organization remind me more of 3rd graders...
Gannon: I won't make that call again
Gannon: I won't make that call again
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
More evidence Davis is clueless
If nothing else, Al Davis certainly sticks to his guns. Regardless what everyone sees from JaMarcus Russell both on and off the field, Davis is standing by his prized QB. If that means complete chaos at the coaching level, if it means losing 11 or more games a year, so be it...
Anger management in Raidersville
Not so fast on Cable
Anger management in Raidersville
Not so fast on Cable
Monday, January 4, 2010
The case for Cable
As the Raiders season concluded with yet another loss, many speculate head coach Tom Cable will soon be fired. In fairness to Cable, look at what he inherited. Cable was given a mess following the Lane Kiffin soap opera. He took over a team with no leadership and an offensive philosophy which in no way matches the skill of the players on the field. His highly paid starting quarterback is a disaster. And his authority is limited by owner Al Davis.
The Raiders have been hemorrhaging losses for years, and by now it should be obvious that Al Davis' coaching carousel hasn't worked. White, Bugel, Gruden, Callahan, Turner, Shell, Kiffin, and now Cable. The Raiders have had eight coaches since returning to Oakland in 1995. Only one lasted longer that two years. Some deserved to be fired (I'm looking at you Art Shell). But what would be gained by firing Cable?
As long as Al Davis is in charge, the Raiders will never attract a big name coach or a talented assistant. Davis tried to hire Sean Payton and Ken Wisenhunt, both talented young assistant coaches at the time. Both turned down Davis and have had notable success in New Orleans and Arizona. Does anyone think either would have been given the leeway, the time or the support to have similar success in Oakland? Not a chance.
No top tier coaching talent will work for Davis because working for Davis means accepting a philosophy straight out of the 1970's. It also means wasting draft picks on mediocre talent and ignoring the fundamental requirements for success in the NFL...a good defensive and offensive line. And alas, it means having little authority to make decisions without the approval of Al.
The fact is, the Raiders won some games nobody gave them a chance in. And had Gradkowski or Frye started from day one, the Raiders could well have gone 8-8 or 9-7. Cable has done well with the Raiders limited talent. He doesn't give up on his team, his players respect him and play hard for him. He's proven that he'll bench a terrible starting QB (eventually) and that he can co-exist with Davis even when Davis does stupid things like draft Darrius Heyward-Bey over Michael Crabtree.
What's to be gained by firing Cable? Nothing. The problem isn't the head coach, the problem is Al Davis. Firing Cable just gives Davis someone else to blame.
The Raiders have been hemorrhaging losses for years, and by now it should be obvious that Al Davis' coaching carousel hasn't worked. White, Bugel, Gruden, Callahan, Turner, Shell, Kiffin, and now Cable. The Raiders have had eight coaches since returning to Oakland in 1995. Only one lasted longer that two years. Some deserved to be fired (I'm looking at you Art Shell). But what would be gained by firing Cable?
As long as Al Davis is in charge, the Raiders will never attract a big name coach or a talented assistant. Davis tried to hire Sean Payton and Ken Wisenhunt, both talented young assistant coaches at the time. Both turned down Davis and have had notable success in New Orleans and Arizona. Does anyone think either would have been given the leeway, the time or the support to have similar success in Oakland? Not a chance.
No top tier coaching talent will work for Davis because working for Davis means accepting a philosophy straight out of the 1970's. It also means wasting draft picks on mediocre talent and ignoring the fundamental requirements for success in the NFL...a good defensive and offensive line. And alas, it means having little authority to make decisions without the approval of Al.
The fact is, the Raiders won some games nobody gave them a chance in. And had Gradkowski or Frye started from day one, the Raiders could well have gone 8-8 or 9-7. Cable has done well with the Raiders limited talent. He doesn't give up on his team, his players respect him and play hard for him. He's proven that he'll bench a terrible starting QB (eventually) and that he can co-exist with Davis even when Davis does stupid things like draft Darrius Heyward-Bey over Michael Crabtree.
What's to be gained by firing Cable? Nothing. The problem isn't the head coach, the problem is Al Davis. Firing Cable just gives Davis someone else to blame.
Monday, November 16, 2009
Heyward-Bey can't catch
Across the bay, Raider fans can check out the guy they could have had. Michael Crabtree, despite missing all of training camp and the first six weeks of the season, now has 18 catches in four games and continues to look like a solid receiver with great hands.
But Al Davis loves track stars...hands come secondary. And so the Raiders drafted Darius Heyward-Bey. How's Bey doing? Nine catches in nine games. Oh and add a couple dropped balls inside the KC 10 yard line in a 16-10 loss to the Chiefs this weekend.
Scott Ostler of the San Francisco Chronicle said it best... "Then there's Heyward-Bey, who has shown no aptitude for catching footballs. If he and Russell were members of a trapeze act, everyone would be dead."
Davis selected this talent. Isn't it obvious by now Al Davis has no clue how to judge talent or build a successful football team? Until Davis is gone, this will be the pattern year after year. Maybe it's time Raider fans boycott this team until Davis is out.
Heyward-Bey true to form with dropped pass
But Al Davis loves track stars...hands come secondary. And so the Raiders drafted Darius Heyward-Bey. How's Bey doing? Nine catches in nine games. Oh and add a couple dropped balls inside the KC 10 yard line in a 16-10 loss to the Chiefs this weekend.
Scott Ostler of the San Francisco Chronicle said it best... "Then there's Heyward-Bey, who has shown no aptitude for catching footballs. If he and Russell were members of a trapeze act, everyone would be dead."
Davis selected this talent. Isn't it obvious by now Al Davis has no clue how to judge talent or build a successful football team? Until Davis is gone, this will be the pattern year after year. Maybe it's time Raider fans boycott this team until Davis is out.
Heyward-Bey true to form with dropped pass
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