Teams Las Vegas Raiders - The Black Hole

[Exe Gesis]

My 2015 wish list...

Mike Holmgren hired as President of Football Operations.
Duke Tobin (director player personnel of Bengals). Hired as GM.
His brother Bill Tobin (current scout), hired as Head College Scout.
Let Duke and Holmgren interview HC candidates ... Sparano, Chucky, Jim, and choose.

 

[Exe Gesis]

On Seattle radio station, Holmgren confirms visit. Former Packers and Seahawks head coach Mike Holmgren confirmed that he recently visited Raiders owner Mark Davis and didn't rule out coaching the team in the future.

 

[andana]

Raiders claim Kenbrell Thompkins
Updated: October 6, 2014, 5:18 PM ET
By Mike Reiss | ESPNBoston.

Second-year wide receiver Kenbrell Thompkins, who was waived by the New England Patriots on Saturday so the team could address short-term needs at linebacker, has been claimed by the Oakland Raiders, according to a source.
[+] Enlarge
Stew Milne/USA TODAY SportsKenbrell Thompkins was claimed by the Raiders, according to a source, after he was waived by the Patriots on Saturday.
The Patriots had hoped Thompkins might clear waivers and return on the practice squad.
"I enjoyed working with KT and I hope we get the opportunity to work with him again in the future, but for this game given our depth at linebacker we felt like we had [to adjust the roster]. So that's what we did," Patriots coach Bill Belichick said in his weekly pregame radio interview Sunday.
Thompkins started in the season opener this year, but was inactive for two of the next three games as he was passed on the depth chart by five-year veteran Brandon LaFell. Thompkins totaled six catches for 53 yards in 85 offensive snaps this season (including penalties).
Thompkins started eight games as a rookie, finishing with 32 receptions for 446 yards and four touchdowns, with one of the highlights a 17-yard touchdown with five seconds remaining to beat the New Orleans Saints on Oct. 13.

Some depth while Streater is out

 

[andana]

There's a poll going on about having Holmgren as coach. Not that popular with the Nation. We will need to act fast coz there will be a few teams looking, eg Jets.

 

[Exe Gesis]

Holmgren is too old imo. Harbaugh imo

 

[Exe Gesis]

Of the 18 seasons that Mike Holmgren was a HC, only THREE resulted in non-winning records. All three were with Seattle and they were 6-10, 7-9 and his last year was 4-12

 

[Exe Gesis]

Apparently reggie mckenzie invited holmgren to Raiders HQ to have a look at the team, sparano, give some advice etc. Later said there's no HC job being offered, but "you never know in the future", but essentially saying wasnt there for HC talks, just helping out.

 

[GeeCats07]

Surely Mark Davis has spoken to Holmgren about behind McKenzies back about being the GM.

 

[Exe Gesis]

Vic Tafur @VicTafur 5m Jon Gruden met with Mark Davis at #Raiders facility only to consult and watch film. No discussion about HC possibility.

 

[andana]

Raiders keep the waiver-claim train moving
October, 7, 2014

By Bill Williamson | ESPN.com

The Oakland Raiders are utilizing their high waiver-claim priority.

The 0-4 Raiders made their second claim in as many days Tuesday by calming linebacker Ray-Ray Armstrong off waivers from St. Louis. The Raiders put linebacker Kaluka Maiava on the injured reserve with a hamstring injury. Maiava has been riddled by injuries since signing with Oakland last year.

Monday, the Raiders claimed receiver Kenbrell Thompkins off waivers from New England to replace starting receiver Rod Streater, who can return from injured reserve (designated to return) in November.

Armstrong was cut by the Rams after committing a crucial special-teams penalty in a loss to the Eagles on Sunday. Armstrong was penalized nine times as an undrafted rookie from Miami last season. Armstrong, who was dismissed from Miami’s program in 2012, is known as an aggressive, talented player. But his lack of discipline may have cost him.

The Raiders may need Armstrong to play in the defensive rotation because they have been riddled by injuries at linebacker. I’d expect Oakland to continue to being aggressive on the waiver wire through the season as they try to find the right roster mix.

 

[andana]

Nick Roach is out for the year. Mack is going to end up being the senior LBer at this rate.

 

[Exe Gesis]

Art Shell Reflects on Becoming NFL's 1st Black Head Coach in Modern Era

By Mike Freeman , NFL National Lead Writer Oct 9, 2014

Jack Smith/AP Images

One fall night 25 years ago, Art Shell climbed into bed. He was watching Nightline when the phone rang. It was Al Davis, owner of the Oakland Raiders. It was a call that would begin to change everything.

"I'm thinking about making a switch," Davis told Shell. "I'm thinking about making you head coach of the Raiders."

Shell initially sat up in bed. His heart began beating rapidly. Mike Shanahan was currently the head coach, and Shell the offensive line coach under him. Davis had caught Shell totally by surprise. So much went through Shell's mind, including the fact he would be the first black head coach in the modern era of the sport. Shell climbed out of bed.

"You understand the Raider way," Davis said. "You're a leader. You're smart. You work hard. Everyone respects you, so you're the perfect choice. Think about it and get some sleep."

Then Davis hung up.

Rich Pedroncelli/Associated Press

Shell had dreamed of being a head coach. As maybe the best offensive tackle in history, he prepared like a coach, anyway. During his playing days, he was studious and a workaholic despite having immense physical skills, leading Davis to call him "coach" in passing and John Madden to tell him he would make a great coach if that's what he wanted to be.

"How do I become a head coach in this league?" Shell had once asked Raiders coach Tom Flores.

On the surface, it was a crazy question. Not only were there no black head coaches, but there were almost no black assistant coaches. In 1980, nine years before Shell, there were only 14 black assistants out of 262. That number only slightly increased a short time later.

But Flores didn't blink. He told Shell to study and work hard. Shell already knew how to do both of those things. From that point on, Flores was among the supporters of the idea of Shell becoming a head coach.

There he was, on the verge. A great, all-time Raider who would become not just coach of the team he loved, but also the first black coach since Fritz Pollard headed the Akron Pros in the 1920s.

That phone call from Davis would begin Shell's historic, brilliant odyssey, which in turn would open the door for many more African-American head coaches to come. A legion of men owe so much to Shell, from Denny Green to Tony Dungy to Marvin Lewis to Herm Edwards to Mike Tomlin. In many ways, their careers trace back to Shell and when he coached his first game as an NFL head coach 25 years ago.

Jeff Chiu/Associated Press

The game today isn't as diverse as it should be, but it has grown considerably, and in many ways that growth can be traced directly to Shell.

While the growth of African-American coaches was excruciatingly slow, it has reached a point now, where the color of a coach's skin, while not irrelevant, is getting close to that point. That's the lesson Shell's story teaches us today.

Because of persistence from Shell and others, and the efforts of the NFL, including former commissioner Paul Tagliabue, the number of black assistant coaches coaches went from a paltry 14 in 1980 to 199 out of 610 in 2012, or 32.6 percent. Twenty-five years ago, Shell was the only black head coach; now, after years of denial of opportunities, the number of black head coaches is four (Lovie Smith, Mike Tomlin, Jim Caldwell, Marvin Lewis).

That isn't exponential progress, but it's progress. Slow, deliberate progress. Much of the credit, again, goes to Shell.

Shell learned how to coach by listening and preparing. "I'd listen to Gene [Upshaw] answer the questions," Shell said in an interview with The New York Times' Thomas George in 1989. "He always said the right things and he was so good, so quotable.

"I paid close attention. I learned a lot that way about football, about life, by just listening."

He told Sports Illustrated's Jill Lieber in 1989 what he learned from the various coaches he worked under. "John Madden taught me about the game of people," Shell said. "I learned that you have to understand each individual, when to push his buttons and when not to. From Tom Flores, I learned patience. He was a quiet, stoic leader. Mike Shanahan was one of the most organized people I ever met."

Shell was ready.

Yes, so much went through Shell's mind after that phone call, but what didn't was going back to bed.

"I don't know how in the hell Al thought I was going back to sleep after that call," Shell said.

Shell went to the Raiders facility the morning after the call, and Davis made it official. "You understand the Raiders," Davis said.

Shell's next stop was a press conference. It was packed. The story had become national, but Shell remained calm and measured. He didn't, however, downplay the importance of the moment.

Nick Ut/Associated Press

"It is an historic event; I understand the significance of it," Shell said at the time. "I'm proud of it, but I'm also a Raider. I don't believe the color of my skin entered into this decision. I was chosen because Al Davis felt I was the right person at the right time. The significance in this is I am now the head coach of the Los Angeles Raiders. We're going to try and regain the power, toughness and explosiveness we had in the past."

"If this is an historic occasion," Davis said at the press conference, "it will really only be meaningful and historic if he is a great success."

Davis told The New York Times' Dave Anderson in 1989, "I wanted a Raider. When we went back to Oakland for an exhibition game two months ago, the one thing lacking was a link to the past in our coaching leadership."

Then Shell had to do something uncomfortable. Shanahan's relationship with Davis had become toxic. In the end, Shanahan and Davis came to truly despise one another. Shell called a staff meeting, and in that meeting were assistants loyal to Shanahan.

"There may be some of you that don't want to be here," Shell told the room. "My office will be open all the time. If you want to talk, we can talk."

Shell wasn't certain if any staff members would quit out of loyalty to Shanahan. None did. It was a testament to the respect Shell had earned in his decades as a player and assistant coach.

Monday night came, and hours before the game Shell sat in his hotel room. He thought about everything, but mostly his thoughts focused on the football game. Then he smiled.

Lennon McLendon/Associated Press

"Al wanted this history to be made on Monday Night Football," Shell says now, as part of an extensive interview with Bleacher Report. "He wanted the extravaganza. He wanted that big stage."

The Raiders were in last place in the AFC West, and their opponent, the Jets, were in last place in their division. The game was scoreless in the first half, and Shell knew what was wrong. The players were pressing and were tight because they wanted to win the game for him. His halftime speech to the players addressed the problem directly.

"I want to win this game, too," Shell told the team, "but not for me. I want to win for the Raiders. So relax and play smart."

They did. A 73-yard touchdown pass put the Raiders on the board, and with the score tied in the fourth quarter, the Raiders intercepted Ken O'Brien for an 87-yard pick-six. Shell had implored the Raiders to play the game for themselves, but what they ended up doing was winning it for him after all. They beat the Jets 14-7, and that game went down in history.

The locker room afterward was ecstatic. Every player hugged Shell. Shell remembers one of the biggest congratulations he received was from Raiders defensive lineman Howie Long, who would later join Shell in the Hall of Fame.

It was a desperately needed win, but everyone knew it was more than that.

Every game afterward that year, no matter the city and no matter the opponent, players—particularly African-American ones—would approach Shell before and after the contest congratulating him on being the head coach. The Raiders games themselves that year were primary, of course, but acknowledging Shell and the moment, all that season, was almost as important.

The Raiders that year went 7-5 under Shell, finishing 8-8 overall and missing the playoffs by a single game. The next year, they went 12-4 and reached the AFC title game.

Shell wasn't the only one making history. One year earlier, at the beginning of the 1988 season, Johnny Grier had become the NFL's first black referee. Shell remembers several weeks after beating the Jets, he and Grier were speaking before one game. Shell had recently received some hate mail, and he relayed to Grier, who had officiated that Jets game, the contents of one letter in particular.

Andy Lyons/Getty Images

"You and your n----r referee," the letter read, "cheated the Jets out of a win."

Shell told Grier, "You know you're my n----r referee, don't you?"

Grier and Shell both chuckled. It was their way of mocking the hatred.

To understand how Shell became a part of history, you have to understand the man who made the decision. For all of his quirks and faults, Davis was a pioneer, far ahead of his time. The things Davis did to diversify the Raiders remain unmatched in football and may never be equaled.

When Davis coached the Raiders, he made a statement against segregation when his team was scheduled to play a game in Mobile, Alabama. Davis pulled his team to protest Alabama's segregation laws. He got the American Football League's All-Star Game moved from New Orleans to Houston because of that city's segregation laws.

Davis was also one of the first to sign players from historically black colleges into the pros. One of those men was Shell, whom Davis signed out of the University of Maryland Eastern Shore (then called Maryland State College).

Noah Berger/Associated Press

Decades later, as head of the Raiders, the hiring of Shell and others on the team was simply a continuation of Davis' beliefs in balancing winning with equal opportunity. He'd go on to hire Tom Flores, the first Latino coach to win a Super Bowl, and Amy Trask, the first female chief executive to run the Raiders' business operations.

Shell was an excellent coach, Flores won two Super Bowls, and Trask is a Hall of Fame candidate.

"Al hired Art for all the right reasons—he hired Art as he always hired: without regard to race, ethnicity, religion or gender," Trask wrote in an email to Bleacher Report. "Al did this well before anyone else—and to a greater extent than any others do to date."

I've known Shell for decades, and there are few men, in any walk of life, who were smarter and more decent. But it was one of Shell's most defining qualities that made him perfect to be a pioneer: his calmness.

Some criticized Shell for it, saying he was too distant, but they didn't understand. As a player, Shell always believed that you played smarter when under control. As a coach, he felt the same. It was more than that, though. Shell knew that everyone was watching. He wasn't just coaching for himself or the Raiders; he was coaching for black men that would follow.

A white coach could be boisterous or scream or leave tickets for Elvis the way Jerry Glanville did. Or get cocky with the press like Bill Parcells. The double standards of race meant Shell had to constantly be uber-professional, which wasn't a problem for him, because that's who he was.

Shell had two coaching stints with the Raiders. His second lasted a season—but it's that first one, the historic one, where Shell made his mark. Shell coached the team in that first stint for six years, going 54-38. To this day, that stretch is one of the most successful in Raiders history. Davis fired Shell after the 1994 season, something Davis would later say he regretted.

After the Raiders came NFL assistant coaching jobs, but then Shell went to New York to work for the league office, first in the office of college relations and then in the appeals office, handling player discipline. He served as the NFL's senior vice president of football operations and development beginning in 2004.

And now?

"I'm totally retired," Shell said.

Marcio Jose Sanchez/Associated Press

He's 67 now, and this past week he went to see his nephew play high school football. "You work all of your life," said Shell, "so you can enjoy family and friends. Travel to see people and enjoy life as best you can."

Shell's legacy? Twenty-five years ago, a forward-thinking owner gave him a unique opportunity, and Shell proved Davis right, while simultaneously making history.

"Fairly early in my career, and after Art was named head coach, we were at a league owners meeting," Trask remembered. "One night while there, the Raiders contingent went to dinner, and as I listened to Art share stories, reflections and anecdotes from his career, I understood that not only was Art a giant of a man on the field, but off the field as well. Art exemplifies the best of not only the Raiders, but the National Football League."

 

[andana]

This game against the chargers could get bad. Our defence is looking real thin.

 

[Woodson]

This game against the chargers could get bad. Our defence is looking real thin.

yup.. GG has already HIGHLIGHTED that in the Week 6 thread. Rivers is having his best campaign too with 70% passes completed (#2 in the league) and the Chargers D are amongst only three teams to average LESS than 300 yards per game and you don't have to guess the Raiders are stone cold LAST in average yards gained per game (270ypg).

 

[TennisPlayerAndy]

Carr looked good. I like how he was allowed to throw the ball more than 4yds downfield.

 

[GeeCats07]

Carr looked good. I like how he was allowed to throw the ball more than 4yds downfield.

Exactly. We actually looked competitive, didn't we. One question: Why are we still not seeing Murray run the ball more? I read somewhere that Sporano wants to see what the young guy has.

 

[andana]

Carr looked good. I like how he was allowed to throw the ball more than 4yds downfield.

Looked as though the coach told Carr to show him what he could do. Don't need to draft a QB next season. If we can draft as well as we have this year we should be looking good.

 

[Papa Juggs]

After the effort this week I'm liking the Raiders.

 

[manureid]

After the effort this week I'm liking the Raiders.

No.

 

[Papa Juggs]

No.

Oh yes

 

[andana]

This will help.
Q: Is the plan still to start the clock on DJ Hayden on Wednesday?
Coach Sparano: “Yes, right now that’s the plan.”

 

[GeeCats07]

This will help.
Q: Is the plan still to start the clock on DJ Hayden on Wednesday?
Coach Sparano: “Yes, right now that’s the plan.”

????

 

[andana]

I guess he means DJ will start practice.

 

[andana]

×

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Oakland Coliseum board to pick new leader, seek new powers
By Matt O'Brien and Matthew Artz Staff writers


OAKLAND -- The authority that runs O.Co Coliseum and the Oracle Arena plans on Friday to tap a former Republican lawmaker to be its new executive director, even though decadeold fraud allegations and his lack of stadium development experience gave some board members pause.
As it votes on hiring Guy Houston, a former Dublin mayor and state assemblyman, as its first permanent director in five years, the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Authority is also exploring other maneuvers -- to the displeasure of several city officials -- that could boost its power to retain the A's and Raiders and build new Oakland ballparks.
One plan is to invite the help of high-profile consultant Robert Bobb, a former Oakland city administrator who had pushed for a downtown A's stadium before then-Mayor Jerry Brown ousted him in 2003.
Bobb went on to work as an emergency manager of Detroit schools and helped secure a new baseball stadium for the Nationals after the franchise relocated to Washington, D.C.
The joint powers authority governing the East Oakland stadium complex intends to talk Friday about consulting with Bobb. But its more immediate business is whether to hire Houston, who is now a lobbyist.
Several board members were not enthusiastic about the hire earlier this fall, citing Houston's lack of experience with sports teams. Two other candidates for the position were ranked higher than Houston and had more experience but would have cost the public agency too much.
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Houston was also embroiled in a civil fraud and financial elder-abuse lawsuit during his time in the Assembly.
A group of investors in 2004 sued Houston over money lost in a land deal through his father Fred Houston's company, which went bankrupt in 2003. The assemblyman consistently denied the allegations and sought to distance himself from his father's business.
The lawsuit was settled, but Coliseum board members were not informed of the case when they took an initial vote last week approving him for the $250,000 a year post.
Houston declined in an interview to talk about the case. He instead touted his work as mayor facilitating the development of new homes and offices in eastern Dublin, a plan that resembles what some baseball and football fans hope to see surrounding new sports parks in East Oakland. Alameda County Supervisor Nate Miley, who chairs the Coliseum Authority, said he would likely support Houston's candidacy despite having abstained on a preliminary vote.
"I think it's better to show that there is a united front," he said.
In addition to possibly bringing aboard Houston and Bobb, the Coliseum authority at Miley's behest on Friday will discuss expanding its mandate from managing the Coliseum's facilities to taking the lead in the planning for new sports stadiums. Any expansion of its powers would need approval from political leaders in Oakland and Alameda County, which jointly own the 120-acre Coliseum complex.
Miley's push to give the Coliseum authority the leading role in stadium development comes as the city is deciding whether or not to extend its agreement to negotiate exclusively on stadium development projects at the site with a development group headed by real estate titan Colony Capital.
The agreement is set to expire Tuesday. After months of inaction, several city sources said a new investor, whose name they would not disclose, met with top city officials last week and was seriously considering pouring money into a new football stadium for the Raiders.
Since the 8-member Coliseum authority, known as the JPA, includes both city and county representatives, Miley said it was better positioned to handle development talks.
"I'm trying to funnel everything through one conduit so we have a single point of contact in negotiations to help us keep our sports teams," he said.
City leaders, who sparred with Miley over a lease extension for the Oakland A's earlier this year, appear cool to his proposals both to expand the Coliseum board's power and to bring in Bobb as an adviser.
"They don't have the authority to hire someone to advise them on stadium development because their powers do not extend to any redevelopment of the Coliseum site," City Council President Pat Kernighan said. "Robert Bobb would not be a bad person to pick if you are in that business, but the JPA should not be in that business."

 

[Exe Gesis]

Not saying it's probable, but if both Jim Harbaugh AND Jon Gruden are available, who do you pick?
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Harbaugh is the better coach. Gruden is the bigger personality. Harbaugh for the win. Gruden for ticket sales.
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So weird that they are running him out of SF. So rare that a coach can come in like that and have such an impact so early and often. Weird maybe its Al Davis/Jerry Jones Syndrome? A new disease spreading to NFL owners
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He's not going anywhere unless he wants to go. What we ae seeing is one or two disgruntled players trying to stir the schit by feeding the BS to Primetime who then likes to pontifcate & get the attention.
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I read that the ownership was trying to screw him on the contract renewal? Remember our own "lame duck" coach who was not re-signed.
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Who openly campaigned as a candidate for the Ohio State & Notre Dame HC positions? Seems you conveniently forgot that; loyalty was huge with Al. That's why he lowballed Harbaugh in the first place. . .time for Mark (providing Harbaugh & the Whiners finalize the "divorce") to make amends. . .he has professed a desire to make a big HC "splash," eh?
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Did you ever read that great SI article from a few years back about the Harbaugh brothers? The family moved a lot, but Jim never cared because he always lost every friend he had due to his personality.
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Parcells was no tea party if I remember correctly...
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True. I would gladly take either one of them.
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Dynamic personalities usually run off most "common folks. . ."
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Jim Harbaugh will ruin our locker room as he is doing in SF right now.
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He is a good coach, but from all accounts is very, very hard to take. His record speaks for itself, though.
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And Gruden's act wears equally thin with his players. . .