A dark cloud could hang over this club all season long.
It’s hard to see this team putting together a winning season with upper management undergoing polemic. The word on the street have bounded the Oakland Raiders coaching staff and have annoy in the hearts and minds of the Raider nation since the close of the regular season.
So, Rob Ryan has been fired? or Ryan has not been fired?. Lane Kiffin is miserable and going to walk away? Other than some news implicating that Rob Ryan has not been fired; the Raider organization has been quieter than the Pontiac Silverdome back in 70’s. That quietness has only feed the theory broaden. After all, reporters at the Senior Bowl got remarks from both Lane Kiffin and Rob Ryan that appear to amount to not much more than don’t ask!!
Where should we start? Let’s see, head coach Lane Kiffin tried to fire defensive coordinator Rob Ryan, who directed over the No. 26 scoring defense in the NFL last year, but owner Al Davis outlaw the move. Then, it began to seem that Kiffin was on his way out, showing up for public events not displaying any Raiders gear and commonly giving unclear responses (or no replies at all) when asked about his future. Kiffin made it to training camp with his job in one piece, but you'd find few folks determined to bet that he'll make it all the way through 2008.
Another debate appeared when the Raiders splurge a load of cash in the free agent period, but spent it remarkably.
They gave unreasonably massive deals to regular defensive tackle Tommy Kelly and wide receiver Javon Walker, both of whom come carrying injuries on their backs from last season. Davis also dealt for Falcons cornerback DeAngelo Hall, whose comments and friendship with Michael Vick gave a lot to talk about in Atlanta.
There were a few strange moves, like the signing of unrecognized safety Gibril Wilson, a key part of the Super Bowl Champion Giants' defense and the selection of dazzling Arkansas running back Darren McFadden with the No. 4 overall pick, but the bad still overshadow the good by a wide border and it's hard to believe a team that made slight progress under Kiffin last year will have a chance to truly jell with so much insecurity leaking the group.
If this team's play does indeed stand firm to whatever Davis' prophecy is, we might be wrong and finally see some good changes approaching the 08-09 campaign.
Now, as a fan and writer who cares about the game, should I be worried about the rumours? Or maybe focus on the fact that Rob has a contract with the Raiders and he’ll be the coordinator for the season, or maybe just think that the media is confused and they made up some untrue story. These rumours have been the talk of the Nation for a good while, yet Kiffin hasn’t heard them.
Maybe we should send him daily reports and updates to show him “information” is not just a word, but a daily chapter in sports. |
