Back to the meat grinder

Raiders:

   Wow.  That Chargers game was pretty gosh-darn lame, if you pardon my French.  Unbelievable.  The Chargers weren't in that good of shape, and they were 4-8 and in disarray.  But not on Thursday.  They looked like champs, and we looked pretty lame.  Russell was off, McFadden couldn't catch a break, and our patchwork offensive line was sketchy at best.  

   The bottom line is that I believe the coaching staff should be gone.  Get a GM with credentials, and start over.  It's the only answer.  

   However, I'll make a prediction - right here on the Interweb superhighway:  Rob Ryan will be kept, because he's one of Davis' guys.  James Lofton will be made Head Coach, and we'll bring in a new set of offensive guys.  And we'll most likely suck for another 4 years.  For each one of those changes that doesn't happen, we will suck for less long.  

   I think we should get a GM, who knows football and that Davis would actually listen to.  That's a tall order, but a key requirement to pull us out of 10 years of wasted draft choices.   With that, we might actually build a team the right way, instead of just buying parts and reclamation projects in pieces.

    For head coach, I'd like us to get a ringer - either a head coach direct from college (not a promoted college coordinator), or a non-retread NFL guy.  I don't know if any of the big college brains would translate - Bob Stoops, Mack Brown, Pete Carroll, Urban Meyer. . .Carroll was lame in the pro's, and don't know how hardcore any of those guys are to be able to demand NFL players' respect, but I'd rather have them than Fassel.  And as far as Cowher or Holmgren or anyone like that - they both have weaknesses that folks overlook in retrospect.   Everyone becomes a genius after they leave the sideline for a while.

   Only time will tell. . . In about 3 weeks, I'll swear off the NFL (again), and decide to be less emotionally invested in my Raidehs next year. . .and then in July, my silver and black blood will start to boil again, and we'll be back to the grindstone again.  :)

Huskies:

Ouch.  Drilled by Cal and 0-12.   It's interesting to see a guy that ruined his chances with the Raiders get picked up by the Huskies.  Of course, this means that Davis picked both Sarkisian and Kiffin out, and they both got collegiate head coaching jobs inside of 2 yrs.  Interesting connection - since I'm a fan of both.  

I think Sarkisian does bring West Coast knowledge, and a fiery attitude.   I think the players will rally around him, and we'll see how he does with the Tyee Bank. . I mean Tyee Club. . . They were mad about Lambright, and like Neu-weasel, until his true colors shined thru, and its been downhill since.   

I have high hopes for both teams next year - Raiders 6-10, and Huskies - just 1 wish - bring the Apple Cup home.