Oakland Raiders: The Caterwauling has Started...

Captain Jack Rack 'em Levy – Feb 1, 2012

With the hullabaloo that has transpired in the last few weeks within Raider Nation, I’d like to ask the following question: How many games have the Oakland Raiders won in the 2012 season?

I would've said 'this year' but I know a few 'smart Alexander’s’ would've said 'We've already lost one!' based on the Raiders playing on New Year's Day, so to those…errrrr… ‘Donkeys’ I laugh and say you’re not going to get one by the Captain!

So, for the rest of this diatribe, 'This Year' will equate to refer to the 2012-13 season...

Back to point... We have YET to play ONE GAME this year! Our New General Manager has been on the job for what...three and a half weeks? Our new Head Coach has been employed for 36 hours?

Our Old Coach has been unemployed for the same amount of time that we've employed our new General Manager, (actually Jackson a few hours longer) and has yet to be hired for ANYTHING...

And to top it off, our new Offensive Coordinator, (I haven't even checked to see if its OFFICIAL yet as I'm waiting for Herrera to find a camera/reporter and deny it) began his second tenure as a Raiders coach...

...and there are posters in the Raiders blog-o’sphere whom are blowing gaskets left and right like a stock-car sponsored by 'Joe's Plumbing and Heating' in a NASCAR event. I mean, SERRRRRRRRRRRRRIOUSLY?!?!? Not ONE GAME PLAYED... not one staff completed for hiring... not one strategy session called... not one Drafting Board contrived, and they're blowing their tops!

Let's go further. We haven't even completed the draft, re-signed our own free-agents or signed others to contracts, nor have gotten together for ONE off-season training activity, aka those OTA’s, (organized team activity) you hear about in the news…

...and there are STILL folks that need to be talked off the ledge!

I know of one poster, (who shall remain nameless to protect his illusion of competence, although he has yet to show it in many of his rants) crying like a three-year old needing a nap, (not a 'Knapp,' as we’ll get to that later) since Hue Jackson was fired, and I'm sure went out and immediately got himself fitted for a black arm band for the 'death' he had to endure.

Not that he held the same respect for Raider patriarch Al Davis I'm sure, but some dude whom came here full of bluster and promises, (and didn't follow through on same) and now he wants to blow out Coach Dennis Allen before the Raiders have held ONE FREAKING PRACTICE?!



There is yet another person who is actually pretty knowledgeable and quite an antagonist who seemed to have a conniption fit since it was announced through the press that Greg Knapp has resumed his role as Raiders' Offensive Coordinator, returning to the ‘scene of the crime’ as a few have lamented during the uninspired Kiffin and Cable regimes. So for you Shipmate, I'll quote the hated Keyshawn Johnson here... "C'moooooooooooon MAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAN!"

So Knapp is again our Offensive Coordinator—this time with an acknowledged and capable NFL quarterback in Carson Palmer, unlike his last tenure when someone by name of JaMarcus Russell was masquerading as an NFL starter and ‘franchise savior;' unfortunately for followers of the Silver and Black, Russell was consistently noted literally sucking the air out of the Coliseum when he took the field…

My friend further lamented the process of how both our General Manager Reggie McKenzie and new Coach Allen were building their staff, or as they’ve stated through the press, finding ‘their men.’ Further, McKenzie was letting Allen do just that, building his staff in his own image per se’, with the words 'Loyalty' bantered about testily before Allen and his staff have even met with the team ONCE in the locker room? I'll say it again....C'moooooooooooon MAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAN!

The Raiders have endured a monumental slump, (putting it lightly)... or just a pathetic display of athleticism, teamwork and coaching, (more appropriate I'm sure) and are taking steps to 'Right the Ship.' The valley has lasted for seven of the last nine years, with the last two being of the 'Gruden-esque' first two years' 8-8 variety before the Raiders 'took off.'

Oh, I'm sorry for those so in love with Jon, as I’m sure your panties are more in a knotted bunch that it would make any Boy Scout cringe; I'll try to remember not to mention that name again...

... and yet through all of the bickering, banter and out-n-out B’ing our Raiders have YET TO PLAY ONE DOWN TOGETHER THIS YEAR!

I'm sorry, but if I can endure nine non-winning seasons...especially when I know how close we've been the last two years, then I can CERTAINLY wait until the staff is assembled, the players are put together in a coherent fashion, (without Bresnahan as coordinator, thank you) and we take this 'remodeled sports car' out of the garage and put her out on the race track and see what we got!

But I guess that's just me. No, I'm NOT a patient person by any stretch of the imagination, but what am I gonna do otherwise? I'm a loyal, RABID Fan of the Oakland Raiders, and yes, will remain that way EVEN IF they were to move, as I've done that before, too.

So now that I've said that, let me also state that I want the Raiders to stay in Oakland; thought Jackson deserved another year; thought Gruden was a force in turning us around although he couldn't take us to the promised land; and think the Raiders can win consistently and be a force EVERY YEAR!



I'm also willing to give Allen ALL FOUR YEARS of his contract, along with McKenzie's FIVE, to make this team a WINNER; I want a productive offense with Knapp, and this time he has Palmer, Reese, (re-signed I'm sure) Boss, Moore, Ford, Heyward-Bey, Murphy, and a speedster and/or hard-nosed Running Back to tote the rock, (names to be determined, but at least one will be Taiwan Jones and I'm HOPING that D-Mac is here as well. I'd also love to see Marshawn Lynch in place at a hometown discount if the team decides Michael Bush costs too much...but we'll see...)

I also believe we will employ an ATTACKING Defense, as Coach Allen wasn't brought in here to run a docile system by any stretch of the imagination. Whether it’s a 3-4, 4-3, or a 10-1 is not my concern; but as stated in the press conference, the BOTTOM LINE is, (queue Charlie Sheen) ... WINNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNING!

The latest reports have Greg Manusky, late of the San Diego Chargers, coming in to interview for the Defensive Coordinator position; if true, it would give us ANOTHER coach with insight into a divisional foe, which can definitely work to our benefit…

So give the new guys a chance already, okay? And let this play out...I mean we haven't even gotten our Coaching Staff figured out, let alone our roster, let alone our schedule of when we play this year so we can all make plans for a few road trips to see the Captain...

SO BELLOWS THE CAPTAIN.....READ and HEED MATEYS!! YAAAAARRRRRRRGGGGGGHHHHHHHH!!!

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