The milk Carton Project

It may sound funny, but Raider fans will soon be lobbying to have Lane Kiffin's face plastered on milk cartons around the bay area. His absence from pretty much every activity since the close of the season has begun to make a weary nation a bit edgy.

As of right now, the sightings of the coach have been limited to a brief stop at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis, and the Senior Bowl. In both instances, he was reported to be dressed generically rather than in his Raider gear. That is not too unusual, but coupled with rumors of a falling out with Al Davis, and a report of a letter that Kiffin was supposed to sign, and now Raider fans are beginning to panic.

New wrinkles seem to crop up nonstop that the Kiffin era is over. All of the recent signings as the organization has spent money like water have not included a photo opp with the coach. An unconfirmed report regarding the Walker signing alone indicated that Kiffin did not even talk to his new wide reciever. And then there is the hiring of James Lofton. Various reports indicate that it was Kiffin who extended the offer, but indications are that Lofton was hired as the heir apparent once Kiffin gets the door.

The murky waters get even a bit darker as various players who are currently on roster know absolutely nothing about the situation. The notoriously secretive organization is locked down tighter than a drum of late regarding the Kiffin coaching status.

One report indicated that Davis is negotiating a buy out of the contract due to disagreements over Bob Ryan's almost firing at the hands of Kiffin. Ryan, who did interview for the head coaching position is reported to be a Davis favorite, something that many believe created a contentious working relationship between Kffin and Ryan. Further, Ryan is very popular with the players, and it is not too far a stretch to imagine a bit of siding with one coach over the other inside the locker room.

Still another report points directly at the trade of Randy Moss as a contributing factor in the continuing Kiffin saga. At one point, Davis indicated that trading Moss was not his dealing, and that he regrets signing off on the deal. The phrasing of his comments indicated some tensions between the unnamed decision maker and himself.

But wait, there is certainly more. Indications suggest that the chilly relationship between Davis and Kiffin can go all the way back to the days leading up to the draft when Davis desired Calvin Johnson as the first pick, and Kiffin wanted Brady Quinn. Or was it that Davis wanted Russell, and Kiffin wanted Quinn? It all gets very confusing to know who is reporting facts and who is reporting fictions.

Ultimately, who is losing out during this time period? Certainly not the players signed to the team. The Raiders have been forced to over price certain players to a degree to keep them interested in playing in the bay area. It cannot be Kiffin who is losing out. He either gets a pay off to leave, or he continues to coach the team. Either way, he is living the every man's dream.

And, I can guarentee you that the makers of Tums are not losing out. With all the speculation of what is going on with who and when, fans in the bay area are certainly buying antacids at a record pace.

And that does bring us to the loser. We, who call the team our own, are losing out. We are becoming the butt end of jokes that have more than a little justification. If Al Davis cares about his minnions, he will end this charade as soon as possible and give us back our peace of mind.

So, as the title of the blog suggests....where is Kiffin??!?