Not everything is Mr. Davis’ fault.

Every critic, theorist, realist fan or anyone with a pessimistic view of life would point to Al Davis as the problem with the Raiders and why they are still stuck in a burning city. In order to pump up your ego or, like stated, if you want to be consider a realist than point the downfall of the raiders towards Al Davis and forget about everyone else that either works for the Raiders, who has worked for the Raiders via through the front office, as a coach or a player. Check.

I will be the first to admit that the man is not without criticism. Anytime a team wins nineteen games over a five year span, the owner needs to take some sort of blame. Bringing in piss poor coaches and weak players who are about the money, the limelight falls on his shoulder as it should. He is the one who had the final say of hiring some of the goofballs that don’t deserve to coach in the NFL period. However, this is where the buck stop ends.

When the game goes on for those three hours on Black Sunday, you cannot fault Davis for what the players are not doing on the team. Somehow people forget that Davis is not a coach teaching these guys how to tackle, block, cover, read coverage, hit the hole and sacrifice their body in the field of victory. At some point in time players have to look themselves in the mirror and ask themselves this very question: are they happy with their performances on the field? Did they feel that they did everything in their power to will the Raiders to victory? And if the answer is yes, than they are full of dog caca and don’t deserve to wear the colors of silver and black as they continue to destroy and taint the shield.

Are the coaches doing their job from Monday through Sunday? Are these teams mentally prepared for a game? I often ask this question based upon the same type of mistakes that has plagued the Raiders the last several years. Offensive lineman fall starting, Defensive line jumping off sides, wide outs dropping passes, running backs fumbling and failing to pick up a blitz pickup is both a coaching and player problem. How many times have we seen a team come out off the half without a proper adjustment or a team that doesn’t do the right things down the stretch to comeback for a victory or will a win?

Davis signs these players’ checks. It is obvious that these players, especially those with higher salaries, are all about the groupies, the parties, riding around Lamborghinis and porches and picking up that nice paycheck on Tuesday. These players don’t give a rat’s ass about the past of the Raiders or the past guys who have sacrifice their lives for wins and Super Bowl titles. This is a different generation—a MTV generation filter with a look at me now attitude. Hardwork and gritty football players is far and between. You’ll be damn lucky to find 53 men committed towards a common goal of winning it all. But the key is to find enough guys who are workers and will keep everyone else in line. For some strange reason, however, we do not have these players; we have a bunch of spoil brats that should be making minimum wages.

A lack of continuity with the coaches could be argue as being the fault of our current landscape, but I don’t think so. Retread coaches were fired, coaches that were losing on a regular basis and those who lost the team halfway into seasons. Players quit on coaches as a way to send a message to upper management.

The worst thing any Raider fan can do is agree with the media about every related Raider issue. Only hardcore theorist who need a source takes every the media says and portrays as being truthful and matter of fact. The best thing that I ever did was stop believing the media as I learn a long time ago they like to stir the pot to sell a newspaper. Fact of the matter is unless you are in Davis’ camp, in the inner workings you really do not know one way or another what the hell is going on—and that is the way I like it—a land of confusion and ambiguity. The media jumped all over the firing of Ryan Kiffin this off-season—every theorist bought it. Six months later and neither one of the two were fired—both are still working for the Raiders.

What about power a coach has? Has a recent coach every done a damn thing to garner what the haters would consider more control, assuming, of course, you believe the fabrication and/or theory that other people want you to believe? The reality is that not every coach has full power and control—there are general managers and owners who have the final say. Jerry Jones didn’t even allow Wade Philips to pick his offense coordinator and no peak. Daniel Snyder does the same thing and no say? But when Davis *supposedly* meddles there is a national cry.

Davis is the modern day Darth Vader, Joker, or whatever sinister villain that plays television these days. People need an enemy to pick on. They need someone that represents the black abyss of their own problems. Davis is that man. Public enemy number 1 and a guy who has had character slander through the media for years. But people need something intriguing to write about so I guess it is easier to pick on someone as DAVIS as he is an eccentric character depending on what you believe. I choose to view him as that guy who represents social change, pioneer in football and a man who will be remember for his accomplishments moreso than anything else.

In closing, yes, I am a Davis supporter and I make no bones about it. I have his back and will continue to have his back until he takes his rightful place in that house in the sky colored with silver and black. I will continue to shoot live bullets at those who, without conscious take aim at the man.