After Further Review: Looking at Lane... and beyond

[AceRimRat]

After Further Review: Looking at Lane... and beyond

By Eric Strauss, S&B Report Staff Columnist


Oakland Raiders Head Coach Lane Kiffin

Let’s see if this sounds familiar: Youthful outsider with reputation as offensive whiz takes over as head coach of struggling franchise amid grand pronouncements and great expectations, only to find himself at odds with owner and facing an employment equivalent of the Sword of Damocles hanging over him before his second year is out.

When Lane Kiffin became the youngest head coach in the history of the NFL at age 31, he may well not have been Raiders owner Al Davis’ first choice — that was rumored to be Southern Cal peer Steve Sarkisian. But, despite the owner infamously dubbing him “Lance” at the introductory news conference, many people had visions of Kiffin becoming Gruden 2.0.

A year and a half later, however, he’s starting to look more like Gruden Vista.

Or, dare I say it, Shanahan 2.0.

More...

[greg]

The problem is not that operating system is Gruden Vista or Shanahan 2.0. It is that the hard drive is infected with the Al Davis Virus.

[RaiderShawn]

When this whole debacle is all said and done... the coach I'm going to hate to see go the most is Tom Cable. What he has done for our run game is nothing short of amazing. I wouldn't mind seeing Rathman stick around either.

[acidwash]

Originally Posted by RaiderShawn

When this whole debacle is all said and done... the coach I'm going to hate to see go the most is Tom Cable. What he has done for our run game is nothing short of amazing. I wouldn't mind seeing Rathman stick around either.

when this is all said and done they are both gone...

[nakolo2]

Originally Posted by greg

The problem is not that operating system is Gruden Vista or Shanahan 2.0. It is that the hard drive is infected with the Al Davis Virus.

Couldn'tve said any better myself. BRAVO!!!!!

[YBIC St3v3n]

Originally Posted by RaiderShawn

When this whole debacle is all said and done... the coach I'm going to hate to see go the most is Tom Cable. What he has done for our run game is nothing short of amazing. I wouldn't mind seeing Rathman stick around either.

Ditto. I'm a big fan of Cable and I think Rathman is a quality coach as well. Look at the play of units they coach. I think either coach would make a great replacement for Kiffin.

[ottojimotto]

Originally Posted by greg

The problem is not that operating system is Gruden Vista or Shanahan 2.0. It is that the hard drive is infected with the Al Davis Virus.

lol, This AD Virus that infected the hard drive cannot even be cleaned with Mcafee, the AD Virus ran it off too...its some bad stuff....lol

Raiders head coaches since the return to Oakland:
Mike White: 8-8 in 1995 and 7-9 in 1996
Joe Bugel: 4-12 in 1997
Jon Gruden: 8-8 in 1998, 8-8 in 1999, 12-4 in 2000 and 10-6 in 2001
Bill Callahan: 11-5 in 2002 and 4-12 in 2003
Norv Turner: 5-11 in 2004 and 4-12 in 2005
Art Shell: 2-14 in 2006
Lane Kiffin: 4-12 in 2007 and 1-2 thus far in 2008

we must give Kiffin time. We are improving.....KEEP KIFFIN!!!!

[letsgohome]

Originally Posted by greg

The problem is not that operating system is Gruden Vista or Shanahan 2.0. It is that the hard drive is infected with the Al Davis Virus.

Awesome.

[mcnayster]

Al, do us all a favor..... get in the damn box already. We all brought our hammers and nails. C'mon buddy!! 'Just find a good GM Baby"

[drjorgerantera]

When I saw Al's press conference, I wasn't looking at the GM, but I was looking at a frail man.

I cannot imagine how hard it must be to be Al who has been with the franchise over 45 years, with the millions of good memories and witness your body (and mind) waste away; all the while wanting for the magic to happen one more time before he steps off the abyss. Meanwhile, Al is probably is seeing turmoil all around him and he knows that time is not on his side and he may be hoping beyond all hope that he can bring in one man who will magically turn it around and he will lift the Lombardi trophy one more time.

For 45 years, all eyes have been on Al and I would imagine that he feels that he has to be "the man" one more time.

[zc_sandman]

Say what you want about Al, but the reality is Kiffin was doing his own thing and not concerned about the Raiders.

If he was concerned about the Raiders, he should have just coached the team. He didn't he cried to the press and made subversive remarks about the Organization. Those remarks were self serving and not in the interest of the Raiders.

Can the punk and let's move on!

Way to go Al!

That is All!

[greg]

Originally Posted by zc_sandman

Say what you want about Al, but the reality is Kiffin was doing his own thing and not concerned about the Raiders.

If he was concerned about the Raiders, he should have just coached the team. He didn't he cried to the press and made subversive remarks about the Organization. Those remarks were self serving and not in the interest of the Raiders.

Can the punk and let's move on!

Way to go Al!

That is All!

Yes! Way to go! I have not been this excited about the direction of the Raiders since the last time Mr. Davis fired a coach, or the time before that...or the time before that.

As if Mr. Davis is concerned about the Raiders and not doing his own thing. Everything he has done in the last so many years has been self-serving and definately not in the interest of the Raiders.

At least Kiffin showed the situation as it was. Kiffin has spoken publicly about such things that had been whispers and innuendo from anonymous sources in the past.

Every other coach has been canned after playing by Mr. Davis' rules. No one aired the dirty laundry. A lot of good it did them or the Raiders. They ended up in the same unemployment line and the Raiders continued to lose.