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NAM Round Table
The NAM Round Table consists of news, insights, visions, ramblings and rants from the writers at New America Media.
[ filed under: sports entertainment ] Growing up in Oakland in the 70’s and early 80’s there was no choice but to love the silver and black attack that put the town on the map. Every Sunday the streets would be empty, you could hear the sounds of the game wafting through the East Oakland air. The team was the city, they defined us—they were the Panthers, Hells Angels, Crack, Police Brutality, community resistance/organizing, diversity and perseverance-in-the-face-of-oppression all rolled into one. I’m not a fan of football, I’m an Oakland Raiders fan—there is a difference. I’m a Raider. Without the them in it I’m not even watching the sport. When they moved to LA in 82 I cried. When they moved back to Oakland in 95 I hopped up and down and played air guitar. This year the football team from Oakland set an NFL record for consecutive seasons with double digit losses. 6 years lost in the woods of losing. The tipping point for Oakland’s misfortune could well have started when we fired Mike Shanahan 4 games into the ‘89 season. Then Shanahan was a young coach—considered an offensive prodigy, full of ideas and fire. He went on to coach for the 49er’s (winning a super bowl as the offensive coordinator in ‘94) and the Denver Broncos (winning back to back super bowls 97-98) I hate Denver. You could not be a Raiders fan and not hate them, they have been our rivals since before the NFL merged with the AFL. My own personal hate began in the 1977 AFC championship game. From Wikipedia— ...The score remained 7-3 until the third period. The Broncos recovered a fumble at the Oakland 17-yard line and then advanced the ball to the 2-yard line. On the next play, running back Rob Lytle was hit by Raiders safety Jack Tatum and lost the ball, and Oakland nose tackle Mike McCoy appeared to have recovered it. However, the officials blew the play dead and ruled that Lytle was stopped before the fumble even though replays clearly showed the ball was knocked free at the moment of contact, and Jon Keyworth scored a Denver touchdown one play later. I was watching that game and I’ll never forget/forgive that play. They had to cheat us to beat us. I’m still mad about it. We win that game we go back to the Super Bowl (we won the championship in ‘76) to face Dallas—Denver ended up losing that game. Yesterday Denver fired Shanahan after 14 years and 2 super bowl wins. During his time in Denver Shanahan took special pleasure in beating the Raiders, and he did it way more often than not. It is no secret Al Davis, the owner of the Raiders, and Shanahan don’t get along. But now they might need each other. We have a young team with exciting weapons on offense. Shanahan could do something with this bunch. JaMarcus Russell—the raiders second year quarterback—has a gun of an arm, like John Elway—the Denver QB who Shanahan coached to consecutive NFL championships. The Raiders need a coach that can hit the ground running, with a chip on his shoulder—Shanahan is simply the best man for the job. It probably wont happen—but Raiders are dreamers and doers and if Al Davis has a lick of sense left and if Shanahan really wants to stick it to his former team twice a year, these dudes need to get on the phone, let bygones be bygones, and let the healing/winning begin. comments |
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As a Bronco fan, and speaking for all Bronco fans, let me say that other than Super Bowl wins all that matters is the Broncos beating the Raiders.
It is more than Shanahan does “not get along” with Al Davis. He hates Al Davis.
Nice for Raider fans to be dreamers. After all, Shanahan was fired for “only” being a .500 coach the last 3 seasons.
Raider fans can only dream of that success.
If Al Davis wants to mend some fences he can start by paying Shanahan the money he owes, with interest.
But that won’t happen. Wherever Shanahan goes, Raider fans – you’d better believe that Shanahan will still love sticking it to Al Davis.
The feeling will be different coaching against the Broncos. Shanahan loves Denver, and will still be living there for.
By the way, the most memorable moment of the 1977 season was not the AFC Championship Game, it was earlier in the season when the Broncos beat the Raiders with Tom Jackson taunting John Madden.
By Brian Kindsvater · Posted on Dec 31, 03:10 PMHey u never know. It could happen. one word “Obama”
By jim · Posted on Jan 1, 07:10 AMKevin,
You are NUTS! NO WAY, NO HOW do we ever want that rat face back. Besides, what has he truthfully done without Elway except be a .500 coach? At that point in his career, Elway was coaching that team, not Shanahan…. You or I could have been on the sidelines and they would have won those 2 superbowls…. Tom Cable has that team believing in him. Tom Cable IS a Raiderfan… and he IS loyal to Al Davis. People say Al meddles… but he doesn’t as long as he has faith in his coach…. something NO one has given him since Tom Flores left. The Raiders beat 2 quality teams to end the year. Houston won all of its last 6 games against one loss… US. Tampa had EVERYTHING to play for, at home. When is the last time you saw the Raiders come back from a 10 point deficit in the 4th quarter. The knock against cable early in the season was the offense… we scored over 25 points in each of our last 4 games… he has the offense turning around… he’s getting production out of Mario Henderson and Johnnie Lee Higgins… We finally have found OUR coach… Al needs to just give him the job and let him get to work, and quit worrying about the other “coaching” candidates….
By raiderstothedeath · Posted on Jan 1, 07:32 AMShanahan won with dan reeves teams just like gruden won with dungys team. Since they won last superbowl denver is 1-7 in playoff games and missed the playoffs the last three years. People forget the raiders fired Shanahan Art Shell took over and was turned the team around. Shanahan has a poor draft record getting less from the draft and in the players he picks they may be talented but they dont fit in the mosaic of a team of complementary players.
By wes · Posted on Jan 1, 08:13 AMyou have lost your mind
By jim · Posted on Jan 1, 08:43 AMshannahan to the raiders….haa NEVER in a million years would al davis bring shannahan back in to coach this team. cable will remain coach and ryan will be gone. this team needs a better defensive coordinator. davis won t fire him but i hope ryan leaves on his own.
By chris · Posted on Jan 1, 08:49 AMAl Davis would NEVER re-hire Shanahan. And Shanahan would never consider coahing in Oakland. All you have to do is read the transcript of Shanahan’s press conference announcing his firing, where he said…
“Pat Bowlen…great friend and he will always be my great friend. He is the best owner throughout sports…”
By Randy · Posted on Jan 1, 09:37 AMPlease. Shanarat has only won one playoff game since losing…not John Elway…but the real reason why they won those two SuperBowls…Terrell Davis.
The mediots were so shocked that Shanarat was fired. I wasn’t. He had fielded some pretty pitiful teams of late, especially defensively, and we know he was “buying all the groceries..ala Parcells” in Denver, so it all falls back to him.
By LaRaider · Posted on Jan 1, 09:56 AMAmen brother!!! I agree. Al Davis should stand up and admit he made a mistake in firing Shanahan, pay him the money he still owes him, make up and hire the man!!! Mike could take us to the Super Bowl. Just think of our ground game under Shanahan. Dam!!! Probably won’t ever happen…but one can dream!!
By raiderinct · Posted on Jan 1, 10:07 AMI remember that game too! And watching McCoy running for a TD and the refs say they blew the whistle. Horse poo!Give me a Tuck Rule Please!Shanahan would be a Great pick up!Or
By Richard · Posted on Jan 1, 10:15 AMSchotenhiemer! Coaches that have beat us down in a great way and win game after game!
trade nami and get another first round pick for him let cable coach, fire ryan, and we will be fine
By lee · Posted on Jan 1, 11:23 AMLOL now thats funny.. Shannyrat coming back to work for Davis? BWAHAHAHA Shitenheimer coming to work for Davis? HAHAHAHA damn.. talk about a pipe dream.. no way in hell do those 2 come to Oak.. we wouldnt want them anyway.. Shitenheimer cant win a playoff game. and Shannyrat hasnt been shit in years..Raiders have won more games in Invesco then teh Donkies have LOL.. PFFT Shannyrat and Shitenheiiiimer coachign the Raiders.. HAHAHAH thanks for the laugh tho LOL
By Tomycar · Posted on Jan 1, 12:21 PMShanahan back to the Raiders=Super Bowls. Like Romonowski…I only hated him as a BRONCO, but Shanahan is GOLD, We all know Al Davis would never swallow his pride…but we can dream can’t we?
By Raider Fan Ed · Posted on Jan 1, 12:32 PMAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!
By Doc Ross · Posted on Jan 1, 03:01 PMShanny hasn’t ever won anything. both Denver Super Bowls are null based on the team being over the salery cap. He’s not a bad coach but he no savior either. Denver fans you have no real lombardi trophies or rings. It’s unfortunate that this was only discovered after the season and the NFL chose to avoid the black eye rather than let the truth be known. so do me a favor and stop the smug feeling sorry for the raiders attitude. you’ve won nothing.
By Jason Rasmussen · Posted on Jan 1, 04:11 PM16. Shanahan did not win those two Super Bowls because of Elway, it was because of their running game and Terrell Davis and the newly developed “zone” blocking scheme that he helped develop. Shanahan would be a terrible fit in Oakland (even if he could forgive Al for stiffing him). Shanny has had TOTAL control of the Broncs for several years now and is why he got fired. I read that he walked around like he owned the team and made draft pick decisions and free agent decisions with zero input from the owner or any other personnel people. I look forward to the day when we’ll be sticking it to the Donkeys and Shanny (wherever he lands). Raiders forever.
By TROY · Posted on Jan 1, 07:58 PMI cant believe the writer of this colum saying hes a life long raider fan bla bla bla. I mean really old glass eye shannahan do you think he would really coach or just come back to sabotage my beloved Raiders what a stupid idea, colum. The mear thought makes me wanna puke & all the raider fans that support this dumb idea are stupid screw All broncos fans & Glass eye PS i have the same regards for im so old i need viagra shottinheimer.
By AlGodFthrDvs · Posted on Jan 1, 08:13 PMShanahan,Cable,Gruden it does not matter,lets just WIN baby
By Amsterdamestblamest · Posted on Jan 1, 08:56 PMAll this talk about Shannahan not doing anything since Elway retired is Bogus! First off Elway did do anything until Terrell Davis entered the picture! So Shannahan has down anything since losing TD! I can remember the old jokes about Elway Superbowl performances prior to TD. “Why couldn’t Elway get into his home on Superbowl night?” Because there was an endzone in front of it!!!
By RaiderFanSinceBirth · Posted on Jan 1, 09:37 PMNo way hose. We dont want him and he def wont want us. No the saviour for the nation is CABLE. Solid reliable and a raider guy. I pray Al makes the right decision.
By sandblack · Posted on Jan 2, 01:43 AMSkeletor will not be back in black. . . ever.
By oc · Posted on Jan 2, 02:32 AMWhat did you expect Shanahan to say about the owner at the press confrence. Anytime Shanahan gets a chance to play the Broncos he is going to want to stick it to them and you can take that to the Bank. The Broncos have been nothing in the AFC West for years, year after year they start fast and fold like the quiters they are at the end of the season. Hell the last team to really make any noise out of the AFC West was the Raiders. Cable has Them going in the right direction we do not need Shanahan. The dude has been riding off of Elway for far to long. He ran the whole show there and it was not pretty after Elway, they have done nothing. Who is going to remember that the Raiders were 5-11 or the Broncos were 8-8 down the line, nobody. Hell the Broncos were handed 2 wins that they never should have got in the first place.
By Sonny · Posted on Jan 2, 04:01 AMThe fact that you even suggest this nonsense makes me question how much of a Raider fan you are. Only an idiot would think Al Davis and Shanahan could work together again. Also, did you forget how much control Al exerts over this team? Shanahan would never go for that. Didn’t before and he sure as hell wouldn’t now. Oh and for post #11, trade Namdi for a pick? 2nd dumbest thing I’ve heard. He’s a free agent and will either be signed to a long term contract or franchised again. You don’t trade a player like Nambdi. Did you forget he’s the top corner in the NFL?
By Enzo · Posted on Jan 2, 10:56 AM