Wednesday, August 23, 2006

RAIDER NATION CELEBRATION


The Raider Nation Celebration is set for Sunday, August 27th, at McAfee Coliseum in Oakland. This will be a one-of-a-kind event, which will feature current Raiders players and coaches, Raider legends and the Raiderettes - Football's Fabulous Females.
The event is scheduled for Noon - 4:00 p.m. Features of the day include interactive Kids Zones, select autograph and photo opportunities with the Raiderettes and Raiders Legends, a "Hall of Fame" area featuring the Super Bowl Trophies and a stroll down Raider memory lane, and live interviews with Legends and current players.
On field activities include Raiderette performances and Legends introductions. The event culminates with Head Coach Art Shell introducing the coaching staff and the 2006 Oakland Raiders and an on-field skills demonstration. Admission is free for suite and season ticket holders and $5 for non-season ticket holders. Tickets are available at all Raider Image store locations.

Sunday, August 20, 2006



NFL has record number of black head coaches this year

Associated Press WriterAugust 17, 2006
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) -- The NFL's rule that at least one minority candidate be interviewed for each head coaching vacancy is the reason there are now a record seven black head coaches, six more than 16 years ago, the author of several sports diversity studies said Thursday.
The University of Central Florida's Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport credited the league's "Rooney Rule," adopted in late 2002, for the improvement.

"It's been really fast-tracked in a big-time way," study author Richard Lapchick said. "I've always felt the commissioner (Paul Tagliabue) had high on his priority list to improve the record for diversity, but until then he just didn't have the leverage."
The number of black general managers also increased from two in 2003 to a record five at the beginning of this season after the Houston Texans hired Rick Smith. Others at the position, not always called general manager but with equivalent duties, are the Baltimore Ravens' Ozzie Newsome, Arizona Cardinals vice president Rod Graves, Martin Mayhew with the Detroit Lions and James Harris, vice president of player personnel with the Jacksonville Jaguars.
There were never more than four minority head coaches throughout the 1990s.
Current black head coaches are: Romeo Crennel at Cleveland, Lovie Smith at Chicago, Marvin Lewis at Cincinnati, Herman Edwards at Kansas City, Tony Dungy at Indianapolis, Dennis Green at Arizona and Art Shell, recently rehired by the Oakland Raiders.
Those changes helped the NFL earn an overall B+ from a B last year in Lapchick's report card on race.
"Having talented people from diverse backgrounds has been and will continue to be a priority for our league," NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said.
However, the report noted that the NFL -- and other pro men's sports, with the exception of basketball -- continued to lag in hiring women. The report card did not specifically issue a grade for gender because researchers were missing information from the NFL head office, Lapchick said, but it likely wouldn't have improved much over last year's D+.
The NFL did have a female president/CEO -- Amy Trask of the Oakland Raiders -- which is a rarity across pro sports, Lapchick said.
Lapchick reports on diversity in all the major professional sports and the NCAA

Wednesday, August 09, 2006

Training Day











TRAINING DAY

well, what can I say...I went 2 Flowery Branch 2 see the ATL FALCONS training camp & let me be the very first brotha' 2 let U know. "THESE GUYZ r GONNA B' OFF The CHAIN" this season. YO, I got to see Vick in person. YUP, he's 100% back In action...Slinging the pill & running fUll-Speed~!! I met the coaching staff and a few of the new players too. John Abraham, Lawyer Milloy, Edge Hartwell just 2 name a few. The Oakland Raiders & the Carolina Panthers r still My Boys bUt I gotta b REAL...The Falcons r Here, I think this could b their breakOut season...Jim Mora Jr. has the rUnning game going & T.J. Duckett (Da' BEAST) is healthy & hungry. Another thing I wanna let U know...lil Warrick Dunn "aint little" ha ha ha ha ha...He may b shOrt in stature, but my man is built like a M/F Super Hero~!! And he's still fast as lightning* Okay another thing I must tell everybody right now... Mike Vick is the truth. Theres never been a Qb that could do it like him and I will say this ...Ya bOy can flat Out FLY~ I saw the team execute a sweep to the left side & Vick ate Up real estate like a damn lawn mower with wings. LOL & his ass was Only jogging. Imagine chasing him...Now Imagine chasing him in a helment & pads~!! "ITS OVER WITH" U might as well cancel Christmas coz it aint gonna happen~!!! All n All I was very Impressed.

MADDLION_[T.K.O.T.J]

Monday, August 07, 2006

THE IMMORTAL 6



Six new faces inducted into Hall of Fame



NFL.com wire reports
CANTON, Ohio (Aug. 5, 2006) -- Amid the tributes and the tears, one thing stood out: the chants.
"REG-GIE, REG-GIE."
On a day when Troy Aikman easily had the most jerseys in the crowd, the fans' passion was reserved for the late Reggie White as they joined Warren Moon, John Madden, Rayfield Wright and Harry Carson in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
When master of ceremonies Chris Berman introduced White's widow, Sara, and when White's son, Jeremy, presented his father, the fans chanted his name. It didn't matter if they were dressed in Packers or Eagles green -- a collection of current Eagles, including Donovan McNabb, sat in the crowd wearing White's No. 92 -- or even Cowboys, Giants or Oilers blue or Raiders black.
They all stood and cheered for the "Minister of Defense," including Dallas' three-time Super Bowl champion quarterback. "I too am saddened by the absence of Reggie White, a great player and a man who left us too soon," Aikman said in concluding the inductions. "It's an honor to be a member of the Hall of Fame class that includes five men I have so much admiration and respect for. They played the game the way it should be played, and John Madden coached the game the same way."
Jeremy and Sara White shared tears and a long hug after unveiling Reggie's bust before a rapt audience. An hour later, the usually unflappable Aikman's voice cracked as he explained his emotions:
"I was able to live a dream. I played professional football," he said. "That I was able to do so with so many great players and coaches and win three championships and wind up here -- it is almost too much to believe. I am humbled to be welcomed to the Pro Football Hall of Fame."
White, who died in December of 2004, was an ordained minister as well as an NFL superstar. White was a two-time defensive player of the year who made 13 straight Pro Bowls. He was the career sacks leader with 198 when he retired -- Bruce Smith since has passed him -- and won a Super Bowl with Green Bay in 1997 after starting his illustrious career in the USFL, then moving to Philadelphia.
"It's not how we die, it's how we live. I encourage you to live like Reggie lived.
"Reggie was not phony. Reggie stood for what he believed in. Whatever you believe in, you stand on your principles," his widow told the crowd. "We knew Reggie's history in football. His legacy will live on through you."
Aikman won 90 games in the 1990s, the most by any quarterback in one decade.The top overall pick in the 1989 draft, he guided the Cowboys to three Super Bowl titles in four seasons, made six Pro Bowls and, as proof of his skill under pressure, had four 300-yard passing games in the playoffs, ranking third in NFL history.
He saved his strongest praise for his teammates, including NFL career rushing leader Emmitt Smith, who was in the audience and certainly will be on the stage for his own induction someday.
"I did what was asked to help the team win," he said, "and after a career of putting team goals first, it is so extremely gratifying to receive the highest individual honor a player can receive."
Earlier, Moon became the first black quarterback in the Hall, Madden brought comic relief and Carson made a pitch for more help for retired players and more diversity.
Moon is the only one of the six inductees not to win an NFL title. But he captured five straight Grey Cups for the Edmonton Eskimos after being undrafted out of the University of Washington.
"I was not really invited to the Combine and no coaches came out to give me workouts," Moon said. "It was a foregone conclusion quarterback was not in my future in the NFL, but changing positions was. I was going to play quarterback and I was looking for somebody who would let me do that.
"Thank you Canada."
Moon came back to the United States as a free agent in 1984 and spent 10 seasons in the Houston Oilers' run-and-shoot offense. He also played for Minnesota, Seattle and Kansas City in 17 NFL seasons, passed for more than 70,000 yards (over 42 miles) and ranked fourth in TD passes, third in attempts, completions, yards passing and total offense when he retired at age 44.
"A lot has been said about me being the first African-American quarterback in the Hall of Fame," he said. "It's a subject I am uncomfortable with at times, because I want to be judged only as a quarterback.
"But significance does come with that, I accept that. I remember all the guys before me who blazed that trail to give me the inspiration. I always had that extra burden that I had the responsibility to play the game for my people. I carried that burden proudly."
It took nearly a quarter century for Madden to make it to the Canton shrine, and when the moment came, he got "goofy."
"I started thinking about this after I was voted to the Hall of Fame, and now I know," said Madden, elected by the senior committee for a coaching career in which he went 103-32-7, never had a losing season and won the 1977 Super Bowl. "At night, when the fans and visitors all leave, then the workers start to leave, then just one person turns out the light, locks the door, and I believe the busts talk to each other. And I can't wait for that conversation.
"We'll be there forever and ever talking about whatever. That's what I believe will happen and no one is ever going to talk me out of that."
Madden might be best known now for his announcing and his video game, but as his presenter, Raiders owner Al Davis, noted, Madden was 36-16-2 against other coaches in the Hall. Davis said he never doubted a 32-year-old Madden could handle the "Just Win Baby" legacy the team was building.
"He loved the game, his team, the Raiders, this league -- and especially his players," Davis said. "At a time when our country needed it, John Madden saw no color."
Except the Raiders' Silver and Black.
Carson became the first inside linebacker from a 3-4 defense to make it to Canton. It was a long-awaited honor -- he retired in 1988 after 13 seasons, nine Pro Bowls and a Super Bowl title with the New York Giants -- that Carson recently had given up on.
Two years ago, after making the final 15 candidates for the sixth straight year but not being elected by a panel of sports writers, Carson asked to have his name withdrawn from consideration. It wasn't, and he finally made it this year.
"To represent all who preceded me and those who will come after me ... to know there is absolutely nothing beyond their reach," Carson said, explaining the meaning of being a Hall of Famer.
Carson gave his presenter, son Donald, a long hug before addressing the crowd. Donald Carson suffers from a rare blood disorder.
"This isn't about me, this is about my family," Carson said. "I am so thankful my son presented me this afternoon; he is definitely a man. He's been through so much in the last seven months, more than I could ever have gone through. I never knew needles could be so long."
Carson also called on the NFL and the players' union to upgrade its treatment of retired players and to continue "bringing a great sense of diversity" to the sport.
Wright also played 13 seasons, and won two Super Bowls in five appearances. He retired in 1979 and was chosen for the Hall by the seniors committee.
A former college basketball player expecting to play in the NBA, Wright was a tight end who was "stunned" when coach Tom Landry said he was being moved to tackle. Wright made his first start against Deacon Jones -- only the most feared member of the Rams' Fearsome Foursome. Obviously, it didn't faze "Big Cat," who went on to make six consecutive Pro Bowls and help the Cowboys win 10 division titles.
Wright cited the poem "The Road Not Taken" for inspiring his career.
"Through this poem I discovered life would give me choices. It was recognizing those choices that proved to be the greatest challenge," he said in a teary speech. "My instinct was to always take the easy road, but the easy road never came my way.
"I'm privileged to be in such a stellar class."

Saturday, August 05, 2006

NFL preseason


NFL preseaon kicks off


Eagles and Raiders to open NFL preseason~!!


NFL.com wire reports
For more info on the game
CANTON, Ohio (Aug. 5, 2006) -- The Eagles want to perform well in honor of Reggie White. The Raiders want to excel in tribute to John Madden.
Otherwise, the Hall of Fame Game (8 p.m. ET on Aug. 6, NBC) isn't much more than an NFL preseason opener. That means lots of rookies, undrafted free agents and guys few people have ever heard of on the Fawcett Stadium field.
Don't expect a lot of Donovan McNabb or Randy Moss in this one.
"You want to see them line up and play football," said Raiders coach Art Shell, returning to Oakland after an 11-year hiatus. "I mean, you can do all the blitzing, you can do all the little fancy versions and things like that. Those things will come down the road. I want to see our guys play.
"I want to see them display basic football, line up and play whether they're on the defensive side of the ball ... let's see can we cover somebody, let's see how we do matching up with their run blocking and their pass protection on the same side.
"We're not going to be extraordinary, we're not going to be trying to do a whole lot."
Madden will be in the broadcast booth for NBC, which has taken over the prime-time Sunday night NFL package. It will be his debut for the network -- he's also worked for CBS, Fox and ABC -- and comes one day after he entered the Hall of Fame along with White, Troy Aikman, Warren Moon, Harry Carson and Rayfield Wright.
Shell hasn't been as successful as Madden on the Raiders' sideline, but he has been pretty good. While Madden was 103-32-7 games and won a Super Bowl in 10 seasons. Shell was 54-38 and, like Madden, did not have a losing record in his five-plus seasons as coach.
Shell is most concerned with improving the mind-set and atmosphere with the Raiders, who were 4-12 last season.
"It's changed drastically. All these guys are into what we're trying to do," he said. "Mainly it's because they want to win. And there's only one way to win and that's to work at it. They are willing to work, they're willing to do anything ... we have their attention now. And the good thing about it is they have each other's attention. You can hear the older guys prodding our other guys: 'Let's go. We've got to get this thing going.' "
Many of the Eagles are going to Canton for the first time, including McNabb. He's quite familiar, though, with the achievements of White, who died nearly two years ago.
An ordained preacher known as the Minister of Defense, White was a two-time defensive player of the year who made 13 consecutive Pro Bowls. He was the career sacks leader with 198 when he retired -- Bruce Smith since has passed him -- and won a Super Bowl with Green Bay in 1997 after starting his illustrious career in the USFL, then moving to Philadelphia.
"Never been there, never drove past it or anything," said McNabb, who comes off abdominal surgery that sidelined him for much of the 2005 season. "So, it will be an honor for me to get the opportunity for me to see the building, see what it's all about."
McNabb knows all about White, who once spoke at McNabb's church in Chicago.
"It's easy to sit and talk about people's performance on the field, the success that they've had," McNabb said. "But you have a guy that was a role model, a guy that was great in the community, a guy that kids could look up to and say, 'You know what? I want to be just like Reggie.'
"He handled himself with class; he was a professional at all times, that's how you measure an individual in this sport. It goes way beyond sacking quarterbacks or tackles for losses, in his case. It's about a guy that you can sit down and talk to, no matter who you are, and won't have to worry about Reggie turning his back or just telling you something you want to hear to make you feel good. He will give you inspirational words and when the conversation is over, you feel better about life."