Behind the Shield and its worth

[Birdwell]

I know a lot of y'all here don't go to the Raiders' home site much, if at all. Worthless propaganda, and all that. Fair enough. I hope you can read this anyway as a personal opinion, not as a shill.

For those who fit this description, I'd like to bring your attention to a feature called "Behind the Shield." It's usually about four minutes of video, half Cable excerpts, half small interview with player. It's worth checking out, I think, for listening to Cable and the occasional worthwhile player interview.

The most recent one is just a one-on-one with Tom Cable, which is the reason I'm posting this. It's one thing to read excerpts of Cable's comments in a blog or other source, quite another to hear him -- you can hear that there's a reason behinf everything he does, and pretty consistent and simple coaching philosophy. After Chuckie, Callahan, Norv, Shell, Lance, this guy is breath of fresh air in several ways:

1) He doesn't play anywhere near half the games that all the other guys played, and about a tenth as much as Lance did. Ask him a question, get ana answer. He's not going to trash his players in the media, though he will respond directly to questions about a player. He's not going to trash the organization. What Cable says is consistent with his being HC -- not just in terms of what he won't say, but why and how he says what he does. He doesn't bullshit the media -- and that will help him here and there, and enable him to help the team.

2) He's a football coach, first, last and always. He really knows football, and knows how to coach. He's not maybe the greatest X and O guy, but that's not his job. The Raiders made the 'Boys look like boys, throughout that game, Dallas was never really in it. The way our 2s and 3s outplayed their spoke volumes about the quality of coaching here in Oakland -- and the value of those learning intensive practices. Everyone interviewed for that feature gets asked what luxury they miss most in camp, and Cable immediately said he misses nothing, this is what he wants to do, he'd stay there all year.

3) His plan for this camp has been better thought out than any first year HC I've ever heard of, by several orders of magnitude. The team has a history of being just plain sloppy in it's play, so the first eight practices are designed to get rid of that element. The team hasn't been sufficiently physical -- especially at home, so he brought Jack Tatum in to talk to the team about what it meant when teams came to Oakland to play -- and Cable said he's working to get that back. Penalties have been a perpetual problem for Oakland, which was fine when the team was dominant, not so good now; and so Cable (and his staff) break(s) down each penalty, assesses what led to it, and bring the player in to go over it so it doesn't happen again. Nobody will play a perfect game, Cable says, and adds that that's what you strive for.

3A) He's using the personnel he has to their best advantage. Several times, he has stressed how happy he was that the raiders looked like "a fast football team, in all three phases" against Dallas. Mentioned that the learning intensive practices were designed for that. Said at that time of those practices, that when the head is right the body just responds. It was all about eliminating the mental errors.

4) His personnel policies are just what we need. DeAngelo Hall -- see ya. Kirk Morrison, you're not playing up to snuff, so compete for your position. And on and on. FAs brought in on his watch -- not a single malcontent, and none drafted, either. Asked about the penalties, he noted that they were fundamental issues that can be corrected, and added, unprompted, "What I'm really excited about now is it's not like we have knuckleheads now, where you're worried about guys with attitude just committing crazy fouls -- it's fundamental errors, so we can fix it."

Yeah, the Raider website is designed to be the mouthpiece for the team, just like any .com website. No reason to believe everything you hear or read there. But living oustide the Bay area media range (by about 2,900 miles, in my case), the Behind the Shield feature is pretty useful for getting it straight from the HC. And he's worth listening to.

[DarkDays]

Cable is doing a good job and I will say great job if we come out and play "fast" against the Chargers. I like the fact we are seeing some 3-4 teams in Dallas and SF so we will be ready for the chargers.

[Sleet]

Nice post Bird.

Lets hope we keep continue to play faster and that other teams don't catch up. :D

[BigTron]

He is talking about D.Hall's week one meltdown there at the end of that blurb.

[doug7dust]

jeanette thompson is really passionate about the team too...its pretty nice to go on there and watch a quick clip of coach cable every day

[raiderdog]

I know a lot of y'all here don't go to the Raiders' home site much, if at all. Worthless propaganda, and all that. Fair enough. I hope you can read this anyway as a personal opinion, not as a shill.

For those who fit this description, I'd like to bring your attention to a feature called "Behind the Shield." It's usually about four minutes of video, half Cable excerpts, half small interview with player. It's worth checking out, I think, for listening to Cable and the occasional worthwhile player interview.

The most recent one is just a one-on-one with Tom Cable, which is the reason I'm posting this. It's one thing to read excerpts of Cable's comments in a blog or other source, quite another to hear him -- you can hear that there's a reason behinf everything he does, and pretty consistent and simple coaching philosophy. After Chuckie, Callahan, Norv, Shell, Lance, this guy is breath of fresh air in several ways:

1) He doesn't play anywhere near half the games that all the other guys played, and about a tenth as much as Lance did. Ask him a question, get ana answer. He's not going to trash his players in the media, though he will respond directly to questions about a player. He's not going to trash the organization. What Cable says is consistent with his being HC -- not just in terms of what he won't say, but why and how he says what he does. He doesn't bullshit the media -- and that will help him here and there, and enable him to help the team.

2) He's a football coach, first, last and always. He really knows football, and knows how to coach. He's not maybe the greatest X and O guy, but that's not his job. The Raiders made the 'Boys look like boys, throughout that game, Dallas was never really in it. The way our 2s and 3s outplayed their spoke volumes about the quality of coaching here in Oakland -- and the value of those learning intensive practices. Everyone interviewed for that feature gets asked what luxury they miss most in camp, and Cable immediately said he misses nothing, this is what he wants to do, he'd stay there all year.

3) His plan for this camp has been better thought out than any first year HC I've ever heard of, by several orders of magnitude. The team has a history of being just plain sloppy in it's play, so the first eight practices are designed to get rid of that element. The team hasn't been sufficiently physical -- especially at home, so he brought Jack Tatum in to talk to the team about what it meant when teams came to Oakland to play -- and Cable said he's working to get that back. Penalties have been a perpetual problem for Oakland, which was fine when the team was dominant, not so good now; and so Cable (and his staff) break(s) down each penalty, assesses what led to it, and bring the player in to go over it so it doesn't happen again. Nobody will play a perfect game, Cable says, and adds that that's what you strive for.

3A) He's using the personnel he has to their best advantage. Several times, he has stressed how happy he was that the raiders looked like "a fast football team, in all three phases" against Dallas. Mentioned that the learning intensive practices were designed for that. Said at that time of those practices, that when the head is right the body just responds. It was all about eliminating the mental errors.

4) His personnel policies are just what we need. DeAngelo Hall -- see ya. Kirk Morrison, you're not playing up to snuff, so compete for your position. And on and on. FAs brought in on his watch -- not a single malcontent, and none drafted, either. Asked about the penalties, he noted that they were fundamental issues that can be corrected, and added, unprompted, "What I'm really excited about now is it's not like we have knuckleheads now, where you're worried about guys with attitude just committing crazy fouls -- it's fundamental errors, so we can fix it."

Yeah, the Raider website is designed to be the mouthpiece for the team, just like any .com website. No reason to believe everything you hear or read there. But living oustide the Bay area media range (by about 2,900 miles, in my case), the Behind the Shield feature is pretty useful for getting it straight from the HC. And he's worth listening to.

Bird,

Watch it all the time and I am only a couple of hundred miles away. I like the player interviews. They are goofy and personal. We have a good group of guys. Hopefully Cable can finally teach them how to be great. He's doing all the right things. One thing not to be overlooked is that while not in the Pro's, Cable has held a lot of different positions. Head coach, offensive coordinator and line coach, I think this allowed him a perspective that when he got his chance he was not going to make the same mistakes. Also puts the team first before even himself leading by example. I wish him the best of luck.

[Sleet]

I actually like this coaching staff. I had my concerns about Tollner, as OC, and Hackett, as something other than a QB coach, but, with Cable (and Maz), it seems like a good team. I also like Marshall's demeaner. I've read good things about Board. I hope that Marshall and Board are able to run, with success, an aggressive scheme.

[DonkeyKilla]

actually our 2s and 3s beating other teams 2s and 3s means diddlydick. See 2006.

[Sleet]

actually our 2s and 3s beating other teams 2s and 3s means diddlydick. See 2006.

Its diddly "poo." :D

[DonkeyKilla]

or fiddlesnatch.

[Langlier]

i'd agree about the 2's and 3's... that said our 1's were pretty good against theirs. If Nnamdi is in for that 2nd drive - there are 2 big plays that dont happen (Roy Williams catch/Witten's TD). Who knows what happens "instead" but I'm happy enough with the performance.

[Sabers]

The only Raider coaching position I'm really concerned about is special teams. The one really good thing Lame Kitten did during his tenure was to bring in Brian Schenider last year as ST coach. Special teams play improved exponentially. Now he's gone and I'm concerned to see how they do in his absence.

G.
'09 for COOP and 'CANE!

[Sleet]

i'd agree about the 2's and 3's... that said our 1's were pretty good against theirs. If Nnamdi is in for that 2nd drive - there are 2 big plays that dont happen (Roy Williams catch/Witten's TD). Who knows what happens "instead" but I'm happy enough with the performance.

The point about 2's and 3's is coaching. The point about 1's is talent. If you don't have talent, coaching is limited, and vis-a-versa. :D

[Birdwell]

DK,

It's not that our 2s and 3s outscored the 'Boys' 2s and 3s, it's that they pretty much consistently out-executed them and outplayed them. Watch what Kitna does in the next couple of exhibition games to realize how well our guys played, and that goes for their 3s, too.

Watch it all the time and I am only a couple of hundred miles away. I like the player interviews. They are goofy and personal. We have a good group of guys. Hopefully Cable can finally teach them how to be great. He's doing all the right things. One thing not to be overlooked is that while not in the Pro's, Cable has held a lot of different positions. Head coach, offensive coordinator and line coach, I think this allowed him a perspective that when he got his chance he was not going to make the same mistakes. Also puts the team first before even himself leading by example. I wish him the best of luck.

Excellent point, there, raiderdog. Excelent point. Shows he's been thinking about this for a long time -- he was more ready for this job than most gave him credit for.

[gst8]

I think Cable does a fine job of walking the company line while still managing to put his stamp on the team. Kiffin was to busy bucking the system while Norv Turner got completely overwhelmed by it. He might not be the best coach... but he's probably the best coach for the Raiders.

[DonkeyKilla]

DK,

It's not that our 2s and 3s outscored the 'Boys' 2s and 3s, it's that they pretty much consistently out-executed them and outplayed them. Watch what Kitna does in the next couple of exhibition games to realize how well our guys played, and that goes for their 3s, too.



Excellent point, there, raiderdog. Excelent point. Shows he's been thinking about this for a long time -- he was more ready for this job than most gave him credit for.

ok.. i'll say they looked good and did well, and I'll also say it won't mean jack shit when the season starts.

[Sleet]

ok.. i'll say they looked good and did well, and I'll also say it won't mean jack shit when the season starts.

Good coaching always matters. (See Shell, Norv, Callahan, White, Bugel, etc.).

[Birdwell]

Good coaching always matters. (See Shell, Norv, Callahan, White, Bugel, etc.).

Yes it does. Chuckie (though I despised his O), Flores, Madden, Davis, Rauch.

And if no one saw it today, it's worth every second. Lots more mics than usual in front of Cable, but of course the Raiders don't have any of his three no comments on the Hansen incident. But the segment with Javon Walker, while edited for time, is still a hoot. He spent two and half months in Israel, Egypt and the Sinai desert -- where all great leaders have gone to relax, to get their thoughts together -- and he can't wait to put that and his rehab out on the field.

Oh, man.

[DonkeyKilla]

Good coaching always matters. (See Shell, Norv, Callahan, White, Bugel, etc.).

thanks for enlightening me Sleet. I thought it didn't matter who coached the team.

As per earlier message- i said that our 2s and 3s beat out other teams 2s and 3s in preseason the Shell year. Hence my point that it doesn't mean shit.

[Sleet]

:woot:[T]he segment with Javon Walker, while edited for time, is still a hoot. He spent two and half months in Israel, Egypt and the Sinai desert -- where all great leaders have gone to relax, to get their thoughts together -- and he can't wait to put that and his rehab out on the field.

Oh, man.

Definitely a different drummer. :woot:

[Xplosive]

birdwell second string Offensive Right Guard and RT, look a bit more solid than 1st string RG & Right tackle..... Marcus Johnson standing out.


X

[Throne Raider]

Regarding the superior coaching comments, all one has to do is look at how impressive the team was under back-ups Charlie Frye and Bruce Grabhousekeys. I sense something different this year. Hope the Hanson and Gretel incident doesn't become a distraction.

[Sleet]

Regarding the superior coaching comments, all one has to do is look at how impressive the team was under back-ups Charlie Frye and Bruce Grabhousekeys. I sense something different this year. Hope the Hanson and Gretel incident doesn't become a distraction.

Far from a distraction, I think Fargas is making this a postive, a rallying point if you will, for the Raiders. All the haters ran with a story that might be full of shit. Even if Cable punched Hanson, Hanson apparently is not well liked and whopping some guys ass gives Cable street cred. Its all good, even if the haters want to make something of it in public.

[Rupert]

ok.. i'll say they looked good and did well, and I'll also say it won't mean jack shit when the season starts.

Maybe not when the season starts, but as it progresses, you better believe it will, unless we and other teams get zero injuries. Ooops.

[Raider Outlaw]

I think she used to be a Raiderette, didn't she? I just hate that fake laugh that she has, lol.


jeanette thompson is really passionate about the team too...its pretty nice to go on there and watch a quick clip of coach cable every day

[raiderdog]

Bird,

The timing of your post is significant. Javon Walker just did an interview. I think it is the first time I have heard him speak and make some sense. Looks like his rehab may be as mental as it is physical. Hope it is all coming together for him. You have to remember this is a guy who had someone murdered sitting next to him. He was covered in the guys blood. Let's hop for the best.

P.S. Don't hate on Jeanette. She's cool.

[RaiderJF]

ok.. i'll say they looked good and did well, and I'll also say it won't mean jack shit when the season starts.

I agree. Don't get me wrong, I'm happy to see the 2's and 3's beating up on the Boyz, but no matter how much success Jonnie Morant had in the preseason against 2's and 3's it never amounted to jack for either him, the passing game, or the team. It's preseason, a practice game, that's it. An opportunity for guys to flash what they have, but when they are matched up against another teams 3's its damn hard to gauge if the guy is actually doing something or if he is just matched up against a real stiff.

[RaiderJF]

Bird,

The timing of your post is significant. Javon Walker just did an interview. I think it is the first time I have heard him speak and make sense. Looks like his rehab may be as mental as it is physical. Hope it is all coming together for him. You have to remember this is a guy who had someone murdered sitting next to him. He was covered in the guys blood. Let's hop for the best.

P.S. Don't hate on Jeanette. She's cool.

Sounds like we are going to need Walker to be ready to hit the field as it sounds like Schillens will be out for a while.

[Sleet]

Sounds like we are going to need Walker to be ready to hit the field as it sounds like Schillens will be out for a while.

Don't forget JLH and Murphy, who seems to be ahead of DHB.

[Birdwell]

The timing of your post is significant. Javon Walker just did an interview. I think it is the first time I have heard him speak and make sense. Looks like his rehab may be as mental as it is physical. Hope it is all coming together for him. You have to remember this is a guy who had someone murdered sitting next to him. He was covered in the guys blood. Let's hop for the best.

raiderdog,

Just happenstance, but I'll be happy if some folks saw that who wouldn't have otherwise.

As for Walker, he made some sense. The what we were able to see was heavily edited, of course. And, still, Walker managed to make the argument that his time in the Middle East, and getting his thoughts together in the Sinai are things he's looking forward to translating on the field. Not usual weirdness for Javon Walker, but still pretty strange.

[GRIM]

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>NP

[raiderdog]

raiderdog,

Just happenstance, but I'll be happy if some folks saw that who wouldn't have otherwise.

As for Walker, he made some sense. The what we were able to see was heavily edited, of course. And, still, Walker managed to make the argument that his time in the Middle East, and getting his thoughts together in the Sinai are things he's looking forward to translating on the field. Not usual weirdness for Javon Walker, but still pretty strange.

Point taken. Edited.

Bird,

The timing of your post is significant. Javon Walker just did an interview. I think it is the first time I have heard him speak and make some sense. Looks like his rehab may be as mental as it is physical. Hope it is all coming together for him. You have to remember this is a guy who had someone murdered sitting next to him. He was covered in the guys blood. Let's hop for the best.

P.S. Don't hate on Jeanette. She's cool.