TheNextStep
TX BBQ > KC BBQ
- Joined
- Oct 15, 2006
- Messages
- 16,731
- Reaction score
- 35,061
Usually, I try to keep things kind of organized, because I appreciate good presentation... but, as I explained to Bones, I just don't have a hell of a lot of time these days. Between Christmas parties, the never-ending "schoolmate birthday party" circuit, Cub Scouts, and a million other things that every has to attend or plan or schedule during this time of year, I could give a rat's ass about presentation right now. So... yes, this will probably ramble a bit.
Another way that lack of time is messing with me is that I haven't been in as many discussions as normal, so I'll inevitably hit on some things that other people have already discussed into the ground. Well... so be it.
End of preamble, Goddammit.
- Maybe it is because I don't watch ESPN anymore and really only catch up on day-to-day sports via the internet and radio (aside from games on Sunday, of course), but I'm stunned at what I perceive to be an underwhelming amount of tribute to the sadly departed Lamar Hunt. Again, maybe ESPN did a 9 hour "The Life Of..." (or whatever the hell they call it these days) and I'm just out of the loop... but it seemed to me that all I've heard about is TO spitting on somebody, Carmelo trying to start a slap fight with somebody, or a dozen other "why do I even care about this" kinds of things. To me, this is a travesty. Lamar Hunt, though founder and owner of the team that I hate more than any other in this world, was a man of vision, determination, and courage and the NFL that we all know and love would look nothing at all like it does today were it not for Lamar Hunt. I hated the team, but I have to respect and admire the man... and for a guy who was truly a giant in his industry (the biggest sporting industry in the nation at that) to not have people talking about the things that he did for days and days after seems like a terrible slight. I was glad to hear, however, that the Raiders dedicated a moment of silence to him.
- Maybe my disbelief is just another sign that I'm on the wrong side of the generation gap, though. Maybe it is just because their target audience is south of age 30 and not interested in what some old guy did 20 years before they were even born. If so, that kind of makes me sad. Understand that I'm a guy who places a great deal of import and pride in history - it is one of the reasons that I'm still an "Al Davis guy" and also one of the reasons why I'm one of those posters who means it sincerely when I talk about the history of the Raiders. For me, it isn't just a copout so that I can feel better about our current sorry state of affairs. I hate to think that others may not have that same type of view on things. Oh, and I'm fucking old, too, so that could be the crux of the problem in and of itself. I'm not "Crossbones Old" but, shit... who is?
- Fuck Langston Walker. There. I said it. I know a lot of other people have said that or words to that effect, but I've supported the guy for a long time and, I believe, I had good reason to. When Linc was here, Langston got called upon to sub in every once in a while - both at LT and at RT - and the guy played some damned good football. I mean... DAMNED good. After Linc left, it just seems like the kid plays soft and stupid. He gets his ass kicked by defensive linemen and doesn't seem to have it in him to dust himself off, get a nasty look in his eye, and think to himself, "Oh, is that how this motherfucker wants to roll? Okay... I got something for his ass." And if he's not getting his ass kicked, he's just flat out missing people. I mean, not even close enough that you can say he pulled a "matador." He's missing people like Michael Jordan misses fastballs. Like Charles Barkley misses fairways. Like Hawaiianboy misses that one bi-curious dude he roomed with in college. So... I have officially had it. Come next off-season, Langston doesn't need to go into it competing with anybody for a starting job - he needs to go into it competing for a freakin' roster spot.
- Nnamdi Asomugha, a guy whom I wanted the Raiders to draft and had us trading up and taking him in the second round that year in the L'il Al Contest because I'm soooooo fucking smart, is playing some lights out football. That is all.
- Fabian Washington kind of got worked a little bit. I like him, but he DID get worked a little bit.
- Why is Tyler Brayton still starting? I don't dislike the guy, mind you, as I'll always like guys with good motors... but when was the last time the guy actually made a play? Yeah, yeah... aside from kicking Jerramy Stevens' left testicle through the uprights, I mean.
- I know that we as Raider fans like to pimp our defense up a little bit, both because they give us SOMETHING to cheer about and because they deserve a bit of pimping... but we're just plain not very good against the run. Sorry, but it is true. So... everyone saying that we need to draft ONLY offense had better start thinking of a good way to fix that weakness through free agency or something... because Tomlinson isn't going away, nor is Larry Johnson.
- The taunting penalty on Courtney Anderson was bullshit. I know it doesn't need to be said, but I needed to say it.
- Why in the HELL was Ron Curry minimized so much this year?
- I don't care if the announced liked the decision to pull Aaron Brooks or not, I was happy with it. Fact is, the guy takes sacks like he's trying to get a guest spot on Will & Grace. And, yeah, you can put some blame on the offensive line for that, but there are many times where Aaron has enough time but panics. Worse, when he panics, he often freezes like a deer in headlights. Oh, and if I see that motherfucker throw another pass behind his receiver, he's going to wake up with a horse's head in his bed.
- Ironic, isn't it, that we Raider fans are getting to see a whole lot of the stuff that we've been screaming that we want to see? "We want to see Gallery, Grove, and Walker returned to their rightful spots on the offensive line instead of playing them out of position!"... "We want to see Barry Sims move inside!"... "We want to see Tommy Kelly play tackle!"... "We want to see Fargas get more touches!"... "We want to see the return of the long ball!"... "We want to see what Andrew Walter can do!"... "We want to see Johnnie Morant on the field!"...
What a bunch of fucking brainiacs we are, huh?
Another way that lack of time is messing with me is that I haven't been in as many discussions as normal, so I'll inevitably hit on some things that other people have already discussed into the ground. Well... so be it.
End of preamble, Goddammit.
- Maybe it is because I don't watch ESPN anymore and really only catch up on day-to-day sports via the internet and radio (aside from games on Sunday, of course), but I'm stunned at what I perceive to be an underwhelming amount of tribute to the sadly departed Lamar Hunt. Again, maybe ESPN did a 9 hour "The Life Of..." (or whatever the hell they call it these days) and I'm just out of the loop... but it seemed to me that all I've heard about is TO spitting on somebody, Carmelo trying to start a slap fight with somebody, or a dozen other "why do I even care about this" kinds of things. To me, this is a travesty. Lamar Hunt, though founder and owner of the team that I hate more than any other in this world, was a man of vision, determination, and courage and the NFL that we all know and love would look nothing at all like it does today were it not for Lamar Hunt. I hated the team, but I have to respect and admire the man... and for a guy who was truly a giant in his industry (the biggest sporting industry in the nation at that) to not have people talking about the things that he did for days and days after seems like a terrible slight. I was glad to hear, however, that the Raiders dedicated a moment of silence to him.
- Maybe my disbelief is just another sign that I'm on the wrong side of the generation gap, though. Maybe it is just because their target audience is south of age 30 and not interested in what some old guy did 20 years before they were even born. If so, that kind of makes me sad. Understand that I'm a guy who places a great deal of import and pride in history - it is one of the reasons that I'm still an "Al Davis guy" and also one of the reasons why I'm one of those posters who means it sincerely when I talk about the history of the Raiders. For me, it isn't just a copout so that I can feel better about our current sorry state of affairs. I hate to think that others may not have that same type of view on things. Oh, and I'm fucking old, too, so that could be the crux of the problem in and of itself. I'm not "Crossbones Old" but, shit... who is?
- Fuck Langston Walker. There. I said it. I know a lot of other people have said that or words to that effect, but I've supported the guy for a long time and, I believe, I had good reason to. When Linc was here, Langston got called upon to sub in every once in a while - both at LT and at RT - and the guy played some damned good football. I mean... DAMNED good. After Linc left, it just seems like the kid plays soft and stupid. He gets his ass kicked by defensive linemen and doesn't seem to have it in him to dust himself off, get a nasty look in his eye, and think to himself, "Oh, is that how this motherfucker wants to roll? Okay... I got something for his ass." And if he's not getting his ass kicked, he's just flat out missing people. I mean, not even close enough that you can say he pulled a "matador." He's missing people like Michael Jordan misses fastballs. Like Charles Barkley misses fairways. Like Hawaiianboy misses that one bi-curious dude he roomed with in college. So... I have officially had it. Come next off-season, Langston doesn't need to go into it competing with anybody for a starting job - he needs to go into it competing for a freakin' roster spot.
- Nnamdi Asomugha, a guy whom I wanted the Raiders to draft and had us trading up and taking him in the second round that year in the L'il Al Contest because I'm soooooo fucking smart, is playing some lights out football. That is all.
- Fabian Washington kind of got worked a little bit. I like him, but he DID get worked a little bit.
- Why is Tyler Brayton still starting? I don't dislike the guy, mind you, as I'll always like guys with good motors... but when was the last time the guy actually made a play? Yeah, yeah... aside from kicking Jerramy Stevens' left testicle through the uprights, I mean.
- I know that we as Raider fans like to pimp our defense up a little bit, both because they give us SOMETHING to cheer about and because they deserve a bit of pimping... but we're just plain not very good against the run. Sorry, but it is true. So... everyone saying that we need to draft ONLY offense had better start thinking of a good way to fix that weakness through free agency or something... because Tomlinson isn't going away, nor is Larry Johnson.
- The taunting penalty on Courtney Anderson was bullshit. I know it doesn't need to be said, but I needed to say it.
- Why in the HELL was Ron Curry minimized so much this year?
- I don't care if the announced liked the decision to pull Aaron Brooks or not, I was happy with it. Fact is, the guy takes sacks like he's trying to get a guest spot on Will & Grace. And, yeah, you can put some blame on the offensive line for that, but there are many times where Aaron has enough time but panics. Worse, when he panics, he often freezes like a deer in headlights. Oh, and if I see that motherfucker throw another pass behind his receiver, he's going to wake up with a horse's head in his bed.
- Ironic, isn't it, that we Raider fans are getting to see a whole lot of the stuff that we've been screaming that we want to see? "We want to see Gallery, Grove, and Walker returned to their rightful spots on the offensive line instead of playing them out of position!"... "We want to see Barry Sims move inside!"... "We want to see Tommy Kelly play tackle!"... "We want to see Fargas get more touches!"... "We want to see the return of the long ball!"... "We want to see what Andrew Walter can do!"... "We want to see Johnnie Morant on the field!"...
What a bunch of fucking brainiacs we are, huh?
