Davis still has his fastball
I've watched a lot of press conferences, but Al Davis' anti-Kiffin Tuesday jaw-dropper was easily my favorite. I was wrapping up our Season Pass rankings and just couldn't take my attention away. Al Davis is perhaps the important living member of football's history: A Hall of Famer, former AFL commisioner, coach of the year, and longtime owner/GM. He's become a punchline in recent years, but I echo Mike Florio's thoughts: Davis certainly hasn't lost his fastball, and he still deserves respect.
A few thoughts:
1. Tom Cable is a commanding presence. He is going to join Joe Vitt in the interim head coach presser Hall of Fame.
2. Davis made fun of Kiffin for treating JaMarcus Russell with kid gloves, accusing him of running a Woody Hayes offense. Davis hinted that the team threw more against the Chargers because Greg Knapp was calling half the plays. Knapp ran a run-heavy offense in Atlanta and it was balanced, but also run-heavy, in San Francisco. Still, it doesn't seem like a bad thing for Russell to get rid of a head coach that never wanted him in the first place.
3. Kiffin did well throughout this whole fiasco, but his lying about wanting the Arkansas job and suspending a coach earlier this year, then telling him to go to a doctor to lie about the reason for his absence, hurts his image. I also wonder how the Bucs feel that Monte Kiffin tried to leave this offseason.
4. Jerry McDonald and Tim Kawakami have a lot more good stuff, like Davis trashing Mike Lombardi, talking Randy Moss, and not letting go of his venom about Mike Shanahan. Davis also had some contrition and regret over his role in Oakland's demise the last few years.
5. I admit I'm pulling for the Raiders to pull themselves out of their current morass, although I have my doubts. The NFL is more interesting with the Raiders relevant. And it will be worse off when Davis is gone.
Update via Aaron Gleeman: You can find the whole presser here
Comments
Anybody have thoughts about who has better value for the rest of the season? Curtis or Engram?
I have to dump one and I'm dying here
Posted by: Tfram | October 1, 2008 01:11 PM
Tough call, but I'd go Engram
Posted by: Gregg | October 1, 2008 02:15 PM
Thank you my friend. You rock
Posted by: Tfram | October 1, 2008 03:05 PM
Nobody cares about your marginal WR3 "dilemma," this is an Al Davis blog, learn to read, then grow a pair and make your own decisions.
Posted by: Pancake Police | October 1, 2008 04:17 PM
Methinks Pancake Police isn't getting any...
dude lighten up, I have a pair and am proud to say I have made the decision to say, "Bite me".
Posted by: Tfram | October 1, 2008 04:44 PM
I watched most of the press conference and couldn't shake the feeling that Al Davis is a paranoid, delusional old man. It is sad really to see him come to this.
Al surrounds himself with Yesmen and then he has the guts to blame Kiffin for the fortunes of the team? If Al really wants to know who is to blame he should look in a mirror!
Posted by: CdnFan | October 1, 2008 07:04 PM
Deserving of respect? Al Davis? C'mon Greg. Maybe 20 years ago. He constantly undermines whichever head coach he hires. Good coach, bad coach, same story; make idiotic personnel moves, backstab, undermine their authority then blame them for the failure.
Al has always played the rebel bad guy and for a long time there in the 60s, 70's & 80's he was the kinda-cool bad guy, even though I have & always will hate the Raiders.
Now? He's turned into the creepy, shriveled, twisted old bad guy. He's turned into Old Mr Potter in 'It's a Wonderful Life' or The Judge in 'The Natural'. Respect not only has to be earned, it has to be maintained and Al lost it many many years ago in my book. The NFL would be a more interesting place if the Raiders were relevant, but I don't see that happening with 'Ol Mr Potter, er Davis, in charge.
Posted by: LunaticFringe | October 1, 2008 07:35 PM