Friday, January 12, 2007

Why Rob Ryan Should Be Next Raiders HC.


#1 reason why Rob Ryan (pictured above with dad and former NFL coach Buddy Ryan) should be the next Oakland Raiders head coach: He has an uncany resemblence to Ken Stabler seen in the picture below.

Sure Ryan looks like a throwback Raider, but then again wasn't Art Shell just that? The difference in the two can be seen in their relation to the players and today's style of play. Art wanted to return to the glory days of going deep and running between the tackles. He wanted the players to blindly follow a style of play that's seen only on old NFL Films footage these days. And if you didn't march to his drumbeat like lemmings being led to their doom, you were excommunicated.

Rob Ryan appears to have what young players respond to, a passion to win and a plan players can believe in. I don't know if he's ever played the game but he sure appears to have a lock on how to stop opposing offenses. Whether Ryan as head coach can inspire the offense the way he has the defense is the million dollar question. Is he familiar enough with the Raiders offensive strengths and weaknesses to put together a gameplan that the players will believe in and execute to the best of their abilities? We won't get the answer to this question until Big Al wraps up his talks with other potential head coaching candidates. If Al Davis does what he's done historically, he'll give the young Ryan a shot at leading the Raiders. My only concern is once he gives the car keys to Ryan will he sit in the back seat and keep his mouth shut or will he be that meddling, interfering back seat driver who doesn't know how to enjoy the ride? Again, only time will tell.

In the meantime there's one cliche that rings true when it comes to winning; "Defense Wins Championships." Al, if your listening, we've got a decent defense, help us get someone to lead our offense back to respectability and back to glory. If Rob Ryan has the leadership qualities you saw in Madden, Flores and Gruden, then hand over the keys and let him drive us to a championship. If you don't feel he's ready yet, at least listen to his input on what the team needs in leadership.

I don't believe we're as bad a team as we looked in 2006. We were just badly led and the players gave up on the leadership.

I vote for Rob Ryan as the new Raiders Head Coach. Who else looks like a cross between "The Snake" and a Hell's Angels member, and is willing to take the keys and drive like a bat out of hell as if his life depended on it? And believe me Raider fans, going 2-14 in a season is pure Hell.

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