Week 16 Raiders Highlight

Never Look Back

On a day when my Oakland Raiders are surprisingly triumphant in a stunning win over rival Denver, I turn to scan by the MLB Baseball classic channel only to find one of my most devastating sports losses ever.

Classic MLB Baseball is airing game 6 of the 2002 World Series between the San Francisco Giants and the then Anaheim Angels. I haven't watched nary a highlight from that series since it ended with the Angels hoisting the trophy.

Still riding the high of my Raiders victory I figgahed, what the hell, why not, I'm Good. I was fascinated at first to see the old familiar faces of that last dominating Giants team. The faces of Russ Ortiz, Jeff Kent, Benito Santiago, J T Snow and of course Barry, gave me a fun nostalgic feel.

So I'm flipping back and fourth between the Sunday Night football game featuring Minnesota against Carolina and the MLB channel when by accident I see the full game trailer below. It read as follows:

5:30-9p
HD, San Francisco at Anaheim in Game 6 of the 2002 World Series. The Angels rallied for a 6-5 victory after trailing 5-0 in the seventh inning. (Baseball)

Immediately after reading this trailer my heart sank and my body slumped as memories of the Giants choke in game 6 began burning in my chest like a heavy meal at a New York City Italian restaurant. All of a sudden instead of reminiscing about the great players we had I began cursing everything that game deprived us Giants fans of. For those non-baseball fans let me surmise:

The Giants moved from New York to San Francisco in 1958. They'd won the World Series in 1954 against the Cleveland Indians. It would be their last. They've only made it to three World Series after arriving in San Francisco, (1962, 1989, 2002) and have lost all three. in 62 they came back to force a game 7 only to leave men in scoring position on a heartbreaking third out ball hit hard, but not hard enough, by Willie McCovey. In 1989 the Bay Bridge World Series was interrupted in game three by the Loma Prieta Earthquake and their cross-bay opponent recovered quicker than the Giants to sweep the series 4-0. Then there's this 2002 gem of a series. The Giants went into game 6 leading the series 3-2 and a win would make them World Champions, finally. Pitcher Russ Ortiz was throwing shutout ball with a 5-0 lead when in the seventh with one out, Giants manager Dusty Baker pulled Ortiz for relief pitcher Felix Rodriguez. And the rest, as they say, is history.

As I peer back to the MLB Baseball replay it is 0-0 top of the fourth with two outs. I know the Giants meltdown is three innings away, but after typing this post and fighting off more heartburn, I give my fallen baseball heroes a final salute, snatch up the remote and presto, Sunday Night Football, no more heartburn.

I'm not sure when if ever I'll be able to watch any parts of that sorrowful World Series. 2002-03 season turned out just as bad for my Raiders as their season culminated in the debacle at San Diego. Oops, there goes the heartburn again. I can't watch anything from that championship game either. Hopefully one day when the Giants are hoisting the World Series trophy or the Raiders the Lombardi trophy, I'll be able to look back and appreciate these high achieving team's lowest moments in history. Unfortunately, today is not that day. No my friend, Not Today.

20-19 RAIIDAHS OVER BRONCOS IN DENVER!

Oakland Raiders running back Michael Bush, 18 rushes for 133 yards, 1 td, runs for a touchdown during the second quarter against the Denver Broncos at Invesco Field at Mile High in Denver, Sunday, Dec. 20, 2009. (AP Photo/Jack Dempsey)

QB Jamarcus Russell delivers in the clutch..........Finally!

The Oakland Raiders (4-9) go into the Denver Broncos (8-5) home and are triumphant with a game winning drive led by benched, active, benched, active QB Jamarcus Russell.

This win ranks right up there with the one in Pittsburgh a few weeks ago. Starting QB Charlie Frye played great through three quarters plus until with 10:58 left in the fourth he was escorted off the field by trainers. Then came those gut wrenching familiar words from the game announcer:

"Here Comes #2"

The one unknown about those familiar words was the fire burning in #2's will to prove himself worthy. Jamarcus came off the bench and delivered big. On a fourth and 10 after being knocked out for one play he delivered a perfect bullet for a first down to TE Tony Stewart. After that he just caught fire and didn't flame out like in previous outings.

We have to give Jamarcus credit for taking all the criticism, enduring everyone, including the so-called experts, questioning his toughness, leadership and will to win. It might be only one game for most, but for Jamarcus it was a truly defining moment in his inconsistent season. Redemption!

A second win on the road in December for the Oakland Raiders. Congratulations Silver & Black on a thrilling win against a hated yet worthy opponent. Denver did not just roll over and die, they fought to the end. Problem was, they were playing the one team who's seasons live and die with beating them every season. The Oakland Raiders!

Final Score
Raiders 20
Broncos 19

Game balls to RB Michael Bush, Defense and Special Teams

Was Franz Schubert A Raiders Fan?

Winterreise - Composed 1827
(translation) Winter Journey
Sports Equivalent: Home For The Playoffs

Who Knew?

Approaching Nor'easter Affects NFL Game Times

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow. There's a winter storm scheduled to blow through the east coast this weekend, affecting NFL and college football games. The NFL has moved some of their scheduled game times back a few hours to allow for snow clearance prior to games. So far the following teams have pushed back their games:

Chicago at Baltimore
San Francisco at Philadelphia

We Raiders fans know all too well how weird and crazy things can affect the outcome of games played in snow. We carry both good and bad memories of snow games played in Denver as well as New Fumbleland. There's two types of snow games; one being a fluffy snow that gives the game a wintry wonderland look of beauty and has little affect on the game; the other is a wet snow that comes sweeping in like a sleety hurricane causing havoc on player visibility, footing and execution . So which storm will rear its head this weekend? Time will tell.

Storm Watch

Saying Something Nice About Denver

As a Raiders fan I've never had anything nice to say about the Denver Broncos or Denver, Colorado for that matter. john elway was a good quarterback, but I didn't get emotional over him finally winning a super bowl. They've had some good running backs in terrell davis and ole skool running back floyd little. Heck, I'll even give horse face Shannon Sharpe his due as a decent tight end, but none of these players rank higher than a C on my sports counter. However, there was this one dude that represented the Broncos for 30 years and was a true hardcore fan before there was such a thing as fans being hardcore.

His name was Tim McKernan, and in 1977 he wore a wacky ensemble to a Broncos game as a result of a bet. Well, he won the bet and much more. Tim became the #1 fan of the Denver Broncos and represented his team well for three decades. He traveled to various football stadiums in his broncos getup and took the good with the bad from rival fans. He even donned his outfit at the Oakland-Alameda Coliseum, the brave soul.

Tim was what many of us die hard fans strive to be; an ambassador of the games we love and the teams we pledge our allegiance to. If you go online and read the many stories about this guy, how he donated part of the $30,000.00 he earned for the sale of his autographed barrel to a battered women's shelter; how he's inspired young boys at high school football games to wear their own versions of his costume; how he touched his family and friends with his unique character and undying love for his Broncos. Yes, Tim was what a Fan of any sport must remember to be, a humble humanitarian with a love for life and appreciation for Gods immaculate gift of sports to us.

I remember watching NFL football in 1977 and seeing my beloved Dallas Cowboys, yeah Raider Nation I was a cowboy fan as a youngster, whip up on the Denver Broncos in the super bowl. I can't recall many, if any, of the broncos players from back then but I do remember the crazy fan with the cowboy hat and boots wearing a barrel in the cold outdoor football stands. I believe the barrel had an "Orange Crush" soda label on it to represent the nickname of the Bronco defense of that time. I now know the name of that krazy fan as well as the sportsmanlike heart he carried. Again, his name was Tim McKernan, forever known to football fans worldwide as "The Barrel Man."

Who says you can't wear a barrel to heaven?

Tim "Barrel Man" McKernan
Gone But Not Forgotten

Accidental Death Of Cincinnati Bengal Player

Its a sad day in the arena of sports today. A young football player, Chris Henry of the Cincinnati Bengals, has died after falling from the back of a truck driven by his fiance.

Though there's speculation of a domestic dispute the details are still not clear. Raider Nation salutes the 26 year old who spent the last year turning his life around in a positive way. Henry becomes the 33rd Bengals player to die. He leaves behind two children ages 2 and 1.

Prayer and Blessings!



Two 911 calls shed some light on the incident that led to his unfortunate death:

911 call: Henry in truck

911 call: Henry in road

Frye Starts, J P Losman Signs

What quarterback controversy? With Bruce Almighty out of the Raiders line-up this coming weekend in Denver, backup Charlie Frye will start at the offensive helm over Jamarcus Russell. This is one of the better Tom Cable moves this season though many may call it a "No-Brainer." We'll at least get a chance to see what Frye brings to the table. So strap on your silver and black helmet Charlie boy, its time to earn your keep and go to work.

In other news the Oakland Raiders signed former Buffalo Bills quarterback J.P. Losman to the roster. Losman has just won the four-team UFL championship with the Las Vegas Locomotives. Should Charlie Frye go down it wouldn't be surprising to see Losman come in as the number two QB over Jamarcus. Should this happen it will mean the end of Jamarcus in a silver and black uniform. And unless Jamarcus agrees to a huge pay cut, or possibly pays a team to invite him to training camp, we might be seeing the last of the #1 draft pick as he strolls away from a failed NFL career.

Raiders Competitive Right Up Until.................

Enter QB Jamarcus Russell for an injured Bruce Gradkowski. Accompanied by the booing Raiders fans Russell's confidence couldn't have been too high. Six sacks and one interception later it was obvious that the former starter and #1 draft pick hadn't learned anything while sitting on the bench. Granted his offensive line wasn't giving him much time, but it begs the question; does the offense believe in Jamarcus? The fans sure don't.

Let's hope that Bruce Gradkowski's knee injury isn't too serious and he returns to quarterback the Raiders next game. If the Almighty can't return to start and finish a game soon, then we find ourselves listening to that infamous tune heard earlier in the season under the Jamarcus reign:



Final Score:
Redskins 34
Raiders 13

2009 Heisman Memorial Trophy Winner!

Mark Ingram, Alabama Crimson Tide Sophomore Running Back, gets to pose with the Heisman Trophy as he is awarded for an outstanding season of football play. Ingram is the first Heisman Trophy winner in Alabama history, a history rich in American football lore.

Congratulations Mark Ingram!

Roll Tide Roll

TiGer Accident Re-enactment

Since the Tiger Woods incident I've been very reluctant to jump on the bashing Tiger bandwagon by listening to or spreading hearsay. HOWEVER........, this little clip I came across pretty much sums up in my mind what happened. All the other stuff regarding WHY it happened is Tiger's business.

This clip is in Chinese, but stick with it until the re-enactment comes on. Now if only CNN or one of the news outlets here in the U.S. could get away with making such an enactment. Thanks T.A.H, a very fun and informative blogspot.

Before There Was Hip Hop

Raiders-Steelers Re-Broadcast

On NFL Replay

NFL Replay will re-air the Oakland Raiders' 27-24 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Tuesday, Dec. 8 at 8 p.m. ET.

It really was an Immaculate Win for these Oakland Raiders!

Got Quarterback?

Bruce "Almighty" Gradkowski, with 00:15 seconds showing on the game clock, leads the Oakland Raiders past the stunned SuperBowl Champion Pittsburgh Steelers "IN 30+ DEGREE BLITZBURGH?"

ALMIGHTY PASSING STATS

attempts: 20
completions: 33
yards: 308
touchdowns: 3
Interceptions: 0

The difference was in the Raiders passing game, clicking thanks to Gradkowski's pinpoint passing and movement in the pocket.

Game ball to WR Louis Murphy. The wide receiving corps came through for their biggest game of the season. Johnnie Lee Higgins gets a game ball for taking one for the team, a vicious hit that earned us personal foul yardage on the final touchdown drive. Offensive coordinator gets the nod as the Oakland Raiddahs put up 27 points in executing the play-action-pass to perfection.

The defense couldn't keep Pittsburgh quarterback Ben Rothlisberger from making big plays, but they did enough to stop the Steerler running game late.

QB Bruce Gradkowski has won his last two out of three starts and this return to his Pittsburgh roots is a rewarding homecoming. With family in the stands he he had his brightest day as a NFL player. The Offensive line did a hell-u-va job giving the Almighty time to find open receivers. Meanwhile, the Steelers offense with 'Big Ben" was Booed off the field. Imagine that, the Raiders causing fans to boo a team other than theirs.

Pittsburgh Coach Mike Tomlin on Bruce Gradkowski prior to the game: "When I watch him on tape I see a guy that's got very good accuracy and pretty good mobility, can release the ball from a variety of body positions and locations," Pittsburgh coach Mike Tomlin said. "It seems like he's been a sparkplug for that offensive unit."

GOT QUARTERBACK? WE DO!


SO WHO DID THE RAIDERS BEAT SUNDAY? CLICK HERE

Final Score
Raiders 27
Steelers 24

WR Louis Murphy

Receptions: 4
Yards: 128
Touchdowns: 2
Longest: 75

#2 Alabama Rolling Over #1 Florida Gators

There's still a whole quarter yet to play, but from the looks of it the Alabama Crimson Tide is in full command of the SEC Championship game against #1 Florida. The Gators just haven't been themselves since stepping onto the Georgia Dome turf today.

Meanwhile, the Bama offense, led by junior QB Greg McElroy, is hogging the ball and putting Championship points on the board. The winner will play in the BCS National Championship game held in Pasadena,Ca on Jan. 7, 2010.

If the Crimson Tide keep up the pressure, there'll be a new #1 ranked team come Monday morning. For Alabama it'll be a tasteful payback for last year's SEC Championship Game loss, a see-saw scoring campaign won by the Florida Gators.

4th Quarter Score
Florida 13
Alabama 32

Give'em Hell Alabama!

Message-To-Al Billboard Leased for 4 Weeks

Good work Raider Nation! The "Message to Al" billboard went up on on the Nimitz Freeway (Hwy 880) Dec. 1st and will remain until Dec. 28th, three days after Xmas, in hopes that majority team owner Al Davis will deliver Raider Nation a years overdue Xmas gift. The billboard should be a reminder to all Raiders fans, especially Al Davis, that our team needs GM leadership in order to produce a winning product on the field.

Silver And Black Forever says it best when commenting about the significance of hiring a GM in his "Message To AL" post:

"It isn't rocket science. It isn't a breakthrough idea. It isn't anything revolutionary. It is merely a logical, reasonable solution to making a significant positive change."

So next time you find yourself riding on the Nimitz take time to peek up and view the billboard that represents a Xmas Card to team owner Al Davis, from the loyal yet frustrated Raider Nation. Why even good ole St. Nick finally listened to reason from his elves and approved of a little red nosed reindeer to lead his sled team through a blasting blizzard one foggy Xmas eve.

C'MON MAN!

Drew 'Freakin' Brees Is For Real Folks!

Saints quarterback Drew Brees acknowledged the cheers of the crowd as he left the field after dismantling the Patriots 38-17. Brees threw five touchdown passes as the Saints improved to 11-0. (Jim Davis/Globe Staff )

If you missed the surgical procedure that New Orleans Saints QB Drew Brees performed Live on Monday Night Football, then you'd better ask someone who saw it before Brees operates on your team. Brees performance was one for the ages. He carved up the New England Patriot defense as if it were a Thanksgiving Day TurDucKen on John Madden's table. Brady and his offensive cast of Patriots could not compete with the points that Brees and his offensive arsenal seemed to produce effortlessly. And gutsy Patriots coach Bill '4th & 2' Belichick didn't have an answer either.

Drew Brees was so commanding and accurate in his performance that I'm sure Peyton Manning was watching somewhere in awe. At one point he was 15 for 17 passing. All the winning teams of today have that one base quality in their arsenal, a good passing quarterback with generalship of the field. Dare I say it but I must; Drew Brees, barring injury, just may wind up getting his New Orleans Saints team to the Super Bowl this season. And if the (S)aints go marching in to win it all, it'll make last year's cinderella story Arizona Cardinals look like Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. The Saints are full of talent, both offensive and defensive, and currently sport an undefeated 11-0 record. Look out NFL, the Aints are coming and they' ain't wearing bags over their heads anymore.

Drew Brees Performance in a nutshell: SICK!

His Final Passing Stats: 18-22 for 371 yards and 5 touchdowns. NO INT's

The 5 TD's went to five different receivers, two touchdown plays were more than 65 yards.

SICK!

Final Score
Patriots 17
Saints 38

Thanksgiving Day Gravy

Oakland Raiders WR Darrius Heyward-Bey scored his first NFL touchdown in a 24-7 loss to the Dallas Cowboys in Dallas. But it was like having some tasty gravy over dry bland turkey. The Raiders offense was error free but ineffective against a Cowboy defense that had something to prove in their house.

The Raiders loss should have been expected against simply a better team. But with Dallas coming off a lucky 7-6 win over the ........., my hopes for a win were flying very high. Unfortunately, other than the DHB touchdown, I have to settle for the reality of being a fan of a team that is not that good, regardless of its potential.

Win, Lose or Tie!

Bruce Almighty Leads Raiders To Victory

Oakland Raiders' Bruce Gradkowski (5) in action during an NFL football game against the Cincinnati Bengals in Oakland, Sunday, Nov. 22, 2009.(AP Photo/Ben Margot)

The Oakland Raiders upset the visiting Cincinnati Bengals 20-17 with a two minute touchdown drive and a stunning special teams fumble recovery to avoid overtime.

Yes, the Oakland Raiders put themselves in position to win yet another game, however, this time they didn't chase the gift horse away. Led by new starting quarterback Bruce "Almighty" Gradkowski, the Raiders made offensive plays when it counted. Though Gradkowski isn't ready to be crowned the next Peyton Manning, he showed leadership, toughness, poise under pressure and generalship of the field in making the right reads and decisions when passing. Sure sounds like Peyton though doesn't it?

It was so obvious to us fans that the Almighty led Raiders offense showed rhythm and confidence with the game on the line. The return of WR Chaz Schilens to full health was evident in this second week of his return. Chaz didn't catch many passes, but the one or two that he did catch gave the Bengal defense another offensive weapon to worry about. Wide receivers actually caught the ball this week. I credit the catches to the softer touch that the Almighty puts on his throws as compared with Jamarcus Russell.

You can't say enough about the leadership of Bruce Almighty. The young quarterback had the entire team rooting for and supporting him every step of the way. It was reported that QB Jamarcus Russell was on the sideline waving a rally towel in circles on the final drive of the game in support of the Almighty.

The Defense played spectacular. They kept Bengals QB Carson Palmer under pressure most of the day as well as shutting down WR Chad Ocho Stinko after the first quarter. The defense may have allowed some big plays, but when it mattered most they put a stop to the Bengals potent offense and limited them to a field goal in the second half. Effective defensive schemes and blitzes put in by Raiders coaches to shutdown Carson Palmer.

Of course no Raiders special teams play has been bigger this season than the strip and fumble recovery by Brandon Myers. With 33 seconds remaining in a tie game the Raiders kicked off to the Bengals. Bengals kick returner Andre Caldwell, the goat of the game as far as Cincinnati fans are concerned, was hit by rookie TE/Special teams player Brandon Myers, who then stripped the ball out and recovered at the Bengals 17 yard line. The Raiders had enough time to setup a Sebastian Janakowski winning field goal, leaving the Bengals to try an unsuccessful hail mary pass that Nnamdi would intercept to end the game. Once Sea Bass nailed the fg kick and the crowd went wild, I knew the game was ours.

A great win for a team that's grown by leaps and bounds since benching Jamarcus Russell. Credit also goes to Tom Cable and his coaching staff for putting them in position to win the game. The offensive line protected the Almighty all day allowing no sacks and only one hurried throw where the Almighty had to take a vicious hit. The tough young quarterback stayed on the turf for a little while before getting up and shaking it off.

Today's game was dedicated to the late Raiders special teams player Marquis Cooper, who died in a boating accident earlier this year. Cooper's family was on hand to watch a game that ended fittingly with a special teams game winning play for the Raiders.

I also spotted the WBA super middle-weight championship belt being displayed on the field before kick-off. Oakland native Andre Ward won the belt last night at the coliseum by beating Denmark's Mikkel Kessler. Ward won it in the 11th round by TKO. Ward was at last week's Raiders game against the Kansas City Chiefs.

Final Score
Raiders 20
Bengals 17

note: Raiders had a total of 3 penalties for 13 yards.

Bruce Almighty?

The Oakland Raiders have named backup Bruce "Almighty" Gradkowski as the starting quarterback for the rest of this season. And if the Almighty doesn't get the protection from upfront, his season could be short lived.

Gradkowski showed up at practice Monday with a strained hamstring. The Almighty was 5 of 9 passing for 49 yards and 2 interceptions Sunday. And yet those numbers are an improvement over past Jamarcus Russell statistics, barely.

If by chance Gradkowski can't get the offensive Jalopy started, backup Charlie Frye, who was signed in June, is waiting in the wings for his chance at cranking up the model T.

Oh Well, there's always the WildCat.

hemiduke78 says:

November 17, 2009 at 10:51 pm

Trade Jamarcus?! If I were a GM I wouldn’t trade a five dollar coupon for Pizza Hut for that guy! “Cut” is the only thing he will get!

Thanks For The Memories Capt. Jack

Stephen Jackson

The Golden State Warriors finally found a trading post to ship disgruntled forward Stephen Jackson to. The Charlotte Bobcats welcomed captain Jack with open arms where they're in need of his offensive point production. Good Luck Jack! Acie Law will accompany the captain to Charlotte.

In return the Warriors grab up swingman Raja Bell and once again add another European product to their roster, forward Vladimir Radmanovic, who once played for the L.A. Lakers.

Now let's see how this sounds:

VLAD-uh-meer Rahd-MAHN-uh-vitch

ITS A GREAT TIMEOUT!

Bill Belichick's Patriots Choke On Offensive Arrogance

Bill Belichick will always remember the 4th and 2 call he made in going for it from his own 28 yd line with two minutes left in the game. Bonehead call for a coach on the road to make against a good offensive team, ever.

The Patriots were leading at the time 34-28. They led by as much as 24-7 at one point in the game. It should have never happened.

I'm always happy to see QB Payton Manning slice a win out of the Patriots. The game looked like the New England Patriots had it all under control. Brady and Moss were sparkling throughout. WR Wes Welker catching and running all through the colts defense. Petyon and the Colts had some missed opportunities early in the game and were trailing 24-14 going into the third quarter.

Then, with around two minutes left in the game, Patriot's coach Bill Belichick goes for it and is denied the two yards for a first down thanks in part to a bobbled catch. Home field advantage never looked so good as it did to the Colts on this play. The Colts took over from the thirty and scored the winning touchdown/PAT, leaving the Patriots with thirteen seconds to overcome a 1-point deficit. The Patriots couldn't overcome it. A foolishly arrogant call by a unrepentant coach cost the Patriots this one. Should the Colts go 16-0 they have a fool in New England to thank for it. It couldn't have happened to a nicer guy.

(Bill Belichick)

Congratulations Indianapolis for the comeback game of the year and an undefeated record of 9-0.

Final Score
Patriots 34
Colts 35

Gone In 60 Silver & Black Seconds

No, its not the speed of the Oakland Raiders receivers that burn rubber in 60 seconds, its the speed of the Raiders offense to blow a chance at winning a game that begs the phrase, Gone In 60 Seconds, again.

On a crispy autumn afternoon where their opponent was the (1-7) Kansas City Chiefs, the (2-6)Oakland Raiders were looking a winning day gift horse in the mouth. The day was a day of defense and missed opportunities for both struggling teams. Raiders QB Jamarcus Russell passes were off at times and the times when he did get the ball on target the receiver simply dropped the ball.

After the #1 draft pick of 2007 (QB Jamarcus Russell) was benched and replaced by backup QB Bruce Gradkowski in the third quarter, the Oakland offense sputtered but looked like they wanted to finally play catch. So with less than two minutes left in the game the Raiders began an offensive two-minute-drill attack that teased the fans with offensive production.

Gradkowski got the team down to around the twenty-five yard line with a pass to WR Darrius Heyward-Bey. The huge play, ruled a completion on the field, could've easily been called back after replays showed Bey's foot landing out of bounds. Here was where that Raiders gift horse for the day came prancing up to the Raiders sideline with mouth wide open. Upon further review by the replay assistant in the press box, the call on the field stood and the Raiders could continue their march to a last second touchdown for the win.

However, something strange happened on the way to the end zone. With less than 30 seconds left, a lifetime from the 25 yard line, Gradkowski dropped back and found an open Darrius Heyward-Bey at the 10 yard line and threw the perfect pass. The fans were screaming with exhilaration as the pin-point pass lofted beautifully into the hands of our leaping 2009 #1 draft pick, with defenders closing in.

Then just as quickly as you could say "Touchdown Raiders" the football bounced off of Bey's hands as if tapped up into the air. Bey had a second chance at the pigskin but his hands seemed to magnetically repel, instead of attract, the ball. Fans watched as the brown leather projectile hovered in the coliseum air just long enough for a Chief defender closing to gain ground and position himself perfectly for the interception off Bey's deflection.

While Bey was being slung away from the ball by another defender, the other defender gracefully glided underneath the pigskin and cradled it like a babe in his basket curled arms, interception complete, game over. The Oakland Raiders gift horse moment simply chomped down on its bit and galloped off into the western sunset, poof, Gone in 60 Seconds!

Final Score
Chiefs 16
Raiders 10

Now Everyone Knows Manny Pacquiao

Manny Pacquiao, the quick fisted fighter from the Philippines, took a step up the ladder to boxing immortality with his annihilation of Miguel Cotto last night.

What began in the first round as a battle of speed and power on the part of both fighters ended in the 12th with victory for the pound-for-pound greatest fighter of today, Manny Pacquiao.


This had to be the hardest fought fight of Pacquiao's career. Manny showed that he could take the hard punches that Cotto dished out while delivering knockout caliber punches of his own. Although Cotto got in some good hard punches to Manny's head, snapping his head back at times, Pacquiao somehow kept a relentless attack of fast combination punches exhibiting power in both hands. Manny's knockdowns of Cotto in the 3rd and 4th rounds took Cotto out of his agressive gameplan and into be-careful-mode for the rest of the fight. That's my take on it anyway.

I've never seen a fighter with the speed, power and gut to do battle as Pacquiao. Someone mentioned to me last night that Pacquiao reminded them of Sugar Ray Leonard. I said 'yeah, but Pacquiao is better.' And he is. If you remember, Sugar Ray was quick, but he avoided more than he battled. Ray was all flash with some toughness but not as much as Pacquiao. If you recall, Ray never did give Marvelous Marvin Hagler a second shot at him. Hagler lost a close decision to Ray that many, me included, felt he won. I still believe Hagler would've ended Ray's career in a rematch between the two.

But this convincing win isn't about comparing Pacquiao to past fighters, its about recognizing that we have the privilege of seeing perhaps some of the greatest boxing of all time from a fighter gifted with speed, power and smarts, a rare combination.

The disturbing side of watching the Pacquiao vs Cotto fight last night was seeing Cotto's wife with their young son at ringside shockingly watching daddy get pummeled through 10 of those 12 rounds. At what point doesn't a mother say "Ya Basta!," that's enough. Mrs. Cotto was the big loser last night.

With the beauty of a Puerto Rican beauty pageant contestant and the brains of many a pageant entrant, Mrs. Cotto allowed her young papi to watch a bloodied beating of his father while she covered her own eyes in horror. Someone please tell me I'm wrong and that a child's viewing of a parent being bloodied and battered by another human being isn't a disturbing event that'll last throughout their lives. Sorry Mrs. Cotto, you lose as a protective and nurturing mom. Seek counseling immediately please.

I give Miguel Cotto all the praises deserving of a champion for his continuance in a fight where he was unexpectedly out skilled and over matched. In the last few rounds the referee had his eyes on Cotto like a shark on prey, waiting for the former champ to falter so he could stop the fight. But give Cotto credit, he continued to throw punches and effectively respond to Manny's attacks just enough to keep the fight going up to 55 seconds of the 12th round. Puerto Rico has nothing to be ashamed of in Miguel, only in Mrs. Cotto.

My favorite quote of the night, possibly of the boxing year: 'I Wanted To Taste His Power'

Okay, maybe he said 'Test' and not 'Taste', but the accented words of Manny describing why he took so many power punches from Cotto tasted courageous.

Pound4Pound
Manny Pacquiao
7-Time Boxing Champion

Pacquiao Ace-In-The-Hole Shawn Porter

Operation Panda

With baseball season in hibernation, there's one Panda who's outside his winter cave looking to shed some pounds before the spring arrives. SF Giants slugger Pablo Sandoval, dubbed the 'Kung Fu Panda' this season because of his resemblance in looks and size to the cartoon character, is on an intense offseason conditioning program that'll last three weeks. Yesterday was day 11 of 'Operation Panda,' and from the looks of it Panda has reached the mountaintop of his climb from rollie pollie player to solid size all-star.

Hang in there Panda, and stay away from the Triple Angus Burgers at McDonald's.

OPERATION PANDA

R.A.I.D.E.R.S. Hire General Manager

Cuz I'm a Raider, Oakland Raider
From da bay to L.A. to Las Vegas
Cuz I'm a playa, a boss playa
and if you wit me pop ya colla shake dem hatas


Win Lose or Tie!

Another Big Size Shark Tale

750 Pound Shark Caught

Finance 101 - Creating Profit From Debt

I came across a word today that gave me better understanding of a banking practice that was partly to blame for the financial crisis in the banking world a year ago. The word:

SECURITIZATION

The Meaning: A structured finance process that distributes risk by gathering debt instruments in a pool, then issuing new securities backed by the pool.

Wikipedia Example: XYZ Bank loans 10 people $100,000 a piece, which they will use to buy homes. XYZ has invested in the success and/or failure of those 10 home buyers- if the buyers make their payments and pay off the loans, XYZ makes a profit. Looking at it another way, XYZ has taken the risk that some borrowers won't repay the loan. In exchange for taking that risk, the borrowers pay XYZ a premium in addition to the interest on the money they borrow. XYZ will then take these ten loans, and put them in a pool. They will sell this pool to a larger investor, ABC. ABC will then split this pool (which consists of high risk loans and low risk loans) into equal pieces. The pieces will then be sold to other smaller investors, (as bonds).

Investopedia explains Securitization
Mortgage-backed securities are a perfect example of securitization. By combining mortgages into one large pool, the issuer can divide the large pool into smaller pieces based on each individual mortgage's inherent risk of default and then sell those smaller pieces to investors.

The process creates liquidity by enabling smaller investors to purchase shares in a larger asset pool. Using the mortgage-backed security example, individual retail investors are able to purchase portions of a mortgage as a type of bond. Without the securitization of mortgages, retail investors may not be able to afford to buy into a large pool of mortgages.

Article: The Problem With Securitization

Golden State Warriors Light It Up

Kalenna Azubuike (31 pts scored)

The sluggish start of the 2009 NBA season just picked up speed for the Golden State Warriors. Going into last nights game against the Minnesota Timberwolves the Warriors needed a win just to look like a team interested in playing out the season schedule. With one win and four losses the Warriors came out last night and lit up the scoreboard for 146 points and a win, bringing their early season record to 2-4.

Kalenna Azubuike had 31 pts to lead the Warriors in scoring. Amidst rumors of Stephen Jackson wanting out of the Warriors camp, the team played like a damn team for a change. Nobody's crowning them winners just yet, but last night's display of running offense gave Warriors fans a little something to hope for this season. If nothing else, they'll be athletically entertaining with all the young talent.

Final Score
Warriors 146
T'Wolves 105

Still Believing!

Bay Bridge S-Curve Claims First Life

A truck traveling 50 mph, 10 mph over the posted speed limit, crashed over the rail of the bay bridge S-curve and plunged 200 feet landing on its wheels on Yerba Buena island below. The driver did not survive the crash.

This is the 44th accident on this new section of the bay bridge since it reopened on September 8th, with the newly civil engineered S-curve in place. Though authorities all point to driver error and excessive speed as the common denominator in these accidents many are questioning the S-curve design's safety.

I've questioned whether the civil engineer designing of the S-curve considered the habit of drivers traveling above the posted speed limit and using devices such as cell phones while behind the wheel. They claim the S-curve is safe at 40 mph with an alert and cautious driver behind the wheel. Well, pre S-curve driver habits across the bay bridge did not fit this spec of 40 mph, so why would they assume that post S-curve drivers would change their driving habits? Did they think drivers would know the S-curve becomes potentially deadly at 50 mph?

Bottom line, somebody screwed up. They allowed a deadly bridge design to be approved and put in place without including one important criteria in their safety study formula; human habit.

All it would've taken before S-curve implementation is to have put one of those fancy cameras in the prior curve, with radar like the one that catches you zooming through yellow stop lights. I've been traveling the bay bridge for years and experience tells me that cars travel above 50 mph on average over the bridge. I do not hold an engineering degree but the cautionary centrifugal pull of the old curve was enough to warn against making it sharper and/or adding a second curve.

So sure, the design might be flawless in a cyber world where cyber people abide by the laws and rules of the game. But the S-curve exists in the real world people, and in the real world real people sometimes ignore the laws and rules that are put in place for their protection. If this were not so then we wouldn't need cameras at traffic lights now would we?

So how do you fix a design that has attributed to 44 human mistakes resulting in accidents?

1. Toll Booth handouts to drivers to change their driving habits when crossing the curvy bay bridge

2. Post flashing 40 mph caution signs on the bridge in hopes that drivers will abide by them

3. Redesign the S-curve after performing a thorough safety study which includes driver habit

4. Put a radar camera in the S-curve with posted warnings of a $275 speeding fine

Its not about pointing the finger at who did what wrong or saving tax payer dollars. Its about saving lives. If the S-curve becomes a permanent structure, we might as well start the fatality counter just as the Golden Gate bridge once counted suicide jumpers. As of today the bay bridge fatality count stands at 00001 and counting.

See Article by Yobie Benjamin:

Poor Driver Judgement & Bad Design Is Deadly

Oakland Raiders Are A Dismal 2-wins And 6-Losses. Who's There Left To Blame?

The Difference Between Heaven and Hell

I found this paragraph written in one of my old books collected when I was in search of spiritual enlightenment. Its been years since I peeked its pages for healthy spiritual knowledge. This morning I rediscovered why I, and I'm sure many other readers, keep books we hold dear to our hearts on dusty shelves, awaiting our return to their pages. In revisiting a place we once frequented, such as a cafe, a town or a book, we find new meanings and receive different understandings of the place. It is us who have changed, hopefully evolved, and not the place.

Here is the paragraph that I revisited with this morning after first reading its wisdom some fifteen years ago or so:

The word heaven means harmony. The word hell is from the old English hell, meaning to build a wall around, to separate; to be helled was to be shut off from. Now if there is such a thing as harmony there must be that something one can be in right relations with; for to be in right relations with anything is to be in harmony with it. Again, if there is such a thing as being helled, shut off, separated from, there must be that something from which one is held, shut off, or separated.

In Tune With The Infinite
by Ralph Waldo Trine

The Astronaut Farmer - Not Bad!

A film that makes you reflect on your own dreams or the dreams of your loved ones. This movie, though a bit of a corny, family entertainment piece, touches something childlike in us. To be shown a man who holds onto his childhood dream while friends, community and the world are saying its time to let go of it, makes for a magical viewing experience. The fact that his family sticks through it with him, even though at times their belief in him is tested, was what I thought the bigger lesson in this movie. To support those in your family in attempting to fulfill their dream, through accomplishment and/or failure, is the sign of a healthy and happy family. A beautiful movie with real people in excitingly unreal roles. Billy Bob Thornton, Virginia Madsen and the three kid actors capture the essence of a family living with an unfulfilled dream and the loving sacrifice to see that dream fulfilled. Grandfather, husband, wife, son, daughter, they all have so much to lose and gain by one's fulfillment of the dream. The southwestern landscape adds to the magic. If you can remember watching a movie as a child that held you spellbound in a theater or in front of the television, this film can bring you back to that time and place. Wonderful!

Yankees Win World Series

They're Supposed To Win The World Series

New York Yankees Salaries - 2009
Player Salary (US$)

1. Alex Rodriguez 33,000,000
2. Derek Jeter 21,600,000
3. Mark Teixeira 20,625,000
4. A.J. Burnett 16,500,000
5. CC Sabathia 15,285,714
6. Mariano Rivera 15,000,000
7. Jorge Posada 13,100,000
8 a. Johnny Damon 13,000,000
8 b. Hideki Matsui 13,000,000
10. Robinson Cano 6,000,000
11. Andy Pettitte 5,500,000
12. Nick Swisher 5,400,000
13. Damaso Marte 3,750,000
14. Jose Molina 2,125,000
15. Jerry Hairston Jr. 2,000,000
16. Melky Cabrera 1,400,000
17. Joba Chamberlain 432,575
18. Brett Gardner 414,000
19. Phil Hughes 407,650
20. David Robertson 406,825
21. Alfredo Aceves 406,750
22. Phil Coke 403,300
23. Francisco Cervelli 400,000

Total Team Salary: 208,097,414


Team Payroll (US$)

1. NY Yankees 208,097,414
2. NY Mets 145,367,987
3. Chicago Cubs 134,058,500
4. Boston 122,435,399
5. Detroit 119,160,145
6. LA Angels 118,964,000
7. Seattle 112,053,666
8. Philadelphia 111,209,046
9. Houston 102,996,414
10. Chicago Sox 100,598,500
11. LA Dodgers 100,008,592
12. Atlanta 94,313,666
13. St. Louis 87,703,409
14. San Francisco 82,616,450
15. Kansas City 81,384,553
16. Milwaukee 80,182,502
17. Cincinnati 73,558,500
18. Arizona 73,516,666
19. Texas 73,439,238
20. Toronto 72,563,200
21. Colorado 72,428,000
22. Tampa Bay 68,230,934
23. Minnesota 67,634,766
24. Cleveland 66,757,366
25. Washington 62,001,000
26. Baltimore 61,885,566
27. Oakland 56,089,250
28. San Diego 37,800,800
29. Florida 35,774,000
30. Pittsburgh 25,197,000

Note:Team salaries do not represent full team payroll. Amount listed includes current salary for all players currently on the roster.

Raider Nation Mutiny - Al Must Walk Plank

Click To Sign Petition

Well its finally come to fruition. Disgruntled Raider Nation fans have put together an on-line petition of protest asking the Raiders organization to immediately implement a four-point plan, or else!

At the top of the proposed list is removal of Al Davis as General Manager of the Raiders. Of course we all know Al won't bat an eye toward this fan petition. But let this petition and protest grow to its projected 50,000 strong fan base with billboard Ads featuring "Mutiny In The Black Hole," and Al just may have to pay attention or risk losing revenue big time.

Just this week Cleveland Browns fan "Dawg Pound Mike" and one other dog pound pup met with Browns owner Randy Lerner to discuss the future of Browns Football. The Browns fans have planned to show up late to games as a sign of their disapproval and disappointment with the organizations years of ineptitude. I don't see this type of protest causing the owner any loss of revenue, but at least it got his attention and he's talking.

As for Al Davis being forced into retirement, I believe the article about the petition said it best:

"Only way he will surrender control will be when he is lowered into the ground by the undertaker."

As of this posting, 1,124 people have signed the Raiders fan petition. Many more pall bearers will be needed to guarantee change .

Ease The Pain

Raiders

I checked into the game long enough to see QB Jamarcus Russel throw an interception. The game highlights make it appear the Raiders may have had a chance. But then again, maybe not.

Final Score
Chargers 24
Raiders 16

Kids Light Up Halloween

I spent my evening with my grandson, trick-or-treating in the neighborhood. I tell you there's nothing like watching a costumed kid, face smudged with candy and face paint, walking with a bag full of candy and smiling from ear to ear.

My grandson ditched all four masks he'd collected over the months for a red & black face-painted zombie effect. With my army style cap on he looked more like a zombie GI returning from war. He decided to leave the stabbing knife with the "Psycho" sounds at home so that his hands were free to scoop up candy; smart kid. I'd put my creative juices together and came up with a pretty decent lumberjack outfit, thanks in part to the neighborhood Goodwill Store and a Davy Crockett coon skin hat I'd acquired a few months ago.

Living in a city has its advantages when Halloween comes around, especially a city like San Francisco which considers it a Holiday. There's no need to knock on doors and hope the homeowner isn't some demented hater of the world. You simply walk down the store lined street and enter the establishments singing trick-or-treat. Easily 95% of the stores participated this year. My Grandson was amazed at the amount of candy he collected in so short a time. He would soon blame his heavy bag and sore over-worked feet as the reason to return back to the apartment.

I was able to keep my promise to his mom by limiting his candy eating, but more satisfying was seeing him spread out the candy on the table and separate it into two piles, the smaller pile being for his mom. How can you not love a child for their thoughts and unconditional love of family?

So Halloween 2009 was one of the best I've had in some time. There were no parties, no intoxicating beverages, no worries of unsafe candy, just a festive evening of childhood memories and grandfatherly pride thanks to my grandson wanting to spend it with his grandpa.

Some of the exciting costumes we saw:

5 Ninja's kicking and doing swordplay
Men In Black character with the MIB gun
The Scream
Robin (no batman)
Michael Myers (halloween movie)
3 yr old Toy Story Woody Cowboy
Many many cute little costumed kids
Josh
Older couple from Denmark/Holland who took picture of us (No Halloween In Holland)
Business Establishments giving smiles and open heart
Women who thought us so cute

Happy Halloween Raiders! Now SCARE Somebody

Finkelstein Gives Philly Fanatic New Meaning

Susan Finkelstein, a Philadelphia Phillies fan, proves loyalty befitting the Philly Fanatic.

The 43-year-old housewife offered sexual relations on craigslist in exchange for two World Series game tickets featuring her beloved Phillies against the N.Y. Yanks.

Though the Philly Fanatic, a deranged fluffy green sesame street looking mascot for the team, would find it hard to win a beauty contest much less a sex for tix raffle, Susan is one step down from a buxom blonde MILF and willing to do "anything" for tix.

As buzzards luck would have it, an undercover police officer responded to the ad and Susan bit on the bait. Our buxom Philly fan was arrested for sexual solicitation. Her attorney says the wording on her craigslist ad was simply misunderstood. Meanwhile, the ad has been removed and Susan's home phone number has been disconnected, sorry fellas.

But I do hear that the Philly Fanatic is still looking to take a bite out of the Big Apple if there's someone in New York who likes fluffy green monsters between the sheets; services negotiable.

New York Jets 38 Oakland Raiders ZERO

Richard Seymour Responds to his Playoff Prediction

Charges Dropped / Cable Free

Cable - New Mutants Marvel Comic Book Character
Abilities
Telepathy
Telekinesis
Technopathy
Enhanced physical attributes
Expert marksman and hand-to-hand fighter

Today the Napa district attorney's office announced that Oakland Raiders coach Tom Cable will not be charged with felony or misdemeanor assault charges. It was determined that Raiders assistant coach Randy Hanson's case against Cable did not carry enough evidence to warrant prosecution.

So there it is. Coach cable is free to focus on game planning for football instead of a legal defense. Now lets see the Raiders go out and do what DE Richard Seymour has confidently guaranteed they'd do; get to the 2009 playoffs!

Gotta luv Seymour. Who else in the Raiders organization could make such a bold prediction and have us believe it?

Just Win Baby!