Sports Phrases That Need To Go

There have been many great phrases spawned from the sporting landscape. Some of the most articulate and poetic people of my generation have been sportscasters and announcers.

You get it all in the world of sports vocabulary. There’s tried and true cliches, media glad-handing, politico-speak in which you say a lot of words and nothing of substance, attacking players and teams through the media, etc.

This is not an article about great quotes in sports history. Rather, this is an article regarding my opinion as to which phrases have become overused, are stupid or pointless, or simply offensive. Some have elements of all.

Some of these are not limited to the sporting landscape and have a hold on the whole of society, but are used ad nauseum in sports talk, so they make the list.

The first is probably the best example of combining overusage with ignorance and insensitivity.

 

Drinking the Kool-Aid

When someone has faith or hope that their team, who is usually not very good, will improve, or when someone looks at their team with blinders on with a willingness to believe anything and everything positive about one’s team, they are “drinking the kool-aid.”

Notwithstanding that I don’t personally like the phrase at all and it’s pervasiveness in sports message boards is reaching epic proportions, it is probably the most insensitive of all of the phrases commonly uttered in chat rooms by fans.

I get the sneaking suspicion that, since it has become ingrained in fan-speak, many who use the phrase have no idea of its origins nor its implications.

For those of you who don’t know the history behind the phrase, I’ll give a brief synopsis:

Jim Jones was the leader and founder of the People’s Temple, a pseudo-religious organization started in 1955. Jones grew up reading about leaders such as Karl Marx, Joseph Stalin, Adolf Hitler, and Benito Mussolini, studying their strengths and weaknesses.

This served him well as leader of the People’s Temple, as his agenda was one of dark foreboding. He would need all the charisma and charm he could get to convince people to go along with his ideas, which included communist ideals and fundamentalist religious viewpoints.

In 1978, in Jonestown, Guyana, Jones, having broken the will and spirit of his congregation through years of abuse and poor treatment, ordered them to drink cyanide-laced Flavor Aid.

Jones had spoken of the members committing suicide in the past, and even sponsored suicide-style rituals leading up to the actual “drinking of the kool-aid.” This time, though, they went through with it.

Jones did not, and died from a gunshot wound instead.

918 people died, which was the greatest single loss of American civilian life not related to a natural disaster until the horrific events of September 11th.

This phrase is trite, tired, and played out, and certainly insensitive to say the least based on its origins. It needs to go, and it needs to go now. 

 

The New York “Football” Giants/ Any phrase where “golf” is used to describe golf

Not much explanation needed here. I like the Giants, but hey guys; we know what sport you play. There hasn’t been a New York Giants baseball team in most of our lifetimes, and even then it was a very short stint.

It’s time to cut the cord.

Same goes for golf announcers. Football announcers are getting bad with it as well, but they still have a long way to go before they reach the level of integrating the name of their sport into every turn of phrase they use.

“Terrific golf shot”

“He needs to get under the golf ball”

And so on. Enough already. Much like the New York Giants, we know what sport is being played, and we don’t need you to remind us every third word, David Feherty.

 

“Haters”

Okay, this one needs to go back into street lingo. Dave Chappelle’s “Playa Haters Ball” was hilarious. But once again, sports fans have taken a perfectly good, perfectly humorous phrase, and turned it into grating terminology.

If you criticize anyone in the sporting world or any team (even if it’s your own, and even if it’s legitimate) you’re a hater. Let’s think about this for a second.

When I was growing up I was told not to use the word “hate” because of the weight that it carried. If you “hate” something, then it goes beyond dislike. It’s a palpable feeling that starts at the back of your neck and creeps throughout your body until you feel either a) very angry or b) very ill.

I’m not saying there aren’t “haters” out there. But when everyone becomes a “hater” simply because you disagree with them, the weight of the word is lost and it simply becomes another term like “jerk” or “loser.” When something is overused it loses its clout.

In the immortal words of Milhouse Van Houten, “I’ve said the words jiminy-jillikers so many times the words have lost all meaning!”  

 

“It is what it is”

Guilty myself of using this redundant phrase more than once in everyday life, I nonetheless cringe whenever I do. It is perhaps the most patently unnecessary phrase in our social vernacular, yet it is spouted off by more sports personalities than anything since “Give 110 percent!!”

As you can probably tell since I’m a Raider fan, I love Lane Kiffin. This guy is the king of “it is what it is.” I lost count after 150 times last season. Sometimes it’s a nice way of saying I don’t want to answer your question, or if I did answer, you wouldn’t like the answer.

More often it’s a great way to use words that mean nothing to convey a point that means nothing. It is what it is? Thanks. I couldn’t have figured that one out myself.

Please feel free to comment and add any other phrases I may have missed. There are tons, but these are the ones that stick out (and in my craw) more than any others.

Oh well. I don’t want to be a hater. I guess it is what it is.

 

Watch The Oakland Raiders Vs. Dallas Cowboys Live Online!

The Oakland Raiders are taking on the Dallas Cowboys tonight in their first preseason game. This article isn’t really an article, simply a link to my Raider Nation brethren so they can watch the game online if they aren’t fortunate enough to get it on television. I’m not.

Cheers Nation!

Here is the link. Obviously, since the game hasn’t started, I can’t fully verify that it works. However, the Pittsburgh vs. Arizona one works incredibly well, so I can only assume the Raiders link will work as well. Enjoy.

Let’s hope Russell, McFadden, Bush, and the boys give us something to be excited about. I’m watching that run D, Cable. Show me something boys!

http://www.oskaya.com/tv/

The menu will come up, just select the Oakland-Dallas game and enjoy. As per my disclaimer above, if it doesn’t work, I’m sorry. Find it yourself you bums!

 

Oakland Raiders Start Their Hit Parade

Basically, as I finished typing my last article, Jerry McDonald posted his first full-pad practice update.

These are some things I took away. Happily, bear in mind that almost the entire blog was positive:

 

JaMarcus Russell’s improved accuracy has carried over into full-contact drills.

At one point, he floated a beautiful 50-yard rainbow in between the safeties to little-known Nick Miller, who claims to have run a 4.28 and 4.3 during his pro day.

Russell also threaded the needle to Chaz on a couple of nice mid-range routes, although he did have one interception when he tried to force it to Zach Miller and Hiram Eugene picked it off.

 

Tyvon Branch is really fast

One thing that made me smile was reading about Tyvon Branch showing well in coverage, and actually staying stride-for-stride with Darren McFadden downfield.

After watching his aggressiveness on special teams last season when he had a cast on his arm, hearing that he’s got that kind of speed makes the threat of the long ball a little less daunting. It also makes for the threat of another bone-crusher at safety.

 

Tom Cable got it right

Players were raving about the success of the teaching practices, noting how everyone to a man knew their assignments and there wasn’t close to the level of confusion as in the past. Huddles were quick and sharp, and people knew their roles.

Jerry McDonald reported that from his own perspective the team certainly seemed much more crisp and effective than in the past, but noted that the actual tempo of practice was pretty much status quo.

He also noted that it appears they have given more responsibility and freedom to JaMarcus and the offense, implementing pre-snap audibles and such.

 

Paul Hackett and Ted Tollner were great hires

Further to the freedom afforded the offense, the credit seems to lie with these two men.

Praised for their work thus far by many who see an obvious positive change in Russell, the guys knew they had their work cut out for them, but they’ve been up to the task.

Russell’s pocket awareness and footwork were atrocious last season. His talent and arm strength alone really gave him the limited success he had, which says something about just how talented he actually is, but his fundamentals were sorely lacking.

The word from camp is that he’s much more poised and aware in the pocket, and his fundamentals have improved quite a bit. This is obvious, as the reports about his throwing keep getting more positive as time goes on.

This has to be in no small part related to Hackett and Tollner, their experience and knowledge, and their willingness to tear Russell down and build him back up from a fundamental standpoint.

The early returns are encouraging.

 

The D-Line looks fairly good

Okay, this is stretching it, but we need some positives from this unit.

Ellis and Tommy Kelly (who hasn’t jumped offside in two days, apparently) both blew by their blockers, which isn’t good from an O-Line standpoint, but is great to hear from a D-Line standpoint.

These two guys will be key in getting pressure on the QB, although it would be nice for Kelly to also hold the line and stop the run on a regular basis. The line played solidly, with no real mistakes to speak of.

 

Marshall is more aggressive than Ryan…or is he?

As we all know, the Raiders don’t blitz nearly enough. But that seems to be reserved only for the regular season.

They blitz like madmen in camp. Rob Ryan did it, and Marshall has continued the tradition. Nnamdi was skeptical that it would carry over into the season, and nobody really knows for sure.

But one thing was clear: the players are impressed with Marshall and his knowledge, and are grateful for the learning time to absorb the nuances of a new coordinator. They seem to feel more comfortable and knowledgeable with assignments and positioning.

 

Fargas isn’t going anywhere

The reps for the running backs were mostly even, and there was little reported about their running games.

But Fargas was singled out as easily the best blocker amongst the three, and as such, he’s not going anywhere anytime soon.

Fargas picked up numerous blitzes, including one up the middle which afforded Russell the time to throw the aforementioned rainbow to Nick Miller. That’s good stuff.

I still fully anticipate D-Mac and Michael Bush to carry the ball quite a bit, but we need Fargas chipping until those guys can improve their blocking. Bush shouldn’t have any issue considering his size and strength.

Things are very good in Raiderland right now, but things are very good in everyone’s land right now. Still, this practice and the subsequent comments from the players have seemingly validated Cable’s decision to go with teaching first and hitting later.

 

Not so fast, Jeff Garcia

After barely participating in drills during the practice sessions to keep himself “fresh,” Garcia missed today’s practice with a mild calf strain.

The irony is delicious.

Anyhow, Garcia’s posturing about being a starter may make sense in his own mind and the minds of many football fans out there, but he’s got to take the field to win the job.

And JaMarcus is doing more than enough to keep it right now. Far more, from the sounds of things.

Not so fast Jeff. Hope you like the picture.

Just kidding, we love you Jeff.

 

It feels great to go into the season with no controversy and no real issues to speak of, with a team that is committed to each other and their coaching staff. The vibes are good, but not in the typical way. I know it’s camp, but it’s something more.

There is a distinctly different feel about the team this season, and one that is very much encouraging. I hope to keep reading positive practice reviews right up until the preseason.

So far, so good.

Of course, for all the facts visit Jerry McDonald’s Inside the Oakland Raiders blog here.

Oakland Raiders Training Camp: Back To Fundamentals

As our resident community leader, the esteemed Raider Card Addict, pointed out in this article, the Oakland Raiders have put their backpacks away and picked up their equipment, ready for some blood. 

When coach Tom Cable originally stated he was instituting two-a-day practices in the wilting Napa Valley heat, many praised him for taking an “old school” approach.

Cable felt that the practice schedule under Kiffin, which gave the players the morning off after practicing the previous night and rarely saw them during the nadir of the heat, made the team soft.

So he was bringing it back to the old school, and was going to toughen the players up.

Only, there would be no contact.

Many were left scratching their heads, until he explained his purpose. The team, he feels, was not where it needed to be in regards to knowing positioning, responsibilities, and schemes.

So he was going to conduct eight non-contact practices that were purely for the sake of learning, and purely for the sake of fundamentals.

Hal….le….lu….jah!

I was ecstatic to hear this. One of the major problems the team has had during our epic struggles is a lack of fundamental understanding of roles and responsibilities. So we fans would have to wait a few days to find out if Mitchell broke anyone’s face or if J-Rock was handling the blitz.

I was and still am fine with that.

From what I’ve read from the practices, it has been a great idea, and one that was sorely needed.

 

POSITIVES

JaMarcus Russell

Russell is throwing the ball much, much better now than he did during OTA’s. Perhaps it was the time with his receivers (albeit not starting receivers) or perhaps he’s been putting in work behind the scenes. But he’s been much more accurate and much more poised, and he seems to be progressing very well at this point.

Granted, there are no defenders as of yet, but there weren’t during OTA’s either and the fact that he’s improved since then is a huge sigh of relief. With continued dedication, he has nowhere to go but up.

He  seems to know this, and is beginning to carry himself much more like a leader. He’s become more vocal, more confident, and people are taking notice. It’s his team, and he’s beginning to show that he knows and embraces that fact in his words and deeds.

Good news for his receivers, the team, and Raider Nation.

 

Walker & Schilens

Javon Walker had a stellar practice yesterday, even though he wasn’t running with the team. Reports are that he was running cleanly, full-speed with that old familiar smoothness, and was cutting and jumping in ways that would affect a sore knee; yet he showed no ill effects.

He was jogging and bouncing around after practice, jazzed not only to have performed well but to finally be pain-free.

This is fantastic news; if the Javon Walker of old ever shows up, then we’re in for a treat. His track record thus far indicates that a colossal if, but yesterday is still encouraging.

Chaz Schilens appears to be picking up where he left off last season. He’s been making all the catches he should, plus many he has no business making. His size and athleticism are a dynamic combination, and he seems to be using them to his full advantage.

Word from camp is positive, and although many of the players are anxious to stick someone, they understand the purpose and the need for fundamental training.

Cable has said that he felt putting them in pads without a full understanding of what to do was redundant, and is now feeling confident that the upcoming practices will involve a lot less core teaching and a lot more playing football.

 

Defensive Coaching

John Marshall was all over his charges all weekend, but in a teaching and mentoring way.

Back to the fundamentals of gap discipline and shedding blocks, the Raiders need to listen to their coach and stay the course if they hope to improve against the run.

There is no contact yet so it’s impossible to gauge whether this is happening, but early returns say that Marshall is coaching the hell out of these guys and they’re responding well.

Mike Haluchak is also running some drills with the linebackers that emphasize getting off blocks and pursuing the ball.

The bottom line is that the staff and the players are doing exactly what they said they needed to and would do: concentrating on positioning and fundamental understanding of assignments in order to be in the right place to stop the run.

Very, very important, and a very, very encouraging step forward.

Now if they can only stress the same fundamentals during tackling drills when they start. Because solid tacking, we all know, will go a long long way to helping our run defense.

 

CONCERNS

Right Tackle

Mario Henderson is fully entrenched at left tackle right now, which is a big positive given the way he played last season and the work he’s put in this season.

The negative here lies in the fact that Khalif Barnes seems resistant to a switch to the right side. He flat out said he wouldn’t be comfortable with the switch, as he hasn’t played the right since college. The transition is not nearly as easy as us fans would believe.

With penalty-prone subway turnstile Cornell Green currently getting the majority of snaps at right tackle, this has the potential for disaster. Green has never been starter material, but we’ve had little choice. I honestly thought the team would cut him after his domestic issues, but they haven’t.

We can only hope Barnes comes around on playing the right; the fact that he did in college is a plus, as he knows the position.

 

Darrius Heyward-Bey’s Hands

Heyward-Bey showed up to practice on Thursday, and has struggled to catch the ball ever since. He had a good practice on Saturday morning, catching a lot of balls and showing smooth cuts; but unfortunately that was the exception and not the rule.

Sunday brought the worst yet. Heyward-Bey has been known to body catch a lot of balls and drop some others due to a lack of concentration, and that seems to be exactly what happened yesterday. Unfortunately, it happened in front of Al Davis.

One thing Mr. Davis must’ve loved to see was Heyward-Bey booting a dropped pass in obvious frustration at one point. The dropped pass isn’t good, but the fire and the personal disappointment are encouraging.

He’s been getting almost constant coaching, and has been absorbing everything he can. He’s still working very very hard and putting in extra time with receivers coach Sanjay Lal to improve his route running and his hands.

Although it doesn’t appear to be working miracles just yet, his stellar attitude and hard work are encouraging and, given his physical gifts, are easily the most important factor in his future success. So far, in those areas, he’s been aces.

 

Tommy Thinks He’s Gene Kelly

If Tommy Kelly cannot stop jumping offsides, this defense is in for a long, long year.

Kelly jumps offsides an average of roughly three times per practice, against no contact, during learning drills.

His job this year is more to stop the run than rush the passer. At least it better be. He needs to show more discipline and gap control. I love that he’s gung-ho to get into the backfield but dude, use your size and strength and quickness and stop guessing to get off the ball.

It’s not working often enough, and it needs to stop before the season starts.

 

THE TAKE

All in all, it appears that there are more positives to take from the learning sessions than negatives. I didn’t address everything, of course, but tried to address some of the more obvious and pertinent scenarios.

I’m happy Cable instituted the learning practices. It keeps the guys fresher, and it’s ensured that they’ll have a better understanding of where to be and what to do in every situation. That will make for more effective contact practices, which will help everyone in the long run.

Good stuff.

(Much like Raider Card Addict, I must give a shout-out to Jerry McDonald over at ibabuzz.com for his informative camp recaps, where I got most of my information. Thank you Jerry.)

Andrew Walter Finally Euthanized by Oakland Raiders

I have been unable to confirm from any sources other than the sports ticker crawl on The Score, but according to the crawl, the Raiders have finally released lanky Andrew Walter, the record-breaking Arizona Sun Devil quarterback who failed to realize anywhere close to the same success in the NFL.

If true, it ends a bitter marriage that lasted far longer than it should for both parties. Walter, drafted in 2005 in the third round, is a big guy with a bigger arm, but his wind up is far too deliberate and slow.

Walter has been overlooked before, only to prove everyone wrong.

Not highly touted coming out of Grand Junction High in Grand Junction, CO, Walter was offered a scholarship by then Arizona State coach Bruce Snyder.

Walter redshirted as a freshman, and halfway through that season, Snyder was let go and replaced by Boise State coach Dirk Koetter.

Walter was expected to start the next season, but was beat out and languished behind lesser talent Chad Christiansen. It seemed even then Walter had a tough time cracking the lineup. But it didn’t take long.

After Christiansen proved himself ineffective and Walter led the biggest comeback in school history, rallying the team from a 22-0 deficit against San Diego State.

After showing his moxie and talent, Walter wasn’t sitting again, and Koetter helped Walter realize his potential and go from fighting for recognition and playing time to breaking school and conference passing records.

Despite his success in college and his fairly high draft position, Walter found himself in the familiar position of the overlooked observer in his first Raiders training camp.

He didn’t play at all in his first season in 2005, instead sitting at third string behind Kerry Collins and Marques Tuiasosopo. He sat, waited, and learned. He’d get his chance in 2006.

Then, the Raiders signed Aaron Brooks to be the starter in 2006. Well, that didn’t work out so well, but Walter was once again stuck behind a lesser talent.

Brooks played so poorly in his first two starts that he was replaced in both by Walter. Brooks then sustained an injury, and Walter became the de facto starter. He did not, however, set the NFL on fire the way he had the Pac-10 under similar circumstances.

He would end the 2006 season wishing he’d never received his chance.

Largely ineffective, very rigid in the pocket, and not as accurate as advertised, Walter struggled mightily, and the Raiders suffered through what is largely regarded as the most embarrassing and ugliest season in franchise history.

You can’t blame all Walter’s failings on him, though.

Walter was an unfortunate casualty of the Art Shell-Tom Walsh ‘Bed & Breakfast’ experience, an outdated coaching theory that basically said run as far back from center as you can, wait for your receivers, and throw it as far as you can.

Amazingly, it didn’t work, and Walter was sacked repeatedly. A porous offensive line and a 7-10-15 step drop passing game will do that to an immobile quarterback.

This led to a shattering of his psyche which became obvious in his demeanour and body language. He exhibited a distinct lack of confidence, which led to poor decisions, which led to poor play and bitterness, which led to the bench.

The Raiders have since basically buried Walter like the dirty family secret and tried like hell to forget about him. Walter didn’t help himself by pouting and complaining and lashing out at every opportunity.

This has been a fractured relationship for some time, and even people who don’t know the parties involved feel vindicated for both sides.

The Raiders didn’t treat Andrew Walter very well, and now they’ve given him his wish and released him. Andrew Walter didn’t do himself any favours by repeatedly skipping workouts, practices, OTA’s, and others in protest of the way he’d been treated.

Other teams may frown upon that lack of passion and dedication. Walter would have a much better chance of landing a job now if he’d put his head down, worked hard, and moved on. He didn’t, and it may cost him ultimately.

Either way, this was inevitable, and now we can all move on.

 

With Darrius Heyward-Bey Signed, the Oakland Raiders Have All Hands on Deck

The signing of first-round draft pick Darrius Heyward-Bey today to a reported five-year deal means that the Oakland Raiders now have all members of their draft class signed and ready to begin practicing.

Adam Schefter of NFL Network (soon to be ESPN) tweeted it roughly seven hours ago, and fellow Nationophile Andrew Linton reported it <a href=”http://bleacherreport.com/articles/227259-darrius-heyward-bey-inks-4-year-deal”> here</a> on Bleacher Report.

Heyward-Bey signed sometime early this morning—or late last night, depending on your time zone—and with his close proximity to Napa, he should be ready for practice as early as this afternoon.

Coach Tom Cable stated yesterday that the first two-a-day practices would not be in pads, and that they would be teaching and having walk-through practices. Cable stressed the importance of players knowing their roles and their positioning well before beginning full-speed workouts.

Since the Raiders’ veteran presence at wideout is the enigmatic and thus far ineffective Javon Walker, it was of the greatest importance that Heyward-Bey  sign as quickly as possible. It is also imperative for the rookie to develop a quick and lasting chemistry with JaMarcus Russell, as the two could provide sparks for years to come. 

The Raiders’ receiving corps is raw. They have Walker, Heyward-Bey, fellow rookies Louis Murphy and Shawn Bayes, tight end Zach Miller, and young receivers Chaz Schilens, Jonnie Lee Higgins and Todd Watkins.

There is not a lot of experience there, save Walker, and not a lot of production there, save Miller.

Improvement is needed in both areas, and signing Heyward-Bey in time for camp is a huge step in the right direction.

The only Raider rookie not to make it camp is sixth-round pick Stryker Sulak, who was released from the squad last week. Although rumours flew that Sulak was holding out for more money and had insulted Al Davis at the negotiating table, Cable stated in his press conference that there were no off-field issues, and Sulak simply wasn’t a fit for the team. Cable also praised Sulak for being a great kid and hard worker.

This marks the second time in three seasons the Raiders have released a draft pick before camp began. Two years ago it was Quentin Moses, also a defensive end. Moses was a little tougher to swallow, as he was a third-round pick. But when he didn’t catch on with other teams, it seemed the Raiders made the right decision.

Still, two essentially wasted picks in the last three seasons is a little annoying.

With all rookies ready to practice and learn, the Raiders are ahead of the curve compared to the last couple of years. They typically do a great job locking down their draft choices, but with the Moses situation, Russell’s holdout, and now Sulak, the Raiders have had some difficulties with their rookies on the business side.

It should be interesting now to see what the receiver from across the Bay, Michael Crabtree, gets in way of payment based on what DHB got paid. Their careers will be inextricably linked, but the fact that Heyward-Bey is signed and ready to go while Crabtree is holding out and still rehabbing his foot has DHB one step ahead at this point.

It may mean nothing in the grand scheme of their careers, but the fact that Heyward-Bey was drafted higher and settled for less money than the seventh pick in last year’s draft, while Crabtree was drafted 10 and is insisting on top-three money tells me that the Raiders made the right choice based on potential, attitude, and team-first mentality.

None of that matters today, though. Darrius Heyward-Bey is officially a Raider, and all reports indicate that his hamstring is 100 percent and he’s ready to go.

I’m really excited to see what this kid can do. His measurables are incredible, and his demeanour and attitude are refreshing, especially as a wide receiver.

Welcome to the Silver and Black, lad. We’re glad to have you.

Russell Raiders Latest Enigma

Oh, J-Rock, why do you do this to us? You make a plan to meet privately with wide receivers; you publicly encourage your teammates to finish OTA’s strong and proud, and work hard. You step up as the leader we’ve all been waiting for.

And then you miss the last day of OTA’s with no explanation.

When I heard this reported by Mike Lombardi of National Football Post, and saw there were no other sources, I was understandably skeptical. In my comment on the story, I stated that no Raider beat writer, including Jerry McDonald, whom I trust implicitly, had mentioned anything about Russell missing Friday’s OTA session. So I sent Mr. Lombardi an e-mail asking for his sources. His response was blunt and to the point:

“My source. Was there at the practice. It is 100 percent accurate. McDonald does not attend all the practices.”

I believe, via the e-mail and method the message was sent, that it really was from Mr. Lombardi. Not to mention the fact that I received it literally minutes after posting my comment on National Football Post.

This was disappointing news to hear, so I asked Mr. Lombardi if he knew why. I had also mentioned that we as Raider fans take his musings with a grain of salt due to his past relationship with the team. This was his response:

“He was mia. Missed wed too but I cut him some slack.
I am not anti Raiders. I love 99 percent of the Raider family. But most true Raiders feel as I do.”

So, there you have it. Lombardi says that he witnessed the practices, and Russell wasn’t there, and there was no explanation. He was simply MIA.

I’m sure there is a reason that Russell missed these practices, and that it’s nothing to be overly concerned about. But with the questions surrounding his work ethic and worries about his dedication, him missing practices after showing such promising strides forward as a leader is a head-scratcher.

If he doesn’t have a good reason or if he just blew off the practices, then I just don’t understand this guy. But that can’t be the case, or we would’ve heard more about it. I’m confident that he missed the practices for legitimate reasons with the coaching staff’s blessing. I hope there is a logical and rational explanation.

What we see from Lombardi above, though, would seem to contradict this. What I gather from him is that the coaches didn’t even know why Russell wasn’t there.

That’s not what we want to hear going into training camp. Even though these are OTAs, without knowing more, Russell looks like a hypocrite for eliciting the team to work hard and then blowing off practice. I hope he keeps his private session with the receivers and tight ends. I also hope there is a benign reason for this, and it means nothing.

Regardless, Russell has to stop giving the media and opposing fans ammunition to continually criticize him.

Oakland Raiders’ JaMarcus Russell : Anatomy Of a Quarterback

Oakland Raiders QB JaMarcus Russell has endured a lot of criticism in his brief time in the NFL.

By holding out on his first contract, Russell not only gave fans and media ammunition to deride his desire and motivation to play the game, but suffered a serious setback in his development as an NFL quarterback.

Going into his third official year, but only his second as a starter, there are still a lot of concerns and questions regarding Russell’s skills, desire, potential, and maturity.

While few question his arm strength, pretty much every other part of his body has been criticized or under scrutiny. 

 

HEAD

Any Raiders fan worth their salt should have the most concern with this part of Russell’s anatomy.

Thus far he has struggled to grasp a majority of the playbook, limiting offensive versatility.

The pictures of him partying aren’t of much concern, because frankly, he’s 23 and has a ton of money. I’d be partying too.

Russell is not known to be a film buff nor much of a vocal leader. His confidence is high as evidenced by the way he carries himself, and he seems impervious to criticism.

He appears to have the right kind of mentality to succeed in that he has thick skin and confidence. But he needs his football IQ to improve to match those attributes.

His ability to go through reads and progressions is sorely lacking, and with the O-Line struggling the last few years, getting the ball out quickly is of paramount importance. His lack of understanding of NFL defenses to this point make this a virtual impossibility.

Hackett and Tollner are working hard with J-Rock to improve his reads and his understanding of NFL defenses and blitz pickups. But it is on J-Rock himself to put in the extra work he needs to get his head to the level it needs to be.

Film study, meetings, discussions with Tollner and Hackett and full dedication to being the best he can be are the only way this is going to happen.

Which brings me to:

 

HEART

The other part of Russell’s anatomy with which we in the Nation have concerns.

Will JaMarcus ever have the desire to be great? Does he already have it and just not show it? When is he going to step up and be the kind of leader we need?

Russell thus far has shown he’s a cool customer, but his unflappable nature also gives the appearance of indifference at times.

Every fan wants their QB to be the most passionate, most vocal guy on the field, and J-Rock simply doesn’t operate that way.

Thus, we are all a little curious as to his motivation and desire to play the game.

The addition of Jeff Garcia was meant to give a jolt to Russell’s development as added motivation and learning from example.

By all accounts, J-Rock is slowly grasping what he needs to do to be successful. He took a giant step in the head and heart department by indicating he was going to have a private workout session with tight ends and receivers.

If that happens, and if it’s done well, then concerns about his heart should begin to wane a little.

If it doesn’t happen, or if it’s not done very well, then the questions will amplify. He needs to show desire, passion, and the want to be great before his teammates or the Nation will buy into him completely.

 

RIGHT ARM

There are no concerns with how hard or how far J-Rock can throw the ball. None. The guy has one of the strongest arms anyone has ever seen, and some of the lasers he fits into tight coverage are a glimpse of why we drafted him. No, arm strength is not a concern.

Accuracy, on the other hand, is a major concern.

As a very strong-armed QB, it’s understandable that J-Rock throws the lasers quite well. His touch passes, however, leave a lot to be desired.

He either overthrows or underthrows targets when he’s asked to put any kind of touch on the ball, and quite often he isn’t even close to his target unless it’s a zip slant pass or a long bomb.

For a strong-armed QB, he’s also shown a concerning lack of accuracy on his long passes.

The talent in the arm is there, and the accuracy will come as his mechanics improve. He does fumble an awful lot for a guy with hands the size of Saturn, but the arm is not a concern. Nor is:

THE GUT

Smaller than critics and detractors would have you believe, but not small enough for the Nation, honestly.

Russell was never 300 pds last year. That was a complete fabrication. But he was heavier than he should’ve been, and those pictures from his night of partying don’t look good either.

Granted, it was May, and he’s got another month to get into full playing condition.

The gut is synonymous with the head and the heart for this kid. Critics say he’s lazy, he’s not motivated now that he’s paid, and he likes food and good times too much to be a success.

His lack of being in shape shows his lack of desire and understanding of what it takes to be great.

From all accounts, he’s in better shape this season and is showing more quickness and speed in his legs. That’s good news. J-Rock is a very big man for a QB, and he’ll never have the look we expect. As long as he doesn’t actually approach 300 pounds in reality, everything should be fine.

The bigger he is, the harder he hits opponents.

 

FEET

Mad scientists Tollner and Hackett have the biggest challenge from a physical perspective with Russell’s dogs.

He has poor footwork coming away from center, as evidenced by how many times he’s slipped or tripped, and he gets into his drops a little more slowly than he should.

He’s not smooth and agile; more often, he looks clumsy and disoriented. That’s a big problem, one that is simple fundamentals and needs to be quickly and efficiently addressed.

He throws off his back foot far too often, much like many strong-armed quarterbacks, thinking that his arm strength will compensate for his weak base.

But that’s when disaster happens. Tollner and Hackett are breaking his mechanics down and rebuilding him slowly.

All indications are that he’s picking up his footwork quite well, and showing a lot of improvement in his foot positioning when he throws from various angles.

That’s good, because he seems to naturally want to throw off his back foot, and poor fundamentals like that can cause arm injuries, or at the very least, bad throws and interceptions.

 

RUSSELL’S BODY OF WORK

Russell has a lot of work to do in a lot of areas, but with his natural gifts, he has the ability to make quick improvements in all these areas.

Tollner and Hackett are well known quarterback gurus, and Mr. Hackett especially will be key in identifying what fundamentals J-Rock needs to improve, how he needs to improve them, and the best way to improve them.

He’s finally got some specialized coaches, some continuity on the line and the coaching staff, and some weapons on offense. Everything is in position for him to succeed.

If he doesn’t, then he can blame himself for not getting his head and his heart to the same level as his physical talent.

Raider Rookies Hamstrung By Injuries

When the 2009 NFL draft concluded, there were mixed feelings amongst the Raider Nation, especially regarding the first two selections.

Some were puzzled, wondering why the team had picked speedster Darrius Heyward-Bey number seven overall when the more lauded Michael Crabtree was still available. And just who was this Mike Mitchell dude, anyway?

Many were angry, saying Al did it again, he picked a track star instead of a football player, he reached for Mitchell when he could’ve got him much later, he blew the first two picks.

Others were happy, as they read up on Heyward-Bey and Mitchell and liked that they were team guys, reinforcing the new direction coach Tom Cable has been emphasizing. They liked the potential, the skill, the speed. They liked the picks.

Regardless of your personal reaction, I know we can all agree on one thing now: those hamstrings are getting a little worrisome.

Heyward-Bey is a speed guy. Speed guys depend on their hammys like Drew Rosenhaus depends on Terrell Owens keeping himself in the news. Since an inauspicious debut in OTA’s back in May, Heyward-Bey has been mostly sidelined with soreness in his hamstrings. Much to the Nation’s dismay, during the last OTA open to the media on Wednesday he pulled up with an “audible groan” and left the field with the trainer, not returning.

Nobody is pushing the panic button yet, but one thing is certain: a wide receiver that depends on speed and quickness will not be effective if he has any lingering hamstring issues. At this point Heyward-Bey hasn’t shown the route running precision or hands it would take to transition to more of a move-the-chains possession receiver if he lost a step. That’s not what he’s built for, anyway, nor is it why we drafted him. 

Mitchell is a little less of a concern at this point simply because of his position. Yes, he relies on speed as well, but at safety positioning, proper technique and angles, and good football IQ can make up for losing a little speed. Mitchell’s hamstring is reportedly not serious as well, but has been sore long enough that it’s becoming a concern.

Coaches have wondered aloud if perhaps he worked out a little too hard before the combine and burned himself out a little. Hopefully his layoff while he awaited Ohio University graduation (thanks to an outdated NFL rule) gave him some of the rest he needed to return and be healthy for training camp. The fact that he was still too sore to practice on Wednesday doesn’t bode all that well, unfortunately.

One positive to Mitchell’s injury, or at least the timing of it, is that he can’t hit in OTAs. So if he’s healthy when contact begins, and he lays wood the way he’s shown he can, that’s good enough for me.

Personally, if the injuries aren’t serious, I’m happy with the way the team is handling the situation. It’s hurting Bey’s rapport with Russell and his development, and it’s hurting Mitchell’s ability to view the game at speed and understand pro routes and technique. But there’s no need to expose your young players to the risk of serious injury.

If either or both of the injuries are serious, the team needs to look into the long-term health of the kids and do whatever is necessary, this season be damned. I know that would hurt us all tremendously, and it would set the team back at two key positions that need improvement. But if these guys are close to as good as we all hope they can be then I want them around for the long haul. I don’t want them burning out their tires after one lap around the track this season. Their long-term success with the Raiders is of paramount importance.

If both players are healthy for training camp, then I believe things will work out fine.  They’ll have to work harder to catch up on what they’ve missed, but they both have high football IQ’s and strong work ethics. The training staff has to make absolutely sure they stay hydrated and stretch as much as possible. Hopefully Bey attends Russell’s workout session, if only to learn and observe if he’s not healthy.

If they aren’t healthy for training camp, it will cast a bit of a dark cloud on an otherwise sunny offseason. The optimism we’re all feeling will dwindle just a little bit as we all get the familiar “here we go again” feeling in our gut. We all want to see what they can do. I still think the team will be much improved either way, but without our new toys we won’t know just how much better the team could be.

All we can hope is that the injuries are minor, treated well, and healed up in time for the kids to learn some Raider football.

 

 

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