And I Thought He Had the Typical NFL-Sized Ego

I admit to a newfound respect for Tony Romo after seeing this.

Those Woeful Raidas

Having stitched up my open wounds, here's my updated analysis of the Monday Night Football debacle in Week 1:

1. Is JaMarcus Russell ready to play quarterback in the NFL?

He sat out most of last year in a contract dispute. The former top draft pick has a cannon for an arm, but can he play at this level?

Yes. The 2nd year rookie went 17/26 for 180 yards with 2 TD and no picks. He took what the defense gave him, stayed cool, and demonstrated a strong arm and very accurate passing. He needs to work on his game management and his leadership, but what young QB doesn't?

A solid performance.

2. Can the Raiders run?

One of the few bright spots in the 2007 season was the performance of Justin Fargas, a rare runner who gives his all every down. The draft of Darren McFadden could return the franchise to the Marcus Allen or even Bo Jackson glory days, or spiral back to the Tyrone Wheatley days of disappointment.

Yes. Last year's breakout back Justin Fargas ran 18 times for 97 yards (including a 42-yarder) while rookie Darren McFadden showed promise by carrying 9 times for 46 yards. Moreover, the Raiders running game consistently produced short-yardage 3rd down situations, taking the pressure off of the passing game and JaMarcus Russell.

3. Will the line block?

Poor protection and plenty of penalties has been the standard performance of a woefully-underperforming O-line, typified by former 1st rounder Robert Gallery, who had to move to Guard last year after proving unable to play Tackle in the NFL.

Sometimes. The run blocking was fairly solid, but Russell had to rollout often and managed to sack Russell twice, leading to an early crucial red zone turnover.

4. Can Javon Walker still play the game?

A depleted Raiders receiver corps puts pressure on free agent acquisition Javon Walker, who toyed with retiring before the season began and who famously got mugged in Vegas. Is his head in the game?

Don't know, but sitting out the home opener on Monday night against his old team for a hamstring injury may indicate he retired and didn't bother to tell the coach.

5. How much leg do Shane Lechler and Sebastian Janikowski have left?

We've been blessed with strong-legged kickers to anchor special teams play, but Lechler's old and Janikowski's always been erratic.

Lechler's still the man---51 yard per punt average (the Raiders needed every yard and then some) including a booming 62-yarder. Janikowski didn't get to do much---no field goal attempts, 2 PATs.

6. Will the D show up?

Lots of turmoil due to head coach Lane Kiffin trying to get defensive coordinator Rob Ryan fired after a poor defensive performance in 2007. Al Davis stood by Ryan, causing Kiffin to consider tendering a resignation Davis would have been happy to accept. Will the D avoid the drama and play as a unit? Not likely---kumbaya isn't in the Raiders' vocabulary. Watch Derrick Burgess and Michael Huff---if either just puts in the plays, the D will be awful this year.

Nope. DeAngelo Hall got eaten alive by rookie Eddie Royal. The D got tagged for 142 rushing yards and 41 points, most of which looked easy. The only thing that stopped the Broncos was the SI camera crew at the back of the endzone.

Rob Ryan should have been canned.

7. Is Lane Kiffin a dead man walking?

Al Davis doesn't brook dissent from head coaches, much less young ones who haven't made their NFL bones yet. If the offseason turmoil leads to a poor start, Kiffin may be going elsewhere to get Shanahan-esque revenge on Davis. Art Shell should probably stay close to the phone until November.

Yes. Kiffin probably won't last past Game 3. Davis hates losing to the Broncos, and hates losing to Shanahan at home even worse.

My prediction: Too much turmoil for a return to excellence----4-12 on the year, beginning with an L tomorrow night.

Optimist.

NFL Week 1

I am ready for some football!

As a Raiders fan, opening day is always a big question mark, no more so than that rare opening day where the Silver & Black face the hated Denver Donkos.

There are more questions than usual this time around:

1. Is JaMarcus Russell ready to play quarterback in the NFL?

He sat out most of last year in a contract dispute. The former top draft pick has a cannon for an arm, but can he play at this level?

2. Can the Raiders run?

One of the few bright spots in the 2007 season was the performance of Justin Fargas, a rare runner who gives his all every down. The draft of Darren McFadden could return the franchise to the Marcus Allen or even Bo Jackson glory days, or spiral back to the Tyrone Wheatley days of disappointment.

3. Will the line block?

Poor protection and plenty of penalties has been the standard performance of a woefully-underperforming O-line, typified by former 1st rounder Robert Gallery, who had to move to Guard last year after proving unable to play Tackle in the NFL.

4. Can Javon Walker still play the game?

A depleted Raiders receiver corps puts pressure on free agent acquisition Javon Walker, who toyed with retiring before the season began and who famously got mugged in Vegas. Is his head in the game?

5. How much leg do Shane Lechler and Sebastian Janikowski have left?

We've been blessed with strong-legged kickers to anchor special teams play, but Lechler's old and Janikowski's always been erratic.

6. Will the D show up?

Lots of turmoil due to head coach Lane Kiffin trying to get defensive coordinator Rob Ryan fired after a poor defensive performance in 2007. Al Davis stood by Ryan, causing Kiffin to consider tendering a resignation Davis would have been happy to accept. Will the D avoid the drama and play as a unit? Not likely---kumbaya isn't in the Raiders' vocabulary. Watch Derrick Burgess and Michael Huff---if either just puts in the plays, the D will be awful this year.

7. Is Lane Kiffin a dead man walking?

Al Davis doesn't brook dissent from head coaches, much less young ones who haven't made their NFL bones yet. If the offseason turmoil leads to a poor start, Kiffin may be going elsewhere to get Shanahan-esque revenge on Davis. Art Shell should probably stay close to the phone until November.

My prediction: Too much turmoil for a return to excellence----4-12 on the year, beginning with an L tomorrow night.

Where Did Professional Wrestling Go Wrong?

No, really---serious question.

Olympics Do Not Transcend Biology

Still think top athletes transcend biological gender differences?

Think again.

What's Chinese for Cheating?

Oh, O-L-Y-M-P-I-C-S.

Oh, O-L-Y-M-P-I-C-S.

How'd the ChiComs Get the Games, Anyway?

The old-fashioned way---they stole them.

Why We Won't Boycott the Beijing Olympics

I used to work for a Fortune 500 company which did an enormous amount of manufacturing business in China, from raw materials all the way up through finished goods.

You might recall an incident where the United States accidentally hit a Chinese embassy with a cruise missile a few years ago. In the aftermath, EVERY ONE of our Chinese suppliers refused to ship material to us. When asked, they all said the same thing: "We'll start shipping when you stop bombing our embassies." It was like dealing with the Borg.

We won't boycott the Beijing Olympics for this very reason: the moment we do so, the Chinese government will order Chinese companies to cease shipments to the U.S. That in turn will have a strong negative impact on our manufacturing sector, which in turn would likely throw us into a recession.

That's the calculus which has come about by the neocon position on free trade with our enemies. We have handed them an economic weapon to use against us in order to achieve their political goals. They have not hesitated to use it in the past, and will not in the present or future.

As A Zoomie, It Pains Me to Admit This

...but the Middies played a helluva game against Notre Dame.

Go Navy---mash the Irish!

The End of An Era

The Bill Walsh era.

Walsh will be considered to be the greatest NFL coach, period. And I say that as a Raiders fan.