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Everyone has an opinion about Al Davis, but the majority seems to think that the game of football has passed him by, and that his arcane ideas about building a team with speed and playing full on man-to-man defense is as outdated as his fashion sense. I have a different take, one that boils down to the psyche of a proud man. Al Davis is an NFL icon, there is no denying ...

Well here we are at the bye, in week 9 of the NFL season. The Raiders have played eight games thus far, and sit with an all too familiar and disappointing 2-6 record at the midpoint. Here's a list of my hilights and lowlights of the first half, and things to do moving forward in regards to having increased success in the second half of the season. Begin Slideshow

Going into their bye duringáweek five of last season, the Oakland Raiders were in a familiar position. Sitting with a 1-3 record, a lack of passion, and an uphill climb to improve the squad, the team finally pulled the trigger on the firing of "Lance" Kiffin, much to the delight of owner Al Davis. Davis put on a show rarely seen in sport as he called a press-conference and actually used ...

I think I'm one of the few Oakland Raider fans that still has faith in JaMarcus Russell. The ranks have thinned, and rightly so. á With so much invested and his physical gifts, I simply can't write him off and stop hoping that one day the light will go on and he'll start to show why we all thought so highly of him as recently as this offseason. However, I'm not a ...

*SIGH* After a solid performance against the Eagles in which JaMarcus Russell looked decent if unspectacular. A win at home against the reeling Jets, who wereástarting a struggling rookie quarterback and travelling across the country, seemed not only feasible, but realistic. The worst home loss in franchise history has served to blow that theory clean out of the stratosphere. This team cannot find an identity. When they play well, they beat up their ...

Welcome to another addition of Pressures, Hurries, and Knockdowns as it applies to our beloved Silver & Black. Even though they played well last weekend and are coming off a big win, there are still concerns, obviously. Let's get to it. á PRESSURES JaMarcus Russell The defense won the game for us last weekend, but Russell showed a lot of poise, leadership, and confidence when he was on the field. He has been much maligned ...

I'm feeling pretty good this week after my Raiders showed up and played with pride and passion in beating the Eagles last weekend. I'm also tempering my enthusiasm for a turnaround until we see how they play this weekend. Speaking of the Jets... PRESSURES New York Jets So the "Sanchize" has come crashing back down to earth after his first three weeks in the NFL which were filled with impressive third down conversions, TD ...

We should all wish that Antonio Pierce had something to say about the Raiders every week. One week removed from a performance that was as lackluster and inspired as it was embarrassing, the Oakland Raiders looked themselves in the eyes and asked "Are we not men?" The answer, at least for three-and-a-half hours on Sunday, was "Yes. Fierce men." After laying an egg against the Giants in a 44-7 thrashing that ...

Here is the Week Six edition of my pressures, hurries, and knockdowns. PRESSURES The Entire Organization Can't really pinpoint any particular area, or individual under pressure this week. With Antonio Pierce and Greg Ellis' recent comments, this team is on notice that everyone now knows they're mailing it in, and not giving an effort out there. At this point, every coach, player, secretary, security guard, and part-time valet involved with the Raiders need to ...

á Well I'm back. Sorry I missed last week, I was pretty ill, but I'm all better now. Hope I can still say that tomorrow after the Giants game. Sorry about the picture too. Getty Images has a somewhat limited selection. Right to it. Cheers everyone, and Happy Thanksgiving to any of my fellow Canadians. á á PRESSURES Tom Cable á The pressure is squeezing this cat from all sides right now, and for a guy his size, it's ...