Carmichael Dave: Will It Ever End For The Raiders???
I am not a Raider fan.
But I am a sports fan, and I respect loyalty. Say what you want about Raider fan, but the loyalty is unquestioned. It has to be, if you're still a fan of this team.
Monday, Coach Dennis Allen was fired. Normally this is a huge story, injecting the fan base with hope and the thought of a new tomorrow. But it seems like there is no light at the end of the tunnel, no plan, no fix, and its been that way for a long, long time.
In the sport that allows you to have a quick turnaround more than any other, the Raiders are continually mired in horrific after horrific season. No coach worth his salt wants the job, the only hope is for the Raiders to find a young unproven guy, or someone down on their luck that catches fire in a bottle.
The personnel has been changed.
The Coaches have been changed multiple times.
The front office has been changed multiple times.
At what point do you look at ownership?
Al Davis is a legend. No doubt. Hall of Famer, end of story.
My grandfather was a legend to me. War vet, teacher, mentor. I loved him as much as a kid could love his Grandpa. Then he got old, and eventually developed Alzheimer's Disease. The grandfather who finally passed away after a long battle, resembled nothing of the man I grew up admiring. When people rip Mr. Davis, I think of my grandfather and understand. The ending does not negate the entire body of work.
But Mark Davis does not have the experience nor the credentials of his father. He inherited this mess, but he also inherited the mystique and proud history of the Raider franchise without earning it. I've never met the man, I'm sure he's perfectly nice and well-meaning.
One has to wonder at what point does Raider Nation turn from the normal anger at front office/personnel, and turn to ownership. The question I'm posing is simply this- Can the Raiders EVER turn things around with current ownership in place?
Maybe its time for Davis to cash in, like so many other owners have. Sell the team to an owner flush with cash, that would agree to build a new stadium IN Oakland, and set the franchise straight.
At this point, if being a loyal Oakland Raider fan isn't an exercise in futility, I don't know what is.
And Raider fan, you certainly aren't the one to blame.
Speak up. Be heard.
