Oakland Raiders: the NFL Hall of Fame needs more Silver and Black
Every year the NFL enshrines more players in the hallowed halls of Canton and the Pro Football Hall of Fame. However, with each new class that goes in the chances for the deserving Oakland Raiders who have been repeatedly shafted over the years get increasingly dim. The obvious names are Ken "The Snake" Stabler and Ray Guy, every year the Raider Nation holds up those names as more deserving than most of the incoming class, but each year these guys continue waiting for yet another year. Besides the big two, there are several others who should definitely get the call to be enshrined in the Hall of Fame.
Two of the most recent inductees, Ralph Wilson, Jr and Rod Woodson have ties to the Oakland Raiders. The Woodson ties are obvious, as he was a key player in Raiders AFC Championship year of 2002. Wilson, on the other hand, has much more subtle ties to the Silver and Black. In the early days of the Raiders, they were in dire financial straits, and Wilson arranged a loan to keep the Raiders afloat for limited partnership shares that were an arm's length deal.
It is high time for the writers who select the Hall of Fame classes to give the respect that the salad years of the Raiders deserve. There are few teams that had the sustained success that the Raiders had from the mid sixties through the mid eighties. They are also one of the select few teams to win three Super Bowl titles in less than a decade, but they don't get the respect that the other teams who accomplished that feat get. Nearly every starter from the Steelers of the 70s has a bust in Canton. However, the Raiders were their top nemesis, but they have far fewer inductees from that same time period.
Here are ten Raiders who are eligible who deserve their bust in Canton.
1. Ken Stabler- Sports Illustrated's Dr. Z has a personal grudge against Stabler, and has frequently gone on record as saying that he will do anything he can to block Stabler's admission into that immortal club. Stabler has the ring. Stabler has the defining moments. Stabler's statistics are superior to his contemporary Joe Nameth who is enshrined.
2. Ray Guy- The only reason that Ray Guy is not in the Hall of Fame is that he was a punter. He was the best punter in the game, which was proven when he was named to the NFL's All-75 75th anniversary team in 1994. He is the only eligible member of that team who is not recognized by the Hall. It wasn't until Guy that the term hang-time became part of the public lexicon.
3. Jack Tatum- Jack Tatum's impact can not be described by mere statistics. He was the most feared safety in the game. His mere presence in the middle of the field convinced receivers not to make a play on the ball. His game was the template for Hall of Fame members Rod Woodson and Ronnie Lott. His place in the game is unfairly tarnished by his paralyzing hit on Darryl Stingly. It was a tragic moment for the NFL, but it was a clean and legal hit.
4. Cliff Branch- Branch was the quintessential deep threat wide receiver. He won three championships in Silver and Black, and had both a longer and more productive career than Hall of Fame members Lynn Swann and John Stallworth.
5. Lester Hayes- When it comes to shut down receivers Hayes wrote the book. He broke out in the 1980 season coming one pick short of Dick "Night Train" Lane's single season record. He added two interceptions that post season on the way to the first of his two Super Bowl rings. Following the '80 season quarterback stopped throwing to his side of the field, even after current Hall of Fame member Michael Haynes lined up on the other side of the field.
6. Jim Plunkett- There are knocks on him that he wasn't at the top of his game long enough, or that he was a bust out of college before having his success. There are also questions about how his numbers stack up, but here is one fact: Plunk is the only eligible quarterback with multiple Super Bowl rings who hasn't gotten the call.
7. Dave Dalby- Double D took over for Hall of Fame member Double 0, and did not miss a beat or a game. In fact, from the time Dalby took over for Otto in 1975 he continued Otto's ironman streak and didn't miss a game until he retired in 1985. The Raiders won three Super Bowl rings with him having his hands on the ball every play.
8. Tom Flores- Why Coach Flores doesn't get any buzz out of the Raider Nation is a very good question. He has the rings. In fact, Flores has four rings: One as a player, one as an assistant coach, and two as a head coach. He has 97 wins in the regular season to fall just short of the 100 win benchmark, but when his post season is factored in, he clears that hurdle.
9. Phil Villapiano- Sal Palantonio of ESPN has said that he is deserving of the Hall. In fact, he was an underrated member of a dominating defense for the Raiders of the seventies.
10 Tim Brown- Tim Brown will be in his first year of eligibility. He retired as one of the top receivers in nearly all categories. He was the second to 100 touchdowns, and one of the most consistent receivers of all time.
examiner.com
For island players, this is the 'Poly Bowl'
Tampa, Fla. - Pittsburgh Steelers safety Troy Polamalu thought of himself as just an ordinary southern California kid until he moved to Oregon as an 8-year-old to live with his uncle Salu.
Salu is Samoan through and through. He helped the boy connect with his island heritage, Polamalu now says, teaching him a "fire knife dance" and inspiring intricate Samoan wood carvings that he gave as presents to friends in high school.
The soft-spoken Polamalu credits his uncle's focus on their island roots for helping him get his team to Super Bowl XLIII. He caught the second-most interceptions in the league this year.
Polamalu is one of six players in Sunday's game whose heritage stretches deep into the South Pacific's Polynesian culture. It's a record number that marks the rapid ascension of the Pacific Rim into the sport and the deepening influence of island athletes on America's biggest sporting stage.
The fearsome Polynesian six are a source of cultural pride for millions of Polynesians, says Eni Faleomavaega, who is American Samoa's nonvoting representative in the House of Representatives.
"Regardless of who wins the Super Bowl, I know we will get together with all our Polynesian boys and their families for a victory celebration," Mr. Faleomavaega said in a statement. "I am excited because this is the first Super Bowl where we have so many Polynesians on the team rosters."
Cardinals guard Deuce Lutui is one of seven active NFL players to come from Tonga. Cardinals safety Aaron Francisco previously joined Steelers guard Chris Kemoeatu to win a state championship for Kahuku High School in Hawaii. Cardinals linebacker Pago Togafau, a Samoan, and Cardinals defensive end Travis LaBoy of Hawaii round out the Polynesian assembly.
"This is the Poly Bowl!" the Cardinals contingent yelled as they hugged and hammed for cameras at last week's media day at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fla.
"It's amazing for us to come all the way here from a tiny little rock," says Togafau.
Polynesian players began making serious inroads into the NFL in the early 1990s, with players like Junior Seau, who has revived his career in New England. "There's more and more of us coming up, too," Francisco told Honolulu Star-Bulletin columnist Dave Reardon last week.
Samoan players tend to be physically powerful, Polamalu says. But he also describes something else: A strong sense of family and faith - particularly powerful among people who live in small communities far from the mainland - can translate powerfully to team games like football that rely on shared sacrifice to achieve victory.
"Every athlete realizes that whether it's their family, their faith, or their culture, when they step onto the football field, they represent something," Polamalu says. "Me being Samoan, obviously it feels very special, especially the fact that there are not very many big Samoan players who have a shot of really making the Super Bowl."
That, however, appears to be changing.
Copyright (c) 2009 The Christian Science Monitor
Will the Giants draft James Laurinaitis?
NFL draft guru Mel Kiper has put together his mock draft for the first round of the 2009 NFL Draft. As a surprise to some fans, Kiper has the New York Giants taking Ohio State linebacker James Laurinaitis with pick number 29. The surprise isn't the fact that Kiper has Big Blue taking the All American linebacker. Many people don't believe that Laurinaitis will still be around at that point.
More than likely, Mathias Kiwanuka will go back to linebacker in 2009 with the return of Osi Umenyiora. Nobody knows what the mental state of Antonio Pierce will be once camp starts. Pierce was never the same after the Plaxico Burress incident and reports suggest that the clubhouse leader may be unhappy with his current contract. Gerris Wilkinson missed half the season due to injury and Danny Clark is a solid linebacker who isn't getting any younger.
Laurinaitis would be a great pick up for any team. In 2006, he was awared the Nagurski Award, the award given out to the best defensive player in college football. In 2007, Laurinaitis won the Butkus Award (best linebacker in the nation). Laurinaitis was also named an All American in 2006, 2007 and 2008.
As a Penn State grad, I can honestly say that I'm very happy to see this young man leave Columbus. Laurinaitis is a linebacker with outstanding closing speed and tackling ability. He can play the run, get to the quarterback with ease and even defend the pass over the middle. Simply put, Laurinaitis has all of the physical and mental attributes to be one of the best linebackers in the game within 3-5 years.
I will never claim to be any sort of NFL Draft expert. Still, I was surprised to read that Kiper has Laurinaitis lasting until number 29. Most Giants pessimists, myself included, believe that New York may have to trade up in order to grab Laurinaitis. Is this something the Giants should consider?
Why not? The Giants finished 12-4, won their division and finished with the best record in 2008. This is truly a team that is just a few players away from being the best team in football (if they won't already be in September of 2009). New York could easily give away an extra draft pick in order to draft Laurinaitis. Of course, I would prefer that Mel Kiper be right and New York be able to get Laurinaitis free and clear at the end of the first round. I'm just not convinced that's going to be an option.
Laurinaitis won't be the Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2009. He doesn't need to be, though. If Laurinaitis can make some big third down plays and help to ease the burden off of the defensive line next year, I'll be very happy. If the Giants do decide to let Plaxico Burress go, they won't be able to replace him with the 29 pick in the Draft. Defense wins championships and there won't be a better choice on that side of the ball for New York than Laurinaitis.
examiner.com
Peppers would spice up Bears' defense
Four-time Pro Bowl defensive end Julius Peppers, who has double-digit sacks in five of his NFL seasons, wants out of Carolina, and the Bears need a premier pass rusher to make their Cover-2 scheme work at peak efficiency.
A match made in heaven? Definitely, maybe.
Peppers had a career-best 14 1/2 sacks in 2008 and was voted to the Pro Bowl. But -- and there always seems to be a "but" -- he might not be the Bears' most efficient use of $10 million a year for the next five or six years. That's what it will cost to get Peppers, if the Panthers don't slap the franchise tag on him, which is unlikely.
The 6-foot-7, 283-pound Peppers has already said he wants to play in a 3-4 defense. The Bears play a 4-3. And sure, Peppers had 14 1/2 sacks last season when he was playing for a potential new contract, but he had 2 1/2 sacks in '07. Will he play as hard after he gets the huge contract as he did when he was trying to get the big payday?
As far as the scheme, if Peppers is motivated, he'll get his sacks in any system. The Panthers play a 4-3, and he's put up huge numbers for them most of the time since his rookie season. He just turned 29 today (Sunday) and still is playing top-notch football and should continue to do so for several more seasons, barring injuries.
Bottom line, the Bears need an impact edge pass rusher like Peppers because they don't have one on the roster. But he won't come cheaply.
Copyright (c) 2009 Daily Herald Inc
Titans self destruct in loss to the Ravens
What can you say about this game? It was as cardiac intensive as any game I've witnessed this year, or for many years as far as that goes. The Ravens did just enough, made the plays when it counted, and came away with the victory. The Titans on the other hand missed opportunity after opportunity, and couldn't seem to make that big play when it was needed most. Time after time the Titans marched down the field, but it seemed every time they got within striking distance the Ravens defense would take the ball , and their hopes away. Tennessee's season came down to the last 53 seconds, and they just couldn't seem to make the plays they had to against the Ravens defense.
This was a game neither team deserved to lose, but one has to in the end. Titan fans will look at the apparent clock elapse on the Ravens final drive and point to that as the reason the Ravens won, but officials missing delay of game calls has plagued the league all season long, twice in favor of Pittsburgh in their win at M&T Bank Stadium a couple of weeks ago, twice before in the playoffs this season, and numerous times to nearly every team in the league this year. As I've been saying, these guys aren't that good.
But that wasn't what won the game for the Ravens, no more so then the ridiculous call on Terrell Suggs the first time these two teams met. You could say the Titans beat themselves more then anything else. When it came down to putting the game away they weren't able to pull the trigger.
This win didn't feel like the rest of the wins the Ravens have chalked up this season. This one took a few years off my life. Throughout the game the Titans moved the ball down the field, only to have it stripped away within the 33 yard line. The results: two lost fumbles, an interception, a turnover on downs and a missed 51-yard field goal. And numerous times the Ravens faltered on offense, going 3 and out, or making only one first down during a series. I couldn't help but feel that sooner or later the Titans were going to cash in, and the Ravens would be hard pressed to catch up. But it didn't go down that way, the Ravens fought for every inch, and in the end they made more plays of significance then the Titans could. Sometimes the Football Gods smile down upon you.
Hats off to the defense for taking the ball back 3 times, each one ending a promising Titan drive. And a tip of the hat for the big leauge passes from Joe Flacco, once hitting Derrick Mason for a touchdown to tie the game, and connecting with Mark Clayton to set the ball down at the 3 yard line. Add the other passes that kept the final drive alive and I'd say the kid had a hell of a game. Poise for a rookie quarterback is an uncommon commodity, but for Flacco it comes naturally.
And for those who were saying that Matt Stover was finished, all I have to say is you counted the man out too soon. Much of Stover's early season struggles were due to the fact that Raven Special Teams coach Jerry Rosberg decided to try and quicken Stover's kick time, which was a pathetically stupid decision. When he allowed Stover to go back to timing his kicks as he has done for the last 19 years Matt got his game back. Duh! Before each game Stover envisions himself kicking the wining field goal, and this week he got the chance to make that a reality. A pressure kick from 43 yards? No problem when you have one of the best of all time. The man never ceases to amaze me.
This one was a classic, a game for the ages. It featured two teams with nearly identical ability going head to head, pummeling each other with all their might, and fighting down to the final whistle. As a football fan you couldn't ask for a better contest, though Titan fans might beg to differ. The game was so close that those I watched it with had taken to rubbing the head of my 6 year old niece Destiny for good luck. She's a proud new owner of her first Ravens jersey, a #23, Willis McGahee model, and became the official good luck charm for this game. And make no mistake, this Ravens team is indeed a team of destiny.
Look out either Pittsburgh or San Diego, because here come the Ravens, the team you didn't want to have to face. One more win to get to the show, just one more.
Copyright 2008 Most Valuable Network, LLC
Warner guides Cardinals to playoff win against Falcons
PHOENIX, Jan 3 (Reuters) - Veteran quarterback Kurt Warner threw two touchdown passes before orchestrating an Arizona Cardinals fightback and a gripping 30-24 victory over the Atlanta Falcons in their NFC wildcard playoff on Saturday.
NFC West champions Arizona raced into an early 14-3 lead but trailed 17-14 at halftime before taking control with 14 unanswered points in the third quarter.
Despite having lost four of their last six games in the regular season, Arizona held off Atlanta's much-vaunted rushing offense with running back Edgerrin James outgaining Michael Turner, the league's number two rusher.
Competing in their first playoff game at home in 61 years in front of a highly charged, capacity crowd at the University of Phoenix Stadium, the Cardinals outscored the Falcons by four touchdowns to three.
"I hope this gives us a lot of confidence," a beaming Warner told reporters after completing 19 of 32 passes for 271 yards, two touchdowns and one interception.
"I knew we believed we could win this game. I hope we can parlay this into some more confidence and believe we can go wherever we have to go and win."
The Cardinals will next meet either the New York Giants or the Carolina Panthers away next weekend.
"In the playoffs, you've gotta go on the road and you've gotta win wherever they put you," said the 37-year-old Warner, back in the Pro Bowl for the first time since the 2001 season.
SUPERB TOUCHDOWN
The Cardinals opened the scoring with a superb touchdown early in the first quarter, receiver Larry Fitzgerald leaping salmon-like in the end zone to grab a 42-yard pass from Warner. Neil Rackers converted to put Arizona 7-0 ahead.
Jason Elam kicked a 30-yard field goal for the Falcons to cut the deficit to 7-3, but Warner delivered a short pass to his left to connect with receiver Anquan Boldin on a 71-yard touchdown.
However, the tide turned Atlanta's way in the last three minutes of the half.
Powerful running back Turner took advantage of a defensive lapse by the Cardinals to score after an unopposed seven-yard run, Elam kicking the point after to make it 14-10.
On the stroke of halftime, rookie quarterback Matt Ryan feinted a run before throwing a two-yard touchdown pass to tight end Justin Peelle, Elam's kick putting the Falcons 17-14 up.
The see-saw battle continued early in the third quarter when Arizona regained the lead, free safety Antrel Rolle snapping up a Ryan fumble in mid-air before sprinting 27 yards for the touchdown.
Dominating possession and territory, the Cardinals stretched their advantage to 28-17 after running back Tim Hightower scored on a four-yard run into the left corner of the end zone.
After conceding a safety in the fourth quarter, Atlanta scored their third touchdown when Roddy White caught a five-yard pass from Ryan.
However, Warner found tight end Stephen Spach for a first down on third and 13 to seal Arizona's first playoff victory at home since 1947.
Copyright (c) Reuters
Vikings make playoffs with defeat of Giants
MINNEAPOLIS: With the New York Giants already comfortably in, the Minnesota Vikings pushed their way into the playoffs.
Ryan Longwell's 50-yard field goal with 5 seconds left lifted the Vikings to a 20-19 victory over the resting Giants on Sunday afternoon, making Minnesota the National Football Conference North champion for its first postseason appearance in four years.
David Carr took over at quarterback for Eli Manning after halftime and threw a touchdown pass to Domenik Hixon midway through the third quarter to take a 16-10 lead, but New York (12-4) was on cruise control from there with a bunch of backups on the field.
The Vikings (10-6), who pulled within two points on a 54-yard touchdown pass by Tarvaris Jackson to a wide-open Bernard Berrian after third-string cornerback Terrell Thomas fell down, weren't complaining.
Jackson threw his first interception in 13 quarters since taking over for Gus Frerotte, a zinger into the end zone that James Butler grabbed and returned to near midfield. John Carney's fourth field goal stretched the lead to 19-10 early in the fourth, but his fifth attempt from 48 yards was wide right with 3:17 left.
The Vikings crawled through a frantic, unorganized final drive and got just close enough for Longwell to kick the winner.
Derrick Ward, who fueled last week's victory over Carolina with a career-high 215 yards, gave the Giants a pair of 1,000-yard rushers - only the fourth running back tandem in National Football League history - by finishing with 77 yards on 15 carries.
Brandon Jacobs got there earlier this month. The last set of teammates to do that in the same season was Kevin Mack and Earnest Byner of the Cleveland Browns in 1985. The Vikings entered the game with the league's stingiest run defense, trying to finish first in that category for the third straight season.
The Giants gave the Vikings a break well before the game started by beating the Panthers last week and locking up the NFC's top seed. They put four starters on the inactive list: Jacobs (knee), tight end Kevin Boss (ankle), cornerback Aaron Ross (concussion) and nose tackle Barry Cofield (knee). Manning was joined on the sideline by a steady stream of other regulars during the second half.
The crowd was loud at times, but a rather nervous vibe resonated throughout the building while fans undoubtedly fought off bad flashbacks of past late-season collapses by this star-crossed team.
Peterson fumbled for the sixth time this month on third-and-1 late in the first quarter, but Jim Kleinsasser recovered for a first down. Peterson made up for his mishandle on the next possession by bursting through the line on another third-and-1 and using a block by Kleinsasser to race for the end zone and land in the first row of seats with a flying leap for a 10-0 lead.
The Giants didn't flinch, though.
Ward wiggled his way through the middle with Vikings anchor Pat Williams still missing because of a shoulder injury, putting Carney in range for three first-half field goals.
Peterson began the game with a 166-yard lead over Atlanta's Michael Turner for the NFL rushing title, a remarkable accomplishment in his second season that has lost some luster with his recent trouble hanging onto the ball. He also became the fifth player in league history to reach 3,000 yards in his first two years, joining Eric Dickerson (Rams), Edgerrin James (Colts), Earl Campbell (Oilers) and Clinton Portis (Broncos).
Copyright (c) 2008 the International Herald Tribune
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