NFL Week 5 thread

In fairness to Jauron he is a very nice man.
Maybe the sweetest coach since Ted Marchibroda.
Sparano is a dick.

 

How long until Oakland starts printing Mariota jerseys?

 

Jauron is a great guy. Steve Mariucci was my favorite guy to deal with covering the NFL, but Jauron would be pretty high on that list.

I never dealt with Sparano, but I got the sense he was well-liked by the media in South Florida, at least for most of his run there.

 

Sparano showed that he was clueless in his one year as Jet OC. Showed
a complete lack of imagination in making it work for Tebow.

 

Sparano has been part of several firing purges and should have been part of ones in New York and Oakland. I don't think that's accidental.
For a guy who keeps getting jobs he has a poor resume.

 

I am reminded of what Red Auerbach said of Hank Finkel, who had the unfortunate duty of being Bill Russell's first replacement after Russell retired. "People aren't being fair to Finkel," Red said. "I ask them, if he was any better do you think we could have gotten him?"

 

It's an old boys' network among assistants. If you've been around awhile you have to be pretty bad if you can't get another (assistant) job.

People can say what they want about him getting another shot at being a HC, but he's just keeping the seat warm until the season is done. For him to be the HC next season, the Raiders would have to play .500 ball the rest of the season or have every coach offered the job turn it down. The second scenario is a lot more likely than the first.

 

The Raiders have a lot of money being freed up next season.
With that and a promising quarterback, they think this will be an attractive position.
I also think they're dumb enough to give it to Sparano if he coaches them up in the interim.

 

If you are a coach interested in the Raiders gig, you want major say in personnel, input on all football-related staffing and probably a significant hike in what they pay assistants. I don't know if there is anyone in the organization who should keep their job.
If the old timers and their kids want to come around on Sundays and talk about the old days fine - just don't give them a job and expect to win. That hasn't worked for 30 years.

 

For all the money in the world I don't think I could bring myself
to take orders from this guy.

 

Ever since Gruden left, the Raiders have been a collection of people who have a job at least one level higher than they could get anywhere in the world -- coaches, coordinators, GMs, scouts, ticket-sellers, everyone ... and now players too.

It's always going to be this way until Tommy Boy sells.

 

And, on cue ... Rich Gannon:

http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/11625246/rich-gannon-rants-oakland-raiders-embarrassed

"People out in Oakland, in that building, players, coaches, front office, people in business, accounting -- stealing," Gannon said. "They ought to give the check back. ... When you lose like that, how can you go to the bank and cash the check? Should be embarrassed. ... They're stealing. That's a problem."

Gannon said the problem has been building for the Raiders, who haven't had a winning record since 2002. Gannon last played for the Raiders in 2004.

"They have a sign in front of their building that says, 'Commitment to Excellence.' They ought to take it down. It's false advertising; [it should say] 'Commitment to Mediocrity,'" Gannon said. "It's a culture and environment that has existed for years. ... You let things slide, don't pay attention to detail ... and don't have a high degree of professionalism and account in that building, that's a problem."