Greetings, Supreme Nation!! Happy Belated Turkey Day!
Emperor have Mercy! The force is still damn strong with me! Didn’t I tell you Mr. Bed and Breakfast aka Tom Walsh would be clearing off his O.C. Desk soon?
Halluyah!halluyah! hallu-hallu-halluyah!
Yes, I know the man wasn’t the MAIN problem, but he WAS one of the BIGGEST problems..
Sure, we still have O-line breakdowns.. sure, we still have critical Quarterback turnovers .. sure,we still have Wide Receivers that lack passion…but maybe some of these issues will become more minor with the addition of our NEW Offensive Coordinator, (drumroll please) John Shoop. Shoop was the Raiders former Tight Ends coach and posted a great record with the NFC Chicago Bears and even lead them to a division title. Hey, I like him already. As long as he hasn’t been out of Football for a solid decade? I can respect the guy.
The following response was given by Master Art Shell, Tuesday:
“In this business, at times there are tough decisions that have to be made for the good of the football team. Today, I have made the difficult decision of replacing Tom Walsh as offensive coordinator of The Oakland Raiders with John Shoop for the rest of the season. Tom has been diligent in his effort to get our offense going in the right direction. In no way should the lack of a more successful offense be placed totally at his feet. Everyone plays a part in the success of any team. John Shoop has been a coordinator in the NFL and has achieved success, helping the Chicago Bears to a 13-3 record and the NFC Central Division title in 2001. We look forward to John’s input as we continue our goal of bringing the Raiders back to prominence.”
The only problem the Dark Lord of the Sith can now foresee is how we can remove Walsh from the entire Oakland Raiders staff. What is he going to be doing anyways? Tight Ends Coach? Grass Field Monitor? Team Breakfast Burrito Manager? Well, the man does have experience…

San Diego: Damn, was the weather great. The Game?… not so great. The ruling the Referees called on Vincent Jackson was the most horrendous call I have witnessed since the infamous Tuck rule Snow job. Ref’s be warned..Raider fans will not be nice in Oaktown..(big surprise) What can we do but look the other way and be thankful this game was meaningless as far as the Playoffs are concerned.
The Offense showed progression, the Defense played like it WAS a playoff game and the Special Teams continues to astonish Fans with some great runs given by my main man, Chris Carr. This Warrior always shows heart when others least expect it.
Other Observations…
A.Brooks: Stop forcing the Pass. In the 3rd Quarter, the Raiders had a shot at being up by 10 if you simply did not give up an Interception. That was the play call: Don’t give away an INT play. If it’s not there? Throw it away..simple. Instead? You gave ANOTHER critical Interception away like you were giving away Candy Canes on Christmas. That one play lead to a San Diego TD. Yes, I still believe you are the best man for the job..yes, I still respect your mobility..yes, I still believe you give the Raiders more strength than weakness @ QB.. but DO NOT take the Sith Lord’s compliments for granted! Complete the job and finish the game without turning the ball over, damnit. Otherwise, get the Saber toss.
John Madsen: 3 for 69? Good Job and welcome to the show, Rook. In time, we’ll know if the great catches were given to you due to the lack of interest given by the D OR if you simply wield a great gift in getting open..
Moss: Welcome back to catching the ball….(yawn.)
Sea Bass: That miss was inexcusable. You’re much better than that and still can make the Pro Bowl if you want it enough.
Captain Kirk and Thomas Howard: Both LB’s combined for 11 tackles and stopped LT for the most part until he started to pass and shift in the second half. Work for excellence, my Knights.
Nnamdi Asomugha: The sum of all evils expected 3 INT’s but only viewed one. Buy some damn paste, please…jam, scotch, fly paper, whatever…
Shane Lechler: Continue to impress and you’re on your way to Hawaii again…(perhaps Nnamdi too if he takes my advice)
Everyone else? I want more. Do so this Sunday against the Texans and the Dark Lord of the Sith shall buy you all silver Hummers for X-mas…
Hot Wheels, foos…Hot Wheels…
Pace!

It brings no pleasure to the Dark Lord of the Sith to tell you all; I told you so…
10-18-06:
“This Sith Lord thinks the answer is fairly obvious. Aaron Brooks aka Jimi “Dynamite” Walker is currently the better of the two [QB's] for now. In my mind, the guy never got a fair break. (see previous blogs) Hey, I like Good Times..I just hope the former Pro Bowler still has something left in the tank at the ripe old age of 30. You never know Nation, the force may shine upon this soul once again.” -DARTH RAIDER

Sure, he threw a pick at the end of the game..sure, we lost again..sure, he occasionally looks asleep in the huddles….has huge ears….but Brooks gave the Offense something they haven’t seen in a long, long time……
hope.
Those quick feet of his showed how the Offense can make up for the lack of skill on the Offensive line. I believe his mobility and accuracy could of been the difference in a AT LEAST 4 games this year. It was really surprising to me that no one really felt me on this one. Yes, he lost the first 2 games of the season, but you have to realize both Baltimore and the Steroid San Diegans had superb defenses. I only now ask the Nation to think about the other following games he could of made a difference in; San Francisco, Cleveland, Seattle, BOTH games against the Bronco’s…
I’m tellin’ ya…the man could of made a HUGE impact on his will alone.
Yes, I know you have awful Brooks stories from Nawleans…let it go, it’s a new team. All I’m trying to say is, AT THIS MOMENT, this Raider gives our team the best chance to win. Disagree and I shall destroy you..

Kind of like I shall one day destroy the unhappy Randy Moss… eh, never mind. I believe he is already destroying himself as it is. You want to be traded? FINE. The Oakland Raiders will soon accommodate you between now and next year. You want to go half speed because you’re unhappy about how things are? NOT FINE. When you play this game, you have to live by the philosophy given by Herman Edwards (back in the day) that doesn’t echo enough in today’s active NFL Player’s heads: “YOU PLAY TO WIN THE GAME!.. HELLO?”
I mean, that’s it..in a nutshell. You never play to lose. I don’t care if you’re 11-0 or 0-11, the focus must always remain the same. Winner’s never quit and quitter’s never win, Randy. We’re out of the Playoffs? So what, be a damn spoiler and crap on their winning parade. Brooks throws a pass away from you? AT LEAST you should run toward the ball, get called for P.I… ANYTHING would of been better than watching you give up on your route. COMPETE, DAMN YOU!
You had so much promise when you came here…you still have promise..but near the end, I believe we are all seeing what kind of player you truly are…a selfish player that only cares about himself. I see it….Rich Gannon can see it..the world can see it. If anything, you should at LEAST try to execute well for your future team…well..that is,until you’re unhappy again. A game, my A@@….show me something. Hell, show the Team something “Team Captain”..

Dear Tom Walsh, read and prepare to pack soon…
“The Raiders Defense is playing very well. They have some young guys who are good Athletes who play aggressively to the ball. But on the offensive side of the ball, it’s just the opposite. A polar opposite. It’s as bad as an offense as I’ve seen in a long, long time in the NFL. Maybe ever.”
-Rich Gannon
Dear Offensive line….read Rich’s other take and make progress…..
“They have some skill people on offense. You look at Randy Moss, LaMont Jordan, Jerry Porter. Those guys can play. But they can’t execute because they have no protection. When it comes to protection, they’ve got no clue.”
If the former MVP only could Announce every Raider game..hell, if only he could COACH every Raider game..

Defense? C’mon guys..you all can do better than that. Sure it was Master Larry Johnson, but you are all capable of being better run stoppers. Next time Secondary, I’d like to see some more picks.. the force is still strong with all of you…

Lamont and Gallery? I am truly sorry about your injuries and hope we can give you something to be proud to come back to next year.
One Nation under Darth…
-DR

Commander, tear this Offense apart until you’ve found new plans! And bring me Captain Breakfast, I want him alive!!!!!

Ahhhh, If it could only could be that damn easy. If only the Dark Lord of the Sith, Master of all Evil could truly make all that is wrong…right again with his power.
There would be no gaping holes in the Offensive Line..
There would be no more “Dropsy’s” from the Wides..
The Running Backs would actually produce…
The Tight Ends could actually block…
and the Quarterback would actually receive a great snap from Center to win it in the last 2 minutes of the game..
Ehh, these kind of hopes are the dreams of the weak. I’m ranting like I actually wield the power Telekinesis. (Wait..don’t I???)

Nation, We’re off, but not THAT far off from the looks of things last Sunday. We actually had a chance… a hell of a chance.The Line was blocking better, the Tight Ends were actually being used, the Quarterback had no INT’s and we were making great plays against a top seeded NFL team.
Andrew Walter was still off here and there, but his overall performance was actually somewhat uplifting. Sure it was another loss, but in this game, you HAVE to look for improvement every week. The man scrambled when he had to, used screens when he needed to, threw some pretty difficult passes and afterwards even told the media that the main problem was the lack of depth in the Playbook in the 2nd half….way to be honest, kid.
Hey, at least we all can agree on something. Walsh..it’s just a matter of time before we send you back to the Hotel, N2deep style. I have foreseen it. Hell, EVERYONE has foreseen it!! When the Fans, Defensive Linemen, Running Backs AND Quarterbacks actually all can agree on the negatives regarding Tom’s Tecmo Bowl Prehistoric Playbook??…I think we can all see where this is going…
The Offensive Line had their moments, but still have a ways to go.. 3 sacks is still 3 sacks. I guess what a lot of people don’t see is that the Bronco’s were not blitzing as much as Seattle and San Diego. It makes the mind ponder why Denver let up on attacking. Can we actually block well when we want to? Maybe Gallery should be hurt more often… just kidding, big guy..the Sith still believe in you…
Running Backs: Zack, you were quite effective and ALWAYS bring heart. I know the other Backs wanted more, but this game was your game to shine. Don’t worry Lamont..Fargas..there are still more games to prove your worth..

This just in. Randy..Randy..Randy…So it appears that we FINALLY know the main reason why he isn’t catching like an All Star..because he’s unhappy…..
yeah, unhappy. The following was his dismal excuse:
“Maybe because I’m unhappy and I’m not too excited about what’s going on, so my concentration and focus level tends to go down when I’m in a bad mood” Moss said Monday. “So all I can say is, if you put me in a good situation and make me happy… man, you get good results.”
Enter the man who I still think is a good Head Coach for our team…
“Is that what he said? Well, then that’s a problem he has. I don’t have that problem,” Shell said. “You hate to hear that. You hate to see that.”
Also…
“You’re paid to play a game you’ve played for many years and that you love and once you hit the field, you compete,” Shell said. “That’s the way Art Shell sees it.”
When Mr Unhappy was asked if he was the same player he was with the Vikings, Moss Added
“Given the opportunity to be myself and to make plays, a nine-year vet knowing that, no, I might not be able to do the things I used to do back in the day … if you give me some help I’ll show you something,” he said.
I’m sorry, Master Moss..I’m with Coach on this one. How do you think the team feels about losing? Ecstatic? Hey man..let’s be honest..the only REAL reason a player can’t make a play is because of himself. Take some responsibility for your actions once in a while, #18. Don’t worry, we’ll forgive you..
for now.
For the Emperor’s sake, give the man some Happy smoke..think that might do the trick, Randy? Ok, bad joke. Sorry…my bad. (see how easy that was?)

All of this banter does is make the Defense stronger. That’s right, you think they’re unhappy because the O crumbles and then proceed to mimic them on Game Day, Nation?!?!?
Watch the D’s body language next Sunday..
I sense they vented all of the frustration, anger, excuses, hatred,media BS, etc. and used it as fuel for their rage last Sunday.Thomas had 7 Tackles, Captain Kirk and Huff put in 6 and Nnamdi and Fabian continue to player hate on Quarterbacks and brang in a total of 4 Picks (yeah, 4! That Carr penalty was BS)
I wish there was a way to reward you all besides..
I’ll tell ya what, you keep sacking, picking and attacking and I’m giving you all brand new Galactic Starships. Hell, you guys don’t even need the Golden Lightsabers…you’re way too damn fierce as it is!

In closing, let’s scalp the Chiefs, my Empire and continue to work for improvement….
while being happy, I guess…
-DR

“If we don’t play good up front, we can’t do anything on offense. If we don’t give Andrew Walter time to do his job, we’re not going to get anything done…It’s on the line right now, like it’s been all year…”
-Robert Gallery

“Before you get started with anything, whether you run or pass, you got to block… we just didn’t do that tonight”
-Art Shell

“It really sucks at times when you’re right on the money in critiquing the worse Offense in the League, when you’re a fan of the Offense. At times, I’d rather burn my eyebrows, eat horse droppings, vote Republican or just stop watching Football all together and simply wallow in my own crapulence.”
-Darth Raider

LORD, you’d think that the names on Offense would of come together by now. Last year, you thought even though these names had their problems in the past few years, we’d still eventually get a Coach who can get these players to playing to their highest potential. “One day….maybe next season” you dreamed. You knew because these were the names that were often spoken of in high regard. You knew because you’ve seen them do great things. You knew because you knew in your heart, they were good…maybe even better than good. You knew because these were the names of past 1st round picks, previous Pro Bowlers and former workaholics of the game.You knew because these were the names that have showed me and other teams in past years; that if you went against them, you knew it was your ass….

because these were the names that used to mean something.

Hell, do I have to name them? They know who they are. You do too if you’re observant enough and watch the games twice like yours truly.You REALLY know if you’ve read previous Darth Raider blogs which I’m hoping you do, Fanboy.

The worse part about it? The negative peeps, Fantasy Football fans, Haters of the Nation, ESPN, etc. all want to chime in and tell me who THEY think is the real problem.Sure, I honor them in listening, even though I know they can never truly tell me ANYTHING about MY TEAM I don’t already know…

The line? I’ve been writing about ‘em since week 1. Walter? yup. The running game? Si. The lack of creative coaching? Shut your mouth. Moss? I swear I’m going to choke you without the power of the Dark….

sigh.

Solutions? Have a short a memory and Believe in yourself, my Oakland Raiders. With belief, there comes progression…with progression, there lies victory…

Fine you got beat…again. But learn from it, damnit…on a game by game basis. That’s all we can ask for now.
The defense is waiting for you to grow…
you owe them, the people who believed in you, the fans
and yourselves…

in making those names credible once again.

I will be forever watching you.

-DR