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Thoughts from the Dark Side
Rob Ryan talks with Amy Trask (Photo by Patrick A. Patterson/MVN.com)
Raiders break their silence on the Kiffin-Ryan coaching controversy, kind of
Rumor and innuendo have surrounded the Oakland Raiders coaching staff and have festered in the hearts and minds of the Raider nation since the close of the regular season. Rob Ryan has been fired. Ryan has not been fired. Lane Kiffin is not happy and going to quit. Other than a terse memo that said no more than Rob Ryan has not been fired, the Raider organization has been more quiet than a Zen Master in meditation. That silence has only fueled the speculation further. Finally, reporters at the Senior Bowl got comments from both Lane Kiffin and Rob Ryan that seemed to amount to not much more than don’t ask.
Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee got this comment from the Bee’s 49er correspondent who is in Mobile, Alabama covering the Senior Bowl who asked Kiffin about the bruhaha and Kiffin had this reply, “I didn’t really know about those rumors until you told me. Obviously there are no issues there. We’re just looking forward to having a really good week and playing well.”
David White of the San Francisco Chronicle was able to get the following though one of his colleagues:
Question: Is Rob-O coming back for the 2008 season? Kiffin: “Rob has a contract with the Raiders and he’ll be back. He’ll be our coordinator and we’re excited about that.”
Vaughn then tackled Ryan, which is no easy task for those familiar with Ryan’s measurables. He got a quick taste of Ryan’s interview policy (when in doubt, cuss).
Question: Everything cool with you and Kiff?
Ryan: “Everything’s been cool. Some reporters don’t know s—, so they make a story out of nothing. I’ll be back absolutely. If they want to win a championship, they’ve got to keep us both together.”
There you have it, Kif
From Kiffin’s responses one would have to wonder if he ever reads the newspaper. (Its obvious he does not read Thoughts from the Dark Side.) These rumors have been the talk of the Nation for a good month, yet he hasn’t heard them. Maybe Coach Kiffin needs to come out of the film room on occasion and see the world.
Ryan’s answer whilst much more blunt, is in keeping with the Raider Way. He essentially blames the media for inventing the story and blowing it out of proportion. Although, there is an underlying smugness to his response which gives an appearance that he is deeply entrenched.
It appears that despite the rumor mill on methamphetimines, the Raiders coaching staff will be intact for the 2008 season. Stay tuned to Thoughts from the Dark Side for thoughts and analysis on any and all developments in the Raider Nation.
I provided a Rival Fan’s take on the Kansas City Chiefs for The Home of the Chiefs page here on MVN.com. Check it out and let those Chiefs fans know how the Nation Represents!
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20 Responses to “Raiders break their silence on the Kiffin-Ryan coaching controversy, kind of”
January 24th, 2008 at 7:23 am
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January 24th, 2008 at 1:17 pm
So - is there really a story here? It doesn’t sound like it, as this sounds like an internal arguement that the media got ahold of.
If the news would broadcast every disagreement or arguement I have with my co-woirkers, then I could see how this could be overblown and made to sound worse than it is. When you work together, you have disagreements on how to achieve the best results - it doesn’t have to be a national story, does it?
January 24th, 2008 at 1:41 pm
Just watching the NFL Network’s coverage of the Senior Bowl with the Raiders coaching staff has shown me that the team is headed in the right direction for the first time in a few years. All of this rumor milling is just another way others want to keep the Raiders down. Doesn’t everyone know that when the Raiders are good, that it makes for a more interesting League? If Al let’s Kif handle the upcoming draft with no interference, then I truly believe that this upcoming season will be a leap from the last few.
January 24th, 2008 at 4:55 pm
That fiasco is in the past man, move on from it already! Go Raiders!!! We will be the talk of the draft once again! U just wait n see!
January 24th, 2008 at 5:01 pm
Ryan should have been fired. Everyone knows that!!! Let Kiffin bring in Raheem Morris from Tampa to install the Tampa 2 and were set to go. Al Davis, for some reason believes in this man for some reason when the defense really hasn’t done nothing since he’s been there. If Kiffin could coach the way he needs to, the Raiders would win at least 7 games next season.
January 24th, 2008 at 5:40 pm
It’s not R.Ryan’s fault that his defense took a downward spiral its AL Davis who is killin this proud franchise he insist on a man to man coverage this aint the 70’s and 80’s no more AL needs to let Rob Ryan install his full potential of his 46 version of Defense Ryan is just utilizing the players he’s got to suit AL’s needs maybe it’s time AL step aside and let the new breeds in hell Amy Trask could prolly run the organization better now lol well until AL croaks over are gets Alzhiemers were pretty much in a sunken boat that Davis insist is just a minor problem
January 25th, 2008 at 4:32 am
u r a moron. do you know anything about the raiders???
January 25th, 2008 at 7:44 am
Dude!!! For real, the top # # Defense over the last 3-4 yrs and you “reporters” believe that Al and the Raiders are going to let Ryan roll out like that…???
No way!! He said, and so now ITS DONE!!
Al needs to pass on before any True Raiders fan can get the respect that we all need…Yes he did build it..but there comes a time when you need to walk away from it…
January 25th, 2008 at 8:46 am
The raiders suck!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
January 25th, 2008 at 9:20 am
The Raiders will never return to the top again until Al Davis is out of the way, and a new direction is in place,starting at the top..Al still want s to live in the 60’s , 70’s and early 80’s, and by staying in the past,he is keeping the team from moving forward.
I have been a Raiders fan since 1968, and I am telling you, we can have all the first round picks you want, we can sign all the big name free agents and build an all star team, we can hire a new coach also every year, but this will not change the win , loss record..What needs to take place starts by Al Davis stepping down, and when that day happens, us Raiders faithful will once again see the Raiders winning consistently..but this will not happen till then..
Perry
January 25th, 2008 at 9:41 am
Your Mother sucks
January 25th, 2008 at 9:58 pm
Man this sucks,I believe that kiffin has us headed in the right direction,I believe that this defense is a run stopping safety away from being the best in football,and I believe that Kiff SHOULD have that much control over signings and his staff,because I dont care if he is 62 or 32,the guy knows football,and these guys believe in him…give him 2 more years and we are a consistent playoff team…The talent we bring in will determine if it goes further than that…Al is an idiot,I appreciate what he did for this franchise,he built the greatest franchise in the world,one I love more than anything,and one that when good,is great for football and for the league,but until he goes away,be it by dyin,or finally growing enough to step down,I dont know if we will ever be good again… GO RAIDERS,no matter if we are 4-12 every year til the day I die,I will always bleed silver and black…
January 25th, 2008 at 10:00 pm
And it is fine to bring ryan back if we get a run stopping safety besides stewart(I dont wrap up) schweigert…and a big run stuffin DT(sam adams is available!)
January 26th, 2008 at 1:04 am
Don’t be so quick to believe these ESPN reports. Even as someone who has no clue about the situation, you can hear the speculation in their voice (Craig Mortensen).
I think Al doesn’t like reporters because he is from the old school. I don’t think he trusts many people either. Reporters these days turn words around and double cross you. Al knows he is one of the pioneers of this sport and doesn’t put up with that crap. That’s why you’ll never see him on ESPN’s Sunday Conversation. He doesn’t respect the media and he’s not gonna bow down to a two faced columnist or reporter. So he doesn’t respond to their emails and calls. What do they do? They make up stuff and turn little things into a soap opera.
January 28th, 2008 at 11:09 am
In order to start bringing more W’s in our win column, we got to keep Kiffin and Ryan together for many more seasons, ya see, yeah we were 4-12, but easily could have been 6-10, or 7-9, ask all the defensive players, they all love Ryan to death, Kiffin also has respect, all we need is a better d-line to help Burgess stop the run, ( Glenn Dorsey, Chris Long) and a free agent veteren Wide out, with Russell ar our long term QB, we are gonna be just fine, and call me crazy, but I really believe we will win a 4th championship before Al is gone…..
January 28th, 2008 at 11:14 am
And I also think we should already have 4 rings, cuz in those 2001 playoffs, the NFL decided to invent a new rule during that snow game, and screwed us over, we would of beat Pittsburgh and St. Louis that year, and been in back to back Superbowls, only losing that one to a Ex-coach(who knew all our plays) Gruden and the Bucs in 2002…..
January 28th, 2008 at 1:19 pm
al needs to go on a neverending nap. his time has come and gone he looks like my grandma
January 28th, 2008 at 1:22 pm
al needs to go away the charges, cheifs and broncos suck and will for years to come, now is the chance we need a real coach with some cohonase-like boo mcoo
January 29th, 2008 at 11:25 am
b-lok is may man
January 30th, 2008 at 4:14 pm
Well,despite the rumors or not I think Mr. Kiffin should take a walk. I’m sorry I don’t think he has the balls to coach the raiders.
I also think, there should be a change at the offense and defense coordinators jobs. For to long now we have been trying to much of the same s–t. No risk taking,no fire,and Mr, Davis should choose a coach and let him do his job. I’m a fan until the day I die and beyond, so please get it together. I hope during the off season we focus on protection for the quarterback and stopping the run. I’m just an armchair coach but I hope we work on keeping alot of the talent we have,and developing some team loyalty. The raiders have used up some good players and just thrown them away,we need to stop this practice. I am very sorry if I have offended any fellow raider nation citizen, but I just had to express my opinion.
Thank you
Dan
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