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Commitment to Excellence flying the friendly skies

By Rob Calonge | July 2, 2009 | Thoughts from the Dark Side

Photos courtesy of the Oakland Raiders

Last week, the Oakland Raiders officially became the subject for the paint job on an airplane that will never carry a passenger to the United States. The airline, Air Asia X, became an official sponsor of the Oakland Raiders not long ago and have unveiled the airplane to prove it. A few of the photos that exist of the plane have been cobbled together for this story. Patrick was the first to break the story on Examiner.com after the tail of the plane had been caught by the pop culture website jaunted.com....

Read more | 2 Comments | Tags: AFC, AFC West, Air Asia X, Cliff Branch, Mark Davis, NFL, Oakland Raiders, Raiders, Rod Martin, Ted Hendricks

Season Preview 2009 Minnesota Vikings

By Richie Denis | July 1, 2009 | Vikings War Cry

Anthony Chergosky from DailyNorseman.com gives us a look at the 2009 Minnesota Vikings. When you think of the 2009 Minnesota Vikings, two words probably enter your mind: Brett Favre. But when taking a look at the team, its chances of repeating as NFC North champs, and its opportunity to go further in the playoffs than it did last season, Favre is just the tip of the iceberg. All over the field and on both sides of the ball, the Vikings are a team built for success this season. This team's bread and butter is still its ability to run the...

Read more | Discuss | Tags: Brett Favre, Minnesota Vikings, Vikings

Kirk Morrison needs to step it up- Guest Writer

By LDizzle | July 1, 2009 | Thoughts from the Dark Side

MLB Kirk Morrison

After a couple of recent interviews, it has occured to our guest writer AJ Demello that Kirk Morrison may be a bit overrated. One of the articles from Just Blog Baby called "Thoughts on Kirk Morrison", inspired him to put together an argument that may just directly contradict the opinions expressed in that article. He goes out on a limb in his opinion on Morrison and his thoughts on the overall opinion held by the Raider Nation. Carefully laying out the reasons why he thinks the Raiders middle line backer needs his play to catch up with his talk. And he thinks you should take the same critical eye when analyzing Morrison's production and leadership....

Read more | 12 Comments | Tags: AFC, AFC West, Al Davis, Darrius Heyward-Bey, Dwaine Board, JaMarcus Russell, John Marshall, Keyshawn Johnson, Kirk Morrison, Kwame Harris, Mike Mitchell, NFL, Oakland Raiders, Rome is Burning, Sam Williams, Tom Cable

Raiders Superbowl XI: Ballers and Busters, Offense

By LDizzle | June 30, 2009 | Thoughts from the Dark Side

John Madden carried off the field after Super Bowl XI

For those of you who are familiar with my Ballers and Busters series, you know how this works. I put out the list of those players who were part of the solution and those who were part of the problem. Not everyone gets a mention because these two lists are reserved for those who really stood out, either to get credit for their accomplishments or blame for their shortcomings. In this case, though, instead of breaking down the game of the week (since there isn't one), we turn back the clock to 1977 and the Raiders' first Superbowl win....

Read more | 6 Comments | Tags: AFC, AFC West, Al Davis, Art Shell, Carl Garrett, Clarence Davis, Cliff Branch, Dave Casper, Dave Dalby, Dwight Clark, Fred Biletnikoff, Gene Upshaw, Joe Montana, John Madden, John Vella, Ken Stabler, Mark Van Eeghen, Minnesota Vikings, NFL, Oakland Raiders, Pete Banaszak, Pro Football Hall of Fame, Purple People Eater, Superbowl MVP, Superbowl XI, Zach Miller

NFL Top 10: The Best Offseason Moves Not Made

By Greg Trippiedi | June 30, 2009 | MVN Outsider

We tend to judge coaches by how their actions effect games. We tend to judge front office types by their acquisitions. These are fair game of course, but the best offseason moves are often the ones that weren't made.In today's NFL Top 10 column, we'll take a look back at all aspects of the offseason, and narrow down just ten player personnel moves that were not made, and how the discussed party is much better off.10. The Detroit Lions pass on an offensive lineman in the first round of the NFL DraftThis is coming from a man who thinks that Jason Smith should have been the pick at No. 1, the prior Lions regime might have decided that after taking Matthew Stafford at No. 1, the No. 20 pick should have been the best lineman available. And even with OT Michael Oher available, the Lions decided that TE Brandon Pettigrew...

Read more | 2 Comments | Tags: Arizona Cardinals, Baltimore Ravens, Cleveland Browns, Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers, NFL Top 10, Oakland Raiders, Philadelphia Eagles, San Francisco 49ers, Washington Redskins

Under the Raider: Michael Bush

By Patrick Patterson | June 30, 2009 | Thoughts from the Dark Side

Photo by Patrick A. Patterson/TFDSsports.com

Michael Bush was drafted by the Oakland Raiders out of the University of Louisville in the fourth round of the 2007 draft. He was unable to play his rookie season, as he recovered from a broken leg, however the Raiders will be expecting big things from him in the 2009 season.

Read more | 7 Comments | Tags: Adrian Peterson, Darren McFadden, Kansas City Chiefs, Michael Bush, NFL, Oakland Raiders, Raiders, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Could the Raiders end up with another Heisman runner?

By Rob Calonge | June 30, 2009 | Thoughts from the Dark Side

While researching an article for Examiner.com, I came across an interesting quote from a player thought to be a favorite in the coming season's Heisman voting. It's no secret that Al Davis loves three things in a football player: speed, Heisman trophies, and Super Bowl MVP winners. It's an added bonus if the player is a legacy, (a son of a great NFL player), or he's a Raiders fan as a kid.

Read more | 2 Comments | Tags: Adimchinobe Echemandu, AFC, AFC West, Cal Bears, California Golden Bears, Darren McFadden, Jahvid Best, Justin Fargas, Louis Rankin, Marcus Allen, MIchael Bush, NFL, Oakland Raiders, Raiders, Rod Woodson

Three New Coaches Will Help Cable and Raiders Offense Significantly: Guest writer

By Patrick Patterson | June 29, 2009 | Thoughts from the Dark Side

Photo by Patrick A. Patterson/TFDSsports.com

On behalf of Rob and Dizzle, I would like to introduce you to the newest member of the TFDS family, AJ DeMello. DeMello has covered the Raiders and the NFL on Bleacher Report as well as his own personal blog.Today, DeMello looks at the a few of the additions to the Oakland Raiders coaching staff and explains his thoughts on the enormous effect it should have on the offense....

Read more | 11 Comments | Tags: California Golden Bears, Califronia, Chad Pennington, Greg Knapp, Jim Michalczik, Joe Montana, Lane Kiffin, NFL, Oakland Raiders, Paul Hackett, Raider News, Raiders, Raiders News, Sanjay Lal, Steve Sarkisian, ted tollner, Tom cable

NFL Top 10: The Best Offseason Moves Not Made

By Greg Trippiedi | June 30, 2009 | MVN Outsider

NFL Great Debates: What to Do with Michael Vick?

By Staff Report | May 26, 2009 | MVN Outsider

NFL Outsider's Greg Trippiedi and Anthony Brown debate the issue: Which team is the best spot for Michael Vick if he overcomes the enormous hurdles necessary to get on the field this year?Greg Trippiedi says Vick shouldn't be a starting quarterback:It's pretty clear that Michael Vick is not going to have a job waiting for him when he gets back. He's 29 years old -- too old and too young in different ways. Vick's open field running abilities were already in decline when we last saw him, and that was in 2006. But that doesn't mean he won't stick somewhere. He's still got a good five or six seasons ahead of him as an effective athlete. The question though remains: Where will Michael Vick fit in, and who will take a chance on him? I don't think Vick is a good fit on a team with a clear need...Read more

Read more | 2 Comments | Tags: NFL

NFL Crystal Ball: The Oakland Raiders Finally Seem to be on the Right Track

By Greg Trippiedi | May 10, 2009 | MVN Outsider

The Raiders will not win 8 games in 2009. They might not even win 6. And it's still hard to justify most decisions the team makes. But during my early summer studies of team offseasons and long term plans, I was able to make a few clear observations about the Raiders, and for the first time since even before the Super Bowl year, they appear to be going in the right direction.Now, before I begin, you have to understand that "right track" is a completely relative term. In NFL history, no organization was ever as inept as the Raiders have been from the day they traded Jon Gruden to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers until sometime earlier this year, 2009. That was seven years of the most inept decision making ever in pro football. For years, the Raiders lost, and lost, and lost, but were so out of touch with reality,...Read more

Read more | 17 Comments | Tags: NFL, Oakland Raiders

NFL Great Debates: Harvin, Freeman Draft Busts?

By Staff Report | May 1, 2009 | MVN Outsider

NFL Outsider's Greg Trippiedi and Anthony Brown debate the issue: Which first round draft pick is likely to be a bust with his new team?Greg Trippiedi says Percy Harvin will struggle in Minnesota:Of all 32 of the players selected in the first round of the 2009 draft, historical statistics show that between five and six are unlikely to do anything in the NFL whatsoever. The riskier positions tend to be defensive lineman and wide receiver.I happen to think that this is a particularly good year for defensive linemen. There will be a pure pass rusher or two who busts, but the interior guys, and prototypical 4-3 defensive ends (Raji, Jerry, Orakpo) seem as safe as they've ever been. Receiver Michael Crabtree is every bit the prospect that Calvin Johnson was, and Johnson was great in Detroit this year on a team that didn't win.There's one player who I think who...Read more

Read more | 21 Comments | Tags: Minnesota Vikings, New York Jets, NFL, NFL Draft, Oakland Raiders, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Five Questions: Talking Draft Winners, Heyward-Bey, Stafford and More

By Anthony Hall | April 29, 2009 | MVN Outsider

Who emerged from last weekend as a "winner" of the NFL Draft? Which first round quarterback (Stafford, Sanchez, Freeman) will have the best career in the NFL? And what on earth were the Oakland Raiders thinking? The NFL Draft left behind a plethora of unanswered questions, so to talk more about the weekend in football, we sat down with NFL blogger Reid Kerr of NFL Examiner, who was tracking the draft every step of the way with his Official Unofficial 2009 NFL Draft Timeline. Here's what Reid had to say about the draft in the latest installment of NFL Outsider's "Five Questions" series: 1. Give us a team and a player that you think have emerged from the weekend as "draft winners."Both of my main winners came through predraft trades. I think the Falcons adding Tony Gonzalez for a second round pick was a great move. The Eagles had a...Read more

Read more | Discuss | Tags: Atlanta Falcons, Detroit Lions, Houston Texans, New York Jets, NFL, NFL Draft, Oakland Raiders, Philadelphia Eagles

NFL Outsider's Draft Winners and Losers

By Greg Trippiedi | April 27, 2009 | MVN Outsider

Tomorrow, we'll take a look at process points to see who had the best draft objectively. Right now, I'm just going to give some off the cuff reaction on some teams that did really well and others who did not so well.Winners1. Arizona CardinalsI was amazed with the quality of player drafted by the Cardinals. They never moved up or down in the draft, but still managed to have great draft position to land great values at positions of need in every single round. Every one of their draft picks, except for RB LaRod Stephens-Howling, an intriguing prospect, was on the MVN Top 150 big board. There should be between 5-6 full time starters in this draft, and the Cardinals figure to be the class of their division in the next few seasons.2. Cleveland BrownsConversely, the Browns traded down three times in round one, and ended up picking four times...Read more

Read more | 3 Comments | Tags: Arizona Cardinals, Carolina Panthers, Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns, Dallas Cowboys, Detroit Lions, New England Patriots, NFL, NFL Draft, Oakland Raiders, Pittsburgh Steelers, San Diego Chargers, San Francisco 49ers, Washington Redskins

Derrick Williams, Jarron Gilbert, Jared Cook Lead Round 3 Recap

By Greg Trippiedi | April 26, 2009 | MVN Outsider

Process points become negligible after the first day, so lets look at round three and the players that each team got in the middle of the draft.65. New York Jets -- Shonn Green, RB, IowaThe Jets traded up for this pick, so the Green pick was really disappointing. I didn't think he was anywhere near the best available, and with this being the first pick of the day, I expected a great pick here.66. St. Louis Rams -- Bradley Fletcher, CB, Iowa67. Kansas City Chiefs -- Alex Magee, DE, PurdueThe Chiefs pick their second 3-4 DE of the draft. So what does this mean for Glenn Dorsey? Will he split time with Magee and Tyson Jackson, or is he already on his way out?68. Chicago Bears -- Jarron Gilbert, DE, San Jose StateChicago moves forward looking for best player available, while making sure to add a defensive lineman every year. ...Read more

Read more | Discuss | Tags: NFL, NFL Draft

Alphonzo Smith Trade, Rey Maualuga, Pat White Highlight NFL Draft's Second Round

By Greg Trippiedi | April 26, 2009 | MVN Outsider

The second round of the 2009 NFL draft was fronted by some high profile trades. Both the Panthers and the Broncos traded first round picks in 2010 for players they had first round grades on, but drafted in the second round. Pat White ended up getting drafted by the consummate "Wildcat" offense, which seems like a good fit, if not a reach. Inside linebackers Rey Maualuga and James Laurinaitis slipped through the first round, but got drafted by teams in the second with defensive issues. They'll step in right away and help those situations.However, it was some lesser known prospects who will be the story of the second round in a few years.33. Detroit Lions -- Louis Delmas, S, Western MichiganDelmas is a local product who was clearly head and shoulders above all the other safeties in this draft. After going with the QB with a steep developmental curve in...Read more

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