RAIDERS Vs. NINERS... 0-6!!!!
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Ann Killion
CSNBayArea.com
Over here in the non-euphoria section of the Bay Area sports world, we’re getting ready for the Embarrassment Bowl: a regular season meeting between our two woeful NFL teams.
Once every four years, when inter-conference play dictates, we get the chance to measure the 49ers and Raiders side-by-side.
While this should, in theory, be a fun and entertaining event, it’s become a depressing exercise in learning who stinks less.
In 2000 and 2002 -- when both teams were actually functioning with a high degree of competence -- the games appropriately went to overtime, with each team winning on the road. In 2006, we learned that Mike Nolan’s lousy 49ers team stunk less than Art Shell’s historically bad Raiders team.
So going into Sunday’s game at Candlestick Park, who stinks less?
Obviously, it’s the Raiders. Oakland is 2-3, while the 49ers are 0-5. The Raiders are coming off a huge victory over the Chargers, the first time they’ve beaten San Diego in seven years.
The 49ers are coming off another helping of misery.
How else do the two teams compare in important areas?
QUARTERBACK (AND CONTINGENCY PLAN)
The Raiders have two quarterbacks who have proven they can win a game. The 49ers have one quarterback who proves every week that he can’t.
Bruce Gradkowski, who is back to starting this week after leaving the game with an injury last week, has that intangible element that is useful for the less physically gifted quarterbacks in the league: he has an innate ability to rally his team. Jason Campbell has more tools and appears to be finding his comfort zone. He came off the bench to lead the team against San Diego.
Alex Smith? No rallying ability. No comfort zone. Right now -- nothing, including no viable backup option.
Edge: Raiders
COACH (AND CONTINGENCY PLAN)
Tom Cable and Mike Singletary earned their jobs the same way: they happened to be sitting nearby when their boss got fired. Since their respective interim ascendance in 2008, Cable has gone 11-22 while Singletary has a 13-17 record.
Edge: Raiders
Singletary hasn’t gotten more praise, as a leader and deep-voiced motivator. But Cable is holding his ow. He has, without question, more difficult working circumstances. Less control over his situation. He’s been on the hot seat every second that he’s had the job. Until the past week, Singletary’s security has never been questioned.
While no genius, Cable clearly has a better grasp of technical football than Singletary. He’s been a head coach before, an offensive coordinator, an offensive line coach. Singletary has never had to make a game plan.
And in the event of total failure? Well, of course Al Davis has a backup plan. He brought in Hue Jackson and the obvious assumption is that if he fires Cable, Jackson – who has extensive experience running offenses – would inherit the job. If the 49ers feel the need to fire Singletary – and according to Dadgum Yahoo reports, they might be - there isn’t another truly qualified candidate in the building.
Edge: Raiders
FRONT OFFICE DECISION-MAKING
This is when you know the 49ers are in real trouble – when they’re making Al Davis look like the sane and rational owner in the area. Normally, I’m not a fan of Davis’ impulsive and punitive style of management. His constant coaching turnover since Jon Gruden left has led to a lack of stability and hurt his team.
But, in contrast to the 49ers stagnation, I admire Davis’ sense of urgency. His willingness to make change when things aren’t working. I thought pride and finances would prompt him to hold onto JaMarcus Russell. I was wrong. Davis jettisoned the useless quarterback. Meanwhile, the 49ers - in Years Six – continue to “exhaust everything with Alex Smith,” as Singletary said Monday.
Davis, for all his faults, truly does want to win, baby. He feels the intense pressure of the league. The York’s 49ers? They act like they’re running a NFL preschool, where their coach and quarterback (and owners) can get their feet wet and learn before heading off to the real NFL.
The Raiders are essentially a one-man operation, run by one of the legends of the league. There’s talk that the NFL has passed Davis by. But the 49ers are a team running without any expertise, without any proven NFL veteran. Better to be passed by than to never be plugged in at all.
Edge: Raiders
Conclusion? The Raiders aren’t a very good team. But they’re the best NFL team we have right now.
Tags: Oakland Raiders, San Francisco 49ers, Tom Cable, Mike Singletary
Read more: Killion: 49ers-Raiders, Who Has the Edge?
Tune to SportsNet Central at 6, 10:30 and midnight on Comcast SportsNet Bay Area for more on this story
CSNBayArea.com
Over here in the non-euphoria section of the Bay Area sports world, we’re getting ready for the Embarrassment Bowl: a regular season meeting between our two woeful NFL teams.
Once every four years, when inter-conference play dictates, we get the chance to measure the 49ers and Raiders side-by-side.
While this should, in theory, be a fun and entertaining event, it’s become a depressing exercise in learning who stinks less.
In 2000 and 2002 -- when both teams were actually functioning with a high degree of competence -- the games appropriately went to overtime, with each team winning on the road. In 2006, we learned that Mike Nolan’s lousy 49ers team stunk less than Art Shell’s historically bad Raiders team.
So going into Sunday’s game at Candlestick Park, who stinks less?
Obviously, it’s the Raiders. Oakland is 2-3, while the 49ers are 0-5. The Raiders are coming off a huge victory over the Chargers, the first time they’ve beaten San Diego in seven years.
The 49ers are coming off another helping of misery.
How else do the two teams compare in important areas?
QUARTERBACK (AND CONTINGENCY PLAN)
The Raiders have two quarterbacks who have proven they can win a game. The 49ers have one quarterback who proves every week that he can’t.
Bruce Gradkowski, who is back to starting this week after leaving the game with an injury last week, has that intangible element that is useful for the less physically gifted quarterbacks in the league: he has an innate ability to rally his team. Jason Campbell has more tools and appears to be finding his comfort zone. He came off the bench to lead the team against San Diego.
Alex Smith? No rallying ability. No comfort zone. Right now -- nothing, including no viable backup option.
Edge: Raiders
COACH (AND CONTINGENCY PLAN)
Tom Cable and Mike Singletary earned their jobs the same way: they happened to be sitting nearby when their boss got fired. Since their respective interim ascendance in 2008, Cable has gone 11-22 while Singletary has a 13-17 record.
Edge: Raiders
Singletary hasn’t gotten more praise, as a leader and deep-voiced motivator. But Cable is holding his ow. He has, without question, more difficult working circumstances. Less control over his situation. He’s been on the hot seat every second that he’s had the job. Until the past week, Singletary’s security has never been questioned.
While no genius, Cable clearly has a better grasp of technical football than Singletary. He’s been a head coach before, an offensive coordinator, an offensive line coach. Singletary has never had to make a game plan.
And in the event of total failure? Well, of course Al Davis has a backup plan. He brought in Hue Jackson and the obvious assumption is that if he fires Cable, Jackson – who has extensive experience running offenses – would inherit the job. If the 49ers feel the need to fire Singletary – and according to Dadgum Yahoo reports, they might be - there isn’t another truly qualified candidate in the building.
Edge: Raiders
FRONT OFFICE DECISION-MAKING
This is when you know the 49ers are in real trouble – when they’re making Al Davis look like the sane and rational owner in the area. Normally, I’m not a fan of Davis’ impulsive and punitive style of management. His constant coaching turnover since Jon Gruden left has led to a lack of stability and hurt his team.
But, in contrast to the 49ers stagnation, I admire Davis’ sense of urgency. His willingness to make change when things aren’t working. I thought pride and finances would prompt him to hold onto JaMarcus Russell. I was wrong. Davis jettisoned the useless quarterback. Meanwhile, the 49ers - in Years Six – continue to “exhaust everything with Alex Smith,” as Singletary said Monday.
Davis, for all his faults, truly does want to win, baby. He feels the intense pressure of the league. The York’s 49ers? They act like they’re running a NFL preschool, where their coach and quarterback (and owners) can get their feet wet and learn before heading off to the real NFL.
The Raiders are essentially a one-man operation, run by one of the legends of the league. There’s talk that the NFL has passed Davis by. But the 49ers are a team running without any expertise, without any proven NFL veteran. Better to be passed by than to never be plugged in at all.
Edge: Raiders
Conclusion? The Raiders aren’t a very good team. But they’re the best NFL team we have right now.
Tags: Oakland Raiders, San Francisco 49ers, Tom Cable, Mike Singletary
Read more: Killion: 49ers-Raiders, Who Has the Edge?
Tune to SportsNet Central at 6, 10:30 and midnight on Comcast SportsNet Bay Area for more on this story
the weather guy at nfl.com is a funny dude, I bet he has himself a few drinks before doing the show.
http://www.nfl.com/videos/oakland-raiders/09000d5d81b5419c/Weather-update-Raiders-vs-49ers
http://www.nfl.com/videos/oakland-raiders/09000d5d81b5419c/Weather-update-Raiders-vs-49ers