Not all the media thinks this was a bad move.
Dave Bernstein
CSNCalifornia.com
Since when did “Just Win Baby” become “Just Win Enough to Not Make Us Embarrassing”?
The uproar over Tom Cable getting fired is predictable. The organization has been a national laughingstock for the better part of a decade. Suddenly, an 8-8 performance in 2010 and Tom Cable is a genius. But what exactly did Tom Cable do better in 2010 versus 2009? Well, for one he had better players to work with and those players on offense were strategically coached by Hue Jackson. So, who really deserves the credit?
[GUTIERREZ: Firestorm response to Cable decision]
When Jackson was brought on last year, everyone in the Bay Area saw the writing on the wall unless Cable’s guys could get to the playoffs. They didn’t. They didn’t because the Raiders could not beat the brutally bad NFC West. The Cardinals and 49ers took turns beating Oakland and they combined for 11 wins this year. If the Raiders win those games, they are in the playoffs. They didn’t. If your team is playoff caliber and is coached well enough, you don’t lose to those two teams. I know it’s completely unfair to point to two games and say that’s where the season was lost. Sure, reliable Sebastian Janikowski missed the game-winning field goal against Arizona. A well-coached team shouldn’t be in that position.
[RATTO: Cable's future in Oakland doomed all along]
Tom Cable isn’t the man to take the Raiders to the next level. He’s a solid football man and obviously he’s loved by his players. But even listening to Shane Lechler blister the decision to let Cable go, it sounded more like he was tired of the turnover at the head spot. It didn’t altogether sound like he was saying Tom Cable was the guy to take us to the playoffs. He is tired of losing, I get that. But 8-8 is NOT winning. It’s just not LOSING. “Just Win Baby” isn’t a mantra that treads water.
[RELATED: Cable out as Raiders head coach]
Al Davis isn’t getting any younger. At 81, he knows this thing needs to hit an upswing soon so he can build another winner. If everyone is okay with 8-8, then there’s a major issue with the big picture. Years of losing and being a punchline can take a toll on the fan base. But Al Davis wasn’t okay with mediocrity and so the “search” for a new coach is underway. I’d be beyond shocked if Hue Jackson isn’t the choice as would almost everyone else. Jackson’s time has come to be the lead dog to see what he can do with full command. The offense in recent years looked lost, mostly because of JaMarcus Russell. But Jackson turned around the attitude of this team and made smash-mouth football an almost every week occurrence.
Hue Jackson seems to have the respect of the players on the team. Both Jacoby Ford and Quentin Groves were in the Comcast SportsNet studios on Tuesday and spoke highly of Jackson. Kate Longworth caught up with Bruce Gradkowski, perceived to be a “Cable Guy” and even he acknowledged what Jackson brought to the team: Spark, Energy & Fire. That tells me all I need to know. Tom Cable was calling the plays before Jackson came along, so saying that Hue brought spark, energy and fire is an indictment on Cable. If Cable stopped running the offense and the team could still only manage 8-8, maybe Cable wasn’t the leader everyone is pumping him up to be.
At the end of the day, Al Davis has the only hammer that matters. Al Davis wanted this team back in the playoffs. By not bringing back Tom Cable, he thinks Cable was the reason they are watching football this weekend rather than playing. Al Davis is probably right. After all “Just Win Baby” means winning a title, not winning 8 games to break even. While most people don’t agree with most of the decisions that come out of the Raiders offices, surely everyone can agree mediocrity is not acceptable.