The Black Hole

One Nation under Al. "The massive Raider Nation is beyond doubt the sleaziest and rudest and most sinister mob of thugs and wackos ever assembled." ~ Hunter S. Thompson This blog used to be about a football team. Now, it is about a way of life.

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Stand up.

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Las Vegas Raiders announce Sandra Douglass Morgan as new president

“It is the honor of a lifetime to join the Raiders at one of the most defining times in the team’s history,” said Morgan.

Even with some of the shady business / rumors surrounding the organization recently (e.g. potential sexual harassment cases, financial issues, and a revolving door of presidents, among others), I still think this represents more than just a publicity stunt and instead is a genuine effort to put someone in charge who will have the willpower and respect to change things within the organization. Watching her press conference, it was very clear that Morgan is the real deal and a true professional who make this franchise into a powerhouse on the business-side of the organization. Paired with Mark + Ziegler and McDaniels, the greatness of the Raiders indeed remains in their (very near) future!

A big congratulations to Sandra Douglass Morgan for being the first black female executive in the NFL! Welcome to the Raider Nation, Sandra!

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Mark Davis: "I believe in Colin Kaepernick" - ProFootballTalk

As coaches were being asked about the ongoing absence of quarterback Colin Kaepernick from the NFL, we had a simple suggestion.Ask the owners.After all, they’re the ones who are keeping him out. They’re the ones who decided (collectively, allegedly) to not employ him after he exercised his right to protest during the national anthem throughout [more]

While Kaepernick hasn’t always been entirely consistent or coherent in making his message, the overall movement he has inspired / been a part of is still a worthy one. And while I can’t speak to whether he can still play the game at a high level, at the end of the day there are more important things than football and he will be remembered not so much as a great player, but more as an ordinary person who did great things in trying to bring attention to what are some serious issues surrounding policing, racial profiling, and gun violence in this country. As usual, glad to see Mark Davis and the Raiders standing up for what’s right.

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Not a Chargers fan, but I’ll definitely be flying their colors for the foreseeable future. The world is behind you in support, Ukraine!

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CRAZIEST FUCKING GAME I HAVE EVER SEEN IN MY LIFE, CHARGERS SHOULDN’T HAVE TAKEN THAT TIMEOUT, NO CHANCE IN THE DANCE FOR LA!

RRRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAIIIIIIIIIIIIDDDDERS!

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"But it was one act of kindness in particular that many recalled about Madden after his death: The care he showed for Darryl Stingley, a New England Patriots player who suffered a life-changing spinal cord injury in a preseason game against Madden’s Raiders in 1978. When Madden learned of the severity of Stingley’s injury after the game, he went straight to the Oakland-area hospital where Stingley had been taken. When Madden arrived he was angered to learn that Patriots head coach Chuck Fairbanks was flying home with the rest of the team, as Madden felt that Fairbanks should have stayed with Stingley until Stingley’s family could arrive. A 1979 New York Times article reported that Madden got someone at the airport on the phone and barked, “You get Chuck Fairbanks off that plane.” A Sports Illustrated profile of Madden in 1983 reported that when Stingley’s family did arrive, Madden and his wife offered to let the family stay in their home and use their car as long as Stingley was in the hospital. Madden also took time away from the Raiders’ training camp to make regular visits to Stingley. After the Raiders played the Broncos in the regular-season opener that year, they flew home from Denver and Madden went straight from the airport to the hospital to see Stingley. Madden retired from coaching at the end of that season, and although Madden never said so, some who knew him felt the distress he felt about Stingley’s injury contributed to his decision to step away. Stingley would never walk again, and he died in 2007 at the age of 55. In his autobiography, Stingley wrote of Madden, “I love that man.” Stingley could have been speaking for the whole football world."

John Madden was known to players for his kindness

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“I am not aware of anyone who has made a more meaningful impact on the National Football League than John Madden, and I know of no one who loved the game more... There is no one who lived a more beautiful football life than John Madden.”

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, speaking on the legacy of the late John Madden

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All Madden.

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#1 coach, #1 broadcaster, #1 football video-game series.

RIP.

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"I’m saddened for the Raiders organization. I’m saddened for the people who were offended by it. I’m saddened for coach Gruden. It’s a sad commentary. That’s the only opinion I care to share at this juncture."

Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin on his former colleague and coach, Jon Gruden.

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Jon Gruden tells staff he will resign - ProFootballTalk

When the first torpedo struck the hull on Friday, Raiders coach Jon Gruden opted to fix the damage in lieu of abandoning ship — even though he knew that other torpedos were in the water. Now, Gruden is jumping overboard. According to multiple reports, Gruden has informed his staff that he will resign. The new [more]

While I understand that 1) these were private emails sent over ten years ago which were unfairly leaked to the press, and 2) we all have probably said some not-so-PC things amongst our friends and colleagues, these considerations go out the window once you actually read the contents of the emails in the NYT report detailing the leak... On the one hand, it’s a shame that one of the most iconic Raider and NFL coaches has to go out this way, but on the other, he only brought it upon himself. Simply put, it’s not the Raider way to hold those kinds of views--even as a joke--much less for one of the most iconic Raiders of all time.

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“Health and safety has always been our number one priority,” Raiders owner Mark Davis said in a statement. “After consultation with Governor (Steve) Sisolak and other community leaders, this policy ensures that we will be able to operate at full capacity without masks for fully vaccinated fans for the entire season.”

Raiders to require proof of vaccination to attend home games for regular season

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“These are personal decisions,” Raiders owner Mark Davis said. “He’s a Raider. If he’s happy, I’m happy. It takes courage. I thought we got to the point where this wasn’t (a story). It doesn’t change my opinion of him as a man or as a Raider.”

Raiders DE Carl Nassib becomes first active NFL player to come out as gay

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Once a Raiden...

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A little late in posting, but obviously still relevant.

Much in the same vein as his father, Mark Davis has been the only NFL owner who has been calling it like it is: George Floyd was murdered by a police officer.

Some people are disgusted by Colin Kaepernick kneeling before the flag; I’m more disgusted by a police officer kneeling on a black man’s throat. What matters more? Black lives or a piece of cloth? You choose.

1968, L.A. 92, and now 2020. Do we really want to continue the cycle of riots in another twenty-five years? It’s time to break the cycle, it’s time for change.

No justice, no peace, no racist police.

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The dream shall never die.