_2.gif "Time.com 50 Best Websites 2008")
The conventional wisdom in NFL circles is that the only persons who’ll want to coach the Raiders are those who have no other options.
And former Giants coach Jim Fassel has fueled that perception by sending a handwritten letter to Raiders owner Al Davis, according to ESPN’s Chris Mortensen.
(Handwritten letter? Did Fassel send it by Pony Express?)
In the letter, Fassel expresses respect and admiration for Davis, and Fassel states his desire to coach the team.
The word on the NFL street regarding Fassel is that he’s generally regarded as a guy who won’t get another head-coaching gig. But in the black hole that is the Oakland Raiders, the normal rules of football physics simply don’t apply.
November 16th, 2008 at 12:39 pm
Might be down to Fassal and Del Rio after the season. Wonder which one Millen will choose (with Al’s blessing of course).
(report as inappropriate)
Rating: Not yet rated
November 16th, 2008 at 12:47 pm
“But in the black hole that is the Oakland Raiders, the normal rules of football physics simply don’t apply.”
Oh come on now, Ease up, Don’t need to kick the Raiders while they’re down. Too easy of a target. Why don’t you pick on the Bengals or the Lions. How bad has their records been over the last 15-20 years, consistantly bad!!!
(report as inappropriate)
Rating: 5 / 5 with 1 rating(s)
November 16th, 2008 at 12:54 pm
Why would anyone want to coach the raiders?
(report as inappropriate)
Rating: Not yet rated
November 16th, 2008 at 1:42 pm
Like I’ve said, this will only get better.
Handwritten? I hope he used a feather quill and a little bottle of ink.
Maybe he got the Giants gig with a telegram.
(report as inappropriate)
Rating: Not yet rated
November 16th, 2008 at 1:44 pm
raiders 88-08 week 10: 151-178 regular season, 6-6 playoffs, 7 winning seasons, 10 losing seasons assuming no rebound in 08, 4 .500 seasons, longest playoff drought 2003-08
lions 88-08 week 10: 130-199 rs, 1-6 playoffs, 6 winning seasons, 14 losing seasons, 1. 500 season, longest playoff drought 2000-08
bengals 88-08 week 10: 127-202 rs, 3-3 playoffs, 3 winning seasons, 13 losing seasons, 5 .500 seasons assuming no rebound in 08, longest playoff drought 1991-2004
but in the last 5 years, the raiders are the worst.
and no one mentioned them but…
cardinals 88-08 week 10: 119-210 rs, 1-1 playoffs, 2 winning seasons assuming they keep going, 17 losing seasons, 2 .500 seasons, longest playoff droughts 1988-97 and 1999-2007 (assumption that one is ending)
(report as inappropriate)
Rating: 5 / 5 with 1 rating(s)
November 16th, 2008 at 1:48 pm
Peter King ” one of the country’s premier pro football writers.”
according to SI & Peter King wrote in October :
As I said on NBC on Saturday, the next coach could be Jim Fassel, who gets along swimmingly with Al. Fassel ran an offense that ranked in the top five in scoring for three straight years (479, 399 and 450 points from 2000 to 2002, respectively), would have no ego about keeping Al informed about everything he’s doing, and would walk to Oakland for the job.
……………………………………………
that is one of the moxt amazing coaching performances in the history of the NFL …running the Raiders offense while coaching the NY Giants…but Peter knows everything & has eaten popcorn with Jerry Jones …
(report as inappropriate)
Rating: 2.35 / 5 with 3 rating(s)
November 16th, 2008 at 1:49 pm
a match made in football heaven, fassel already has his son
on the coaching staff, fassel loves the deep vertical offense,
fassel is a yes-men, he is a dumb coach that lets the inmates
run the asylum, this fool is perfect for al davis, now al
needs to hire matt millen as g.m., john madden as communications
director, sean jones as accountant, then hire the vick
brothers to complete the circus atmosphere.
(report as inappropriate)
Rating: 5 / 5 with 1 rating(s)
November 16th, 2008 at 3:22 pm
Handwritten letter??? Al Davis won’t take Fassels phone calls? I thought they were best buddies
(report as inappropriate)
Rating: 5 / 5 with 1 rating(s)
November 16th, 2008 at 3:57 pm
Why doesn’t Davis skip the pretense and retake the helm as the Coach of the Raiders himself? (Actually he probably knows he’d never be able to coexist with himself and would wind up getting fired.)
(report as inappropriate)
Rating: 5 / 5 with 1 rating(s)
November 16th, 2008 at 8:20 pm
Fassel won’t be able to right the ship in Oakland. He wants to be “buddies” with his players and that is NOT what Oakland needs. There may be an upside in this for the Saints, however. I’m sure they could fire sale Shockey to Fassel if he does get the gig. Fassel never “misused” Shock by making him run his routes, block, not act like an asshole, etc. Shockey would LOVE to be back in Fassel-land where he could do whatever he damned well pleased.
(report as inappropriate)
Rating: 5 / 5 with 1 rating(s)
November 16th, 2008 at 10:02 pm
This has to be one of the most bizzarist moments in NFL history…someone writing to Al Davis to be the next coach of the Raiders? Hell, I’ll just whip out a fuchsia crayon and send Al my resume…I figure that I have a 50/50 chance of getting it…
UFB boys and girls, UFB!
(report as inappropriate)
Rating: 5 / 5 with 1 rating(s)
November 17th, 2008 at 4:18 am
this might work for the raiders, big Al likes Fassel and does respect him, and also would give him a longer leash to work with, kiffin was a kid that thought he could go in and do what gruden did, but he aint chucky, gruden was smart and started winning and got the team, media and raidernation behind him before he started to buck the system, kiffin started that before his first few games, either way nothing is work or has worked in oaktown for a long time, so at this point it is any bodies guess where the raider will go, win, lose or tie raiders till I die
(report as inappropriate)
Rating: 5 / 5 with 2 rating(s)
November 17th, 2008 at 7:14 am
Right on, raiderdave, right on.
(report as inappropriate)
Rating: 5 / 5 with 2 rating(s)
November 17th, 2008 at 12:33 pm
Al Davis will hold a press conference [dismissing Cable] and display Fassel’s hand-written application on Al’s overhead projector!! “He will win! He will return glory to the Raiders…..This team is loaded with talent…We are returning to the Super Bowl!!”
Just whine, Al !!
(report as inappropriate)
Rating: 3 / 5 with 2 rating(s)