(AP Photo/Winslow Townson)
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It's happening again. The sharks are circling the Oakland Raiders as they make a roster move that directly addresses their needs, but things start to go awry and the Raiders once again become perceived a punchline.
It is now day THREE of Richard Seymour not arriving in Oakland after the trade on Sunday that sent him to the Raiders for a 2011 first round draft pick. Across the bay, this is day who-knows-what of the Michael-Crabtree- won't-sign-with-San-Francisco saga. It has been over a month since the 49ers training camp started and nearly five months since the draft, however, no one is criticizing the 49ers as being inept. However, once a day had passed without Seymour in Oakland, the chorus of the Raiders as the "worst franchise ever" was out in force.
On ESPN's Pardon the Interruption, both Tony Korheiser and Mike Wilbon referred to this trade as going from the "penthouse to the outhouse."
Former All-Pro safety Rodney Harrison said, "He's going from a first-class organization to one of the worst in the NFL."
On NFL Network's Total Access show, Mike Mayock can be seen clearly laughing as Marshall Faulk discussed Seymour going from the Patriots to the Raiders. Mayock later speculated that Seymour's demand to the Raiders was not a long-term contract, but to not be tagged.
It is true that the Raiders are not the model of a functional franchise. There are reports of the head coach having allegedly clocked an assistant. However, because they are the Raiders these things tend to get overblown.
The Denver Broncos alienated their All Pro quarterback then traded him. Now its their top wide receiver who is unhappy, has been suspended, and wants to be traded. This is less than a year after firing a Super Bowl winning coach in Mike Shanahan. This gives off an appearance of a franchise in disarray, however they don't get nearly the criticism that Oakland does.
The Pittsburgh Pirates just set a record for futility in all major league sports by having their seventeenth consecutive losing season. The Detroit Lions managed to not win a single game in 2008, becoming the first team to go 0-16. Both of those franchises are far more futile than the Raiders, but none are more criticized.
Tonight: AFC West preview
You can also find Patrick Patterson on Thoughts from the Dark Side.
Comments
The Raiders, the team everyone loves to hate. Go Raiders
I agree 100% with that comment. ESPN analysts are full of it.
"It's us against the world." "Just win baby." Go Raiders
what i dont understand is ,how every body is qualified analyst. when owners & coaches make a deal or trade, they do it because that what they choose to do. it makes sense to the organization. how you run your own house is no bodies business, so STFU! Go Raiders!
Thank you Patrick for pointing out this anti-Raiders sentiment. I guess a lack of winning over the last six seasons give the media reasons to do so. I completely agree that other teams seem to have a lot more problems but are not as heavily criticized. I hope some TV or print analyst will finally speak up and question his/her peers why the venom.
the raiders have not had a season where they won more than 5 games since 2002. i think that lables them unfairly. this from a broncos fan. But i hope the AFC WEST regains its respect. including the raiders. the whole division outside of san diego is a joke to the nfl. even though the chargers were still just good enough to past my ailing broncos last season. come on afc west. glory time.
kick some ass and take names. shut all their loud mouths up. go raiders
Right on Patrick... It's gonna be sweet when this Raider team starts winning....
Hate em or Love em, we still want more of em, phukk Seymour for bein a chump, phukk the analysts and the neigh sayers for spittin on the Raiders, we'll just take that loogie, shine up our Silver n Black n break some heads open.
Why is it so hard to understand why the Fader Raiders are a laughing stock... It starts with wax museum looking A.D. and the crappola just slides right on down from there. A once respected franchise... I couldn't have said it better... from the penthouse to the outhouse...LOL
Everybody piles on the Raiders because both the team and their fans are full of themselves and delusional...despite being crap for the past 6 years and having a majority of their top draft picks and free agent aquisitions...BOMB. "Commitment to Excellence?"
First the snow bowl, then the fleecing of Randy Moss and now another fleece job of a 2011 top 10 pick (yes, you know it will be a top 10 pick). I think it's safe to say we're even for the infamous Ben "on the take" Dryth bag job call of Sugar Bear Hamilton.
Jack Tatum and the 1976 BS call!!!
KARMA HAS COME HOME, BABY!!!!!!!!!
First the snow bowl, then the fleecing of Randy Moss and now another fleece job of a 2011 top 10 pick (yes, you know it will be a top 10 pick). I think it's safe to say we're even for the infamous Ben "on the take" Dryth bag job call of Sugar Bear Hamilton.
People love to hate us because wimps love to kick the bad boys when they're down. We'll be back to take your lunch money
These days, The Raiders are not the team everyone loves to hate; that would be the Patriots. The Raiders are the team everyone feels sorry for. Bad Management, bad coaching, bad players.
Boo Hoo, poor Raiders, the Pats were one of the worst teams in the league for the better part of 30 years, no one wanted to come here. Now we turned it around and everyone hates. The Raiders will turn it around too some day. Seymour would probably have refused to report to the Lions as well as any poor team, its his pride and desire to win and get paid...one or the other my friend, New England is notorious for cutting ties when the price goes way up and value begins to decline and somehow still winning with sometimes no name replacements.
Good article, well written and well put.
CAN SOMEONE PLEASE SLAP AL DAVIS AROUND HELLLOOOOOO WHY WOULD YOU TRADE FOR SEYMOUR .WHY NOT SHAUN RODGERS FROM CLEVALAND SEYMOUR DOESNT WANT TO BE HERE . HELLOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO AL DAVIS BECAUSE OF YOU WE ARE THE LAUGHING STOCK OF THE NFL I HATE YOUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU
Funny how all of a sudden haters come out of the wood work. Do some homework haters. The Raiders were bashed for not taking the following players on draft day. That the so called experts deemed great before stepping on the field. Matt Linert who can not beat 38 year old Warner with those awesome receivers. Vince Young a head case and riding the pine to a 36 yr old. Brady Quinn was drafted the same year JRuss was and is barely going to start this year. But one has mentioned him as a bust. So you can come in here and believe everything you read and here. But you need to hear the Belick interview he did on foxsports. He said he talked with Mr Davis for about four hours on football. And he said that Davis is one of the greatest minds in football. And that he would be honered towork for him. So don't get all caught up with what the media says. And Niner fans you have no business coming in here bashing. Does Alex Smith or Crabtree ring a bell??
How is it the Raiders fault for trading for Seymour? All of a sudden he is the poor guy who is upset for being traded. The Pats did not want to give you a new contract. Al Davis is looking to give you a nice deal and show you how much your appreciated. And your sitting home poutting? You have a chance to help turn a team around and know your wanted. The players want you and the fans want you. But the media is making it out that the Raiders are at fault.
You conveniently left out the regularly bashed on, and frontrunners for worst two organizations in professional sports: Cincinati Bengals, and LA Clippers. And the Pirates and Lions are taking plenty of flak too, your boys are just topping the charts for this week.
I find it funny that no matter what decission the Raider organization makes it is a bad one. We get bashed for not drafting Crabtree yet he still has not reported to camp. We pretty much stayed quiet all offseason until we trade for Seymour a very pressing need on our defense a trade that any other team would of been praised for, yet once again we are getting picked apart. Seymour suck it up you get paid way to much money to be sitting home crying about anything. You get paid to play a sport that most people would love to get paid a sixteenth of what you get paid to play.
Amen brother! Time and time again the media bash our team. This the time, the Raidernation has to circle the wagons,support each other and kick ass!
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