Where’s the Disconnect?

By MikeBullock  |   Monday, February 08, 2010  |  Comments( 1 )

Oakland Raiders
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The number of great head coaching candidates, and eventual great head coaches recognized by Al Davis is very long indeed. In recent years, Davis tried to land Bill Belichick before he became a household name with the Patriots, Ken Wisenhunt prior to his turnaround of the perennial losers, the Arizona Cardinals and Sean Peyton, the latest “once targeted but not interested” Raider head coaching candidate to win a Superbowl.

Since the day in 1969 when Davis offered to give a little known linebacker’s coach named Madden a shot at the big seat, the Raider owner has proved time and again he can spot a great head coaching candidate a mile away.

The understanding of that concept can become frustrating when you consider Davis has really only swung and missed on two former head coaches, Mike White and Lane Kiffin. The jury is still out on Tom Cable, but the evidence is quickly mounting against him.

With the litany of great coaching candidates he has identified, why can’t Davis reel them in? Why are Raider fans stung by the tuck rule game, when the Patriots coach was offered the Raider head coaching job prior to New England? Why couldn’t Davis make things work with Shanahan before the coach was allowed to go to Denver and secure two Superbowl championships? At what point did Davis turn Peyton off so bad he preferred to stick around in Dallas as a coordinator rather than lead the Silver and Black? The same question can be posed of Wisenhunt prior to him leaving Pittsburgh for Arizona.

Those who speak well of Davis often are quoted regarding his charisma, his presence, his overwhelming knowledge of football and his unbridled love of the game. The fact he wants nothing more than to win the Superbowl each and every year is never in doubt.

So, with all that, where’s the disconnect? Why is Tom Cable, a guy who certainly has more in common with Lane Kiffin and Mike White, captaining a team that should be coached by the next Sean Peyton right now?

While the NFL and the world offers congratulations to the New Orleans Saints, their players, coaches, staff and fans, how many more times will this occur before Oakland finally lands the fourth Lombardi?

Looking back over the twenty six years since the Raiders were World Champions, you can see a litany of coaches who won the big one, but only after refusing to coach the silver and black. And in another decade, odds are the list will be longer still.

At the heart of this issue, lies the reason why Oakland will never again see Superbowl glory while Davis is still running the team. Unless the Raider’s owner can pinpoint and repair the fundamental reason why the Belichicks, Paytons, Grudens and Shanahans continue to lead other teams to the Promised Land, after turning their nose up at Oakland.
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