An Open Letter To The Media

Saturday, May 24 2008 @ 01:20 PM PDT Contributed by: Krunch Dear Esteemed members of the news media, Since the ouster of Art Shell in early 2007, the speculation regarding Al Davis’ relationship with his head coach’s has undergone a great deal of “scrutiny”. When Shell was fired, Al reportedly told him of his dissatisfaction with the selection of Texas safety Michael Huff. His reasoning (allegedly) was that quarterback Matt Leinart was still available. In the 2007 college draft, there was one quarterback that was worthy of a number seven pick, Vince Young, who went to the Tennessee Titans with the third pick. Leinart ultimately went at number 10 to Arizona, where his coach opts for former MVP Kurt Warner when a game is on the line. Now let me ask you this, would you want to invest millions of dollars in a quarterback that you have no faith in when it counts the most? I didn’t think so. But hey, maybe Al did tell Art that he needed to clean up his mess…maybe he bumped his head that morning too. Either way, that’s something we’ll never know for sure. Something we do know, Al Davis had valued Art Shell’s opinion since 1969, when the then second-year tackle was asked about Bill Thompson, Shell’s former teammate at Maryland State, who ultimately went to Denver. A year later, acting upon Shell’s recommendation, linebacker Gerald Irons was selected in the third round. So Al Davis has shown a great deal of faith in Shell’s judgment. And he has for a long time. Like I said, Al Davis may have bumped his head that morning, but that is speculation. It’s also fair to note that it’s being “reported” for the first time here. Maybe it happened, maybe it didn’t. Who cares as long as it makes for an interesting story right? Here’s an interesting story that has been bandied about for months now. Al Davis penned a resignation letter for Lane Kiffin to sign. Quick question… If this document actually exists, where the hell is it? This is the age of instant gratification, if it was out there, why haven’t we seen it? A couple of years ago, the San Francisco Chronicle website posted a private “sensitivity training” video produced by the 49ers. They are an NFL team, and that video wasn’t intended to be viewed outside of the 49ers locker room. However, it was on the Internet for the whole world to see (damn it was funny). The Patriots videos are being turned over to commissioner Goodell for his review to ensure fair play on the football field as well. Now, with the media’s obvious intent to defame the Oakland Raiders, I’ll pose the question once again… Where the hell is this document that awaits Lane Kiffin’s John Han*censored*? I’m going to go off on some of my radical thinking here. Maybe, just maybe, like the officials in the Raiders organization have told everyone who won’t listen, that it simply doesn’t exist. Wow, what a concept! Maybe Kiffin doesn’t have the best relationship with Al Davis. So what? I’ve worked several jobs where I didn’t have the greatest relationship with my employer. Yet, I still went to work everyday and fulfilled my duties to the best of my abilities, just like everyone else. If you’d like an Al Davis endorsement for Lane Kiffin I’ll give you one. Lane Kiffin is the only Raiders head coach to return after a four-win season since Al Davis came to town in 1963. And if you like, I’ll give you all a great reason for Kiffin to remain head coach of the Oakland Raiders. He makes an incredible salary to watch football all day! God Bless America! Yes, one day, Lane Kiffin will no longer coach the Oakland Raiders. And sadly, his players will not be able to run out on the field for him forever. However, the “reporting” bias against the Silver and Black has gone from ridiculous, to absurd and insulting. Here’s an example. In a Sacramento courtroom in 2003, when the Raiders trial against The Coliseum was underway, The Coliseum’s attorney introduced evidence the Al Davis had made millions since the Raiders returned from Los Angeles. Did he make this money? Yes he did. It’s a matter of public record. And it was reported in the next morning’s Oakland Tribune. Fine… What was obscured by the reports of Mr. Davis’ newfound wealth however, was where the money came from. As a matter of fact, I’m not even sure anymore if it wasn’t omitted all together. But these funds came from the expansion fees paid by the Carolina Panthers, Jacksonville Jaguars and the Cleveland Browns. And every NFL owner got paid on the deal! No exceptions. Now here’s the kicker… The author of this article was asleep for most of the morning, and woke up just in time to hear that Mr. Davis had made a great deal of money in Oakland. How do I know he was asleep? Lets examine the facts. I was sitting next to him, his head was tilted back, his mouth open and he was snoring. I wish I could tell you that I noticed a pillow and a blanket but I don’t want to “stretch the truth.” Instead, I’d like to find out what the truth really is. Unfortunately, the people who are supposed to be supplying us with this precious and noble commodity (meaning you) seem to have lost interest in the quest. But hey, why tell the truth, when you can rehash something that may not be true because it might be juicier? Are you trying to tell us the facts don’t matter? I’m here to tell you that they do matter. The facts are what we look for in our morning paper. The facts are what happened. The facts are the truth. And by researching and recovering facts, a bozo like me, who managed to get himself kicked out of high school five weeks before he was due to graduate has garnered praise and acclaim from the people who have lived the history, the media and those who wanted to either relive it or learn about it. Now I fully realize that sports columnists are paid for their opinions and I’m ok with that. Especially when you consider that I’ve expressed my views over the last 1,000 words or so. So here’s another one… Newspaper subscriptions are down because of the Internet. This makes sense after all, who wants to pay to be insulted! I am completely cognizant of the fact that the things I’ve talked about do not apply to all members of the media. Thankfully, there are still many that, in the very least, will back up a controversial opinion with facts. I don’t always agree with them and that’s ok too. At least there’s a legitimate basis for what they are saying. I don’t think that I’m going too far out on a limb when I say coach Kiffin is on the hot seat in 2008. With the caliber of talent brought in this off-season he damn well better be able to do something with it. But the repeated harping on a young coaches wardrobe reeks of late 1990’s WCW wrestling. And the speculative innuendo that it has generated isn’t good enough for the National Enquirer. So could you please just give us the facts and let us decide for ourselves? If this is too difficult a task, then please JUST SHUT UP. I will allow comments to be enabled so that you may respond. I look forward to hearing from you. Best, Krunch Section 105, Row 9, Seat 9 The Black Hole Six days a week Krunch is known as Jim McCullough, author of Pride & Poise: The Oakland Raiders of the American Football League. Please visit his website www.raidershistory.net. He can be reached at raidershistory@yahoo.com | Views::8,756 |

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