Raiders coach Tom Cable is now coming under fire from the National Organization for Women (NOW), and if you’re not familiar with them, they’re just like PETA, except for chicks. NOW president Terry O’Neill said something about children being our future or some crap. But seriously, it’s a crying shame that the only people the Raiders can seem to beat are women.

“This is the National Football League. Boys and girls around the country, as well as many women, look to the leaders of the NFL as our role models,” O’Neill said in a phone interview. “Why would the NFL tolerate having a man who admits to having battered his wife.” –Y!Sports

Uh, probably because it was 20 years ago, you crazy NOW people. You need to focus on what’s happening now, NOW. Don’t worry about then. You missed it. When? Just now. You’re at now, NOW. You can’t go back to then. You missed it, NOW. When? Just now. When will then be now? Soon! Read the rest of this entry »

I’m not really sure where I stand on the NFL’s criteria for what makes a completed catch. I mean, if the guy has two feet inbounds and he has possession, that sounds like a catch to me. On the other hand, I understand that the way the rule is written now makes officiating the catch easier; the side judge doesn’t have to watch the guy’s feet and the ball at the same time. Which brings me to the “catch” by Raiders wideout Louis Murphy in the first half of last night’s game against the Chargers.

The league office issued a further clarification of its officials’ ruling on whether Murphy maintained possession of the ball. While Article 7 of the 2009 NFL Rule Book was applied in making the booth decision to reverse the touchdown, the NFL also is further citing its rule book for an explanation:

“Rule 8, Section 1, Article 3, Item 1 of the NFL Rule Book (page 51) states that ‘if a player goes to the ground in the act of catching a pass (with or without contact with an opponent), he must maintain control of the ball after he touches the ground, whether in the field of play or in the end zone. If he loses control of the ball, and the ball touches the ground before he regains control, the pass is incomplete. If he regains control prior to the ball touching the ground, the pass is complete.”‘ via.

Like I said, Murphy’s effort in the video above looks like a catch, but I get it. I can’t help but feel for Murphy, who took that ball to the sideline, thinking it was his first career TD. It’s that secret human side of me that I don’t show to anyone, except orphans and some kinds of wildlife.

Patriots defensive end Richard Seymour was traded to the Raiders last week for that team’s 2011 first round draft pick, but still hasn’t reported to his new team. Because the Raiders suck. Actually, because Seymour wants more money:

“We have attempted to make a deal,’’ Cable told Bay Area reporters yesterday. “There are some issues still between him and the Patriots that are being worked out [and we’re] hoping that will be resolved as quickly as possible.’’

Patriots vice president of media relations Stacey James said last night he was unaware of any issues relating to the trade.

Cable relayed that he has spoken to Seymour and that Seymour told him he wants to play for the Raiders. via.

Technically, the trade isn’t officially final untl Seymour passes a physical. And I’m sure Raiders owner Al Davis performs those physicals himself. He’s a hands-on kind of guy. It saves him a lot of money, too. On trannies. Not doctors. I should have been more specific there.

Raiders head coach and gentleman of the cloth (a large black cloth that somewhat resembles a polo shirt) Tom Cable will be questioned by police for an August 5th incident that led to Raiders assistant coach Randy Hanson suffering a broken jaw. Nobody can seem to agree on whether Cable punched Hanson in the face, flipped him out of his chair, or simply tried to eat him. Assistant coaches are loaded with carbs, but guys like that don’t usually care.

Hanson has spoken to Napa police and has not been seen at Raiders camp since the incident. The case was initially closed and then reopened Friday when Hanson agreed to cooperate with authorities.

Meanwhile, Hanson has retained an attorney specializing in employment law, potentially signaling yet another lawsuit for team owner Al Davis, who’s already locked in a legal battle with former Oakland coach Lane Kiffin. via.

Hanson supposedly mouthed off to defensive coordinator John Marshall, which was the issue to which Cable took exception. It’s also worth noting that Hanson is the same little bastard that gave Lane Kiffin all kinds of grief before Al Davis showed him the door. And honestly, I think the world would be a better place if more white people were violent in the workplace. It’s a wonderful thing when issues in the workplace sort out themselves. Why, just an hour ago, I gave myself a good pounding, and now I’m ready for a serious nap. Okay, bad example.

Here’s San Francisco running a reverse–and it’s not an end-around that so many announcers like to call a “reverse,” either because they’re idiots or they just think yelling out “REVERSE!” is fun. Morons. Anyway, Raiders defender Greg Ellis didn’t realize that Alex Smith was still fighting for his job (in vain, sadly) in San Fran, and he pays the price for it. Although I wish Alex would have done a little dance over the conquered. I always love it when that happens. Nice pull on Trent Green, Samer.

I don’t know if it’s fair to call Oakland Raiders quarterback JaMarcus Russell a bust when he still plays for the worst organization in the NFL, but the Oakland Raiders bust-to-be has a unique style of leadership. It’s one that, in my day, I’ve seen emulated in the corporate world. From the National Football Post, emphasis added:

The work ethic of quarterback JaMarcus Russell is still being questioned by many who have worked with him in the past and are working with him now. After he issued a call to his teammates to practice and finish the OTA days strong, he then disappeared and was AWOL on the last day.

Nothing’s more irritating in a workplace setting than that guy. It’s the person that does all the rah-rah talk and gets into everyone else’s business and then neglects his or her own house, usually with some ridiculous excuse like, “I thought this was due next week,” or “My kid was hit by a bus and I have to take him to the emergency room.” Some people just aren’t team players.

|via FanNation|