Raider rookie gets out of traffic ticket

Everyone raise your hands if you’ve ever heard of Christo Bilukidi. Ok, me neither. But he apparently has some pull on the streets of Oakland.

The sixth round pick from Georgia State got out of a traffic ticket because he mentioned that he was an Oakland Raider. Didn’t the cop know that he was Christo Bilukidi and not Darren McFadden? I guess not. Bilukidi released his bit of good fortune on Twitter to let the world know.


“Ran a red light n got pulled over, cop ask me what I do n I said I’m a Raider, I dodged a 428$ ticket. #BigLeague,” Bilukidi wrote.  


If the cop figured out who he was he would’ve got the ticket. He should’ve got the ticket for the fact that he played for the Raiders.

Hue Jackson Could Be A Goner In Oakland

With news that the Oakland Raiders have hired Reggie McKenzie from the Green Bay Packers, there has been speculation that McKenzie will come in and clean house, including sending head coach Hue Jackson to the unemployment line. 

After the Raiders collapsed down the stretch and were unable to capture the AFC West crown there might be more truth to that than rumor. There are probably Raider fans out there that wouldn’t mind seeing Jackson go considering he gave up most of the Raiders’ future to the Cincinnati Bengals for Carson Palmer after channeling his inner Al Davis. Also his in game adjustments (like having Rolando McClain cover Calvin Johnson going deep) might be enough to show him the door. There is the prevailing thought that Jackson took too much power in the organization after Davis’ passing and the rumor of him not being well liked by some players.

Green Bay linebackers coach Winston Moss is rumored to be a McKenzie favorite. Ironically Moss was a favorite of the late Davis. Both are former Raider linebackers. 

Conventional wisdom says that McKenzie comes in and gets rid of everyone that isn’t on board and starts fresh. Maybe Jackson will stick around if he concedes his so called power to McKenzie and wants to concentrate on being the coach. If he doesn’t he can kiss this job goodbye. This is a situation that bears watching.  

Hue Jackson Figured McClain Could Cover Megatron

Everyone is an armchair quarterback. I’m one of them. You know, questioning every decision that a coach or player makes. Some of the criticism is warranted, some isn’t. But a few things Oakland Raiders coach Hue Jackson did Sunday against the Detroit Lions made me scratch my head.

First was the third and two deep ball Carson Palmer threw to Chaz Schilens that fell incomplete.

I’m a Lions fan so I’m glad that the pass fell incomplete and saved the Lions some time. The Lions don’t have the greatest run defense so I was puzzled as to why the Raiders went deep. I can understand trying to bury someone, but to conventionally ice the game has never hurt anyone in the past.

Here’s the one Jackson gets defensive about. The deep pass to Calvin Johnson where Raiders linebacker Rolando McClain was hung out to dry in the defense that was called.

Go make that play,” Jackson said via the CSNCalifornia.com. “It isn’t a scheme issue. The ball’s laying up in the air, you’ve got to go make that play when you’ve got an opportunity. Their guy made it and we didn’t, so they won the game.”

“Yeah, that’s called the Tampa-2. That’s what the middle linebacker does — he runs right down the middle of the field. They made the play and we didn’t.”

First, I’ve seen the Tampa 2 up close and personal when Rod Marinelli coached the Lions and not once did I see a middle linebacker going deep 40 yards to cover an elite receiver. I never saw the non descript MLB the Lions had at the time trying to cover Randy Moss going deep down the middle. So I don’t see why Jackson is so defensive about the lousy defensive call that pretty much cost them the game.

Jackson must’ve listened to Rob Ryan on how to defend Johnson since he torched the Raiders for 9 catches, 214 yards and two touchdowns. Jackson would’ve been better off watching film of all the bracket coverage teams have been throwing at the Lions the past five weeks.

Jackson needs to go back to school and when he does he needs to major in “Watching game film 101”. Covering Megatron with a linebacker? Suicide!

      

Pryor Appeals His Suspension

With Jim Tressel being hired by the Indianapolis Colts this week, Oakland Raiders quarterback Terrelle Pryor has notified the NFL to appeal his five game suspension according to the NFL Network’s Albert Breer. 

Some have applauded this as a smart move by Pryor since he was disciplined for the problems he had while he was still at Ohio State.

Yahoo.com’s Doug Farrar tweeted Sunday morning that it was a “Smart decision by Pryor and his people to appeal five-game suspension now. NFL has to address Tressel, change the [suspension], or REALLY look bad.”

In my opinion NFL commisioner Roger Goodell shouldn’t have power over anything that happens outside of the NFL unless it has to do wtih drugs or criminal activity. Pryor’s mentor and Pittsburgh Steeles backup quarterback Charlie Batch feels that Goodell overstepped his boundaries on this particular issue.

As of now the league faces a dicey situation. Tressel’s contract and status still has to be approved by the NFL. But he did resign from Ohio State under pressure from the NCAA and admitted  that he failed to share with the NCAA information regarding activities that jeopardized the eligibility of Pryor and other players. 

The best thing to do is to give both parties (Tressel and Pryor) a three game suspension. To me that would be the right thing to do, although since the Ohio State scandal didn’t come under his jurisdiction neither should be punished.

  

JaMarcus Russell Is Paying Off His Debt

When the Oakland Raiders drafted JaMarcus Russell with the number one pick in 2007, neither Al Davis or Russell figured that he’d be out of football, desperate for a tryout. Russell held out to get $60 million guaranteed from the Raiders and then proceeded to go hoodlum and produce three of the worse seasons by any quarterback in NFL history.

Even though Russell is out of football and sitting on scores of hard earned cash (I’m not serious), he is paying off some of his debts.

TMZ reported tha Russell recently paid back a $223,180.05 property tax lien from the State of California. He still is on the hook for the $2.4 million mansion in Oakland that’s scheduled to be auctioned off next month. I figure he should have enough to keep the house from going by the wayside, but considering he has no reason to be there he’ll probably let it go.

I guess you could call that a silver lining in this black cloud of a football career. Hey JaMarcus, there’s still Canada or the UFL.

Murder Was The Case

Former Los Angeles/Oakland Raider Anthony Smith has been charged with murder according to a report by Ann Simmons of the Los Angeles Times. Smith and two other men were charged with killing a 31 year old Lancaster man, Maurillio Ponce,  in October 2008.

Reports say the victim was beaten and shot several times before he was dumped near the Antelope Valley poppy fields. Charles Eric Honest and Dewann Wesley White were also charged.

Smith was a former first round draft pick of the Raiders back in 1990 out of the University of Arizona and played with the Raiders from 1991-1998.

This also wasn’t his first brush with the law. Smith waas charged with arson of a Simply Sofas furniture store in Santa Monica, when he thought it would be wise to firebomb the store after a dispute over a few hundred dollars and a statue on consignment.

There’s no truth to the rumor the Cincinnati Bengals are trying to lure Smith out of retirement.

Don’t Make A Big Deal Out Of Roethlisberger’s Late Night

I know Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is thought of as a creep. He has some moral issues and he’s trying to change what others think of him. With the black cloud over what happened in Georgia during the offseason, whatever he does, whether he’s out having a few drinks or trash talking at the local gym is going to be scrutinized. In some instances, like the so-called late night at the piano bar with his offensive lineman, the media is making something out of nothing.

Everyone says “it’s Super Bowl week and he’s out past curfew”, like it’s a bad thing. First, coach Mike Tomlin says it’s a non-issue. If he doesn’t think it’s a big deal then so what. If he did think it was a big deal he handled it internally. Secondly, it’s Super Bowl week! Do you really think the players are going to eat and sleep football while they’re in Dallas. I don’t think so. I know Roethlisberger has his demons, but lay off for a minute. He was out enjoying some time with his teammates, not out acting a fool or breaking any laws. He wasn’t running around chasing skirts either. Look, these players aren’t choir boys. They’re grown men doing what they want to do. Would you like someone scrutinizing your every move just because you were caught with a prostitute. I don’t think so. And just because you may be of moral high ground or are a bad guy doesn’t mean you’ll be a success or a failure on the biggest stage.

Remember Eugene Robinson? I know I do. He was the Bart Starr award winner, which champions players with morals and all that jazz, I didn’t invent the award so don’t ask. The night before the game he gets arrested for soliciting a prostitute that was an undercover cop. He wanted to pay $40 for some action and got busted. Me and my friend had a field day with that one. My friend referred to him as “big” Eugene and it was going to be $2 an inch. Anyway, you don’t have to be a jackass to get caught up in wrongdoing. Even players thought to be the most righteous slip. And don’t give me the crap about how Robinson’s escapade foiled the Atlanta Falcons. The Denver Broncos were simply the better team and weren’t going to lose.

Let me take you back some. Super Bowl XV, Raiders vs. Eagles in New Orleans. Dick Vermeil had his players on a tight leash and they played that way. The Raiders were out being the Raiders and whooping it up in the French Quarter. The Raiders won 27-10. They were looser and played like it while the Eagles were uptight.

You see, it doesn’t matter what you do or how late you stay out, because that has no bearing on the team’s performance on Super Bowl Sunday. Unless it’s a Barrett Robbins situation. That didn’t turn out too well for the Raiders.              

Hue Jackson Named Raiders Coach

Hue Jackson has reportedly been named head coach of the Oakland Raiders. I’m glad Jackson got the job but Tom Cable shouldn’t have been fired in the first place. That’s just my personal opinion. I hope he hs thick skin because you know how Al Davis gives his coaches no wiggle room and zero margin for error. Also he’ll have to win over the locker room that had grown increasingly loyal to Cable. I don’t know how well Jackson got along with the players, but he is known for relating well to plaers and is a highly regarded play-caller.

If Jason Campbell can continue to progress under Jackson the Raiders could be threat to make the playoffs next season. Yes, I think Campbell will be the starter in Oakland next year. If Campbell regresses, Captain Al might start reminding Hue how much of a short leash he has. 

D.A. does not stand for District Attorney

Am I the only one that can’t stand when a pro athlete hits D.A. status. In this case and many others D.A. stands for dumb ass. The latest to reach this status is colossal first round bust and former Oakland Raiders quarterback JaMarcus Russell.

Russell was arrested at his home in Alabama for possessing codeine based cough syrup. For those not in he know, this is the stuff used to make purple drank, which is pretty big in the rap community. Its also commonly known as syrup. A few years back former San Diego Chargers saety Terrence Kiel was caught with a caseload of this stuff. I could be wrong. Anyway, with the millions he stole from the Raiders and old man Davis, he shouldn’t be getting caught with the stuff to sell or use, especially if you plan on trying to make it back to the NFL. 

2 kickers for $18 million dollars.Only the Raiders

Leave it to Al Davis and the Oakland Raiders braintrust to sign their kicker to a contract worth $9 million dollars.Last week it was reported that Sebastian Janikowski was signed to an extension for two years and $9 million dollars.In the same story,it was reported that the Raiders also sined punter Shane Lechler to the same deal.I know it seems like I dog the Raiders a lot on here and I really don’t have much room to talk since I’m a Lions fan.At least the Lions can get rid of their mistake(Millen).The Raiders can’t do anything with Al Davis.Also they make lousy draft picks(JaMarcus Russell,Darrius Heyward-Bey),hiring lousy coaches(Lane Kiffin,Tom Cable),they also make lousy signings that will hurt their salary cap for a few years.No one signs kickers and punters for that much.I guess this is their committment to excellence.