Al Davis prepared to fire Lane Kiffin midseason - Page 5

Geo · 09-22-2008, 10:15 AM

I don't understand this Syracuse rumor with Lane Kiffin. Why would Kiffin want to go to Syracuse of all places? He can get a much better job, either in the pros (maybe) or in college, waiting until after this season.

CherryGarcia510 · 09-22-2008, 11:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Geo

I don't understand this Syracuse rumor with Lane Kiffin. Why would Kiffin want to go to Syracuse of all places? He can get a much better job, either in the pros (maybe) or in college, waiting until after this season.

There is the U$C connectoin with Daryll Gross the Syracuse AD, and although Syracuse has been abysmal of late they do have tradition. He could start his recruiting now and maybe have Syracuse back to mediocrity in 2 years

Iamcanadian · 09-22-2008, 11:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Geo

I don't understand this Syracuse rumor with Lane Kiffin. Why would Kiffin want to go to Syracuse of all places? He can get a much better job, either in the pros (maybe) or in college, waiting until after this season.

Syracuse has excellent facilities with an indoor stadium. It is just a matter of time before they find a good HC who can take advantage of this. Kiffen would make an excellent selection and worse case scenario, he improves the team substantially and gets his pick from among the college powers who are looking for a change. It would be a very smart decision on his part as Syracuse has tradition, facilities and can go nowhere but up.

Flyboy · 09-22-2008, 11:51 AM

Come to New Orleans and help us utilize Reggie Bush better.

kkthxbye

diabsoule · 09-22-2008, 12:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Flyboy

Come to New Orleans and help us utilize Reggie Bush better.

kkthxbye

You think Sean Payton would let him touch the offense?

Iamcanadian · 09-22-2008, 12:22 PM

The Al Davis story.

Here is a man who had one of the great minds in pro football. He invented the bump and run defense in the old AFL and was a great HC and owner who has simply outlived his abilities and become a rather sad figure in his old age.
When Al moved from HC to being an owner, he never really ever gave up being Oakland's HC;. I suspect people like Flores and Madden were really assistant HC's and Davis really ran the show with their assistance.
Why didn't they complain like the current hires do, well Al was still young enough to get down on the field and really work with them and the players. It was a good combination and made Oakland a successful franchise.
So what changed that caused such a rift between Al and his HCing hires. It's simply, Davis grew too old to go down on the field and participate in the team's daily training. He remained in his box and thought he could still be the de facto HC without taking part in the teams preparations and training. He refused to give up any authority over personnel decisions including who would play that day. This soon wore very thin on his HC's who could no longer accept that Al really could see into his players while not taking any part in their training due to his age. They could no longer accept that he knew better than those who worked closely with the players and yet still wanted his instructions followed. This also opened up huge riffs between the coaching staff. Some coordinators played up to Al and thus didn't have to answer to their HC's any longer and as long as they did what Davis instructed them to do, they were secure in their jobs.
Soon it became obvious to the strong minded people who Davis hired to be his HC's like Shanahan and Gruden, that they would never be permitted to run their team as they saw fit and that they couldn't rely on their coaches to obey orders. This made coaching the Oakland team almost impossible and over time more and more of the young brilliant minds refused to be hired by Al and went elsewhere. Eventually Al had to reach down for a talented college coordinator in order to find anybody talented enough to take the job, but this HC soon learned the reality of coaching for Davis and the two just couldn't get along. So he will be fired soon.
Old age can do a brilliant mind in sometimes. It destroyed Howard Hughes and it is destroying Al Davis. I though we had it bad in Detroit but I now see that Oakland is right there with William Ford, an owner who was terrible to start with and has gotten worse over time. Apparently Al can only work with 'yes' people now who accept his authority without question and that simply doesn't work any longer and the rabid Oakland fans are left in the dust until Al probably dies.
It is truly a sad end to one of the great minds who ever coached a NFL team and will leave his legacy tarnished forever.

CC.SD · 09-22-2008, 03:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Iamcanadian

The Al Davis story.

Here is a man who had one of the great minds in pro football. He invented the bump and run defense in the old AFL and was a great HC and owner who has simply outlived his abilities and become a rather sad figure in his old age.
When Al moved from HC to being an owner, he never really ever gave up being Oakland's HC;. I suspect people like Flores and Madden were really assistant HC's and Davis really ran the show with their assistance.
Why didn't they complain like the current hires do, well Al was still young enough to get down on the field and really work with them and the players. It was a good combination and made Oakland a successful franchise.
So what changed that caused such a rift between Al and his HCing hires. It's simply, Davis grew too old to go down on the field and participate in the team's daily training. He remained in his box and thought he could still be the de facto HC without taking part in the teams preparations and training. He refused to give up any authority over personnel decisions including who would play that day. This soon wore very thin on his HC's who could no longer accept that Al really could see into his players while not taking any part in their training due to his age. They could no longer accept that he knew better than those who worked closely with the players and yet still wanted his instructions followed. This also opened up huge riffs between the coaching staff. Some coordinators played up to Al and thus didn't have to answer to their HC's any longer and as long as they did what Davis instructed them to do, they were secure in their jobs.
Soon it became obvious to the strong minded people who Davis hired to be his HC's like Shanahan and Gruden, that they would never be permitted to run their team as they saw fit and that they couldn't rely on their coaches to obey orders. This made coaching the Oakland team almost impossible and over time more and more of the young brilliant minds refused to be hired by Al and went elsewhere. Eventually Al had to reach down for a talented college coordinator in order to find anybody talented enough to take the job, but this HC soon learned the reality of coaching for Davis and the two just couldn't get along. So he will be fired soon.
Old age can do a brilliant mind in sometimes. It destroyed Howard Hughes and it is destroying Al Davis. I though we had it bad in Detroit but I now see that Oakland is right there with William Ford, an owner who was terrible to start with and has gotten worse over time. Apparently Al can only work with 'yes' people now who accept his authority without question and that simply doesn't work any longer and the rabid Oakland fans are left in the dust until Al probably dies.
It is truly a sad end to one of the great minds who ever coached a NFL team and will leave his legacy tarnished forever.

I'm sure this is well written but damn that is a nice Canadian ass in your avy.

scottyboy · 09-22-2008, 03:44 PM

dear Giants, please get kiffin to be heir apparent to Killdrive. As in, fire Killdrive's ass now

dear Raiders, I'm waiting for your call. I will so fix that team. Let me make the draft picks. Jamarcus+Run DMC+Kenny Britt+Tiquan Underwood=epic scottyboy raiders coach win

TitleTown088 · 09-22-2008, 04:39 PM

What in the hell is Al Davis doing?You can't leave your head coach in limbo like that all season long, either give him the axe or tell him his job is safe.

BlindSite · 09-22-2008, 05:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by diabsoule

You think Sean Payton would let him touch the offense?

Maybe he can find him a playbook with some run plays?

P-L · 09-22-2008, 05:25 PM

According to ESPN, Kiffin and Davis haven't talked since before week one.

doingthisinsteadofwork · 09-23-2008, 10:57 AM

Funny Herrara almost gets in a fight with a journalist after the journalist asks Kiffin about if hes gonna be fired or not.

http://www.profootballtalk.com/2008/...nearly-rumble/

Flyboy · 09-23-2008, 11:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BlindSite

Maybe he can find him a playbook with some run plays?

Do people even watch the Saints play before they comment?

MetSox17 · 09-23-2008, 11:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Flyboy

Do people even watch the Saints play before they comment?

You can substitute any NFL team where you typed in 'Saints' and have a point about most peoples posts here.

Geo · 09-23-2008, 11:52 AM

Why not just give Kiffin this season? He's making the most of the offense, to put them in position to win most games. If you're going to fire the guy anyways, might as well get some of your money's worth I say and let the guy coach.

Rob Ryan or James Lofton as the head coach isn't a move that demands to be made.

Hawk · 09-23-2008, 12:13 PM

I'd be all for Kiffin coming to UT when Fulmer gets shitcanned this year

Iamcanadian · 09-23-2008, 03:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Geo

Why not just give Kiffin this season? He's making the most of the offense, to put them in position to win most games. If you're going to fire the guy anyways, might as well get some of your money's worth I say and let the guy coach.

Rob Ryan or James Lofton as the head coach isn't a move that demands to be made.

Shanahan was saying the other night that he lasted for 1 season, 4 games, so this is just Al's pattern and nothing new.
Davis is holding out for awhile to see if Kiffen will quit so he doesn't have to pay him. You can certainly see the stress on Kiffen's face. Al will continue to leak stories that he is firing Kiffen hoping he breaks. If it doesn't work, he finally just fire him.

SFbear · 09-23-2008, 04:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by doingthisinsteadofwork

Funny Herrara almost gets in a fight with a journalist after the journalist asks Kiffin about if hes gonna be fired or not.

http://www.profootballtalk.com/2008/...nearly-rumble/

Herrara-“I’m not embarassing myself, I’m embarassing that, that, that you don’t know how to write a column without making up a lie.”

FAIL.

holt_bruce81 · 09-23-2008, 04:10 PM

So has he been fired?

I've been hearing mixed reports, someone told me they saw on NFL Network that he was fired but that was last night and ESPN still has nothing.

yourfavestoner · 09-23-2008, 04:20 PM

This whole thing has turned into such a joke...

Cunningham · 09-23-2008, 04:24 PM

http://www.profootballtalk.com/2008/...s-to-kawakami/

kiffin apologizes to kawakami, so far he's the only member of the raider organization to do so

BlindSite · 09-23-2008, 05:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MetSox17

You can substitute any NFL team where you typed in 'Saints' and have a point about most peoples posts here.

I've seen 2 saints games and they don't have enough offensive balance, Breesus has been playing well, but they still need to get more of a ground game going in the third quarter of games.

Paranoidmoonduck · 09-23-2008, 09:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cunningham

http://www.profootballtalk.com/2008/...s-to-kawakami/

kiffin apologizes to kawakami, so far he's the only member of the raider organization to do so

Why should people apologize to Kawakami? He used a probable piece of information to state a false fact about Kiffin's immediate firing which was then propagated all over the sports new world.

Sure, some Raider exec went all nuts over him, but it wasn't completely uncalled for. If Herrera hadn't been so belligerent and unintelligent with his criticism there would be no reason for this.

Bucs_Rule · 09-23-2008, 09:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Iamcanadian

Shanahan was saying the other night that he lasted for 1 season, 4 games, so this is just Al's pattern and nothing new.
Davis is holding out for awhile to see if Kiffen will quit so he doesn't have to pay him. You can certainly see the stress on Kiffen's face. Al will continue to leak stories that he is firing Kiffen hoping he breaks. If it doesn't work, he finally just fire him.

I dont see why Kiffen is so stressed. Once you know your going to be fired theirs nothing to worry about. The main reason the average person worries is because of money, but Kiffen already has millions so he doesn't have to. It would be very annoying having to go through all the work of game plans and preparing the team when you know your getting canned no matter what.

Cunningham · 09-23-2008, 10:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Paranoidmoonduck

Why should people apologize to Kawakami? He used a probable piece of information to state a false fact about Kiffin's immediate firing which was then propagated all over the sports new world.

Sure, some Raider exec went all nuts over him, but it wasn't completely uncalled for. If Herrera hadn't been so belligerent and unintelligent with his criticism there would be no reason for this.

herrera's reaction alone warrants an apology.

http://deadspin.com/5053785/its-just...s-headquarters
here's an interview deadspin had with kawakami for anyone that's interested. my favorite part is the 'deng xiaoping story'