Raiders have no class

I saw Callahan interviewed right after the game, and not one mention of the bucs. I know it was a devastating loss in many ways, but show some class.

And as far as the Bucs go, I don't much like them, either, and I am very much looking forward to some smash-mouth ball with them next year, but Gruden is a class guy. He gave props to Dungy and the years that were spent in building his team to where it is.
After reading the following article and hearing about the "Raider Nation" destroying parts of Oakland, I had to vent.



From Kffl.com

The St. Petersburg Times reports after Sunday's Super Bowl loss, the Oakland Raiders pointed the finger squarely at themselves and did not give much credit to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers outstading effort. They insisted their inept performance by their league-leading offense Sunday had more to do with their mistakes than Tampa Bay's dominating effort. "I really felt it was us," coach Bill Callahan said. "I thought, for one reason or another, we just couldn't get our rhythm going. ... I don't think they took us out (of rhythm), I just felt we didn't execute. We didn't come out of the gate fast. We didn't start the way we normally start."

 

Glad too see Oakland trashed their own city...

 

But how could they tell the difference when they were done?

The Bucs took it to them in every aspect of the game. The Buc D, even with a couple of guys out, handled the Raider O. I was amazed at the size of Kennedy & Collins - and that the Raiders couldn't run more - or at least didn't try to balance their attack.

In regard to pass blocking, the Raider OL looked like matadors in the first half. Merril Hoge didn't think Oakland could pass effectively on Tampa, and he was right. Hoge also thought Tampa could run on Oakland, and again, he was right.

I don't think Brad Johnson got enough credit either. The man stepped-up when it counted. No question the Buc D dominated, but they had some help this year.

 

I thought it was classless the way Gannon was running up the score on the Raiders.

 

Kennedy and Collins are big tubs of goo. They do alright in tight formations in moderate to cold weather, but I'm willing to bet they were physically exhausted before halftime. One thing that always drove me nuts about the Raiders was their lack of conditioning. Their training camp is in wine country, where the average daily temps in July and August average about 75 degrees. And in September they pay for it.

Tampa had a hot field to work with, and they spread their DL out -- especially Rice. He lines up about a yard and a half outside the LT. Sims isn't that bad, but he just got turned around by Rice. Sims couldn't handle him in all that open space. And by the end of the game, that extra 75 lbs. Sims was carrying took its toll. If the Bucs had a speed rusher on the left side, Gannon wouldn't have finished the game.

That's not the only reason the Raiders lost -- not by a long shot. Gruden handed Callahan's ass to him. Gruden had that team ready. Callahan did not. That was one sorry piece of coaching on the Silver and Black sideline. IMO, that was the biggest reason the Raiders lost.