Tag Archive for football

Oakland Raiders: Former Raider Reggie McKenzie Hired as General Manager

January 6, 2012 Sports No comments

According to csnbayarea.com, the Oakland Raiders have hired Reggie McKenzie as their general manager. 

Under Al Davis, the Raiders never hired a GM, as Davis made the majority of the team’s decisions on his own. Still, with Davis’ recent passing, there has been a lot of talk that the Raiders would hire someone to make the football decisions.  

McKenzie is currently the general manager of the defending Super Bowl champion Green Bay Packers. He was also an NFL player and was drafted by the Raiders in the 10th round of the 1984 draft. He took over the role in Green Bay in 2008, but had previously worked in the organization’s front office since 1994. 

Heading into the playoffs, the Packers are the No. 1 seed in the NFC. No contract can be put in place until the Packers have completed their season.

Nevertheless, this is a very interesting and groundbreaking moment for an Oakland Raiders organization that will finally have a general manager. 

 

Follow me on Twitter: @Mike_Santeramo

New York Jets’ Hopeless Outlook Speaks Volumes on Rex Ryan Era

December 29, 2011 Sports No comments

With a loud bark he arrived, and with a whimper he will leave. 

There is no bigger figure in the NFL than Rex Ryan. That is no jab at the waistline that I have no doubt mimics my own, but serves to describe a head coach who is more caricature than person. 

Always quick with a soundbite, Ryan is as much a brilliant hype machine as he is a leader of men. Sadly, the big man’s era has taken a dismal turn. 

Jets fans could only hope for the days when a Ryan promise went unfulfilled, because this week it is all about silence and acceptance. The Jets head into their final game with a horrendous outlook in regards to the playoffs. 

Another season where the Jets were to contend will end with them falling short of the Super Bowl, only this time the distance is unacceptable. 

The Jets need to beat a Miami Dolphins team that has been far better in the second half of the season. Even if that happens, they still need a tremendous amount of help in the form of losses for the Bengals, Titans and Raiders. 

Essentially, it is time to consider the offseason as having arrived for the Jets. Ryan has done the honorable thing in taking all the heat. The buck does stop at him after all. Here is what he had to say to reporters. 

I know Brian takes a ton of the heat, he’s taken heat. Sanchez has taken heat. I’m taking heat, that’s fine. It should be on me. It shouldn’t be on coaches, players or whatever. I’m the guy that said we were the better team and we weren’t that day, so that should fall on me, the criticism should be on me. And trust me, I know a bunch of it is, and rightfully so.

I hate to say it, but the guy has a point. It’s time to consider that the Jets are in for a few changes, one might have to be in who leads this team next season. 

It seems almost unthinkable that Ryan would be absent from the Jets sideline, but the era of promises has come and gone with nothing but emptiness.

At some point a new regime must be instituted. The Jets entered another season where they were supposed to contend and took a huge step back, and now that must be addressed. 

Follow @gabezal

NFL Playoff Prediction: Detroit Lions Will Continue Magical Season After Week 17

December 29, 2011 Sports No comments

If you thought their regular season was something, wait until the Detroit Lions show you what they have planned for the second act. 

The Lions take on the Green Bay Packers in a game that will more than likely see little to no Aaron Rodgers. The Packers have nothing more to play for. That includes a perfect season, which the Kansas City Chiefs helped them out with. 

Consider the Packers will err on the side of caution against a pass rush that will be chomping at the bit to level the best quarterback in the game. 

While the Packers may not roll over for the Lions, they will no doubt take a small step back, giving the Lions a Week 17 win they need to clinch a fifth seed in the playoffs. 

With that seeding, the Lions are looking at a game in the wild card week against either the Giants or the Cowboys. I am confident in Detroit against either squad. 

The Cowboys are far too inconsistent with the ball to measure up against a stout Lions defense. That game would be rife with the possibility of a Tony Romo gaffe as the Lions put an immense amount of pressure on the pocket. 

The game I would love to see is the Giants against Detroit. Eli Manning has the goods to get over on the Lions defense, but I have no confidence in a shaky Giants defense that continues to be a let down in the second half of the season. 

All you need is Matthew Stafford with a Pro Bowl chip on his shoulder to ensure that the Lions go marching on past the first week of the playoffs. 

After that, the world is the Lions’ oyster. Nobody would have pegged them to go that far in Week 1. With momentum, they can match up with the best the NFC has to offer. 

Don’t sleep on the Lions, because they are the hungriest team headed to the postseason.

Follow @gabezal

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