JaMarcus Russell betrays Raider Nation (1 Viewer)

[Raiderfan32904]

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/263687-...g-raider-nation

Some locals at the game in Oakland fill out details of JaMarcus's blingged out mohawk wearing, Rolls Royce driving ways. Of course a bunch of unnamed sources for this piece.

Still, he doesn't seem to mind getting beat, he laughs it off. Why not, he's rich for life.

Al Davis needs to pay him off and let him stop sabatoging the Raiders. Even before reading this, I had lost hope in JaMarcus.

This drives the nails in the coffin of the Raiders season.

 

[Da Guru]

Early first rd QBs that are busts set a franchise back 5 years.

 

[Raider Nation]

I forgive him for betraying me.

 

[two_dollars]

I thought he was a bad idea, not deserving of a first round pick. He had 1 decent season in college. Why he went #1 overall baffled me. People got caught up in the numbers I guess.

 

[Raiderfan32904]

I thought he was a bad idea, not deserving of a first round pick. He had 1 decent season in college. Why he went #1 overall baffled me. People got caught up in the numbers I guess.

He'd be good at punt, pass, and kick. You don't need accuracy for that. Reminds me a little of Forrest Gump.

 

[CiscoKid]

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/263687-...g-raider-nation

Some locals at the game in Oakland fill out details of JaMarcus's blingged out mohawk wearing, Rolls Royce driving ways. Of course a bunch of unnamed sources for this piece.

Still, he doesn't seem to mind getting beat, he laughs it off. Why not, he's rich for life.

Al Davis needs to pay him off and let him stop sabatoging the Raiders. Even before reading this, I had lost hope in JaMarcus.

This drives the nails in the coffin of the Raiders season.

Clearly JaMarcus hasn't done very well to begin the season, but that might be one of the most poorly written articles I have ever read. There are no facts in there at all - it's all speculation. Saying he showed up to camp overweight might be valid, but to base an article on what someone who was riding his car might have said to potentially drunken and obnoxious persons and state he has betrayed the fans based on that? He wasn't even the one that reportedly made the comments....

 

[Raiderfan32904]

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/263687-...g-raider-nation

Some locals at the game in Oakland fill out details of JaMarcus's blingged out mohawk wearing, Rolls Royce driving ways. Of course a bunch of unnamed sources for this piece.

Still, he doesn't seem to mind getting beat, he laughs it off. Why not, he's rich for life.

Al Davis needs to pay him off and let him stop sabatoging the Raiders. Even before reading this, I had lost hope in JaMarcus.

This drives the nails in the coffin of the Raiders season.

Clearly JaMarcus hasn't done very well to begin the season, but that might be one of the most poorly written articles I have ever read. There are no facts in there at all - it's all speculation. Saying he showed up to camp overweight might be valid, but to base an article on what someone who was riding his car might have said to potentially drunken and obnoxious persons and state he has betrayed the fans based on that? He wasn't even the one that reportedly made the comments....

You are right, this is speculation, but way he carries himself in the middle of the outrage of this putrid performance has many Raider fans including me a little sensitive.Over the last 100 games, Raider football is the worst in the NFL. I was hoping that all that talent surrounded by our "leader", we'd get a return on investment by now. He can't be that cool after crappin-the-sheets on Sunday afternoon after Sunday afternoon, after....

 

[24seven]

I forgive him for betraying me.

ha

 

[RamMan]

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/263687-...g-raider-nation

Some locals at the game in Oakland fill out details of JaMarcus's blingged out mohawk wearing, Rolls Royce driving ways. Of course a bunch of unnamed sources for this piece.

Still, he doesn't seem to mind getting beat, he laughs it off. Why not, he's rich for life.

Al Davis needs to pay him off and let him stop sabatoging the Raiders. Even before reading this, I had lost hope in JaMarcus.

This drives the nails in the coffin of the Raiders season.

Fixed. And I used to LOVE Al Davis. He was the smartest individual in the NFL for many years. Now, he and his once-proud and stellar franchise are a sad joke....

 

[the rover]

Early first rd QBs that are busts set a franchise back 5 years.

The Raiders wish they could be set back 5 years. Unfortunately, they're mired in the present with their senile owner.

 

[Chaka]

Jamarcus isn't very good but the duo of Paul Hackett and Ted Tollner would ruin Peyton Manning, Tom Brady and Drew Brees.

 

[Addai's Adidas]

He's a good quarterback, get over it!

 

[Limp Ditka]

Al Davis needs to pay him off and let him stop sabatoging the Raiders.

Having worlds of trouble with this statement. Why in the world would Al try to get rid of someone that's doing his work for him?

 

[timschochet]

Jamarcus isn't very good but the duo of Paul Hackett and Ted Tollner would ruin Peyton Manning, Tom Brady and Drew Brees.

I'm from Los Angeles, and have some close friends who are USC fans, and I follow that team pretty regularly (though I am a Bruin fan myself.) And I can honestly say these two guys are considered the worst, most incompetent coaches in modern USC history.

 

[Hipple Long Ware & Peete]

:X

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/263687-...g-raider-nation



Some locals at the game in Oakland fill out details of JaMarcus's blingged out mohawk wearing, Rolls Royce driving ways. Of course a bunch of unnamed sources for this piece.

Still, he doesn't seem to mind getting beat, he laughs it off. Why not, he's rich for life.

Al Davis needs to pay him off and let him stop sabatoging the Raiders. Even before reading this, I had lost hope in JaMarcus.

This drives the nails in the coffin of the Raiders season.

Clearly JaMarcus hasn't done very well to begin the season, but that might be one of the most poorly written articles I have ever read. There are no facts in there at all - it's all speculation. Saying he showed up to camp overweight might be valid, but to base an article on what someone who was riding his car might have said to potentially drunken and obnoxious persons and state he has betrayed the fans based on that? He wasn't even the one that reportedly made the comments....

 

[Arizona Ron]

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/263687-...g-raider-nation

Some locals at the game in Oakland fill out details of JaMarcus's blingged out mohawk wearing, Rolls Royce driving ways. Of course a bunch of unnamed sources for this piece.

Still, he doesn't seem to mind getting beat, he laughs it off. Why not, he's rich for life.

Al Davis needs to pay him off and let him stop sabatoging the Raiders. Even before reading this, I had lost hope in JaMarcus.

This drives the nails in the coffin of the Raiders season.

:X

What should he drive and how should he act? A Rav4 while crying?Happy = Arrogant!

Sad = Not a leader!

Step away from Twitter, delete the MySpace account and take off the Underoos.

 

[Chaka]

Jamarcus isn't very good but the duo of Paul Hackett and Ted Tollner would ruin Peyton Manning, Tom Brady and Drew Brees.

I'm from Los Angeles, and have some close friends who are USC fans, and I follow that team pretty regularly (though I am a Bruin fan myself.) And I can honestly say these two guys are considered the worst, most incompetent coaches in modern USC history.

No doubt. And that article drastically misrepresents both of their credentials. Hackett wasn't even allowed to make eye contact with Joe Montana,

 

[Chaka]

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/263687-...g-raider-nation

Some locals at the game in Oakland fill out details of JaMarcus's blingged out mohawk wearing, Rolls Royce driving ways. Of course a bunch of unnamed sources for this piece.

Still, he doesn't seem to mind getting beat, he laughs it off. Why not, he's rich for life.

Al Davis needs to pay him off and let him stop sabatoging the Raiders. Even before reading this, I had lost hope in JaMarcus.

This drives the nails in the coffin of the Raiders season.

:X

What should he drive and how should he act? A Rav4 while crying?Happy = Arrogant!

Sad = Not a leader!

Step away from Twitter, delete the MySpace account and take off the Underoos.

Is that your ride in your avatar?

 

[Arizona Ron]

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/263687-...g-raider-nation

Some locals at the game in Oakland fill out details of JaMarcus's blingged out mohawk wearing, Rolls Royce driving ways. Of course a bunch of unnamed sources for this piece.

Still, he doesn't seem to mind getting beat, he laughs it off. Why not, he's rich for life.

Al Davis needs to pay him off and let him stop sabatoging the Raiders. Even before reading this, I had lost hope in JaMarcus.

This drives the nails in the coffin of the Raiders season.

:X

What should he drive and how should he act? A Rav4 while crying?Happy = Arrogant!

Sad = Not a leader!

Step away from Twitter, delete the MySpace account and take off the Underoos.

Is that your ride in your avatar?

One of many. BRB, ghost riding the Lexus.

 

[Maurile Tremblay]

I thought he was a bad idea, not deserving of a first round pick. He had 1 decent season in college. Why he went #1 overall baffled me. People got caught up in the numbers I guess.

But keep in mind that people said the same thing about Akili Smith and Ryan Leaf.Oops. I was trying to be reassuring, but that kind of went the opposite direction, didn't it?

 

[Tommy Collins]

Wait, help me out. Did Raider Nation stand by JeMarcus Russell? I just want to be clear. It was only mentioned 47 ####### times.

 

[basher]

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/263687-...g-raider-nation

Some locals at the game in Oakland fill out details of JaMarcus's blingged out mohawk wearing, Rolls Royce driving ways. Of course a bunch of unnamed sources for this piece.

Still, he doesn't seem to mind getting beat, he laughs it off. Why not, he's rich for life.

Al Davis needs to pay him off and let him stop sabatoging the Raiders. Even before reading this, I had lost hope in JaMarcus.

This drives the nails in the coffin of the Raiders season.

take solace in the fact that the majority of NFL players go busto within a few years of getting out of the league.

 

[IDrinkyourMilkshake]

I thought he was a bad idea, not deserving of a first round pick. He had 1 decent season in college. Why he went #1 overall baffled me. People got caught up in the numbers I guess.

But keep in mind that people said the same thing about Akili Smith and Ryan Leaf.Oops. I was trying to be reassuring, but that kind of went the opposite direction, didn't it?

Mark Sanchez only played one season. But he's probably the exception and not the rule.

 

[SSOG]

I thought he was a bad idea, not deserving of a first round pick. He had 1 decent season in college. Why he went #1 overall baffled me. People got caught up in the numbers I guess.

But keep in mind that people said the same thing about Akili Smith and Ryan Leaf.Oops. I was trying to be reassuring, but that kind of went the opposite direction, didn't it?

Mark Sanchez only played one season. But he's probably the exception and not the rule.

JaMarcus Russell's second best college season he had 2450 yards, 15 TDs, 9 INTs, and a 137 rating.Matt Ryan's second best college season he had 2940 yards, 15 TDs, 10 INTs, and a 127 rating.

Jay Cutler's second best college season he had 1850 yards, 10 TDs, 5 INTs, and a 135 rating.

A pretty good case could also be made that Russell's best season was significantly better than either of those guys', as well. Both of those guys had a ypa under 7 while Russell had a ypa over 9. Russell had the best TD:INT ratio and passer rating of the trio by far, and had the fewest sacks, too. None of that is the real reason there should have been massive red flags surrounding JaMarcus.

The real reason there should have been massive red flags surrounding JaMarcus is the fact that he was playing surrounded by scads of NFL talent (the USC effect, which made Bush and Leinart and company all look better than they really were, too). His statistics might say he was significantly better than Cutler or Ryan, but his head coaches said he was barely any better than his own backup (who almost beat him out for the starting job that season). It also helps that Ryan and Cutler won multiple awards despite their unimpressive statistics because the voters recognized how much they truly accomplished with the dreck they called a supporting cast surrounding them.

 

[el-gato-grande]

I thought he was a bad idea, not deserving of a first round pick. He had 1 decent season in college. Why he went #1 overall baffled me. People got caught up in the numbers I guess.

But keep in mind that people said the same thing about Akili Smith and Ryan Leaf.Oops. I was trying to be reassuring, but that kind of went the opposite direction, didn't it?

Mark Sanchez only played one season. But he's probably the exception and not the rule.

JaMarcus Russell's second best college season he had 2450 yards, 15 TDs, 9 INTs, and a 137 rating.Matt Ryan's second best college season he had 2940 yards, 15 TDs, 10 INTs, and a 127 rating.

Jay Cutler's second best college season he had 1850 yards, 10 TDs, 5 INTs, and a 135 rating.

A pretty good case could also be made that Russell's best season was significantly better than either of those guys', as well. Both of those guys had a ypa under 7 while Russell had a ypa over 9. Russell had the best TD:INT ratio and passer rating of the trio by far, and had the fewest sacks, too. None of that is the real reason there should have been massive red flags surrounding JaMarcus.

The real reason there should have been massive red flags surrounding JaMarcus is the fact that he was playing surrounded by scads of NFL talent (the USC effect, which made Bush and Leinart and company all look better than they really were, too). His statistics might say he was significantly better than Cutler or Ryan, but his head coaches said he was barely any better than his own backup (who almost beat him out for the starting job that season). It also helps that Ryan and Cutler won multiple awards despite their unimpressive statistics because the voters recognized how much they truly accomplished with the dreck they called a supporting cast surrounding them.

Didn't naysayers say the same thing about Sanchez? I'm starting to think more and more that the key determining factor is work ethic. Almost all of the guys drafted in the early rounds come with big accolades in college. But its the guys who are willing to bust their butt in the weight room, class room, and practice field that succeed.

Some guys come in with a sense of entitlement and try to skate on their physical ability like JaMarcus. Some do that initially and then figure it out after some time in the league - your classic late bloomers (e.g. Cedric Benson). Some guys never figure it out and they are out of the league after some time. Also, most end up having to change teams before they turn it around.

If the season continues to play out like this, I don't think JaMarcus will ever be a productive member of the Raiders. Just my ...

 

[FreeBaGeL]

Early first rd QBs that are busts set a franchise back 5 years.

The sad thing is that for doing nothing more than hurting his team and being a primadonna without the skill to back it up, he's now richer than all of us on this board combined just because he was lucky enough to be born with a huge arm.

 

[Daywalker]

Many qb's mature with their decision making and gain arm-strengh. But do many improve their accuracy much?

Seems like Russell is so far off the mark that he's never going to get there. Seemed like Vick never really improved his accuracy either.

 

[CowboyFan]

Why does he have a huge medalion around his neck that says "BAMA"?

Maybe LSU fans should feel betrayed, then again, maybe they are just used to it.

 

[SaintsInDome2006]

Why does he have a huge medalion around his neck that says "BAMA"? Maybe LSU fans should feel betrayed, then again, maybe they are just used to it.

Actually I was just thinking the same thing about that BAMA medallion. However he's from Alabama so maybe I can give him a pass on that, maybe not (actually, not).I watched the Saints/Raiders preseason game and have seen bits of the Raiders in the regular season; Russell plays like a guy who has not prepared for two years. I don't know if that's not the case but he certainly looks like a QB who has learned nothing. I can't think of any way he's improved since his first game. If anything defenses have learned all his tendencies so he's even more at a disadvantage since his first game.Again, just preseason, but Garcia came in vs the Saints and the offense moved pretty well. I kind of thought the Raiders cut Garcia because he made Russell look bad and the calls for him to play and start over Russell would be inevitable.Is the story false? Does it make more sense to say it *is* given the above than that it is not? I think it's more likely that it's not false.

 

[KnowledgeReignsSupreme]

He was getting worked over pretty bad on 2 Live Stews yesterday. One caller referred to him as a coward. Oof.

 

[Wilbur Wood]

I encourage all of Raider Nation to be patient with your franchise QB. He was the #1 overall pick for a reason. A longer body of work is needed, say 40 or 50 game starts, before we can truly judge Jamarcus.

I'm sure that under fine tuteledge of Paul Hackett (who was stellar in his role as NYJ coordinator) his mechanics will get ironed out.

The Raiders are built upon the vertical passing game. You now have all of the essential ingredients in place. Lightning speed WRs and the biggest arm QB in the entire NFL. It will take some time to gel. Be patient, very patient (at least thru Week 7).

 

[Knight who says Ni]

Didn't naysayers say the same thing about Sanchez?

I'm starting to think more and more that the key determining factor is work ethic. Almost all of the guys drafted in the early rounds come with big accolades in college. But its the guys who are willing to bust their butt in the weight room, class room, and practice field that succeed.

Some guys come in with a sense of entitlement and try to skate on their physical ability like JaMarcus. Some do that initially and then figure it out after some time in the league - your classic late bloomers (e.g. Cedric Benson). Some guys never figure it out and they are out of the league after some time. Also, most end up having to change teams before they turn it around.

If the season continues to play out like this, I don't think JaMarcus will ever be a productive member of the Raiders. Just my ...

I am beginning to believe the same thing, myself. I was not paticularly happy when my Jets drafted Sanchez in the first round, especially for what we had to give up to get him. Then I kept hearing about what a great attitude he had, what a great work ethic he had, etc. and I thought ... okay, but so what? Now I'm starting to become a believer that attitude and work ethic are bigger factors than what I initially believed them to be

 

[IDrinkyourMilkshake]

Didn't naysayers say the same thing about Sanchez?

I'm starting to think more and more that the key determining factor is work ethic. Almost all of the guys drafted in the early rounds come with big accolades in college. But its the guys who are willing to bust their butt in the weight room, class room, and practice field that succeed.

Some guys come in with a sense of entitlement and try to skate on their physical ability like JaMarcus. Some do that initially and then figure it out after some time in the league - your classic late bloomers (e.g. Cedric Benson). Some guys never figure it out and they are out of the league after some time. Also, most end up having to change teams before they turn it around.

If the season continues to play out like this, I don't think JaMarcus will ever be a productive member of the Raiders. Just my ...

I am beginning to believe the same thing, myself. I was not paticularly happy when my Jets drafted Sanchez in the first round, especially for what we had to give up to get him. Then I kept hearing about what a great attitude he had, what a great work ethic he had, etc. and I thought ... okay, but so what? Now I'm starting to become a believer that attitude and work ethic are bigger factors than what I initially believed them to be

As silly as it sounds, I think the most important thing with evaluating quarterbacks is whether or not they have that "It" factor. Guys like Manning have it before coming to the NFL. Guys like Brady quickly get it in their first few seasons. And Sanchez certainly appears to have "it".

 

[Chase Stuart]

Newsflash: There's no most important factor or key factor or underappreciated factor in finding out which QB will succeed. It is, always has been, and always will be, a crapshoot. You will always be able to think of a few common traits the past few success stories had that the past few busts did not, but going forward, those common traits will not be any more or less predictive than any other trait.

This isn't just true of the NFL draft; it's true of NFL players, period. Some people like Brady and Peyton Manning got $100M contracts. Other people like Drew Bledsoe and Michael Vick got $100M contracts.

The best you can do is project a sort of probability cloud for any player at any point in his career -- maybe a 20% chance he becomes a bust, a 40% chance he becomes a superstar, a 30% chance he's average, a 10% chance he's bad but plays on a good team and therefore is considered good -- but on a sample size of 1, you'll be left scratching your head a great percentage of the time.

 

[aburt19]

What bothers me about Russell is that he seems to be much worse this year than he was at the end of last year. His wide receivers were terrible both years

and he had Miller as the tight end. The second half of last season Russell looked like he had improved to a bad QB from a terrible one. This season he's

reverted back to being terrible with a capital T. I watched him against both the Chiefs and Denver (those were the games in Kansas City) and he was

airmailing the ball five feet over receivers heads, thowing balls on sideline patterns that they had no chance of catching.

The Raiders wouldn't be a bad team with even a mediocre QB. But with Russell, the team just doesn't have a chance. Any games that they win will be in

spite of Russell, not because of him.

With Russell, Miller has gone from being a sleeper at tight end to not being a factor at all.

 

[The_Underachiever]

Great article. He definitely doesn't get "it" at all. When I saw him the last game with his Mohawk, my first thought was doesn't this guy have the slightest bit of humility? I was embarrassed for him. But I guess if all he cars about is getting paid and "bling" well I guess he is doing pretty good in his book. I am not a Raiders fan, but for the fans sake, they need to get rid of this guy. He's not worth of even playing in the NFL. He wont be the first of last player to have an abundance of talent, but not back it up with the mental fortitude required to play at this level. Time to cut bait.

 

[fatness]

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/263687-...g-raider-nation

OK, I read the article. This seems to be what got the writer so riled up:

After the Bronco game some tailgaters, who were parked by the road where the players come and go, said this was what they saw:

"Our tailgate happens next to the road the players drive in and out of the stadium. After the dismal game, some of the boys went back to do a bit more tailgating and eat...a white Rolls Royce is leaving the stadium with JaMarcus Russell driving...fans know this and are booing...the passenger side window rolls down and with JaMarcus driving one of his home boys on the passenger side yells out 'Well at least we are eating good, you guys are still broke'...and JaMarcus visibly chuckles in the driver's seat..."

A bunch of drunk angry tailgating Raiders fans, but of course none of them said anything to someone in the car, but some guy in the car who isn't Russell says something to them.............................. That's it?

 

[TommyGilmore]

Early first rd QBs that are busts set a franchise back 5 years.

......but the Colts and Giants will tell you that the risk is worth it.

 

[perry147]

Newsflash: There's no most important factor or key factor or underappreciated factor in finding out which QB will succeed. It is, always has been, and always will be, a crapshoot. You will always be able to think of a few common traits the past few success stories had that the past few busts did not, but going forward, those common traits will not be any more or less predictive than any other trait. This isn't just true of the NFL draft; it's true of NFL players, period. Some people like Brady and Peyton Manning got $100M contracts. Other people like Drew Bledsoe and Michael Vick got $100M contracts.The best you can do is project a sort of probability cloud for any player at any point in his career -- maybe a 20% chance he becomes a bust, a 40% chance he becomes a superstar, a 30% chance he's average, a 10% chance he's bad but plays on a good team and therefore is considered good -- but on a sample size of 1, you'll be left scratching your head a great percentage of the time.

Drew Bledsoe <> Michael Vick

 

[el-gato-grande]

Didn't naysayers say the same thing about Sanchez?

I'm starting to think more and more that the key determining factor is work ethic. Almost all of the guys drafted in the early rounds come with big accolades in college. But its the guys who are willing to bust their butt in the weight room, class room, and practice field that succeed.

Some guys come in with a sense of entitlement and try to skate on their physical ability like JaMarcus. Some do that initially and then figure it out after some time in the league - your classic late bloomers (e.g. Cedric Benson). Some guys never figure it out and they are out of the league after some time. Also, most end up having to change teams before they turn it around.

If the season continues to play out like this, I don't think JaMarcus will ever be a productive member of the Raiders. Just my ...

I am beginning to believe the same thing, myself. I was not paticularly happy when my Jets drafted Sanchez in the first round, especially for what we had to give up to get him. Then I kept hearing about what a great attitude he had, what a great work ethic he had, etc. and I thought ... okay, but so what? Now I'm starting to become a believer that attitude and work ethic are bigger factors than what I initially believed them to be

As silly as it sounds, I think the most important thing with evaluating quarterbacks is whether or not they have that "It" factor. Guys like Manning have it before coming to the NFL. Guys like Brady quickly get it in their first few seasons. And Sanchez certainly appears to have "it".

This raises some questions...Exactly what is "it"?

Is there a drill you can run at the Combine to measure "it"?

Can you tell if a player has "it" via questions on the Wonderlic or through interviews?

Is there an absolute or can a player have some of "it" but not all of "it"?

Is it hereditary or do some guys over time develop "it"?

Can you bottle "it"?

What did Nike mean when said Just do "it"?

If "it" is a factor then can it be a non-factor?

What exactly is the contract value of "it"? Can you put a performance clause on achieving "it"?

Should there be fantasy points associated everyone time a player shows "it" on the field?

Do all Supermodels dig "it"?

Is it possible to have "it" but not know you have "it"?

And most importantly, if I don't have "it" then how do I get "it"?

 

[Chaka]

I'm sure that under fine tuteledge of Paul Hackett (who was stellar in his role as NYJ coordinator) his mechanics will get ironed out.

I am going to give you the benefit of the doubt and say you are joking Wilbur. If not may I suggest that you simply pass before puff-puffing?The Jets under Hackett finished 12 in scoring in 2004 his other three finishes were 24, 22 & 19th. The best yardage season under Hackett was 15th (2002) his other three teams finished 17th, 23rd & 17th.Hackett is a mediocre coach at best and he will just as likely ruin Jamarcus (even more than he already is) as he is to help him turn it around.

 

[Chaka]

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/263687-...g-raider-nation

OK, I read the article. This seems to be what got the writer so riled up:

After the Bronco game some tailgaters, who were parked by the road where the players come and go, said this was what they saw:

"Our tailgate happens next to the road the players drive in and out of the stadium. After the dismal game, some of the boys went back to do a bit more tailgating and eat...a white Rolls Royce is leaving the stadium with JaMarcus Russell driving...fans know this and are booing...the passenger side window rolls down and with JaMarcus driving one of his home boys on the passenger side yells out 'Well at least we are eating good, you guys are still broke'...and JaMarcus visibly chuckles in the driver's seat..."

A bunch of drunk angry tailgating Raiders fans, but of course none of them said anything to someone in the car, but some guy in the car who isn't Russell says something to them.............................. That's it?

Yes. Those appear to be the completely unverifiable facts.

 

[zallen]

Note to Raider Nation:

I sympathize with you guys. I really do. But let's be honest. JaMarcus - as much as he does suck (a lot) - isn't the real problem. As long as Al Davis remains at the controls, the Raiders will remain a sadly dysfunctional franchise - the laughing stock of the league that it is today. The JaMarcus drama is merely the latest symptom of this fact. If it's not JaMarcus, it will be something else, and something else after that.

Take that Richard Seymour trade, for example. Geez! Watching the Patriots pull off that trade was like watching the school bully steal the "special" kid's lunch money. And don't get me started on the Javon Walker contract or the Heyward-Bey draft pick. I could go on and on. You guys know it's true.

Sorry, but that's Raider reality as long as Davis is around. I admire you Raider fans' loyalty . . . it must be tough. But you might as well sit back and accept it until Davis steps down or checks out.

[As an OU Sooner, I only pray to god the Raiders don't give up on JaMarcus in time to draft Sam Bradford.]

 

[Chaka]

Note to Raider Nation:I sympathize with you guys. I really do. But let's be honest. JaMarcus - as much as he does suck (a lot) - isn't the real problem. As long as Al Davis remains at the controls, the Raiders will remain a sadly dysfunctional franchise - the laughing stock of the league that it is today. The JaMarcus drama is merely the latest symptom of this fact. If it's not JaMarcus, it will be something else, and something else after that.Take that Richard Seymour trade, for example. Geez! Watching the Patriots pull off that trade was like watching the school bully steal the ######ed kid's lunch money. And don't get me started on the Javon Walker contract or the Heyward-Bey draft pick. I could go on and on. You guys know it's true.Sorry, but that's Raider reality as long as Davis is around. I admire you Raider fans' loyalty . . . it must be tough. But you might as well sit back and accept it until Davis steps down or checks out.[As an OU Sooner, I only pray to god the Raiders don't give up on JaMarcus in time to draft Sam Bradford.]

Javon was a bad deal. The jury is out on DHB. But how anyone can look at getting Seymour as a steal for the Patriots is beyond me.

 

[inzanitee]

Newsflash: There's no most important factor or key factor or underappreciated factor in finding out which QB will succeed. It is, always has been, and always will be, a crapshoot. You will always be able to think of a few common traits the past few success stories had that the past few busts did not, but going forward, those common traits will not be any more or less predictive than any other trait. This isn't just true of the NFL draft; it's true of NFL players, period. Some people like Brady and Peyton Manning got $100M contracts. Other people like Drew Bledsoe and Michael Vick got $100M contracts.The best you can do is project a sort of probability cloud for any player at any point in his career -- maybe a 20% chance he becomes a bust, a 40% chance he becomes a superstar, a 30% chance he's average, a 10% chance he's bad but plays on a good team and therefore is considered good -- but on a sample size of 1, you'll be left scratching your head a great percentage of the time.

Drew Bledsoe <> Michael Vick

Seriously. I thought Bledsoe had a very good career.

 

[Maurile Tremblay]

Newsflash: There's no most important factor or key factor or underappreciated factor in finding out which QB will succeed. It is, always has been, and always will be, a crapshoot. You will always be able to think of a few common traits the past few success stories had that the past few busts did not, but going forward, those common traits will not be any more or less predictive than any other trait. This isn't just true of the NFL draft; it's true of NFL players, period. Some people like Brady and Peyton Manning got $100M contracts. Other people like Drew Bledsoe and Michael Vick got $100M contracts.The best you can do is project a sort of probability cloud for any player at any point in his career -- maybe a 20% chance he becomes a bust, a 40% chance he becomes a superstar, a 30% chance he's average, a 10% chance he's bad but plays on a good team and therefore is considered good -- but on a sample size of 1, you'll be left scratching your head a great percentage of the time.

If you're saying there are no sure things, I'm on board.If you're saying that some people aren't better NFL talent evaluators than other people, I disagree. Some are better, which is a chief reason why NFL GM's make so much more than minimum wage.A likely reason why some people are better than others is that some people, more or less than others, underappreciate or overrate certain factors in determining which QBs will succeed. Possibly factors like a strong arm (overrated?) or a strong work ethic (underrated?).

 

[Chase Stuart]

Newsflash: There's no most important factor or key factor or underappreciated factor in finding out which QB will succeed. It is, always has been, and always will be, a crapshoot. You will always be able to think of a few common traits the past few success stories had that the past few busts did not, but going forward, those common traits will not be any more or less predictive than any other trait. This isn't just true of the NFL draft; it's true of NFL players, period. Some people like Brady and Peyton Manning got $100M contracts. Other people like Drew Bledsoe and Michael Vick got $100M contracts.The best you can do is project a sort of probability cloud for any player at any point in his career -- maybe a 20% chance he becomes a bust, a 40% chance he becomes a superstar, a 30% chance he's average, a 10% chance he's bad but plays on a good team and therefore is considered good -- but on a sample size of 1, you'll be left scratching your head a great percentage of the time.

Drew Bledsoe <> Michael Vick

Seriously. I thought Bledsoe had a very good career.

Bledsoe starting exactly two games for the Patriots after signing a $100M contract.

 

[Chase Stuart]

Newsflash: There's no most important factor or key factor or underappreciated factor in finding out which QB will succeed. It is, always has been, and always will be, a crapshoot. You will always be able to think of a few common traits the past few success stories had that the past few busts did not, but going forward, those common traits will not be any more or less predictive than any other trait. This isn't just true of the NFL draft; it's true of NFL players, period. Some people like Brady and Peyton Manning got $100M contracts. Other people like Drew Bledsoe and Michael Vick got $100M contracts.The best you can do is project a sort of probability cloud for any player at any point in his career -- maybe a 20% chance he becomes a bust, a 40% chance he becomes a superstar, a 30% chance he's average, a 10% chance he's bad but plays on a good team and therefore is considered good -- but on a sample size of 1, you'll be left scratching your head a great percentage of the time.

If you're saying there are no sure things, I'm on board.If you're saying that some people aren't better NFL talent evaluators than other people, I disagree. Some are better, which is a chief reason why NFL GM's make so much more than minimum wage.A likely reason why some people are better than others is that some people, more or less than others, underappreciate or overrate certain factors in determining which QBs will succeed. Possibly factors like a strong arm (overrated?) or a strong work ethic (underrated?).

In a vacuum, sure, some people are better than others. But when you're talking about the top .01% of NFL talent evaluators in the world, I don't think there's a significant difference. But more to the point, I don't think there are many posters in the Shark Pool who are better talent evaluators than even one team. Even if Russell "shouldn't" have been the #1 overall pick, he certainly would have been a first round pick. Many teams gave him first round grades. So I don't think there's any merit to saying "I knew XYZ was going to be a bust because NFL GMs overrated quality A and underrated quality B."And in general, I don't think a strong arm is overrated nor do I think that a strong work ethic is underrated. And certainly most NFL talent evaluators and GMs don't think that, otherwise they'd start drafting people with strong work ethic even higher (there's certainly a high correlation between work ethic and draft slot) and draft people with strong arms even lower. And in that case, people would no longer say that a strong arm is overrated or a strong work ethic is underrated.As for NFL GMs' salaries, I think they can be compared to luxury goods. They also make more than minimum wage due to availability and work quantity.

 

[Chaka]

I don't think there are many posters in the Shark Pool who are better talent evaluators than even one team.

Apparently no one got the memo.Would you also let them know that no one cares if they played high school football, college football or had a high ankle sprain/groin pull/hamstring injury etc.

 

[Maurile Tremblay]

In a vacuum, sure, some people are better than others. But when you're talking about the top .01% of NFL talent evaluators in the world, I don't think there's a significant difference. But more to the point, I don't think there are many posters in the Shark Pool who are better talent evaluators than even one team. Even if Russell "shouldn't" have been the #1 overall pick, he certainly would have been a first round pick. Many teams gave him first round grades. So I don't think there's any merit to saying "I knew XYZ was going to be a bust because NFL GMs overrated quality A and underrated quality B."And in general, I don't think a strong arm is overrated nor do I think that a strong work ethic is underrated. And certainly most NFL talent evaluators and GMs don't think that, otherwise they'd start drafting people with strong work ethic even higher (there's certainly a high correlation between work ethic and draft slot) and draft people with strong arms even lower. And in that case, people would no longer say that a strong arm is overrated or a strong work ethic is underrated.

Yes, OK, I agree with that. (Especially the first paragraph.)ETA: I mean, I agree about most NFL teams. The Raiders and Lions in recent years may be exceptions.