2008 Woodie Awards
Kiffin did a good job in Oakland
Peter Cady
Issue date: 10/7/08 Section: Sports
Al Davis is the owner of the Oakland Raiders and has the right to do whatever he wants. Whether it be paying unfounded amounts of money to players whose skills can't match it or passing up on a soldier from "The U" in tight end Kellen Winslow in order to draft a bust in offensive lineman Robert Gallery, it is ultimately Mr. Davis's call.
But the bottom line is this: Davis had the next Chucky in Lane Kiffin.
I'm talking about former Raiders head coach and current Tampa Bay head coach Jon Gruden.
Gruden and Kiffin both made their debuts for the Raiders as the youngest head coaches in the league, Gruden at 38 back in '98 and Kiffin at 32 last year. Kiffin came to the Raiders with an offensive coaching background, just like Gruden who played quarterback in college at Dayton; Kiffin played quarterback at Fresno State.
And like Gruden, Kiffin came in right away and gained the players respect despite his age. Kiffin wasn't the fiery personality that Gruden was back in his day's donning black and silver, but the team played hard for Kiffin like they did for Gruden (though his 5-15 record doesn't show it) and were competitive in 17 of the 20 games that Kiffin coached with the team.
Even during his last couple of weeks as Oakland's head coach, with members of the Bay Area and national media flocking to wherever the team was everyday to try to break the news of his firing, Kiffin maintained his even keel and kept his team focused.
They beat Kansas City handily in week two, the week the story of Kiffin being fired in the near future broke, and could have beaten Buffalo and San Diego in weeks three and four had the team played better in the second half.
Through the guidance of himself along with offensive coordinator Greg Knapp, Kiffin ran an offense that avoided the interceptions that plagued the Norv Turner era in Oakland from '04 to '05 but was able to move down the field at the same time unlike the embarrassing one witnessed during Art Shell's second stint with the team in '06.
But the bottom line is this: Davis had the next Chucky in Lane Kiffin.
I'm talking about former Raiders head coach and current Tampa Bay head coach Jon Gruden.
Gruden and Kiffin both made their debuts for the Raiders as the youngest head coaches in the league, Gruden at 38 back in '98 and Kiffin at 32 last year. Kiffin came to the Raiders with an offensive coaching background, just like Gruden who played quarterback in college at Dayton; Kiffin played quarterback at Fresno State.
And like Gruden, Kiffin came in right away and gained the players respect despite his age. Kiffin wasn't the fiery personality that Gruden was back in his day's donning black and silver, but the team played hard for Kiffin like they did for Gruden (though his 5-15 record doesn't show it) and were competitive in 17 of the 20 games that Kiffin coached with the team.
Even during his last couple of weeks as Oakland's head coach, with members of the Bay Area and national media flocking to wherever the team was everyday to try to break the news of his firing, Kiffin maintained his even keel and kept his team focused.
They beat Kansas City handily in week two, the week the story of Kiffin being fired in the near future broke, and could have beaten Buffalo and San Diego in weeks three and four had the team played better in the second half.
Through the guidance of himself along with offensive coordinator Greg Knapp, Kiffin ran an offense that avoided the interceptions that plagued the Norv Turner era in Oakland from '04 to '05 but was able to move down the field at the same time unlike the embarrassing one witnessed during Art Shell's second stint with the team in '06.
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Jesus the Second Comin'
posted 10/08/08 @ 10:25 AM PST
I hate to be a stickler on the details but I don't think Kellen Winslow was the Michael Jordan of that draft. Wasn't Robert Gallery rated high on everyone's boards as a can't miss tackle prospect. (Continued…)
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