Like the City of Oakland, the Raiders are Terrible

The Oakland Raiders, just may be the worst professional sports franchise in existence. Their fan base consists mostly of people who have not attained a high school education and who have been in and out of prison for most of their lives. It is no wonder that they don't sell out most of their home games, since their fans can certainly not afford the $50 minimum ticket prices. Having hands-down, the worst owner in professional sports certainly does not help the Raiders cause at all. Sure Al Davis may have been a great honor, even coach, in the 60s, however his time has long passed.

With the franchise in constant turmoil, it can be hard at times to even turn your attention to the actual players on the team and their performances. The thing is, the Oakland Raiders are definitely not the least talented team in the NFL, possibly not even in the bottom third of teams. This season they have shown their potential, by beating the Philadelphia Eagles and playing at the same level as the San Diego Chargers on the Monday night season opener, nearly beating the Chargers. These are not the Detroit Lions of last year, they can compete with any team on a given day, the only problem is those days are few and far between. It is as this a curse hangs over the franchise and its players, players who are clearly talented and have even had success in other places come to Oakland and, all of a sudden, their play is sporadic, with the team only coming together once every few games.

I, for one, believe that this is mainly a coaching and management issue. Clearly the debacle with Tom cable, the latest fall guy trotted out by Al Davis, is not helping the team at all. Regardless of whether he was responsible for any of the claims of violence and charges against him, it is clear that he has no ability to coach in the NFL and is just a placeholder until the Raiders inevitably make their next coaching change at the end of the season. Playing in Oakland, California, one of the most dangerous cities in America, certainly does not help the Raiders image or ability to attract players. Hardly any players actually want to go to Oakland, unless they are looking to repair their image after drug arrest or domestic violence charge.

The only thing fun about the Raiders, is guessing where they will be in five years. Definitely not in Oakland, however another Bay Area city, such as San Jose, is a possibility. I, for one, wouldn't be surprised to see them move back to Los Angeles. After all, they can still benefit from a large gang presence in Los Angeles, which certainly forms a core of their fan base in Oakland.