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The Raiders will be killing time Sunday against Baltimore, whether they win, lose or lose by a lot. The real story comes immediately thereafter when the lottery on Tom Cable's firing begins. The early betting is on Thursday, because Al Davis tends to wait for the internal postseason self-examination process, in which the coach who is about to get fired has to hear about why he's going to be fired. But it could come as early as Monday (six percent), Tuesday (21 percent) or maybe even Wednesday (nine percent).And if you like the long money, Davis could wait and make...

A former Oakland Raiders player and a current Alameda County supervisor got into a dustup the other day over pee-wee football - landing Supervisor Scott Haggerty in a neck brace and ex-NFL tight end Jeremy Brigham under investigation by Pleasanton police. All of it was caused, we're told, by Brigham's accusations that Haggerty - whom he had just fired as the assistant coach of his Pleasanton squad of 10- and 11-year-old boys - had leaked plays to an opposing team. Police Sgt. Jim Knox confirmed that his department is investigating the incident. He declined to discuss details, but said a...

So Tom Cable walks. That's how you'd have figured it to play given the other characters and circumstances involved. But more than that, Napa County District Attorney Gary Lieberstein said that Raiders assistant coach Randy Hanson couldn't satisfactorily explain to Lieberstein's conviction rate how his jaw was broken. And that, ultimately, is the lesson here. Nobody told enough of a believable story for us ever to figure out what Cable, the Raiders head coach, actually did to Hanson's face, let alone what his intent was when he did whatever it was he did. With that kind of iron-clad certitude, is...

About 30 animal rights protesters gathered outside the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum on Sunday, waving signs decrying dogfighting in response to Michael Vick's arrival with the Philadelphia Eagles and drawing mostly praise from Raiders fans entering the stadium. Oakland has been the happy ending for many of the animals rescued from Vick's dogfighting and gambling operation in Virginia. Ten of the dogs in Vick's pit bull collection -- the ones that could be saved and rehabilitated -- found new lives in San Francisco's East Bay, fostered and treated by the group BAD RAP (Bay Area Doglovers Responsible About Pitbulls). On Sunday,...

Raiders defensive assistant Randy Hanson continues to push his assault charges in public, this time challenging Raiders coach Tom Cable to a lie-detector showdown. "I will take a lie-detector test and a drug test, and I will pay for it - and I'll pay for Tom Cable to take those tests as well," Hanson told Yahoo Sports on Thursday. Cable was asked if he had any response. "None whatsoever," Cable said after practice Friday. Hanson has accused Cable of assaulting him and fracturing his jaw Aug. 5 during training camp. Napa police concluded their investigation last week and handed over...

Longtime sports writer Nancy Gay no longer works for the San Francisco Chronicle. But her ability to pry out secret information about the Oakland Raiders organization is still beyond that of anybody else in the Bay Area. Not two months after she broke the news that the alleged assailant that broke a Raiders' assistant coach's jaw was none other than Tom Cable, Ms. Gay has managed the first "blow-by-blow" account of the punching incident. Her tell-all article on the Fanhouse discloses that other Raiders' assistants are corroborating Randy Hanson's account of the alleged assault. "A two-month investigation into the incident...

These Oakland Raiders have it pretty tough with the NFL referees. They get unsportsmanlike conduct penalties even when they behave like choirboys. Raiders' cornerback Chris Johnson found that out the hard way after making a great play in yesterday's 29-6 Raider loss to the Texans. With just 51 seconds left in the first half, the Texans were on the verge of scoring another touchdown before halftime. In footage still available online, Johnson made a fantastic leaping interception to rob Houston's Andre Johnson of the score. After hauling in the throw, the Raiders' Johnson dropped to his knees and raised his...

An Oakland Raiders cornerback claims he was penalized on Sunday for making a religious display while celebrating an interception. After picking off a Matt Schaub pass in the end zone, Oakland Raiders cornerback Chris Johnson celebrated by dropping to his knees and raising his arms in triumph. He was instantly flagged for an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for excessive celebration. Johnson later complained that he was whistled for thanking God:

Raiders are 1-3 this seasonRaiders Coach Tom Cable's pre-mugshot days may be numbered, according to a report in Yahoo Sports. Yahoo's Jason Cole said Cable will face charges in connection with an alleged attack in August of assistant coach Randy Hanson. Hanson claims Cable attacked him on Aug. 5 after a pre-season practice in Napa. Something happened, because Hanson was treated at a hospital for a broken jaw. Napa police refuse to comment on the investigation. If he is arrested, Cable could also be suspended as the Raiders' coach thanks to the NFL's strict personal conduct policy. The Raiders have...

Reliant Stadium --- Stocked with a lineage of Hall-of Fame players, three Super Bowl championships and a reputation of intimidating its opponents like no other team in history, the Oakland Raiders were once a revered NFL franchise. Since their Super Bowl appearance after the 2001 season, the Raiders have won fewer games than any other team and are now the laughingstock of the league.

Raiders defensive assistant Randy Hanson finally interviewed with the Napa police, telling them Friday that Raiders coach Tom Cable struck him and broke his jaw Aug. 5 at training camp, his attorney told NFL.com on Monday. Napa police confirmed (again) the potential felony case remains under investigation more than a month since the story broke. Hanson's attorney said Hanson handed over medical records showing he has a broken jaw. When the investigation ends, the district attorney will decide whether or not to press charges. Only then should anyone expect the NFL to take any disciplinary action in the matter --...

The Raiders can't keep Rich Gannon out of the Coliseum's broadcast booth, so they want to lock the quarterback-turned-TV analyst out of the team facility in Alameda. Team officials told CBS Sports they did not want Gannon to attend Saturday's television production meetings in advance of Sunday's Raiders-Broncos game, The Chronicle has learned, citing his public criticism of the organization in recent years. "Rich Gannon is not welcome here," Raiders executive John Herrera said Friday when asked about the ban. "We told CBS we did not want him in our building, we did not want him to be part of...

Napa police have reopened their investigation into a Raiders training camp melee this month that left assistant coach Randy Hanson with a broken jaw, reportedly when he was attacked by head coach Tom Cable. Without using names, Lt. Brian McGovern said the incident at the Napa training camp at 10 a.m. on Aug. 5 was originally considered a misdemeanor but is now being investigated as a felony assault. McGovern said the department learned about the incident Aug. 6, when officers were summoned to the hospital on the report of an alleged assault by "staff members" of the Raiders. "The victim...

This Quentin Tarantino movie of a Raiders training camp just got a whole lot more NC-17. Randy Hanson, the assistant coach who somehow suffered a fractured jaw in an altercation with head coach Tom Cable, has hired a lawyer and is pressing charges against coach Cable for allegedly punching him. If that's not enough, sources say Hanson is also alleging that Tom Cable choked him while screaming, "I'm going to kill you! I'm going to kill you!" Look at the bright side, Raider fans. At least the chair and the cabinet aren't planning on pressing any charges. The National Football...

When the National Football Post broke its report Monday that a Raider coach had punched one of his assistants, this story started moving faster than Don Flamenco on the old Punch-Out!! arcade game. Within hours, Nancy Gay dropped a bombshell report that it was none other than head coach Tom Cable who threw the punch. By the end of the Raiders' afternoon practice, Cable was dodging jabs from the media with the old tried and true "It's an internal issue. I'm not going to comment on that." Cable and the Raiders want this story to disappear. Brett Favre is doing...

The always volatile Oakland Raiders are now fighting amongst themselves -- in the coaching ranks, no less. According to a report Monday on the Web site National Football Post, Raiders defensive assistant Randy Hanson was punched in the jaw by another member of the team's coaching staff during an Aug. 5 altercation at Oakland's training camp headquarters at the Napa Valley Marriott. Multiple NFL and Raiders sources have confirmed the victim of the alleged assault was Hanson, a third-year assistant who is in his first season with the team under the title "assistant coach-defense." Two NFL sources have told FanHouse...

SAN FRANCISCO — A federal appeals court on Tuesday reversed the 2001 murder conviction of a man serving a life prison term for killing the daughter of former Oakland Raiders Hall of Famer Fred Biletnikoff. In a 43-page ruling, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals found that San Mateo County prosecutors improperly excluded two African-American jurors for racially motivated reasons, tainting the trial of Mohammed Ali. Ali was convicted of first-degree murder in the February 1999 slaying of his girlfriend, Tracey Biletnikoff, in the office of a San Mateo drug treatment center. Ali always admitted killing Biletnikoff at the...

We'll go ahead and file that one under "headlines I didn't anticipate typing today." It's a bizarre statement. It's a bizarre subset of people to hate, even if you insist on hating a group of people. And it's a bizarre thing to say to an African-American athlete from Notre Dame when meeting him for the first time. But according to Tim Brown(notes), that's exactly what Al Davis did. Brown was interviewed on WCNN in Atlanta, and here's what he had to say about the first time he met Al. From SportsRadioInterviews.com (audio is available at the link): “Meeting Al (Davis)...

WASHINGTON, April 20, 2009 – Thousands of people, young and old, gathered to honor five of the nine surviving Doolittle Raiders at the 67th Reunion in Columbia, S.C., April 16-18. On April 18, 1942, the Doolittle Raiders, led by then-Lt. Col. Jimmy Doolittle, became the first to bombard Japan following the attack on Pearl Harbor. “Early on, everybody thought leaving the flight deck of the carrier was the biggest challenge of the trip,” retired Lt. Col. Richard E. Cole, Doolittle’s co-pilot, said. “As it turned out, it was the easiest thing, and I had a special advantage because I...

The San Francisco 49ers on Friday acknowledged that the battered economy likely will slow down their plans to build a new stadium in Santa Clara and now has them willing to discuss a once unthinkable option — sharing a new home with their cross-bay rival, the Raiders. Combining resources with the Oakland Raiders — as the New York Jets and Giants have done on a new $1.6 billion stadium — may be the only way for the 49ers to overcome frozen financial markets to fund a new stadium, NFL insiders and sports economists say. Team officials said Friday that they...

ALAMEDA, Calif. (AP)—The Oakland Raiders fired Lane Kiffin on Tuesday just four games into his second season, bringing finality to a situation that had been simmering for eight months. Kiffin had a 5-15 record since being hired last year, losing his final game 28-18 on Sunday to San Diego. The decision on Kiffin was as much about his frequent criticisms of owner Al Davis’ franchise as it was the team’s performance on the field. Those critiques reached a peak when Kiffin distanced himself from the defense after a blowout loss in the season opener, saying that was under coordinator Rob...

Denver Broncos Hall of Fame quarterback John Elway is reportedly engaged to a former Oakland Raiders cheerleader.

And with the number one pick in this year's NFL draft... JaMarcus Russell. Who may turn out to be worth his $60 million contract. But maybe not. Sort of like electing Barack Obama and hoping he doesn't turn out to be a Ryan Leif. Or Tim Couch. Or David Carr.    JaMarcus Russell, at 6-6 and 260, sure looks like a pro quarterback, and Barack Obama sure wows reporters as a "gifted politician." But "gifted campaigner" is more apt. A politician, like a quarterback, is judged on results, not promise. And, when it comes to results, Obama's record is,...

WARREN SAPP addressed the subject, as did Jerry Porter, Stuart Schweigert and Chris Carr. Each was cryptic in describing his experience with the Raiders and an owner who hasn't achieved his desired goal in a quarter-century. As the 2008 Raiders, with a dramatically altered roster, begin workouts Thursday in Napa, the veiled references of springtime are history. What lingers is the insinuation that the organization is its own worst enemy. It's not that the Raiders can't succeed but that any chance to do so demands that the talent overcome a culture that is whimsical, cannibalistic and, naturally, fraught with anxiety....

Raiders or Traders?A replica Viking vessel plying the North Sea this month is part of an effort to learn more about what the Norsemen were really up to By Andrew Curry Photographs by Carsten Snejbjerg Smithsonian magazine, July 2008Werner Karrasch / The Viking Ship Museum, Denmark From his bench toward the stern of the Sea Stallion From Glendalough, Erik Nielsen could see his crewmates' stricken faces peeping out of bright-red survival suits. A few feet behind him, the leather straps holding the ship's rudder to its side had snapped. The 98-foot vessel, a nearly $2.5 million replica of a thousand-year-old...

3/17/2008 - SAN ANTONIO (AFPN) -- Retired Staff Sgt. Jacob DeShazer, 95, one of the famed "Doolittle Raiders," who helped boost American morale in the early days of World War II with a surprise air attack on Japan, died March 15. Born Nov. 15, 1912, in Salem, Ore., Sergeant DeShazer graduated from Madras High School in 1931. He enlisted in the Army Air Corps in 1940. Sergeant DeShazer, then a corporal, was the bombardier of Crew No.16 flying the "Bat Out of Hell," the last of the 16 B-25 Mitchell bombers to launch from the USS Hornet April 18, 1942,...

Raiders of the Faux Ark October 10, 2007 by Eric H. Cline Biblical archeology is too important to leave to crackpots and ideologues. It's time to fight back. This editorial was first published in the Boston Globe on September 30, 2007, and is republished here with their kind permission. Eric Cline at Megiddo (Courtesy Eric Cline) Noah's Ark. The Ark of the Covenant. The Garden of Eden. Sodom and Gomorrah. The Exodus. The Lost Tomb of Jesus. All have been "found" in the last 10 years, including one within the past six months. The discoverers: a former SWAT team member;...

NFL team's attire holds gang appeal 10:00 PM PDT on Saturday, September 1, 2007 By JOHN F. BERRY The Press-Enterprise SAN BERNARDINO - The Oakland Raiders, a dozen years after fleeing Los Angeles, finished the 2006 regular season with a 2-14 record -- the worst in the NFL. Despite the teams' embarrassing performance, silver-and-black attired Raider Nation fans significantly outnumber any other sports team appearing daily at the main San Bernardino County courthouse in downtown San Bernardino. Criminal gang prosecutors are unimpressed. "Generally speaking, those wearing Raiders gear in Southern California are associated with gangs," said Cheryl Kersey, who leads...

This is what I saw Saturday night at the Coliseum in the first half when the first-line players were on the field. New Raiders quarterback Josh McCown was fast and resourceful and, after he got over being nervous, he was an accurate passer. And he was fun to watch. Andrew Walter, last season's human sacrifice, came after McCown and completed a bunch of passes. He was on the money with his throws, and on one third down he hit tight end Zack Miller over the middle for 14 yards before the Arizona Cardinals figured out what to do. On that...

The Oakland Raiders have signed free agent QB Daunte Culpepper, Raiders Head Coach Lane Kiffin announced after this afternoon's Training Camp practice at the team's Napa Valley Training Complex. The 6'4", 265-pound Culpepper spent last season with the Miami Dolphins. Culpepper, who is entering his ninth season in the NFL, spent the first seven years of his NFL career with the Minnesota Vikings. "We are very excited to have Daunte, and add him to the mix and see if he can help us," Coach Kiffin said. "We think that he adds definite competition." The former Central Florida star has played...

SAN FRANCISCO -- The state Supreme Court denied a new trial to the Oakland Raiders today in the team's $1.2 billion lawsuit accusing the National Football league of forcing it out of Los Angeles in 1995 by sabotaging plans for a new stadium. The court ruled unanimously that the Raiders had failed to prove misconduct by members of a Los Angeles jury that returned a 9-3 verdict in favor of the NFL in 2001. The judge in the case had set the verdict aside and granted a new trial to the Raiders, finding improper conduct by at least one of...

ALAMEDA, Calif. (AP) -- The Oakland Raiders canceled the final week of their offseason training program Friday after complaints from the NFL players' union about the intensity of the practices. In a brief statement, coach Lane Kiffin said the players' union believes the Raiders' offseason program violated league rules on practice standards. "The union has complained about the high level of intensity, player aggressiveness and fast pace of our practices and, as a result, has taken away the final week of our offseason program," said Kiffin, the NFL's youngest and least experienced head coach.

Alameda, Calif. (AP) -- The Oakland Raiders canceled the final week of their offseason training program Friday after complaints from the NFL players' union about the intensity of the practices.

With the blessing of DollyCali, I will be your host for this, the NFL Draft weekend! A certain percentage of you probably don't know me, and some of you do. So let me give you the crash course, impromptu introduction... GOP_Raider, a distinguished and wise poster at Free Republic, is a senior fellow at the National Institute of Hitting It. He is the author of such wisecracks as "Does Ted Kennedy cure hangovers by never sobering up?" and "Annoying liberals before annoying liberals was cool." GOP_Raider is single and lives in a well-armed compound somewhere in the western United States....

/25/2007 - SAN ANTONIO (AFNEWS) -- Retired Lt. Col. Chase J. Nielsen, one of the famed "Tokyo Doolittle Raiders" who helped boost American morale in the early days of World War II with a surprise air attack on Japan and spent a lifetime as an advocate for American airpower, died March 23 at his home in Brigham City, Utah. Born Jan. 14, 1917 in Hyrum, Utah, Colonel Nielsen attended Utah State University and graduated in 1939 with a bachelor of science degree in civil engineering. In August 1939, he enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps as a flying cadet....

Here's the latest twist to the Bay Area's topsy-turvy stadium politics: Word is the San Francisco 49ers have informally approached the Oakland Raiders about building a new home -- together. The stadium, which would be shared by the two rivals, very well could be in Santa Clara, where the Niners are pursuing new digs next to Great America. Niners executive Jed York, the son of team owners John and Denise York, said that while a joint stadium idea has merit, there has been no contact with the Raiders on the subject. "I think it's a good idea, but we haven't...

Lane Kiffin will be formally introduced as Head Coach of The Oakland Raiders during a press conference on Tuesday, January 23, 2007 at 1:00 p.m. at the Raiders' facility in Alameda. With his appointment today by Raiders owner Al Davis, Kiffin becomes the 16th head coach in franchise history and the youngest head coach in the NFL. The 31-year old Kiffin is also the youngest Head Coach in Raider history. Pro Football Hall of Fame Coach John Madden was 32 when he was elevated to the head post by Davis in 1969. Most recently, Kiffin presided over the vaunted offensive...

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) -- Southern California assistant head coach Steve Sarkisian withdrew from the Oakland Raiders' coaching race Friday, just days after apparently emerging as the favorite to succeed Art Shell.

Tomb raiders find treasure trove From correspondents in Jakarta January 19, 2007 FARMERS have sold hundreds of gold artefacts stolen from skeletal corpses unearthed at a newly-found ancient burial complex in Indonesia, media reported today. Skeletons wearing chains of gold rings around their necks, heads, hands and feet were found in the tombs in a rice field at Kendal Jaya village, about 60km east of Jakarta, the Seputar Indonesia daily said. They were buried with other accessories made of precious stones or gold as well as axes and other pottery articles. Between 15 and 25 people are estimated to have...

ALAMEDA, Calif. (AP) - Art Shell's second stint as coach of the Raiders will end after just one season, the franchise's worst in more than four decades, multiple media outlets reported Thursday night. Team sources told FOX Sports' Jay Glazer that Shell had lengthy meetings Thursday with team owner Al Davis, and that players and assistant coaches were anticipating Thursday night that Shell would be fired. Sources said an announcement regarding Shell's fate is expected Friday, and that there is a possibility Shell could be reassigned within the Raider organization. The Raiders declined to confirm the story and attempts to...

Quick, somebody tell Andrew Walter that his team won the game. "It was ridiculous," the Raiders' quarterback said after his team beat the Steelers 20-13, mostly on the strength of an outstanding defensive effort. "It's pretty pathetic," Walter added, assessing the team's total offensive output of 98 yards -- the fewest ever for a victorious Raiders team. Walter completed five passes in 14 attempts for 51 yards. The Raiders ran for 81 yards, a number offset by Walter's six sacks for a loss of 34 yards. --snip-- Walter was visibly angry on the sideline in the fourth quarter, and admitted...

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) -- As putrid as the Oakland Raiders were to start the season, they're now at least as good -- or is it bad? -- as the Super Bowl champs. Chris Carr returned an interception by Ben Roethlisberger 100 yards for a touchdown, Nnamdi Asomugha also took back an interception for a score and the Raiders mounted a late goal-line stand to beat the Pittsburgh Steelers 20-13 Sunday.

Associated Press (9/15/2006, 8:30 AM PST) OAKLAND , (CA)--Oakland Raiders football practice was delayed nearly two hours today after a player reported finding an unknown white powdery substance on the practice field. Head coach Art Shell immediately suspended practice and called the police and federal investigators. After a complete analysis, FBI forensic experts determined that the white substance unknown to Raider players was the GOAL LINE. Practice resumed after special agents decided the team was unlikely to encounter the substance again.

ALAMEDA, Calif. -- Aaron Brooks will be sidelined two to four weeks with a strained pectoral muscle, giving the Raiders' starting quarterback job to second-year player Andrew Walter.--snip-- The Raiders have a much-needed bye this week after getting outscored 55-6 in their two losses to open the season. Walter will start Oct. 1 against Cleveland. After that, it will depend on Brooks' health, coach Art Shell said.

Yes, that was Arnold Schwarzenegger on ESPN last night doing commentary from the booth at the Chargers-Raiders game. It was a remarkable bit of free publicity for Schwarzenegger amid his re-election campaign. There is perhaps some synergy here that smoothed the way for the governor's Howard Cosell moment. Schwarzenegger is friendly with Robert Iger, the president and CEO of Disney, which owns ESPN. And he has a long relationship with the giant media company. There is no requirement for ESPN to give Phil Angelides equal time, unlike other broadcast shows. News and public affairs programs (yes, sports is considered news)...

Jeff George never doubted he had what it took to be an NFL quarterback, even when he was coaching the run-and-shoot offense last year for his son's fourth grade team. The former No. 1 overall pick and strong-armed passer who bounced around the league for more than a decade is back after signing a contract with the Oakland Raiders on Monday, nearly five years after he last threw an NFL pass.--snip-- George, the top pick by Indianapolis in 1990, previously played for Oakland in 1997-98, is mostly an insurance policy for the Raiders, who already have Aaron Brooks, Andrew Walter...

D'Adamo: What stood out and growing up and playing sports in a small town? Gallery: Everything is on a smaller scale. There wasn't that many kids in our school or in my class. Sports are sports, but I lived in the country with no big cities around.--snip-- D'Adamo: What was it like on Friday nights on game day in your hometown? Gallery: It was great. It's a farm community. Everybody came out to watch the football games. The football field was surrounded by cornfields. It was cool. It's a small-town atmosphere.

OAKLAND — Aaron Brooks clenched his fist as he trotted slowly toward the Oakland Raiders' bench. When he got there, he was greeted like a long-lost friend. If the pats on his helmet and slaps on his back could be put into words, they would have read, "Welcome, glad you made it." --snip-- The consensus: Finally, a spasm of hope for Brooks. "It's unnecessary to make a big deal about a preseason game. As I've said before, It's a process," Brooks said afterward. "There is no need to get too high or too low."

What a weekend. John Madden gets his long overdue induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame and the Raiders get a win in the Sunday night Pre-season opener. But I can’t for the life of me, figure out what all the crying about is from so many Raider fans. Did the team look good? Not really, but they showed flashes on defense and the defense is going to carry this team for the first eight games or so. I know the Eagles first teamers came out and moved the ball well in the opening drive, but they should have...

The Oakland Raiders defeated the Philadelphia Eagles 16-10 in the 2006 Hall of Fame game one day after legendary Raiders head coach John Madden was enshrined in the Hall. LB Ryan Riddle and DT Michael Quarshie recovered Eagles fumbles, and CB Fabian Washington intercepted passes for the defense. QB Aaron Brooks connected with TE Courtney Anderson for a 12-yard TD, and K Sebastian Janikowski made three field goals, including kicks from 50 and 51 yards out. --snip-- QB Donovan McNabb and the Eagles mounted the first scoring drive of the game as RB Brian Westbrook cashed in from the 1-yard...