I'm yet to be convinced re Campbell.. but I take your expertise and will wait and see.. I'm fed up of the Skins underacheiving season after season..

Quote rpw="rpw":? I'm yet to be convinced re Campbell.. but I take your expertise and will wait and see.. I'm fed up of the Skins underacheiving season after season.. '" From an outside POV mate (i'm sure G1 can put me right on this) it seems they've shown ambition by splashing the cash on haynesworth when the re-building job is much bigger than that and maybe they should of spread their resorces better! Just a few ???'s skins fans have been asking......... www.redskins.com/gen/articles/Fa ... _69604.jsp

Quote rpw="rpw":? I'm yet to be convinced re Campbell.. but I take your expertise and will wait and see.. I'm fed up of the Skins underacheiving season after season.. '" From an outside POV mate (i'm sure G1 can put me right on this) it seems they've shown ambition by splashing the cash on haynesworth when the re-building job is much bigger than that and maybe they should of spread their resorces better! Just a few ???'s skins fans have been asking......... www.redskins.com/gen/articles/Fa ... _69604.jsp

Like the Skins, we splashed the cash on a defensive lineman in Richard Seymour, however, like the Skins, our problems are much bigger than that.

It's all about the tone at the top (Management speak, apologies), but the front office needs to set the scene for the franchise and our front office is a bloody shambles. No one will stand up to Al Davis for fear of losing their job, but someone needs to. Bruce Allen (GM) and Jon Gruden (HC) did it and we won ball games, were very competitive, made the playoffs only to lose once to the Ravens (when cheating Siragusa took out Gannon with a cheap, late shot) and the Patriots (tuck rule anyone ?) and then it was Gruden's team that made it to the Superbowl (under Callaghan's leadership). Since then, and Gruden/Callaghan's departure, it's been all downhill.

Both the Skins and Raiders have talented individuals on the team. Haynesworth is class and Cooley is one of the best TE's in the game. For us, Asomugha is the best corner, Miller could be one of the best TE's if Russell can find him and we also have the best punter in the NFL which is a bloody good job seeing as we utilise him so often !

Both have an excellent running game (when it is utilised correctly) and defensive line. The Raiders D is actually ok, but they spend wayyyyyyy to much time on the field with the O going 3 and out with alarming regularity.

Both teams, IMO, need a solid GM and good front office staff who first and foremost, know how to run a succesful franchise. Leave the key decisions to those who know football. Then get coaches that the players will respect (e.g. recently - Gruden for the Raiders, Gibbs for the Skins). Then the rest will fall into place.

Hodling on too long? Chance would be a fine thing.

With our offensive line he can barely get to the third step of his drop back before he is sacked. More often than not he is running for his life which is why we have too few deep plays down field because they need the QB to be given time to wait for the receiver to get into his route. Because of that the safeties play close to the line which is nullifying the run. No running game means they can come after Campbell more. This means Cooley has to stay and block, leaving defences able to double team Moss and the other receivers are so inept they rarely get open. These things are all linked. Its' never as easy as saying "Its' all on Campbell".

Our line is so bad it gave up a safety from the 3 yard line on a running play last weekend!!!!

This, from an organisation that brought football The Hogs. Oh how I wish we had them back now.

Incidentally, Gruden (and Shannahan to a lesser extent) are names being bandied about for the Skins job.

If we lose to Kansas this week, which would be our 3rd loss to a winless team, Zorn could be gone by the bye week (wek

. Imagine how much fun our up coming trip would be if Chucky was the Skins coach when we play you lot.

Would be very interesting as many of the Raider fans on the message boards that I frequent would love to see Chucky back in Silver and Black. Can't see Al Davis pursuing that line of enquiry though.

Gruden did what he thought was best for the team and got lesser-skilled individuals to over perform (Gannon, Garner ....). Cable does what Al Davis wants him to do and has skilled individuals under-performing.

What's best for the Raiders franchise and what's best for Al Davis' ego are sadly two completely different things.

The 1st game of the season mate during that 1st half it was highlighted by cadle and the sky team where he had runners open and held on i'm only mentioning what i've seen of him.
Admittedly he's not getting any decent protection and obviously the problems are deeper than just campbell as you've highlighted maybe you should of moved for favre he would of been an ideal mentor.

Ground is impressive. Concessions are hellish expensive at about $8.50 for a bottled beer, although I'm not sure if that's the norm in grounds these days. Can understand why people were there at 8am tailgating anyway.

The crowd are pretty loud (individually and collectively), but generally good humoured. One guy was getting off when David Carr scored, (fx: NewYork accent): "What'd I tell you guys, David Carr baby WOOOOOO!!!! (Slaps us all on the back) David Carr for president!!!!"

. I thought it might be a myth, but they are the loudest people I've ever met, even by US standards.

I did see one near brawl in the ground and one actual brawl outside. Although it was quite refreshing to hear the security staff calling punters "f***ing a55holes" rather than having to toe some PC line and exercise restraint in the face of provocation. Transport to the ground is by bus from Port Authority Bus Terminal in Manhattan about 5 mins walk from Times Square and costs $10 return.

All told, probably the best of my three NFL experiences so far (Atlanta and Miami being the other two) notwithstanding a particularly abysmal result for my team. I want to do Lambeau, Soldier Field or Gillette next.

Edit - tickets were about £100 for a seat high up in the Gods.

Other than the personal joy from going to Fed Ex of my "tour", which includes San Fran, Oakland, Jacksonville, DC and Tampa, I'd say Tampa was the best game day experience.

I'd like to go to San Diego or New England next I think. Or a Skins Cowboys game.

Eventually, I'd like to do a Super Bowl but if I am going to spend THAT kind of cash I want to see the Skins. However, if I am going to see one in my life-time I'd better just go as a nuetral.

You want a programme from the Raiders Skins game?

The Raiders programmes are great. They always big up the punter and the kicker as their featured players [s and have loads of articles about how great they were in the 1970's.

Yes please to the programme, I think Adam's already on the case anyway.

I am quite keen to go to Oakland for a game, but it's too far to travel to watch that shower at the moment. My mates are in Chicago and texted me the other day to tell me that Big Al's latest plan has been to enquire about another QB..... Brady Quinn

. Our problems run much deeper than the QB (as poor as Russell is). I see no improvement until Al finally shuffles off and we can get decent leadership in place and build from there.

I'm very into the idea of my next game being in freezing cold temperature with snow piled up at the side of the pitch, that's proper NFL to me. Denver might be another option but it's a bit of a hike. Got quite into my baseball as well, fancy seeing some of that.

Bought a great book at the airport, not sure if you or anyone (Richie?) might have read it: "Boys will be boys: The Glory Days and Party Nights of the Dallas Cowboys". Happy to loan it out if you haven't read it.

Yes, a game in Freezing temperatures would be good.

Haven't read that book and even though its; about [ithem[/i I wouldn't mind borrowing it.

Quinn might be an improvement on JaMarcus. I know you have other issues but he has been really, really bad this year.

Hard to feel sympathy for him given the holdout when he signed and the rumours that he's been fined this year already for being overweight. I know he's getting poor protection and throwing to largely dross receivers, but he needs to take responsibility for his own performance as well.

I'll let you read this book when I've finished it, it's pretty revealing.