By Eric Farrell
RaiderBeat.com Correspondent
It seems as if the Bay Area media is biased against the Raiders. The hosts of the area’s top radio station, KNBR, were broadcasting during the San Francisco 49ers heyday. Same goes for many of the Bay Area’s sportswriters. Many of them have covered the team and have fond memories of the 49ers.
The same can’t be said for the teams across the San Francisco Bay, in Oakland. There always seems a hint of resentment when it comes to big, bad Al Davis and his “evil” Raiders. This, despite the fact that the 49ers’ most successful coach, Bill Walsh, was an Al Davis disciple.
So, really, it comes as no surprise that a writer from the “hey-day” is the first one with knowledge of JaMarcus Russell’s weight. An “unnamed source” says Russell reported to Oakland’s offseason workout program weighing 271 pounds.
First off, Tim Kawakami, the writer who Tweeted Russell’s weight, is Public Enemy No. 1 to the Raiders in terms of media members. No one from the organization would give this guy any news. More likely, he is just trying to take advantage of today’s media climate, where anything goes on the Internet.
In addition to Kawakami, it seems as if everyone in the media has something negative to say about Russell, right or wrong. Since that seems to be the case, why would Russell stop and talk to the media? He probably was told to keep his mouth closed and just play along.
If everything one of us said or did, no matter the effort to do well, was portrayed negatively, would you talk? What would be the point?
The reason Russell hasn’t been released is because he still has some things going for him if he gets on track, no matter what anyone thinks. Having a solid right offensive tackle would go a long way toward helping Russell perform better.
Also, let’s not forget that all of the quarterbacks on Oakland’s roster last season endured protection issues, not just Russell. Bruce Gradkowski is a journeyman who hasn’t had a lot of success in the NFL. He has had some opportunities, too.
He has struggled in the past and he may well do so again. He is not the second coming of Rich Gannon; Gannon, a back-up for years, still was regarded as a smart, tough, heady veteran with a solid grasp of the schemes he ran. Remember, he was the catalyst for the 1995 Kansas City Chiefs team that won 13 games and made the playoffs.
Gannon relieved Elvis Grbac, the Chiefs starter at the start of the season, and led them to several victories in a row. Grbac returned to health, re-entered the lineup and lost the team’s first playoff game. So, don’t be delusional. Gradkowski is no Gannon. When he has a three-interception game, and teams catch on to him, then what?
The fact is, Russell received a ton of money, and he hasn’t met expectations. Yet, he wasn’t so horrible in 2008. If anything, Davis and Russell’s coaches weren’t hard enough on Russell. Davis is a players’ owner, and he sticks up for his players.
Raiders fans realize that. Now, the chains are off. It’s foolish to imagine Russell weighing 240 or 250 ppounds in early March. Training camp is another story. Also, Gradkowski has to be at the facility every day because he realizes that this likely is his best, and perhaps last, chance to be a starter in the NFL.
Russell still has something Gradkowski or Charlie Frye, for that matter, doesn’t have, and that is the ability to throw deep. Russell is the only one of those three who can execute the deep pass on a play-action. The only thing Kawakami throws around are rumors and innuendo. So, let him and his rumors continue to monger, while the Raider Nation waits, and hopes, for improvement from Russell as long as he’s on the roster.
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