News You Can't Use

Mentioning an unsubstantiated rumor makes you a perpetrator of the rumor. Mentioning an unsubstantiated rumor in a major media outlet makes you a gross perpetrator of the rumor. This is a fact, there’s no debating it, case closed.

Which makes many in our local sports media gross perpetrators of unsubstantiated rumors. Nice.

Some weeks ago, Lane Kiffin was mentioned in a speculative report as a potential candidate for the Arkansas job. Not a single credible source was named, but the local media still ran with the rumor, and pestered Kiffin about it for two straight days.

Now the rumors of Kiffin’s wandering eye have resurfaced, thanks to a site that at least has the self awareness to put its unsubstantiated rumors under the banner of “Rumor Mill.” The site claimed that Kiffin was outraged at not getting the Arkansas job, and that he’s still anxious to jump ship for the college ranks.

So, this morning we are faced with more speculative palaver. This is how one Bay Area outlet poured gasoline on the fire while, of course, implying that we not shoot the messenger: “Still, the rumor persisted until Atlanta Falcons coach Bobby Petrino resigned Tuesday and accepted the Arkansas job. That prompted even more Kiffin mentions, though nary a single one cited a named source… When asked if he had any desire to take a college coaching job at any point, Kiffin said: ‘No, no. I'm coaching the Raiders and getting us ready to play. I don't have any idea where all that information came from.’”

This is how the media perpetrators cling to the illusion of occupying the high road. Of course it’s not okay to initiate unsubstantiated rumors, but, hey, if someone else starts one and we just report on and perpetuate the rumor, well, by golly, it’s all in a good day’s work. Is it 3 p.m. yet? I could use a good vodka tonic. I’m exhausted by all of my original reporting. I wore the leather right off my shoe today.

Let’s be clear about one thing: irresponsible and unsubstantiated rumors can later be proven true, but that doesn’t make them any less irresponsible and unsubstantiated. Could Lane Kiffin jump ship for Michigan? I guess it’s possible. It’s also possible that he might be a space alien.

The news about Bobby Petrino bolting Atlanta for Arkansas suggests that the previous rumor about Kiffin bolting to Arkansas was both harmful and wrong. Yet instead of feeling chastened by this revelation, the local media instead use this news as yet another excuse to pester Kiffin and speculate about his inner thoughts.

Just because a rumor exists doesn’t mean you have to report on it. Really. You could just ignore it. The previous rumor was dead wrong, and the new one doesn’t cite a single named source. You don’t have to bite on every piece of bait in the information ocean, do you? Get a professional grip, folks.

On one final hypocritical note, we should observe that the mainstream media are constantly trying to draw a distinction between themselves and mere “bloggers.” This distinction allegedly rests on the notion of journalistic standards (we know it has nothing to do with writing talent, that’s for sure), to which bloggers supposedly aren’t beholden.

And yet the mainstream media are more than happy to let the blogger tail wag their dog on a slow news day, biting on juicy internet-fueled rumors that should be ignored rather than perpetuated.

And that, Raiders fans, is news you can't use.

P.S. The editor of the aforementioned "Rumor Mill" site is featured in the current issue of Sports Illustrated, in which he admits that he is not bound by traditional journalistic standards (who is anymore?), and in which he is quoted as saying, "We don't report rumors as hard news. We trust our readers to know the difference." And yet we apparently can't trust some members of the local sports media to know the difference. Go figure.

News You Can't Use

Well, I’ve had my say about last Sunday's game, and now it’s time to circle the wagons and discuss this recent piece in the San Jose Mercury News. It begins:

Those shootings in the Raiders' parking lot couldn't have come at a better time for NFL fans in the Bay Area. See, the team's next home game is Nov. 4 against the Houston Texans. That's the only other game CBS is televising in the late time frame besides...wait for it...Almost Certainly Undefeated New England At Probably Undefeated Indianapolis.

Admit it. You're cheering for a blackout. Even if you're a Raiders fan, you're cheering for a blackout. A regular-season matchup like Pats-Colts, that comes along not even once in a decade. Probably once every 15 years, like the Steelers-Raiders "criminal element" game of 1976 or the 49ers-Giants Ronnie Lott-Mark Bavaro clash of 1990.

We aim to play on that fear. We want you not to buy a ticket. The Raiders no doubt disagree, but they shouldn't; heck, as a gesture to fans and a clever marketing ploy, they should give us this gift of Pats-Colts in return for a future game.

The article goes on to make five more jokes about the shootings, which I bet aren’t funny at all to the victims’ loved ones. On Saturday night, four men were shot because they were mistaken for gang rivals. Hah, hah, hah?

I understand that it’s meant to be humorous, but it’s just not. What’s more funny to me is that the “mainstream” media increasingly perpetuate what they claim to hate about the “new” citizen media such as blogs—personalized, sarcastic and disrespectful journalism.

Honestly, what’s the difference between this Mercury piece and this piece I’m writing, except that mine is more respectful (and, if I may say so myself, better written)?

Making light of shootings, openly rooting for fans to stay away from a local football team…I don’t know, it just seems in really poor taste, doesn’t it? Is this really the role of regional sports journalism these days, a sort of Letterman-Hater hybrid?

Sure, the Patriots v. Colts is a compelling matchup, one that many will want to see. But in an age when nearly every corner bar has NFL Sunday Ticket, allowing you to watch any game in the nation, the whole blackout “issue” is irrelevant. How about encouraging Raiders fans to support their team, and encouraging others to support their local taverns and restaurants that have NFL Sunday Ticket?

I don’t mean to sound too pious about this. Go ahead and mock the team’s performance if you must, but do we really need local media to irresponsibly hype the alleged danger of attending a Raiders game? I saw babies, toddlers and senior citizens at the last game, all of whom were wounded only by the performance of our offense.

And that, Raiders fans, is news you can't use.

News You Can't Use

On Wednesday, October 3, a sportswriter sat down at his keyboard, ready to earn his paycheck from Fox Sports. It was midweek after week four in the 2007 NFL season. His canvas was blank, but thankfully storylines abounded across the league.

Preseason favorites like the Bengals, Chargers, Saints and Bears were suddenly circling the drain. The Patriots were off to a wicked start, but the specter of cheating still loomed. Quarterback controversies were brewing in Arizona and elsewhere. Teams that showed some measure of promise over the past few seasons were sliding back into oblivion, among them the Dolphins, Rams and 49ers. Unheralded teams like the Packers, Lions, Titans, Texans and, yes, the Raiders were suddenly on the rise. In fact, the Raiders had just steamrolled the Dolphins for their second straight victory and a share of first place in the AFC West.

Hmmm, what to write about today. Tick, tock, tick, tock…Wait, I’ve got it! The Raiders’ allegedly poor drafts of several years ago!

And so our sportswriter toils, typing away and gnashing his teeth. Robert Gallery! Derrick Gibson! He calls it “my story of how Davis missed in the draft, creating a team devoid of young talent that led to four seasons of misery following that embarrassing loss to Tampa Bay in Super Bowl XXXVII.”

His story begins in 2001, which is six years ago according to my abacus.

Wow, talk about timely and relevant.

Also, how do you write a story about the Raiders’ recent draft record without mentioning names like Curry (seventh round!), Morrison, Howard, Asomugha, Washington, Williams and Miller? And Gallery is starting, is he not, on an offensive line that just sprung a 299-yard rushing attack? Fargas did pretty well last week, eh? Not bad for a third rounder. Jerry Porter, Shane Lechler...

Am I suggesting that the Raiders’ drafts have been exemplary? No. But is now the time to dredge up mistakes from six years ago while ignoring the aforementioned picks who are starting for our team today? Is now the time to single out the Raiders for questionable draft picks when you could pick apart most NFL teams for similar mistakes? Is now the time, after the Raiders got universally high marks for their 2007 draft as a precursor to a turnaround under the leadership of Lane Kiffin, to write the same old story about how Al Davis is to blame for everything, including global warming and taxes?

Yes, if you are a hater, now is apparently the perfect time.

Hating the Raiders remains an easy paycheck, but the haters might want to start some savings acccounts, because Kiffin and Company are going to start stealing their lunch money in the weeks and years ahead.

And that, Raiders Fans, is news you can’t use.

P.S. Thanks to FiveFiveNine for the tip.

News You Can't Use

Okay, I’ve recovered from my tantrum about our special little secret (recovered but still not convinced…) and am about to take the yellow brick road up to Oakland, with a pit stop at the home of Cousin of Raider Take for some pub crawling on Saturday night.

But first I must take one of ESPN’s Raider Haters to the woodshed for writing the following: “But the Raiders, over the past few…well, decades...have come to be understood as the size XXL speed bump in the vast parking lot that is the NFL.”

Such outright lying would be merely pathetic if it weren’t so odious.

I have a test for our friend at ESPN: Name the only team in the AFC West that has won its division three times, advanced to the AFC Championships twice and even appeared in the Super Bowl in this yet-unfinished decade.

Now, am I saying that the Raiders have been good for the past four years? Not at all. I am just saying that this individual is lying boldly through his teeth in a major media outlet to support a simple-minded worldview.

Let me put this in perspective. Say the Chargers take a sudden dive, and do poorly for the next four seasons, including this one, after some strong showings in recent years (although not nearly as strong as the Raiders’ showings from 2000-2002, during which time the Chargers won a grand total of 14 games).

Okay, so say that happens (I’m not saying it will, but for the sake of argument…). Would it then be okay for me to sit here and write the following in 2010: “But the Chargers, over the past few…well, decades...have come to be understood as the size XXL speed bump in the vast parking lot that is the NFL.”

Of course it wouldn’t, because it would a cowardly lie that could be revealed as fiction by the nearest three-year-old with a copy of the NFL Record & Fact Book.

And that, Raiders fans, is news you can’t use.

News You Can't Use

Can’t a guy get any sleep around here? Will the sports media just stop printing asinine, immature and/or biased Raiders stories long enough for me to get some rest and relaxation? Is that too much to ask?

Apparently.

The latest crime against logic comes from the San Francisco Chronicle (surprise!). It’s so egregious that I almost can’t believe it. According to this article's headline, “Adimchinobe Echemandu’s arrival has resulted in coaches’ exits.”

Here’s the relevant excerpt: “Coach Lane Kiffin says running back Adimchinobe Echemandu might be ‘the surprise player’ of the Raiders' training camp. That's good news for the former Cal star, but in terms of job security, it might not be the best development for Kiffin…The Browns drafted Echemandu in 2004. He rushed eight times - the only eight carries of his pro career. Cleveland coach Butch Davis resigned that year after a 3-8 start. Let go in 2005, he joined the Vikings. Coach Mike Tice was fired at the end of the season.”

For a moment I thought I was reading The Onion or some other satiric vehicle. I kept waiting for the punch line. It never came. I mean, come on, if you're that desperate when it comes to finding a story angle, maybe you shouldn't be in the newspaper business in the first place.

Here we have this great training camp story, a young kid struggling to stay in the NFL who suddenly blossoms before our very eyes, possibly earning a key spot on the roster. So how does the Chronicle reward his efforts? By suggesting that he’s a coach killer!

How classy. Guess Adimchinobe won’t be sending that article home to mom.

Now, what’s more likely, this heretofore unknown kid with a grand career total of eight rushes to his name somehow having any remote influence on front-office decisions—or this kid’s talent lying unnoticed while he’s had the bad luck to land on teams whose incompetent coaches have earned their exits in a league that has turned the head coaching position into a turnstile?

And that, Raiders fans, is news you can’t use.

News You Can't Use

In the long, sordid history of News You Can’t Use, this just might be the most odious of them all.

According to the San Francisco Chronicle, Lane Kiffin is undermining and threatening the potential of the Oakland Raiders by making personnel decisions from the vantage of his own alleged insecurities.

According the Chronicle: “Why did the Raiders release long snapper and center Adam Treu? Word has it that Treu—an acknowledged team leader and very personable player—did not get off on the "right foot" with coach Lane Kiffin's staff. He was cut loose despite being a personal favorite of owner Al Davis. Remember this day. Treu, 33, will not be the last older player to be waived. Numerous NFL sources have suggested Kiffin, 32, wants to rid the team of players who are close to his age or older. Kiffin, sources say, doesn't want players with influence who might threaten his authority. So team leaders such as fullback Zack Crockett, 34, and—yes, believe it—defensive tackle Warren Sapp, 34, are in big trouble. Even if Sapp, who admirably dropped 49 pounds in six months, comes to camp looking like a Pro Bowler, he's probably wasting his time.”

Yes, I will remember this day—this is the day the San Francisco Chronicle lost total control of the distinction between opinion commentary and reporting, hiding behind unnamed sources to irresponsibly question the character of Lane Kiffin while engaging in rampant speculation and illogic. This isn't merely an attack on Lane Kiffin, it's an attack on professional journalism.

After limping along last year with an old coaching staff and ineffective veterans, the team has done exactly what the media wanted them to do—clear the decks, start over, get younger.

Yet the San Francisco Chronicle wants us to read something dark and disturbing into the fact that an injured 33-year-old long snapper was cut and a fullback who turns 35 before the season’s end might not be a big part of our plans?

Meanwhile, Al Davis is constantly ripped for interfering in personnel matters. Yet when his head coach exercises autonomy by cutting one of Davis’s favorite players, well, that’s a problem, too, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.

Treu “won’t be the last older player to be waived?” Wow, that’s really shocking and unsettling, the notion that players nearing their mid 30s might fade out of the picture.

In other news, youngsters Jarrod Cooper and Darnell Bing were released yesterday. According to unnamed sources, the rest of the team’s younger players are on shaky ground, as Al Davis is overriding Lane Kiffin’s personnel decisions and skewing the roster toward older players, because Mr. Davis wants to secure stadium naming sponsorship from the AARP. JaMarcus Russell and Michael Bush are in big trouble.

And that, Raiders fans, is news you can’t use.

News You Can't Use

Sometimes you just find yourself with a gun and a barrel full of fish. Well, that’s how I feel right now. It’s almost too easy to pull the trigger on this little creature, entitled “Raiders continue on a wayward course.”

After all, the publisher of this intellectual jewel just launched something called Media Watch (hmm…that sounds familiar…I should have thought of that...) to “provide our readership with an opportunity to call out individual members of the media who say or write something on the board of outlandish. Here's how it works: If you hear a talk radio personality, newspaper columnist or television commentator make an assertion that sounds contrived or is just flat-out stupid, simply e-mail us.”

Guys, it’s already time to email yourselves.

Exhibit A: “The first move in a series of oddities was the firing of Art Shell and the subsequent hiring of Lane Kiffin as Oakland's head coach.”

How odd, they fired a coach whose team won two games amid utter coaching chaos.

Exhibit B: “So to compound the original mistake of hiring Shell last season, they followed it by hiring the youngest head coach in the NFL, the 31-year-old Kiffin. It's hard to imagine a coach who is younger than many of the players on the team coming in and commanding respect.”

Yeah, that was a real problem for John Madden, Al Davis, Jon Gruden and Bill Cowher, who were 32, 33, 34 and 34 respectively when they got their first NFL head coaching gigs.

Exhibit C: “Two other dumbfounding moves were the acquisition of quarterback Josh McCown and wide receiver Mike Williams from the Detroit Lions in exchange for a fourth-round draft pick.”

Josh McCown is our likely starting quarterback come September. Until trading for him, our QB depth chart lacked a veteran presence as a hedge against an unproven Walter and Russell’s lack of NFL experience. You might question why we didn’t go out and get a more proven quarterback earlier, but to call this trade, at that point in time, “dumbfounding” is, well, you know…dumbfounding.

Hey, why are all those little fishies swimming upside down?

And that, Raiders fans, is the one, the only, the original News You Can’t Use.

P.S. Thanks to Stick'Em and BlandaRocked for the tips!

News You Can't Use

Here's what one Sports Irritating, I mean Illustrated, columnist had to say about the Raiders last week: "I don't dislike the Raiders. It's just that ... how can I put this? It's like having a son you were once very proud of. A little rough at times, but he struggled and achieved and overcame a lot. Many people were against him. And then he just gave up. You look at him and you see a slouching person, nearing middle age, hair thinning, cigarette smoke staining his fingers, talking out of the side of his mouth, continually lying. Is this really your son? Well, yeah, and you still love him underneath it all. You just don't enjoy being around him.''

As if that wasn't enough foam out of the mouth, now one of his esteemed colleagues reprints it as one of his "quotes of the day." They've certainly mastered the art of self-congratulatory navel gazing over there at SI. So the Raiders have given up? Four losing seasons following a Super Bowl berth means we've given up? Those are fightin' words, friends.

This arrives in the wake of the following recent quote from yet another SI columnist: "The two words used most frequently on draft weekend by Raiders coach Lane Kiffin will be 'Yes, boss' -- followed closely by 'Great call!' and 'Cream? Sugar?'"

One of these guys is in bed with the Patriots, and another is sleeping with the 49ers, so you'll have to excuse them for the hatred oozing out of their pores.

Anyhow, that's three SI columnists in two weeks publishing juvenile riffs on the Raiders. This is the point where people write and say, "What do you care? Who cares what they write? What do you expect, we're 2-14!"

Here's what I say to that: Way to back up your team. Way to fight back. Way to be a Raider. Yes, let's all go mute while influential sportswriters hate on our team like no other 2-14 team before it, like no other team that has won its division three times, advanced to the AFC Championships twice and even appeared in the Super Bowl in this yet-unfinished decade. Let's say nothing and allow these clowns to keep hating without any response or reaction. Let's allow them to keep misinforming potential fans who could fill seats and help make sure our team remains viable in Oakland. Yes, that's the spirit.

And that, Raiders fans, is news you can't use.