gblowfish
09-19-2005, 12:01 PM
And penalties against the Faiders are a conspiracy by the NFL against Al Davis...gimme a break. This in the Oakland Trib this morning:
Tough calls go against Raiders — naturally
OAKLAND — Randy Moss and LaMont Jordan officially became Oakland Raiders on Sunday night, having their first home touchdowns as the club's hot new offensive weapons taken away by referees' calls.
Welcome to Conspiracy City, fellas. Might as well join in the hue and cry that's been going on around these parts for years.
Of course, there were plenty of things the Raiders did — and didn't do — that contributed to a most dispiriting 23-17 home loss to Kansas City that dropped the rebuilt Silver and Black to 0-2 in the still-young 2005 season.
But do you think anyone wants to talk about Raiders' breakdowns and deficiencies when they can yelp and bark about officials turning 14 would-be first-half points into a mere three, not to mention a 35-yard pass interference penalty against Oakland on a throw Manute Bol couldn't have caught if he'd been standing on a 10-foot ladder?
Here we go again. Raiders vs. Zebras, Chapter 91, with the smug Chiefs mere bystanding benefactors on this sour night.
With the Raiders trailing 14-7 in the second quarter, Moss had a 6-yard touchdown negated when Chiefs corner Dexter McCleon pleaded for a push-off and the referee reacted with a late flag. At least on replays, it looked like Moss did far less shoving than he did on a 64-yard touchdown bomb he hauled down in the third quarter, but the Raiders wound up having to settle for a field goal.
The second TD call-back also came in the second quarter when Jordan blasted through the left side and rambled 56 yards for what appeared to be a tying score. But it was washed away by a Langston Walker holding call, one that looked a little more obvious on replay but one both head coach Norv Turner and Walker adamantly refuted.
"We're continuing to try to get interpretations but the touchdown to Randy Moss looked like a touchdown to me," Turner said. "The interpretation on the long run looked like a good block to me. Obviously, we'll look at it when we see the tapes."
Moss refused to speak to reporters after the game and wouldn't even discuss the call through a media relations intermediary. But he had plenty of people speaking for him about it. Asked if he had a good view of the Moss play, fellow wide receiver Jerry Porter said, "Yes I did. It was a bull ... it was a B.S. call."
Added Charles Woodson, who was watching from the sidelines, "I just look at that and say, 'If that were the other team, if it were the other way around, would they have called that pass interference?' And I really don't think so. It put seven points off the board, and just like that, seven points are taken off the board. That's tough."
If Porter and Woodson sounded incredulous about the Moss call, the usually mild-mannered Walker was even more angry about his controversial infraction.
"That was a very questionable call at the wrong time, but that's the way it goes," he said.
Told Turner thought he'd made a clean block, he shot back, "He thought it was a clean block? So did I. How many people were in the stadium — 63,000? I think 63,000 in the stadium thought it was a clean block. I think another million watching thought it was a clean block. But obviously one person with all the power thought it was a (bleep) block.
"How shocked was I? I was getting ready to block for (an extra point). I turn around and see a flag: holding, No. 66. I looked down at my own number, like, 'That's me!' I was thoroughly surprised. I'm still thoroughly surprised."
So open up fresh sluices on the conspiracy front, that the Raiders are being hosed by the league once again. It's the eternal thread, on the Internet and everywhere else fans of this team congregate.
"We've been getting questionable calls for a while, at least the last four years I've been here, at the wrong times," Walker said. "I'm not saying it's anything personal with us. But it just makes you think."
Turner was asked directly whether he feels the Raiders are treated unfairly and suspiciously when it comes to officiating.
"I don't know how to answer that, I really don't," he said. "Obviously, people come up with different discussions about that subject, and I'm not going to get into that discussion. It's just frustrating ... as I said a week ago, some of (the calls) are penalties and some of them aren't."
When the first half ended, Turner waited for the referee who made the call against Moss and appeared to be giving him a severe tongue-lashing. As you read this, you can bet tapes and protests are being prepared to send to the league office.
But do the Raiders have a case this time? Probably not a good one, but rest assured it will be a loud one. They always are, especially from an 0-2 perch.
Carl Steward can be reached at (510) 293-2451 or by e-mail at
csteward@angnewspapers.com.
Tough calls go against Raiders — naturally
OAKLAND — Randy Moss and LaMont Jordan officially became Oakland Raiders on Sunday night, having their first home touchdowns as the club's hot new offensive weapons taken away by referees' calls.
Welcome to Conspiracy City, fellas. Might as well join in the hue and cry that's been going on around these parts for years.
Of course, there were plenty of things the Raiders did — and didn't do — that contributed to a most dispiriting 23-17 home loss to Kansas City that dropped the rebuilt Silver and Black to 0-2 in the still-young 2005 season.
But do you think anyone wants to talk about Raiders' breakdowns and deficiencies when they can yelp and bark about officials turning 14 would-be first-half points into a mere three, not to mention a 35-yard pass interference penalty against Oakland on a throw Manute Bol couldn't have caught if he'd been standing on a 10-foot ladder?
Here we go again. Raiders vs. Zebras, Chapter 91, with the smug Chiefs mere bystanding benefactors on this sour night.
With the Raiders trailing 14-7 in the second quarter, Moss had a 6-yard touchdown negated when Chiefs corner Dexter McCleon pleaded for a push-off and the referee reacted with a late flag. At least on replays, it looked like Moss did far less shoving than he did on a 64-yard touchdown bomb he hauled down in the third quarter, but the Raiders wound up having to settle for a field goal.
The second TD call-back also came in the second quarter when Jordan blasted through the left side and rambled 56 yards for what appeared to be a tying score. But it was washed away by a Langston Walker holding call, one that looked a little more obvious on replay but one both head coach Norv Turner and Walker adamantly refuted.
"We're continuing to try to get interpretations but the touchdown to Randy Moss looked like a touchdown to me," Turner said. "The interpretation on the long run looked like a good block to me. Obviously, we'll look at it when we see the tapes."
Moss refused to speak to reporters after the game and wouldn't even discuss the call through a media relations intermediary. But he had plenty of people speaking for him about it. Asked if he had a good view of the Moss play, fellow wide receiver Jerry Porter said, "Yes I did. It was a bull ... it was a B.S. call."
Added Charles Woodson, who was watching from the sidelines, "I just look at that and say, 'If that were the other team, if it were the other way around, would they have called that pass interference?' And I really don't think so. It put seven points off the board, and just like that, seven points are taken off the board. That's tough."
If Porter and Woodson sounded incredulous about the Moss call, the usually mild-mannered Walker was even more angry about his controversial infraction.
"That was a very questionable call at the wrong time, but that's the way it goes," he said.
Told Turner thought he'd made a clean block, he shot back, "He thought it was a clean block? So did I. How many people were in the stadium — 63,000? I think 63,000 in the stadium thought it was a clean block. I think another million watching thought it was a clean block. But obviously one person with all the power thought it was a (bleep) block.
"How shocked was I? I was getting ready to block for (an extra point). I turn around and see a flag: holding, No. 66. I looked down at my own number, like, 'That's me!' I was thoroughly surprised. I'm still thoroughly surprised."
So open up fresh sluices on the conspiracy front, that the Raiders are being hosed by the league once again. It's the eternal thread, on the Internet and everywhere else fans of this team congregate.
"We've been getting questionable calls for a while, at least the last four years I've been here, at the wrong times," Walker said. "I'm not saying it's anything personal with us. But it just makes you think."
Turner was asked directly whether he feels the Raiders are treated unfairly and suspiciously when it comes to officiating.
"I don't know how to answer that, I really don't," he said. "Obviously, people come up with different discussions about that subject, and I'm not going to get into that discussion. It's just frustrating ... as I said a week ago, some of (the calls) are penalties and some of them aren't."
When the first half ended, Turner waited for the referee who made the call against Moss and appeared to be giving him a severe tongue-lashing. As you read this, you can bet tapes and protests are being prepared to send to the league office.
But do the Raiders have a case this time? Probably not a good one, but rest assured it will be a loud one. They always are, especially from an 0-2 perch.
Carl Steward can be reached at (510) 293-2451 or by e-mail at
csteward@angnewspapers.com.