kpholmes Posted October 1, 2008 Share Posted October 1, 2008 Rich Gannon speaks out against Al on Sirius Radio: Q: Your immediate reaction when you heard the news about Lane Kiffin being fired?” Gannon: I wasn’t surprised at all. We had done the Raiders and Chiefs in week 2 and I got a chance to talk to Lane privately. I know how difficult it has been and how he was struggling with the whole situation. From a guy that has been in the organization, that’s been around it, I know just how difficult a place it can be to work. And they have problems, there’s no question. It’s an organization that is going through a very difficult period. It’s an organization, in my opinion, that is dysfunctional. They have a lot of issues. This is not something that I haven’t discussed publicly and privately before with the owner. I’ve talked to Mr. Davis at great length about our philosophical difference of opinion. I believe that you need to have discipline, structure, a system in place, organization. He is a guy that is not a big believer in having too many rules and that’s one of the reasons why that team, in my opinion, hasn’t had any real leadership and hasn’t had any real direction.” Q: Do you think it makes it hard for a coach to come in there because of the fact that Al has a pretty good knowledge of football and wants to offer suggestions quite a bit of the time? Gannon: “I always said it’s not a tough place to work, it’s an impossible place to work. I left there on a high note. I went to four straight Pro Bowls, was league MVP. I don’t have any bad feelings about the place. I just know how difficult it was for me and I just look at the people that have left. Mike Shanahan leaves and wins two Super Bowls. Jon Gruden leaves and wins a Super Bowl. Norv Turner is having success in San Diego. To let people like that leave, particularly a guy like Jon Gruden who really worked and really threw every ounce of energy he had into the place. To let him leave the way he did was just a mistake. And what happened is, in my opinion - people say, ‘Why have they had the big fall-off since the Super Bowl and stuff?’ – I think that it’s about six people who have left the organization that really were the heart and soul of the whole group and really kept it going. Guys like Jon Gruden, Bruce Allen, the general manager, Bill Callahan, who was our offensive coordinator and offensive line coach. You lost quality people and some players and they’ve never been able to recover. Q: What about Tom Cable? Gannon: This guy, Tom Cable, the poor guy, does that he think he is more equipped and better prepared than his predecessors? In other words, if Gruden couldn’t make it there and Bill Callahan couldn’t make it there and then if Norv Turner couldn’t make it there and then Art Shell couldn’t make it there and then Lane Kiffin couldn’t make it there, why does he think, all of a sudden, he’s going to make it there? I don’t understand. Mike Shannahan also had a comment this morning: “I’ll be honest with you, I was a little disappointed. When you take a look at it, I was there 582 days. Lane Kiffin was there 616 days. So what it really means is that (Raiders owner) Al Davis liked Lane more than he liked me. I really don’t think it’s fair. I won three more games and he got 34 more days of work. It just doesn’t seem right.” Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
godtomsatan Posted October 2, 2008 Share Posted October 2, 2008 The only thing that Kiffin is guilty of in this situation, is being too young and believing that he could be the coach that would change Al Davis. That he would be one to come in and sweep Al Davis up in whirlwind of man lust and seduction. And then being irritated and headstrong when it didn't happen. The dude was the recruiting coordinator at USC 21 months go. He's 33 years old. He's got zero clout in the organization and relatively zero clout in the NFL (except maybe some with ESPN). Again, Al Davis is the problem with the Raiders, there is no question about that, but Kiffin handled his side of things in a moderately unprofessional fashion. A respectable organization wouldn't have fired him at this juncture, but I'm not sure a respectable organization would have hired him in the first place. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scorcher Posted October 2, 2008 Share Posted October 2, 2008 He was fired with a phone call. I was once fired by a voicemail!!!! In case all you concerned Huddlers were wondering I'm doing great now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kpholmes Posted October 2, 2008 Share Posted October 2, 2008 Lane Kiffin did talk today after all on Sirius Radio: Describing the day Kiffin: It was a difficult day, starting with the night before, watching Monday Night Football and finding out that coaches are being interviewed, I guess, while you’re still the head coach and then coming in in the morning and going to work and receiving a phone call saying that you’ve been let go. And you go through the emotions of a bunch of relationships that have been developed there. It was tough. I went through the building and said thanks and goodbye to everybody in the building. Went down to the weight room and some of the players were around because it was their day off. It was pretty emotional to see those guys but I’m real proud of them. They’re going to win a bunch of games. We’re very close to getting it turned. We’re doing a bunch of good things and I know that they’re going to continue to go in that direction. And I was very thankful for the opportunity.” Talking with players Kiffin: I was able to talk to JaMarcus (Russell) over the phone later yesterday. To see a guy like Justin Fargas, that one really got me, to see him and what he’s battled through and all the injuries. He kind of came out of nowhere last year after four years of really doing nothing and having a 1000 yard season. He’s going to have a great season now that he’s getting healthy during this bye. It was tough. On watching Al Davis’ press conference Kiffin: To come home and see Al’s press conference and for him to go up there and say all the things that he said was very hard for me and my family. But like I said yesterday, I’m very appreciative of the opportunity and I’m not going to stoop to his level and start firing back. As crazy as it sounds, I felt bad for Al. I was embarrassed watching him up there. It was sad to see. But you have a real bad feeling in your stomach when things are being said like that about you, especially a number of false things being said. So it was very tough but a lot of support from people around the country came immediately after that. I think you guys figured it out pretty well by watching it and I don’t really need to comment on it. On what he’s most proud of from his time in Oakland Kiffin: We are a way better team than when we got there a year and a half ago. It’s not even close. Way more competitive. We set high standards for ourselves and we expected to win a lot more games than we did but we were playing really good ball. We just couldn’t finish those last two games. We couldn’t finish the fourth quarter otherwise we’re on a three-game winning streak. San Diego is a really good team. I wish for the players there we could have pulled that one off because they deserved to win with how hard they played. They hadn’t beat them in five years so it would have been a really neat deal. Future plans Kiffin: Well, my wife is making me do chores around the house right now. That’s a little bit new to me. This is a little bit different than the staff meetings. You guys think it was bad getting ordered around by Al Davis, you should see my wife today.” The possibility of coaching in college Kiffin: I think the college route definitely could be a route we may end up going here. We’ll see what comes available. Unfortunately, being fired, there’s a lot of emotion that goes into it and we’re not pleased by any means but it’s made me a lot better and it’s prepared me a lot better for the next job. It will make getting a college job easier from the standpoint of being able to interview and not continuing, in November and December, continuing to have to play games and coach at the Raiders. On Raiders QB JaMarcus Russell Kiffin: He has a great future and I had a great talk with him last night. He’s going to do great things as they continue to develop their receiver group around him. There’s been a lot of shakeup in that group from injuries and different people coming in and out. He’s going to continue to improve and have a great future. On Raiders OL Robert Gallery Kiffin: So much better. We’ve kept him at one position the whole time and haven’t been moving him around. He’s playing a lot lower than he ever has. He was playing high when we got there. Robert really has made a name for himself by the way he’s played the last year and a half. Hearing from other former Raiders coaches since being fired Kiffin: Yeah, I’ve heard from a number of them but I’m not going to get into the specifics. They definitely don’t want me to repeat the conversation that they had so I won’t get into that. But a lot of support. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kpholmes Posted October 2, 2008 Share Posted October 2, 2008 Warren Sapp sounds off on Showtime: “I remember the first two weeks I was there, we played a pre-season game. Somebody came up one time and said, ‘We’re going deep right here, dog.’ I said, how do you know? He said, ‘The phone just rang.’ “All the preparation that goes into a week of work is there, the practicing that you have to put in order to do these things, sometimes he (Al Davis) messed with that part of it and that’s what kills you.” On players signing on to play with the Raiders Sapp: Nobody tells you how bad it is. I remember seeing Trace Armstrong after spending my four years there. I wanted to choke the life out of him. I wanted to kill him . . . and then Phillip Buchanon was there. I said, Phil, why didn’t you tell me this? I said, you all did wrong. Because any person that calls me on the telephone, (I tell them) do not go anywhere near Oakland. On Lane Kiffin being fired, fair or unfair Sapp: Way unfairly. He came in there with a change of mentality. The whole system. He changed how the locker room looked because it was going to take that kind of overhaul for Oakland to become the proud franchise we all knew it was. On Al Davis Sapp: He is the common equation. You take him out, put him at home watching film or whatever he is doing – you have a functioning football organization. But once he comes over the top, he goes and starts moving it around . . . “Al Davis knows football – it’s just ‘60s and ‘70s football. That’s what it is. He’s thinking that Cliff Branch is outside and (Jim) Plunkett is dropping back and you can throw it 80 yards down the field – deep ball, deep ball, deep ball.” Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
godtomsatan Posted October 2, 2008 Share Posted October 2, 2008 Sapp: Nobody tells you how bad it is. I remember seeing Trace Armstrong after spending my four years there. I wanted to choke the life out of him. I wanted to kill him . . . and then Phillip Buchanon was there. I said, Phil, why didn’t you tell me this? I said, you all did wrong. Because any person that calls me on the telephone, (I tell them) do not go anywhere near Oakland. What if they offer you $20 million more than the next highest bidder Warren? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darin3 Posted October 2, 2008 Author Share Posted October 2, 2008 The dude was the recruiting coordinator at USC 21 months go. He's 33 years old. He's got zero clout in the organization and relatively zero clout in the NFL (except maybe some with ESPN). Again, Al Davis is the problem with the Raiders, there is no question about that, but Kiffin handled his side of things in a moderately unprofessional fashion. A respectable organization wouldn't have fired him at this juncture, but I'm not sure a respectable organization would have hired him in the first place. I'm not sure I totally agree with you here. Playing semi-Devil's Advocate, the guy has grown up with the NFL, essentially... being the son of Monte Kiffin. Does that automatically give the younger Kiffin clout? Not necessarily, but it doesn't NOT give him any. The younger Kiffin will sign on somewhere... maybe following his Dad (and Gruden) to Tampa, perhaps? That would be interesting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chavez Posted October 2, 2008 Share Posted October 2, 2008 Fixed... They had 2-touchdown leads against both Buffalo and San Diego in the second half, and beat the Chiefs. They SHOULD be 3-1 right now. Well, seeing as Kiffin was so intimately involved with the defense, those are clearly his fault, right? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chavez Posted October 2, 2008 Share Posted October 2, 2008 The dude was the recruiting coordinator at USC 21 months go. He's 33 years old. He's got zero clout in the organization and relatively zero clout in the NFL (except maybe some with ESPN). Again, Al Davis is the problem with the Raiders, there is no question about that, but Kiffin handled his side of things in a moderately unprofessional fashion. A respectable organization wouldn't have fired him at this juncture, but I'm not sure a respectable organization would have hired him in the first place. I'm sure a respectable organization would hire Lane Kiffin...just not as head coach. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Swerski Posted October 2, 2008 Share Posted October 2, 2008 I'm sure a respectable organization would hire Lane Kiffin...just not as head coach. At least not an NFL organization. He'll probably get a shot in college. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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