Raiders give voice to past

We had just lifted our beer glasses to the sky to toast a great day of football, when an old, wonderful voice came booming across the frosty hills of Southwest Germany and through the double doors of the Grill Room.

By now, we were into the wee hours -- and many, many pils -- of this Monday morning.
It was right about the time the Raiders (The Raiders!) were putting the finishing touches on their improbable win over the heavily favored Eagles, when we heard it...

The Autumn wind is a pirate
Blustering in from sea
With a rollicking song he sweeps along
Swaggering boisterously.

His face is weatherbeaten
He wears a hooded sash
With a silver hat about his head
And a bristling black mustache.

He growls as he storms the country
A villain big and bold
And the trees all shake and quiver and quake
As he robs them of their gold.

The Autumn wind is a Raider
Pillaging just for fun
He'll knock you 'round and upside down
And laugh when he's conquered and won.

And as the late, great John Facenda's "Voice of God," from NFL Films' fame of yesteryear, recited The Autumn Wind, we rose our glasses high yet again, and toasted all that has always been good about the NFL.

Because in a season that was starting to define itself by its numbing predictability, Facenda, if only in spirit, and the Raiders, in fact, were back to remind us that on any given Sunday, anything was possible in the National Football League...


Now onto a sampling of what the nation's sportswriters and columnists are saying about their football teams across every NFL city, because in the Grill Room we love the newspaper business, even if it hates itself.

(20) Houston 28
(10) Cincinnati 17

• Kubiak throws his run-first philosophy for a loss, and wins.
• Bengals fell off the high wire and into a trap.
  

(18) Green Bay 26
(24) Detroit 0

• Sloppy Packers won't apologize for whipping a lousy Lions team, which...
• ...has plenty to apologize for.

(22) Jacksonville 23
(32) St. Louis 20 (OT)

• Jags shot themselves in the foot but limped to a win.
• Rams knock at victory's door, but are left out in the cold -- again.
  

(4) Minnesota 33
(11) Baltimore 31

• Unbeaten Vikings are good and lucky.
• Raven's kicking problems should be a secondary concern.
  

(2) New Orleans 48
(1) N.Y. Giants 27

• Saints use measuring stick to paddle Giants.
• Eli's Rebel yell might as well have been a call for surrender.

(7) Pittsburgh 27
(26) Cleveland 14

• No big talk from Big Ben after 'sub-par performance.'
• Lowly Browns are in a league of their own.
  

(23) Carolina 28
(29) Tampa Bay 21

• Panthers run to hide their quarterback.
• The bumbling Bucs should be banned in London.
  

(31) Kansas City 14
(25) Washington 6

• Columnist says, I can't believe what I just saw...
• Redskins pathetic play leaves fans speechless.
  

(30) Oakland 13
(5) Philadelphia 9

• Raiders find a new comfort zone and blitz.
• With the offense going to the dogs, why not try Vick?
  

(17) Arizona 27
(21) Seattle 3

• Rejuvenated Cardinals enjoy the sound of silence.
  
• Playoffs?! Another Mora scoffs at the idea.

(9) New England 59
(27) Tennessee 0

• Brady throws Titans, talk of demise for a loss.
• Titans go as low as they can go in snow.
  

(28) Buffalo 16
(14) N.Y. Jets 13 (OT)

• Bills take only a passing interest in Jets' running game, but win.
• At least Sanchez's post-game comments hit their Mark.
  

(6) Atlanta 21
(12) Chicago 14

• Falcons take their new show to prime time.
• A Bears team in need is far too charitable.

(*) denotes NFL 100-proof ranking

Raiders: "Just Whine, Baby!"

Has there ever been a sports franchise that's fallen farther, faster than the Oakland Raiders?

This once-proud team of marauders, led by its egocentric owner, Al Davis, used to eschew anything resembling the conventional to achieve the only thing that really mattered: winning.

These days, though, the only thing their unconventional approach has earned them is a new, embarrassing identity -- sniveling losers.

And the descent toward, and through, the bottom continues unabated.
Consider this story that has made the rounds in recent days...

Despite winning only 24 times and losing on 56 other occasions over the past five years, the "Just whine, baby" Raiders have relented and will not ban former quarterback-turned broadcaster, Rich Gannon, from their facilities as he prepares for Sunday's CBS telecast of Oakland's game against the Broncos.

Seems in recent years, Gannon (pictured with Raider owner Al Davis) has been highly critical of the organization he led to the Super Bowl in 2002.

"He's repeatedly said that they should just blow up the building and start all over again," senior executive John Herrera said Friday. "He hasn't done that once or twice, but has done that repeatedly. He continually attacks the owner, he continually attacks the organization in every way that he can. After listening to all of that for the last several years why would you want him in your building when all he does is attack the organization that made his career."

You might have been listening to it, but obviously didn't hear it, pal. If you did, maybe your team could get serious about turning around one of the most precipitous slides in sports history.

For more on all this go here.

In darker news...
It seems the only ones more critical of the Raiders than Gannon these days are the fans themselves. In what can only be described as poetic injustice, the Raiders could not sell enough tickets for Sunday's home tilt with Denver to avoid a blackout to viewers in the Bay Area.

As reported around here yesterday, the Lions home game against the Redskins will not be shown locally in Detroit, while San Diego narrowly beat the deadline and avoided a blackout for their game against the visiting Dolphins.

Some injury updates:

• With Cadillac Williams and Earnest Graham both nursing injuries, former Giants RB Derrick Ward should get plenty of carries when his old squad visits struggling Tampa Bay Sunday.
• Meantime, there are Giant injury concerns for the Bucs' 2-0 foes.
• The upstart 2-0 Jets will be without their starting cornerbacks when they host the desperate Titans (0-2) on Sunday.
• You can pretty much count Eagles's QB Donovan McNabb out against the visiting 0-2 Chiefs on Sunday. RB Brian Westbrook and WR DeSean Jackson are also hobbling about as the team tries forget last week's 48-22 drubbing at the hands of the Saints.
• The 0-2 Dolphins are hopeful LB Joey Porter and G Justin Smiley will suit up in their critical road tilt against the Chargers Sunday. San Diego will be without LaDainian Tomlinson for the second straight week.
• The 1-1 Redskins are hopeful RB Clinton Portis can go Sunday when they try to avoid the embarrassment of losing to a Lions team that has lost 19 straight.
• The punchless Patriots could be without their ol' 1-2 on the outside if WRs Wes Welker and Randy Moss can't go Sunday against the soaring 2-0 Falcons.