FanHouse

This seems fitting: now that Warren Sapp is retired (and Jon Gruden has agreed to chair his Hall of Fame campaign committee), he's free to speak his mind, and he's more than happy to tell you about his time with the Raiders. Short version: man, that place sucked. Slighter longer, more descriptive version, courtesy of an interview with the St. Petersburg Times:

Q: How would you describe your experience with the Raiders?

A: As dark as a black hole. Stuff went on in that organization that shouldn't go on in sports. I don't think there's one person who knows who or what is making the call. Let's just say the Oakland experience is unique. The phone rings quite a bit on that sideline. Insubordination is grounds for termination in any company.

I'm pretty sure he's not using "black hole" in the laudatory manner usually reserved for the Oakland Coliseum on game days. With that cleared up, why is Sapp confused about who has final say on, well, everything? Isn't that the one thing we can all agree on? That Al Davis is still calling the shots, despite the occasional report to the contrary?

(That's not to distract you from the obvious: the organization is a monumental clusterfudge, just saying...) Hashmarks' Bill Williamson sees it differently, though: "the team has done a lot this offseason ... to help turn around a dismal past five years. It is clear that the Raiders have recognized what Sapp feels and are working to change the atmosphere."

Huh, I must've missed that, what with Mike Taylor's comments, and Davis trying to force Lane Kiffin to sign a resignation letter earlier this year.

Still, silliness aside, the Raiders should be a better team in 2008. And if I had to guess, it'll have more to do with on-field performance than improved organizational communication. I mean, it's not like Al Davis just started causing problems. The guy's been around forever.