Posts tagged WarrenSapp at FanHouse

Poor JaMarcus Russell. Here's a guy that's simply plugging away as the Raiders quarterback, minding his own business, trying to establish himself as an NFL player in the middle of a three-ring circus. Then, all of a sudden, without warning, he finds his name in the middle of the fray between Al Davis and Lane Kiffin.

It was during that bizarre press conference earlier this week when Davis, the 79-year old owner, let the cat out of the bag and informed us that Kiffin never wanted to take the LSU quarterback with the No. 1 overall pick. Russell seems to be taking the news quite well.

"It just kind of came out of nowhere. I really don't think myself or Coach Kiffin or anybody else were looking for that to come out that way." "I appreciate the opportunity he gave me to play in the National Football League. Wish for him to go out and get him a job because he's a good guy, a good coach."

Interesting.

Meanwhile, former Oakland defensive tackle -- and current dancing with the stars, uh, star -- Warren Sapp continued to make his voice heard on all things Raiders.

I've probably seen 10 minutes of "The Two Coreys," and it's about what you would expect: two former washed-up, teenage actors who have spent most of the 20s and 30s looking up from rock bottom. Feldman is in much better shape than Haim, but that's sorta like saying the Bengals are closer to winning the Super Bowl than the Rams.

I mention this because the Dallas Morning News' Tim MacMahon writes that "Adam" Pacman Jones has been serving as Chris Henry's life coach. Why this isn't a reality series defies logic; I mean, two guys who were last relevant in 1988 are somehow more compelling than listening to Jones wax philosophical? Um, okay, whatever you say high-powered teevee executive.

Whether there's video evidence or not, it's still going down, however:

There was a touching moment in the Valley Ranch locker room today when Adam "Pacman" Jones was asked about his ex-West Virginia running buddy Chris Henry, the Bengals WR who happens to be making his return from suspension against the Cowboys this week.

"That's my boy," Pacman said.

Pacman added that he talks to Henry often, offering wisdom gained by coming back from an unpaid, involuntary, season-long vacation. Henry had the first half of last season off, too, but apparently needed another four-week session in Sheriff Goodell's Scared Straight program.

Okay, I'm putting up the Warren Sapp YouTube of his appearance on 'Dancing With the Stars' you've been hearing about. Nobody will have to know you even looked at it:



He moves pretty good for a fat man, though I have to say that the way they ended that dance was kinda gross. I have no idea whether he will win, but the Emmitt Smith experience at least suggests that some fans will call in to keep an NFLer on the show.

I've never watched this show either, but if I were ever to phone in one of these shows for someone, it would be for 83-year-old Cloris Leachman. I don't care how she dances, but I adore everything she did in those old Mel Brooks movies.

And I must admit, I saw the following video on E! yesterday evening, and thought she was hilarious. Maybe it is just me (warning semi-profane, do not click if you easily offend or could get in trouble at work):

Okay, I'm putting up the Warren Sapp's YouTube of his appearance on "Dancing With the Stars" you've been hearing about. Nobody will have to know you even looked at it:



He moves pretty good for a fat man, though I have to say that the way they ended that dance was kinda gross. I have no idea whether he will win, but the Emmitt Smith experience at least suggests that some fans will call in to keep an NFLer on the show.

I've never watched this show either, but if I were ever to phone in one of these shows for someone, it would be for 83 year old Cloris Leachman. I don't care how she dances, but I adore everything she did in those old Mel Brooks movies.

And I must admit, I saw the following video on E! yesterday evening, and thought she was hilarious. Maybe it is just me (warning semi-profane, do not click if you easily offend or could get in trouble at work):

Joey Porter is known for flapping his gums. He used to be known for his ability to get to the quarterback, but after the Steelers released him after the 2006 season, he's basically been relegated to on-field cheerleading duty (which, for $32 million, isn't a bad gig).

Whatever his role, Porter knows better than most that fans can be brutal. He understands how things work since, you know, he's usually instigating some verbal confrontation. But in the wake of the Vince Young weirdness, J. Peezy tells the Miami Herald that "you hear some of the worst things" from angry fans.

This one might have topped them all. Two months after [Porter was shot in the butt], which occurred outside a Denver bar when Porter was with the Pittsburgh Steelers, he was preparing to play the Seahawks in Seattle when an opposing fan approached him.

'The guy says to me, `I wish somebody would have shot you in the back instead!' '' Porter recalled. ``And I'm pretty sure he was serious.''

Porter is a confident person and has been known to dish out harsh comments of his own, so he believes he's very capable of handling any criticisms that come with his high-profile job.

It's pretty much been decided that Lane Kiffin is a short-timer in Oakland. Owner Al Davis unsuccessfully tried to push him to quit this offseason, and following the Raiders embarrassing showing in the season opener, coupled with an uninspiring four-win effort a year ago, he'll probably be looking for work in the near future.

In fact, according to the Mercury News' Tim Kawakami, that could be as soon as next week.

It happened to Mike Shanahan in 1989 after four games. It could happen to Lane Kiffin in 2008 after two games. Gone. See ya.

I hear it could happen to Kiffin on Monday or Tuesday, if the Raiders do not put up a half-decent effort in Kansas City on Sunday. Wouldn't surprise me if people around the Raiders are all but planning the firing press conference–whether it comes next week, the week after or in two weeks.

Because it's coming. The Rob Ryan Blow Up on Thursday–dictated, I'm sure, by Davis himself and directed at Kiffin and Kiffin's supporters–told us all that things are at a boiling point in the Raiders offices right now and the only way to ease it up is to fire Kiffin.

I applaud Raiders defensive coordinator Rob Ryan for his frankness. In a league full of automatons when it comes to interacting with the media, it's a refreshing change.

But it doesn't alter the fact that Oakland is an embarrassment, which was on full display during Monday night's 41-14 beatdown courtesy of Al Davis' nemesis, Mike Shanahan. Maybe we shouldn't be surprised; I mean, Warren Sapp told us the Raiders were going to suck and that DeAngelo Hall was the "flashiest, burnt-up corner in the history of the game," which is saying something with Fred Smoot still collecting a paycheck.

Not to worry, Raiders faithful: Ryan knows that a season isn't determined in Week 1, and he plans on rectifying the situation if it takes him all g-damn year. He's that m---erf--king committed to excellence.

Inside the NFL, living on its mutated Showtime form, is generally a solid place to find some guffawing, awkward quasi-humor, and good NFL analysis. Now, you can also find "commercials" for "Dancing With the Stars". And you can see, courtesy of AA, that the hit ABC show would have better off getting Chris Collinsworth to sign up, instead of inking Warren Sapp.

Going back to training camp and the preseason, I've made more than a few (bad) jokes about how Lane Kiffin is just a puppet on the sidelines, while owner Al Davis is controlling him from his lair high on top of Mt. Davis. Well, apparently, based on Kiffin's comments on Wednesday afternoon, that's pretty much true. At least as far as the Raiders' defense is concerned.

"I'm not going to get really get into if I was the defensive coordinator what I would do because that doesn't really matter," coach Lane Kiffin said Wednesday. "I'm the head coach. I oversee everything and I control what I can control. Do I have the exact belief we do on defense? No, but it's hard to have the exact belief that we do. So, it is what it is."

That sounds like a young man just brimming with confidence in his defense. According to the article, the Raiders blitzed only four times on Monday night, while there's also that odd mention of defensive coordinator Rob Ryan being in constant contact with the owner - who, apparently, dislikes blitzing defenses. Is it normal for a defensive coordinator and an owner to always be in contact? I don't think it is.

As I went over yesterday, the Miami Hurricanes weren't very happy with Urban Meyer and the Florida Gators decision to kick a field goal with twenty-five seconds left in a game they led 23-3. After the game, Canes coach Randy Shannon questioned the ethics of the move, and said he was hopeful that it would help his recruiting when players see what kind of guy Meyer is.

That prompted Tim Tebow to come to his coach's defense on Monday, and the issue is still not squashed. Now even former players are getting involved, as former Cane and current twinkle-toer Warren Sapp weighed in on the whole thing.

Ex-Canes star Warren Sapp, on a Showtime conference call Tuesday for Inside the NFL, called UF coach Urban Meyer ''a classless dirtbag'' for kicking a field goal late in Florida's 26-3 win against UM. ''But it's coming back in a big way'' when the teams meet in 2013, he said.

We're making threats about games that aren't going to be played for another five years now? Seems rather pointless, no? I'm pretty sure that with the way things have gone at The U in recent years, Randy Shannon won't even be coaching the team come 2013.

Seriously, guys, it's not Urban Meyer's fault you got your butts kicked. It's your fault. The sooner you understand this, the sooner you might start winning these games again.