That Drama in Oakland

Well, there was little secret it was coming. No one is surprised today that the Oakland Raiders fired their head coach, Lane Kiffin. And all things considered, it's too bad, and it proves to me that the Raiders are now the most mismanaged team in all of football. With Matt Millen gone from Detroit, it seems that even before this boneheaded move by Al Davis, the Raiders had gained significant ground. But this makes it certain.

Now, I understand that Davis is old and wants to win again before he dies. That's fine. But if that's the case, he needs to allow someone with a cooler head to run his team for him, because his erratic, impatient decisions are systematically destroying this franchise from the inside out. Lane Kiffin may not have been a great choice for head coach after the 2006 season. Many said he was too young and wouldn't be ready to lead an NFL team. He was only an assistant coach at USC. And yet, Kiffin had started to turn the Raiders around. He coached them in 20 games - 16 of 16 in 2007 and the first 4 games of 2008. Hardly enough time to expect a full turnaround of a franchise. But he had the players playing well and playing hungry. This was a team that was learning and a team that was developing. He was bringing out the best in what he had and they were staying in games against teams that, in my opinion, are frankly better than the Raiders. They almost beat the 4-0 Bills, after all, and they had San Diego on the ropes at halftime this past weekend. Those are signs of progress for a young team and they make me think this is a guy you keep around.

But hey, I can't complain. My team, the Lions, are probably going to shed their coaching staff at the end of the season. And Al Davis, in his infinite wisdom, has put a guy on the market who I think will have a great coaching career, likely in the NFL, but possibly in the college sector too. He's the type of guy who I think would make a great coach or a great offensive coordinator for a team that is rebuilding, particular if the team is rife with young talent. I'll be honest and say that I hope the Lions give him a fair deal of consideration when they start looking for Marinelli's replacement or for the new coach's offensive coordinator. What I have learned about Lane Kiffin, from his short tenure in Oakland, is that he's a smart, energetic coach who knows how to make his guys play hard for him. He seems to click really well with his young players and seems to know how to develop them. These are the qualities of a guy I'd like on my coaching staff and, just as Tampa Bay did with Gruden and just as Denver did with Shanahan, there'll be another team out there who will benefit greatly from Al Davis's impatience and ineptitude. Somehow, though, I don't think that'll ease the suffering of Raiders fans.