It would seem that every time a Raider becomes a former Raider, there's a countdown until they bash the team or organization in some way while expressing gratitude that they are no longer Raiders.  I wonder aloud sometimes if it's sour grapes or the product of a rotten vine.

Personally, I think it's a bit of both.

The Raiders release dozens of players every year, and year after year, at least one former player comes out and is outright negative about their time in the East Bay.  This year, we had Stu Schweigert and his comments about the defense, Chris Carr and his comments about the losing culture, and Warren Sapp weighing in about Al Davis running the team.

What gives?

Is the team structure really that bad that players are just running out of there bewildered?  Or is it that they have an overvalued sense of self-worth?  I mean, look at Stu and his comments about missing tackles.  He complained that by the time a play gets to him that 8 other players have missed him, but he gets the blame for the play...which is what happens when you're the last resort.  So after having a year where he couldn't stay healthy and when he was, he was missing tackles left and right, he was released.  Now, do you really think that Schweigert wants to be unemployed or someone's backup?  I'd like to think that he'd like the option to start, even in Oakland, rather than be the third string in Washington, or the benched guy on the Jets.  Yet, he still speaks on the organization as if it was behind his missed tackles, and that it made sure he was out of position or using improper form on his tackles.  It's pathetic to me.

Look at Chris Carr.  He's a corner who couldn't get on the field since we had Nnamdi, Fabian, and Routt out there actually hustling and paying attention.  Well, that's not entirely fair, because he did do some special teams work, and he wasn't half bad, except for the ridiculous way he would never, ever fair catch.  I think I counted on one hand the total times he fair caught anything.  Even if it opened him up for a huge hit, he would just take it rather than fair catch.  Maybe if his head wasn't ringing so much, he could have seen the field for significant amounts of time, then he wouldn't have been released to go to Tennessee and complain about the "losing attitude" over in Oakland.

Warren Sapp, I'm really disappointed in, because if he hates the Raiders so much, and thinks this way about the organization, why not speak out earlier?  He claims that he was afraid they'd stop paying him, but that's a bullcrap excuse.  The only reason Sapp is piling on in recent weeks is because he's on Dancing With the Stars, and the more attention on him the better for his chances there.  It's sickening.

Right now, the players I want to hear from are Rich Gannon, Tim Brown, and Jerry Rice.  Brown is a career long Raider (shut up about the Tampa stint) and would have a unique perspective on the team, and is a voice that I can personally respect.  Gannon was the unquestioned leader of the last good Raider team, played with Brown and Rice, and I think has earned his place among the great guys to go out as Raiders.  Jerry Rice should be obvious, he was a part of arguably one of the best run franchises of all time in the late 80s-early 90s 49ers, and can contrast the two organizations if necessary.  I'd be very interested to see what they have to say.

Until then, however, we have to deal with former players taking potshots and widely speculated (but unconfirmed) claims.

Until next time....stay committed, stay healthy, and continued success to you and yours.