While the debate of the job status of Raiders head coach Dennis Allen continues, the odds are he will be the first NFL coach to be fired this year. This courtesy of the online betting site Bovada (www.Bovada.lv, Twitter: @BovadaLV) and the tireless work of one Jimmy Shapiro.
Dennis Allen 3/2
Joe Philbin 3/1
Gus Bradley 7/1
Jason Garrett 10/1
Jim Harbaugh 10/1
Rex Ryan 12/1
Doug Marrone 15/1
Jeff Fisher 15/1
Ken Whisenhunt 15/1
Lovie Smith 20/1
Tom Coughlin 25/1
They are not exactly going out on a limb by choosing Dennis Allen as their most likely coach to be fired first. He has a record of 8-27 as the coach of the Raiders and with the schedule this year for Oakland it will likely just get worse.
It is an interesting question as to whether the Raiders will make a mid-season change at coach or not though. If they are going to make an early change it will probably be decided by the outcome of Sunday's contest against the Miami Dolphins, and if he makes it through at that time then he will likely be the coach for most of, if not all of, the rest of the 2014 season.
Whether he deserves to be fired is a heated conversation that we here in the comments sections of Silver & Black Pride have been dealing with for quite a while. He came into a very difficult situation with taking over a team in full on tear down mode, and it was only harder considering that the previous coach Hue Jackson was a very respected figure amongst much of the fan base.
What has happened since Dennis Allen took over can be called nothing short of a failure though. However, given the circumstances, how many coaches would have done better in his position? Depending on the side that you take in the argument the answers to that question will vary wildly.
The strongest stance in support of Dennis Allen is actually not even one directly attributed to his coaching, and that is actually kind of sad. The biggest reason to keep him is not the belief that he is a good coach, it is the worry of what the public image of the team would go through if he were to be fired. Though it is a sad argument to have to make, it is a valid point.
The Raiders under Al Davis were known for their inflammatory reactions, the quick trigger of Al was notorious. If you took the job to work for Al then you better have solid results or he would be rid of you in a heartbeat. There should be absolutely no argument that Al would have gotten rid of Dennis Allen by now if he were still in charge.
However, that type of quick trigger philosophy has drastically contributed to the current state of how the Raiders are perceived by outside sources. The term "Same Old Raiders" is not one that was founded during the glory days of the Silver and Black, it also is not one meant in any type of flattering way.
No, "Same Old Raiders" is the image that the ball club has had for quite some time. They have become a running punchline off the field and a silver and black punching bag on it. Would the response to firing Dennis Allen be "Same Old Raiders"? I would have to think that yes, it probably would be a prevalent response to the removal of DA as coach mid-season.
The question then becomes is it worth removing DA as head coach if it means that outsiders of the organization will believe it to be a sign that the Raiders haven't changed since the death of Al Davis.
Part of the answer to that revolves around who would replace him. Is it reasonable to believe that a different interim head coach, likely Tony Sparano, would be able to turn this season into anything but a massacre? If the interim coach is not able to perform better than Dennis Allen has then is it worth the risk of appearing like the organization still has the same impatience as it had under Al Davis?
Another question to ask is whether keeping Dennis Allen would be enough to put a dent into the "Same Old Raiders" commentary. Would keeping Dennis Allen through the season no matter what his job performance reveals be more beneficial than what an interim head coach could do for the team?
That isn't all though, there is yet another part of the equation. It is regarding rookie QB Derek Carr. Carr is still trying to adjust to life in the NFL, firing his head coach so early into the process could put his development back. If Carr is performing well and getting better under DA's tutelage then maybe it is better not to rock the boat.
I think there is a single question that takes all of those topics into account. The question that I pose to you in the poll question below is this: Would the firing of Dennis Allen mid-season do more good or harm to the Oakland Raiders?
Let's see what Raider Nation thinks. Let me know by voting in the poll question and also, as always, give your opinion in the comments section below!
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