Before heading out to the Tailgate Prefunction Function, I wanted to wish everyone in the Nation 'Best Wishes' for a decisive victory today. I've never been more confident that Oakland will come away with a win. Even more, in my bones I sense a smashing blowout today that will mark this special memorial day in Raider annuls.

October 16th, circle it for this day the Raider manifesto changes for the better, notching it up, improving it, raising the bar and our standard of excellence from 'Just Win, Baby' to "Just Dominate, Baby!"

Enjoy the carnage/game, Brethren of The Nation.

Al Davis was all about winning. Everyone, even I suppose in the axis of evil countries, knows Al's famous motto, "Just Win, Baby."  And certainly last week's game against Houston fit Al's paradigm perfectly. I never was sold on this motto, it leaves too much excellence unused and is rather recklessly on the edge. So, when Hue took over and started talking about building a Bully and dominating (a theme Al also cherished ... but seemed just as pleased with any win regardless of stats or game esthetics) my heart began to quicken and I remembered George Atkinson saying that he always "Killed a fly with a sledgehammer."

I believe Al Davis made the perfect choice in handing off the Torch to Hue Jackson and his son Mark Davis. In fact, after watching Kenneth Brannah play Henry IV (a prince who was not very serious about things until the mantel of power and responsibility was placed on his shoulders) who became, to everyone's astonishment, an amazingly strong and wise King, I thought of Mark Davis and became excited that he who grew up with the greatest Raider may be very much like Henry IV once the power was transferred to him.

This Sunday the Raiders are, for the first time all season, favored to win (by 7 pts). I can think of no better moment in history for Mark & Hue to make a big statement. That statement is this: A new epoch has begun and even winning is not enough, the Raiders will dominate teams and will not relent though opposing teams and coaches complain and cry, "unsportsmanlike to beat us so badly and by so many points."  The "New Epoch of Raider Dominance" is what Sunday needs to usher in. 

Al's perfect vision was not just to win but to dominate.

Crush the Cleveland Browns Sunday; physically and morally devastate them and their fans and their organization. Make that statement, commit now to an even higher standard of excellence than just winning - dare to be truly great and beyond conventional standards and norms - that is the Raider Way.

God Bless the Raiders and Long Live the indomitable spirit of Al Davis. 

Now it is your time Hue and Mark and the new Raider doctrine, "Just Dominate, Baby!"

AP reported the aftermath of the Raider shock wave that struck Mile High Stadium and left its mark "bruised and battered …without a half-dozen key players. ... All of them ... hurt Monday night against the Oakland Raiders"

The scientific expression for the Raiders Shock Wave follows from simple trigonometry and can be expressed:

Θ = arcsine (c/v)

Or, in layman’s terms:  Punishment = DL x (RBs + OL meanstreak) / square root of LBs.

Oakland’s Shock Wave of Punishment has now advanced upon Buffalo, NY  ... stay tuned for updates, bulletins and reports.  

Among the details coming to light in the leaked details of the potential new CBA is some of the rules regarding NFL free agency. It looks like an almost certainty that all players with four or more years in the league will be unrestricted. It also looks like franchise tags will be retained. Here is the quote:

If and when an agreement is reached, all players whose contracts have expired and have four or more years of experience are expected to be unrestricted free agents, sources familiar with the talks told ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter. Certain tags will be retained but that still is being discussed.

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For the first time in 2011 NFL lockout news we have terms that both sides seemed to have reach some sort of consensus on coming to light. According to an ESPN report Roger Goodell will be presenting the items listed below to team officials at today's owners' meetings. ESPN also reported hearing from a source that: "This is strictly informational. There is nothing to vote on."

If the reported points are accurate than it certainly appears both sides have made concessions. Jump over for the details....

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Well, this is the 24 hours of the O.co! First we catch the news that the new holders of the naming rights to the venue formerly known as the Oakland Coliseum had thankfully changed their name from Overstock.com to O.co. Now, we have the esteemed panel of NFL bloggers ranking the O.co the tenth toughest venue in the NFL for oppositions to enter. 

So give yourself a pat on the back if you are part of the Nation that attends games—this is all about you. I wish I was included in these back patters, but I live to far away to get to enough games to be a regular. And, let's face it, everyone who is attending the games is pulling double duty. The Raiders have fallen into a pattern of hosting the smallest crowds in the NFL. That makes the placement on this list all the more impressive. Here is the reasoning behind Paul Kuharsky's vote for the 'O':

Kuharsky ranked the Oakland Coliseum second even though the Raiders regularly endure local television blackouts. He covered the team for the Oakland Tribune in 1995, the Raiders' first year back in the Bay Area from Los Angeles.

"Empty seats and local blackouts aren't what opponents are thinking of when sauced-up fans with spikes through their heads are hovering close behind the visitors' bench," he explained.

Hopefully, those empty seats are about to come to an end. The Raiders appear committed to making this happen. So, let me lift the same quote from Action Jackson twice in the past 24 hours:

We are going to call that bad boy the 'O' and we are going to make it rock.

As we saw with the Chiefs game last year that is a glorious thing.

"I’m back to my first love – the Oakland Raiders and working with the Offensive Line. I’m a Raider for life. I can help in technique, help in mindset and attitude and really push these young men to develop and to be the heartbeat of the team."

Stephen Adam Wisniewski [LA/Oakland Raiders 1989-2001]

Position: G
Height: 6-4    Weight: 305 lbs.

Born: April 7, 1967 in Rutland, VT
College: Penn State   (school history)
Drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in the 2nd round (29th overall) of the 1989 NFL Draft [and traded to the Raiders].

Weighted Career AV (100-95-...): 90 (237th overall since 1950)
8-time Pro Bowler & 2-time First-Team All-Pro [Source: Pro-Football Reference]

This is a clear indication that Hue and Al are serious and focused about Building a Bully.

Good Luck Steve!

Oakland Raiders Owner Al Davis spoke about the dynamic 45-year-old Jackson:

"The fire in Hue will set a flame that will burn for a long time in the hearts and minds of the Raider football team and the Raider Nation."