The Emperor Returns From Hiding

The Emperor of Oakland returned from hiding to announce Hue Jackson as the next Oakland Raiders coach, but mostly Al returned from hiding to throw every coach who has ever set foot in the Raiders organization under the bus.

Tim Kawakami and the staff of the San Jose Mercury News transcribed the entire press conference yesterday and the informal Q&A that took place afterwords. If you have the time, you should really read those two posts. They go in depth into the feel of the press conference. If you don't have time, here's a couple of highlights from yesterday.

When comparing Jason Campbell's draft prospects to Cam Newton's, because they both played at Auburn, Al called Newton "Kim" twice.

I remind you that these things don’t come quickly to anyone. We all espouse the greatness of Brett Favre. One Super Bowl that he won with the Green Bay Packers. So what I was saying to you was that my gestalt saw in Jason Campbell someone down the road who can really throw the football, can run, there are some things we have to do with him, but I think the guy that’s going to be handling him in the future knows what to do and how to do it.

One point I want to make, that might of interest to you, Kim Newton is the quarterback for Auburn. And they were the national champions this year.

When Jason Campbell played for Auburn, he was 13-0 his senior year. I want you to all check it out with… a lot of you have scouts and this… who the better player was coming out of college, Jason Campbell or Kim Newton.

That's just a part of the wackiness. The main point was for Al to throw Tom Cable under the bus like he did to Lane Kiffin a couple of years ago. Davis drives home the report about Cable allegedly breaking Randy Hanson's jaw and alleged spousal abuse. The best part though was Al talking about Cable taking his girlfriend on road trips with him.

Now, one of the things revealed by Ms. Lutz was too much for  me. And that was whether, I don’t know if it’s true, we’re going to find out but Tom was asked about it and refused to answer it. He brought her on trips on the road when the team’s playing on the road, he’s the head coach and this is the guy who’s talking about focus, we’ve got a job to do, we’ve got a game to play, we’ve got to win, and there flying in friends so they can be with him the night before the game. All of this stuff goes a long way against my wishes, against my way of living, against my life and against the Raider way and I just wasn’t going to take it anymore.

Davis couldn't leave without taking a shot at Lane Kiffin. 

Well, I beat him because he lied. He’s a liar. He lied to you guys. He got letters… (Expletive) him if he was a liar. He lied in Tennessee .

Kiffin and Cable weren't the only coaches he threw under the bus. He ran over Jon Gruden and Norv Turner just for laughs. I'm surprised he didn't throw Bill Callahan or Mike Shanahan under the bus while he was at it.

Al Davis is certainly one of a kind and yesterday proved it.

The Links

Ashley Greene to start the mourning ...... Issac Bruce will decide his football future soon...... Jim Calhoun takes a leave of absence for stress related issues...... Man in Knoxville wants to name sewage plant after Lane Kiffin...... The Chiefs almost hired Chan Gailey to be their coach last season...... Felix Hernandez and Cliff Lee are going a hell of a one-two punch...... Why did Jevan Sneed declare for the draft?...... No joke, the WWE will finance all their movies without help from a real movie studio

What Scott Brown's election means for the Democrats health care bill (Politico)

What has Norv Turner done to deserve a raise? (No Guts, No Glory)

'Yanks Suck' wins Massachusetts special election (Sports Pickle)

Media addicted to Tiger sex clinic fantasies (Sports by Brooks)

The Denzel Washington Venn diagram (Nextround.net)

Bills GM: At least we're not as bad as the Raiders (Larry Brown Sports)

Nate Kaeding's gone where he can't here the boos (Kissing Suzy Kolber)

Tiger's wife is turning into Sarah Conner (Corporate Thuggin')

Teddy Dupay: From basketball player at Florida to jail time to marijuana advocate (Fanhouse)

Lane Kiffin's trail of destruction (The Sporting Blog)

An all-white basketball league? (With Leather)

The origin of Jim Rome's Van Smack nickname (Burn Monkey Burn)



Andy Roddick throws his first tantrum of the Grand Slam season (SB Nation)

Jose Offerman Needs Anger Management

Remember Jose Offerman? If you don't, let's go over his resume. Offerman played for 15 seasons in the MLB for the Dodgers, Royals, Red Sox, Mariners, Twins, Phillies, and Mets. He played his last MLB game back in 2005 for the Mets. Offerman's life and baseball career would take a weird turn.

Offerman was playing for an Independent League baseball team back in 2007, when he went bat sh*t crazy. Offerman was hit by a pitch and charged the mound. Sounds normal right? Except Offerman charged the pitcher swinging his bat. After the melee was over, Offerman hit catcher John Nathans in the head with the bat giving him a concussion and effectively ending his career. Offerman was suspended by the league and charged with second degree assault charges. Offerman was given two years probation for this incident. If you thought that would be the last time you heard the name Jose Offerman, you would be wrong.

The same guy who hit another player with a bat, is now in trouble for punching an umpire. Hey at least he didn't use a bat this time, right? Here's the recap from the AP.

"SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic — Former major league all-star Jose Offerman threw a punch at an umpire during an argument in a Dominican winter league game Saturday night, the second time in 2½ years that he's attacked someone on a baseball field.

Offerman, manager of the Licey Tigers, appeared to hit first base umpire Daniel Rayburn in the face or neck with his fist during a heated discussion in a game against the Cibao Giants. Rayburn fell to the ground.

Offerman was detained by stadium security and taken to a police station to wait until the end of the game to see if Rayburn would press charges.

The Giants were winning 6-0 in the third inning of the final game of the winter league semifinal playoff series when plate umpire Jason Bradley ejected catcher Ronny Paulino for arguing balls and strikes.

Offerman came onto the field to talk to Bradley, but ended up arguing with Rayburn."

What? He hit the wrong umpire? He hit the guy who was trying to restore calm and resume the game? Needless to say Jose Offerman is in desperate need of anger management.

Former all-star detained after punching an umpire in the Dominican (AP)

What is Wrong with Phillies Fans?

Susan Finkelstein, the Phillies fan who allegedly offered sex to an undercover police officer for Yankees-Phillies World Series tickets, was in court yesterday. The officer who was offered sex for world series tickets gave perhaps the greatest testimony off all-time.

"I admit it. I'm a prostitute. I love sex. I'm a whore," the Bensalem police officer testified that Finkelstein had told him as he posed as "Bob" at Manny Brown's in Bensalem.

She talked about "how much she loved anal sex," he said, alleging later that she pulled up her denim skirt to expose her genital area and asked, "You wanna touch it?

What type of freaks live in Philly? I didn't even mention yet that Finkelstein is 43 years old and is married. Her husband accompanied her to court yesterday.

The Southwest Philadelphia woman believed Brady had three tickets to a Phillies-Yankees World Series game and, Bensalem police say, was willing to exchange sex for at least one.

In reality, it was a sting operation by Bensalem cops, who had found the "desperate blonde," as Finkelstein reportedly called herself, while trolling Craigslist for illegal activities.

Hasn't she every heard of Stub Hub? There are a lot of easier ways to get tickets, then offering sex.

For two tickets, she promised more, Brady testified. "I'll have sex with both of you. I'll let you DP me."

Magisterial District Judge Joe Falcone and Finkelstein's lawyer, William J. Brennan, asked Brady to clarify what the term "DP" meant and the officer answered, "Double penetration."

Brady's and Bugsch's testimony - along with the introduction of topless photos as evidence, images Finkelstein purportedly sent to Bugsch before the meeting - was apparently enough for Falcone. He held the case over for trial in Common Pleas Court, set to begin Jan. 5 in Doylestown.

She was charged with promoting prostitution and, yesterday, with general prostitution.

Whoa! The judge asked to clarify what the term "DP" meant? I can't wait to follow this case when it starts. I'm sure there will even more juicy details to come out in this case. O.K., juicy was the wrong choice of words. What about excited? Maybe I should just get out right here.

Here's where the Philadelphia cops were idiots in this case.

After the hearing, Brennan wondered aloud why Bensalem police didn't record the conversation or why three other police officers at the bar weren't close enough to listen in on the conversation.

What type of idiots does Philadelphia have working in their police department. This case can be lost now since they didn't record that conversation.

What is wrong with the the people of Philadelphia?

Sex-for-tix case going to trail (Philly.com)
Cop Claims Phillies Fan Said She Was a Whore (Above the Law)
Phillies Fan Who Wanted World Series Tickets Allegedly Told Cops: "I Let You DP Me" (The Big Lead)

The Links

Blake Lively to start the week..... Alex Ovechkin will be out with a wrist injury..... How about them refs last night in the Eagles-Cowboys game?...... Will the real Eagles please stand up?..... The New York Giants season is on life support...... Mark Martin has good chance to win his first NASCAR Championship..... The Grizzlies can't stop anyone, except Allen Iverson..... Lovie Smith could find himself out of a job real fast..... And people thought it couldn't get worse for the Redskins

Roger Goodell might not find Ochocinco so funny after this stunt (Larry Brown Sports)

What the hell is up with Sammy Sosa's skin? (Deadspin)

Tony Dungy: Buffalo is "darkhorse" for Vick in 2010 (PFT)

Bigger Fool: Allen Iverson or Grizzlies owner (Reds Army)

Stephon Marbury believes the NBA is fixed and David Stern should be replaced (Sharapova's Thigh)

Rap Sheet: Lawrence Taylor has been arrested again (PFT)

Terry Bradshaw leads the troops in a rendition of "God Bless America" (Awful Announcing)

The worst of the weekend in the NBA (Basketbawful)

And you thought losing to Brett Favre was bad, Packer fans (Madison.com)

Check out this dunk between Donte Green and Jason Thompson (Sactown Royalty)

The Links

Jennifer Hawkins makes me want to join the Navy.... The Porn industry has been hammered by the recession..... Baby born with heart outside of body.... Arlen Spector may want to re-think switching parties again.... Details from the Madoff ponzi scheme.... Man gropes Minnie Mouse at Disney World

Rick Pitino and Karen Sypher: The Mourning After (The Big Lead)

The Titans released Chris Mortenson's son (Tennessean)

An interview with Clay Travis (Real Clear Sports)

An end to an era: Say goodbye to the single bar facemask (NFL Nation)

Don't pick Dwayne Bowe for your fantasy team (Shutdown Corner)

USC vs. Norte Dame is the most expensive college game (Forbes)

Can you imagine Tiger Woods playing in the Olympics? Well that could happen by 2016 (AP)

Now Gary Matthew's is singing "Take Me Out To the Ballpark" (Fire Andy Reid Now!)

Tito Ortiz is barely back with the UFC and he's already mocking Chuck Liddell

Jack Edwards Cannot Be A Very Happy Man

(Guest posted by JFein from Fire Andy Reid Now!)

A little note before I start this post: There will be no Foul Ball post from me as, frankly, if I tried to do it, I would do the segment to shame as 49er16 just does a wonderful job with them and I could never even attempt to duplicate it. And besides, it's embarrassing enough that the Phils lost to the Dodgers in extras yesterday and subsequently lost the series to 49er16's least favorite team. Now on to hockey and Jack Edwards....

Sadly, I am yet to find Jack Edwards' last will and testament call of the game and series-winning goal scored by Scott Walker, but alas he cannot be a happy man and I'm pretty sure it went something along the lines of, "I can't believe that effing bastard is the one who beat us!!!!!!!". Why is that, you ask? Well as you may recall, Scott Walker was the very same person who in Game 5, did this....



So naturally, when Walker follows that up in Game 7 with this.....



....Jack Edwards has got to be on the edge of a cliff somewhere along the coast of the Atlantic Ocean wondering how this could happen to him? How is it that the man who sucker punched poor, defenseless Aaron Ward actually be the person to eliminate the Bruins from the playoffs?

Alas, my friend, that is hockey and thanks to Scott Walker, the Carolina Hurricanes will battle the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 2009 Eastern Conference Finals! And for Jack Edwards and all the Bruins fans everywhere, all I can say is, ouch, that must smart!

Rap Sheet: Do You Know Who Her Dad Is?

You may have never heard of Dan McCarney. He was the head football coach at Iowa St. from 1995-2006 amassing a record of 56-85. He took the Cyclones to five bowl games and won two of them. He resigned after the 2006 season when the team finished with a 4-8 record. He doesn't sound that important until you hear this story.

His daughter Jillian faces charges of disorderly house and assault on a police officer. The assault on the police officer is the worst, which could result in a one year prison term.

Jillian, a student at Iowa St., was verbally abusive with an officer shouting, "Do you know who my dad is? He is Dan McCarney."

Also the police said, Jillian McCarney attempted to strike the officer with her left shoulder and kick the officer with her left leg, while continuing to be verbally abusive and threatening violence multiple times.

Jillian continued to screaming at the officer by saying, "guaranteed all her charges will be 'dropped' because her name is 'McCarney,' and they have 'a lot of money,'" according to police.

Jillian's father, Dan, now coaches at Florida and is the assistant head coach.

It's never a good thing to say to an police officer, "Do you know who I am." But it's just wrong to tell an officer "Do you know who my dad is."

Jillian will need her daddy to bail her out of jail now.

This Woman Is Crazy

Yes! She is the Wife of University of Tennessee President Peterson. She was banned from all contact from the UT donors and Staff after a confrontation.