Oakland Raiders: We Could Only Be So Lucky

At this point in the rebuilding process for the Oakland Raiders we've hit nothing but road blocks this entire time.  Just reaching for coach after coach, coming up empty each time.  Maybe there's still hope.

There have been reports that the Raiders have selected Tom Cable as the head coach for the upcoming season.  Albeit the Raiders brass is denying it, I keep my fingers crossed for us.

Cable isn't a offensive guy, or a defensive guy.  He was promoted to interim after starting this season as the offensive line coach.  He isn't the normal Al Davis hiring in recent memory, other than the Art Shell part II disaster.  That's what I think will set him apart though.

The team fought hard for him this season, finishing 4-8 with Cable at the helm.  After a rocky start, they rallied around him.  A team that is constantly ripped for having no heart (rightfully so), showed some signs of life, and even finished the season on a two game winning streak.

You can have nothing but hope for the future with a guy leading the team who seems like he's just a football guy.  I think out of all the coaches (excluding Art Shell again) over the post Super Bowl seasons Cable seems like a hard nose guy.  I don't think it's far-fetched to say that he is a fighter and grinder who can get the best out of his guys. 

And I know this is a wish, it's as big of a wish I had for Oakland when the season ended for the Dolphins, hoping Parcells would want to make the trip west.  But at least this one is in sight and he's already wearing silver and black, he just needs the reigns given to him by Mr. Davis. 

I'm not sure what Mr. Davis is looking for in a coach exactly.  But he has the perfect candidate under his nose, he just has to take him seriously or either just come out and confirm the reports are true.  It makes me a bit nervous though, because we know that whenever Raider news "leaks," Mr. Davis will go against it just because he wasn't the first to shock the world. 

It would be taking 10 steps back to go in a different direction.  The Commitment to Excellence has to have a building block again.  I believe Cable is in the mold of a—dare I say—Madden and just has to be given that magical phone call that he is the guy for the job.