Bleacher Report - Articles by Umer Waris

Raider Nation: BELIEVE... Playoff Hopes Still Alive!

Umer Waris — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 08:11:19 -0500

If there is one thing that the Raiders can take out for a fact from the win at Denver, it is the confirmation that this team has talent—talent that has yet to collaborate and break out as it did in Denver.

A near perfect game by J-Russ, two TDs by D-Mac, a 100+ yard rushing by the "warhorse" in Fargas (not "workhouse" in my books!), CJ showing us why he should have gotten the contract that was awarded to Hall, Lelie torching his ex-team, Howard enforcing the "law" and then it was just Nnamdi being Nnamdi!

All of that was what culminated into what I deemed the “Denver Demolition Derby” (DDD for short)! The second coming of D-day!

Now lets just take a quick step back and look at the potential the rest of the season holds for Oakland. Understanding that The AFC west is one of the most competition-deprived divisions of this league, the Raiders may be in good contention for a playoff appearance.

“Playoffs, you wanna talk about Playoffs!”

Yes I know Coach Mora that it is still early to call for some playoff....

“Playoffs, you wanna talk about some Playoffs!”

Yes Coach I do!

If any of you guys come to the Live Blogs at "Thoughts From The Dark Side", you must be aware of the theme that is resonated amongst our group. (I strongly urge any of you Raider fanatics who are unable to watch the games to attend the live blogs at the site. You can check them out at mvn.com)

“BELIEVE AND WE SHALL SUCCEED!” That has been the motto in all of our Raider blogs. Now my Raider brethren, we shall not render to the whims of hopelessness and pity but rather we shall overcome. Overcome we have done every step of the way and we will continue to Believe.

BELIEVE AND WE SHALL SUCEED, my brothers!

Now before I continue to emit more of my inner Rev. Wright (HEHE!) just remember this my fellow Raider kin! We just took out the leading team in our division and shut down a rather potent offense in Denver at MILE HIGH! To add to that already sweet memory, our Reader defense also kept Cutler from scoring a TD for the first time ALL SEASON LONG!

Last time I recall, we completely obliterated that "Ketchup and Mustard Squad” from the Midwest and kept a very talented Chargers team SCORELESS TILL HALFTIME in a game that we should have won (still feel like throwing up when thinking about how we lost to those Bolts!).

Knowing this, there is much to still lean upon my Silver & Black comrades! Playoffs aren’t too far off...

“Playoffs You wanna talk about Playoffs!, Playoffs!” Ok just shut up now Coach Mora and now my Raider Brothers, Fight On!

BELIEVE AND WE SHALL MOST DEFINITELY SUCCEED BRETHREN! HOLD TIGHT TO YOUR BONDS OF THE SILVER and BLACK! STAND STRONG,STEADFAST AND UNITED AND…… Wow, that Rev. Wright is really getting into me!

Now for any of the above to materialize, it will be up to our Raider team to feed off that momentum we received from the Bronco Demolition up at the Mile High City! They must come to the realization that they are their own worst enemies! They must, much like the Raider Nation, CONTINUE TO BELIEVE AND THEY SHALL SUCCEED!

If we go on a winning streak now against our AFC West Raider Haters, there is no telling how far these implications can take us! FIGHT ON BRETHREN!

Not only will this winning improve our chances of entering the postseason but it will also aid our chances of SIGNING NMANDI AND MORRISON TO LONG-TERM CONTRACTS!

Is there any doubt that Asomugha is the next coming of No. 21 (Ahem… Deion Sanders) and that Morrison is rapidly emerging as the leader of this D? We need them both immensely!

If we were to lose anyone of these play-makers, it will be blow that Raider Nation might never be able to recuperate from.

Is there any doubt that the RAIDERS INABILITY TO WIN GAMES has been the sole reason for why Nnamdi is not agreeing upon a long-term deal with Oakland, for why Gibril Wilson would have liked to think twice before signing on with the Raiders, for why Nnamdi has yet to say “Aloha!” in Hawaii and for why there is so much disarray in the Raider locker room?!?!?!?!

If the Raiders are to enter the postseason. It will nearly absolve all these concerns we ail from.

Now Brethren our role in serving in this goal is quite elementary!

We must continue to provide our ever-faithful support to our team that has made us all into what the outside forces CALL THE ONE AND ONLY RAIDER NATION!!!

WE SHALL NOT WAIVER TO SWORDS OF “GIVING UP” AND SOLITUDE FROM OUR BROTHERS BUT RATHER WE SHALL OVERCOME! OVERCOME AND FIGHT ON!

Here is Rev. Wright again!

BELIEVE AND WE SHALL SUCCEED BRETHREN!

MAY OUR RAIDER BONDS FOREVER STAND STRONG AND FOREVER KEEP US UNITED BRETHREN!

BELIEVE AND WE SHALL SUCCEED!

To Define A Raider's Fan

Umer Waris — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 03:47:12 -0400

(For a more dramatic effect, read with the "Autumn Wind' Theme Music playing in the background!)

Many are viewed as thugs, criminals and simply as low life's with beer & drugs as their livelihood. Fans who through the pirate with the patch express their gang activity and find with the team, a lone island of cast offs.

That’s not why I’m a fan and I’m sure its the same for other Raider writers (Fanatics) on Bleacher Report.

My journey into the Black Hole began with my uncle. He worked as the Security Director for Sheraton Hotel down in LA from 1991-1994. A time when LA was the home turf for the Raiders. With Sheraton being the only five-star hotel at the time, the Raiders would always rent a whole floor for their team.

My uncle loved the passion that emanated form those group of guys and loved Raider football. He still does immensely.

He pushed me into it as well and the more I indulged myself with Raider Football, the more love I had for the game of football.

To me football was the Raiders.

To me the Raiders have their own distinct personality, a personality only shared between the brothers of the Raider Nation.

Al Davis has always been different and its his desire to be that renegade is what defines the Raiders and makes us Raider fans. The reason I believe the Raiders have such die-hards in their fan base is simply because the Raiders have a personality of their own.

A personality that meshes into those only destined to be forever Raiders, win or lose; A personality of defiance, struggle and ultimately victory through that effort.

Being a Jewish man, Mr. Davis was denied many prominent positions in his early football coaching career. When he became the owner of the Raiders, he embodied the team around himself; persevering until you reach the top. In short, a Commitment to Excellence in wanting to Just Win , Baby.

In the words of the late yet always great, Gene Upshaw in the 1980 Raiders America’s Game,

“We always told each other that guys, there aren’t many stops after Oakland. The reason the Raiders thrived so well is because Al Davis let players have a second chance and let them be who they were.”

Why is the Autumn Wind a Raider... because its cold, its ferocious and its mean and it will never stop blowing on the land or the sea.

That’s what Raider Nation and the Raiders are all about. We are all Raiders and the Autumn Wind.

Never giving up, putting in your best and getting the fruit of your labor through your own determination and commitment.

The Oakland Raiders' O-Line Is the Real Redeem Team

Umer Waris — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 20:38:42 -0400

Since the harassment of the Raiders' QBs in the '06 season, the Raiders' O-line has gone a long way in the correct direction. After giving up a miserable 72 sacks, the number declined to 41 last season.

Given the large array of staff changes, as well as the multitude of coaching-scheme variations happening year after year, not much could be expected from this group.

In comes Coach Tom Cable. Known for establishing a well-versed running game during his tenure with Atlanta, Cable is turning heads once again with the ground attack he established in Oakland last year. Turning the Raiders into the sixth-best rushing team in the NFL and, of course, a 72 to 41-sack turnaround (with the SAME starters from '06), Cable has given Raider Nation a reason to be optimistic again.

With a running game like Oakland’s, along with the laser-rocket arm of QB JaMarcus Russell behind them, this O-line will probably have the most active part in returning Oakland to its glory days

Respecting the fact that all O-linemen are equally important in the roles they play on the line as a whole, I will be highlighting only a few. They include those who will be making a path towards resurgence, not only for the team, but for themselves as well.

Center: Jake Grove

The second-round pick from Virginia Tech was rated as the best center in college coming into the 2004 draft. He also happens to be the second man behind Robert Gallery in what is commonly seen as the '04 Raiders' O-linemen busts.

Grove put a halt to such comments after he beat out veteran John Wade and was named the starter at center for '08, having taken most reps with the first-team offense during training camp and preseason.

The man started all of 2006 had to sit out the entire '07 season after he was placed on the IR list. His injury first occurred in the '05 season, but after undergoing surgery, he started the entire '06 season.

His lingering knee issues forced Jeremy Newberry to take the starting role last year. Now, after undergoing a second procedure, the once-top center in college is ready to redeem himself, showing greater movement and agility while beating out a man who has only missed eight games in the past six years.

Grove is on his way to redeem himself from his current “bust” status.

Left Guard: Robert Gallery

Robert Gallery is an integral part of what football experts and the media dub as the 2004 Raiders' O-line bust squad. But like his fellow squad member Jake Grove, working hard and proving the doubters wrong is the first of his goals.

Selected second overall, Gallery was rated as the best prospect for the 2004 NFL Draft and received the highest rating of any offensive lineman (perfect 9.0 score) since USC's Tony Boselli (8.8) in 1995 by The NFL Draft Report.

The Big-10's Offensive Lineman of the Year did not allow a sack in his last 36 college games. In short, he was today’s Jake Long.

As mentioned above, under the tutelage of several O-line coaches/ideologies and a cluster of position changes in his young NFL career (LT to RT and finally LG), the talented athlete has never had the chance to sincerely develop and hone his skills, like many of his brothers on the line.

In comes Tom Cable, and finally Robert is given a home at LG, where he is certifying his college prominence by helping the Raider’s ground attack reach amongst the elite in the league.

Gallery will be shaking the league with his emergence and look for him to reach a Pro Bowl or two along the way.

Left Tackle: Kwame Harris

The same O-line troubles that Oakland has had, Kwame Harris has witnessed across the bay; too many coaches in too little time. Because of this, his performance has quickly banished him into the "bust category" after being selected in the first round of 2003.

Offensive Coordinator Greg Knapp, who served in the same position with the 49ers when Harris was drafted, believes Kwame still has a lot to give.

Having started all 16 games at RT in 2006, Kwame Harris played a vital role in helping Frank Gore lead the NFL in rushing and reach a 49er record of 1,695 yards. His blocking also assisted Gore in rushing for a franchise record of 212 yards in a single game the same year.

In the words of Greg Knapp, Harris is a prototypical LT, with his size and speed, and a few rusty corners only needing to be oiled and running again. With the Raiders being a run first, second, and third team, it's Harris’s run paving that probably caught Kiffin’s eye most bluntly.

Going against Pro bowler Kyle Vanden Bosch in Week Two of the preseason, some might expect the supposed "bust" from across the bay to give Mr. Bosch a five-sack day. But no, Harris maintained his ground and gave Russell a nice pocket to work in against the Titans.

As of now, Cable is working on restoring the confidence Harris has lost since his days with the 49ers. Protecting Russell’s blind side is his new role, which is a challenge he is ready to surmount.

Reflecting back on the O-line, Raider Fans can only expect it to get better with its second year under Cable. With McFadden ready to make the rushing attack even stronger and Russell looking to compete, the Raiders may already have the pieces to rise into a threatening force on offense.