Raiders, Speed Up: Adagio->Andante->Allegro

It takes hours and hours of practice to execute a classical piece of piano music, with the right phrasing and tempo. It also takes dedication.

It is going to take hours and hours of practice to get the Oakland Raiders back in shape to move up the ranks in both the AFC, and in the overall NFL.

The speed and grace of certain plays need to make a smooth transition from adagio to andante to allegro. 

The beauty of the execution of the great football plays sort of reminds me of the tedious details of executing a piece by Chopin or Rachmaninoff.

The aggressive left hand in the Chopin piece, popularly called the Revolutionary Etude, simulates the aggressiveness needed out there on the Oakland Raiders playing field. 

The sometimes graceful and smooth cuts, twists, and turns to get to the end zone, remind me of the beauty and grace of a romantic piece by Rachmaninoff.

Let's just say that this B/R scribe sees sports (and life) through different lens. 

I see the beauty in my favorite team, and I remember the grace, speed and agility of past Raider football stars.

Can they do it again?  Yes, I believe they can.

I was the young pianist who had no frame of reference for the phrasing and tempo of a piece by Chopin. 

My father bought me an old-fashioned record or LP. I listened to it, over and over. Yes, I started with a metronome, but I ended up listening to Leonard Pennario to learn how to play certain pieces. 

No one in my neighborhood executed classical piano pieces at the level of excellence I desired.

Similarly, it seems that the reference group for excellence in Raider football has been absent. Thus, Oakland Raiders, you, too, must find your "Pennarios" of NFL football and watch their tapes, their moves, review their play books or whatever it takes.

I, in those good old days, got an old-fashioned tape recorder and listened to myself play the pieces. Then, I would listen to a virtuoso, named Leonard Pennario.

What was the goal? I was reaching for a higher standard of excellence.

What must be the goal of each and every member of the Oakland Raider family: a higher level of excellence coupled with extreme dedication.

What were the results of my effort when I was younger than 17-years-old: first place at the district level for the piece by Chopin, and third place at the state level in Texas.

On the Rachmaninoff piece, I was rated:  first place at the district level,  and first place at the state level in the UIL competition a year later.

I, therefore, conclude that our beloved team, the Oakland Raiders will rank one in the AFC and we will aim high for a Super Bowl.

Let's move on up, and speed it up to get to the endzone for more touchdowns, even if it is in the last few minutes or seconds in a game. Let's do it again! Let's shift moods and tempo, and transition from adagio to andante to allegro.

Music by Pennario

The Revolutioinary Etude