The Oakland Raiders' Locker Room: What Happens There, Stays There?

"To Tell the Truth" was an old television show that grabbed the interest of the American public for many years. Sometimes, don't you wonder what goes on in the locker room of the Oakland Raiders?

One book that I refer to, from time to time, has a chapter on "The Locker Room." Anthony Prior is the author of a somewhat controversial book, and he was in the locker room with the Oakland Raiders for a short time. The author claims that there are four patterns.

First, he claims that there is a "pattern of behavior shown by athletes who try to find God in a desperate attempt to make the team, they carry the Bible around like it's their playbook and they have a self-righteous attitude."

Second, he claims that there is a pattern for the players who have college degrees. He quotes them by saying: "I got my degree to fall back on if I don't make the team."

Third, according to the author, Anthony Prior, there is "the behavior, during training camp, of those who have a multi-million dollar contract."

Prior adds, "They feel above the law. They walk around like kings with no crowns, and players respect them only because of their money, houses, and cars."

Fourth and finally, according to Prior, there is the "behavior in the locker room of the most powerful athlete, who brings one thing to the table. His faith is so within himself that you can see it when he walks into the locker room. He has a certain presence, his stature is always upright and, if you didn't know him personally, you'd think he was serious all the time."

Well, here we go again, raising questions. Who fits the four patterns on our current roster? Who fitted the patterns in 2009?

Then, in a most interesting follow-up discussion, Prior reports that

1. Once training camp is over and the Bible-toting guy makes the team, the Bible gets stashed away. Prior says that all this type of guy does is makes deals with God all year long.

2. The guy who has his college degree says something like this:

"I knew I was going to make it."

3. The guy from the third pattern who has all of that money is described by Prior as "Nothing really changes for the weakest link...He feels he has nothing to prove."

4. The fourth type of athlete is described by the author, in summary:

"He's respected by his peers and coaches. His consistency goes beyond the football field; off the field he continues to challenge his mind. He's in tune with human history and knows where his strength is. He not only becomes a role model to younger players, he becomes more of a man."

Now, this is a completion test, so you feel in the names of the players on our roster who fit the four patterns he described. And, while you are doing this, please tell me if there are patterns that Prior missed in his discussion of the locker room.

Here is data on Anthony Prior's career in the NFL:

					PUNTS							KICKOFFS						FUMBLES
Year	AGE	Team	LG	GP	RET	YDS	AVG	FC	LNG	TD		RET	YDS	AVG	LNG	TD		TOT	OWR	OPR	YDS	TD
1993	23	NYJ	NFL	16	0	0	0.0	0	0	0		9	126	14.0	27	0		0	1	0	0	0
1994	24	NYJ	NFL	13	0	0	0.0	0	0	0		16	316	19.8	27	0		0	0	0	0	0
1995	25	NYJ	NFL	11	0	0	0.0	0	0	0		0	0	0.0	0	0		0	0	0	0	0
1996	26	MIN	NFL	3	0	0	0.0	0	0	0		0	0	0.0	0	0		0	0	0	0	0
1997	27	MIN	NFL	12	0	0	0.0	0	0	0		0	0	0.0	0	0		0	0	0	0	0
1998	28	OAK	NFL	4	1	0	0.0	0	0	0		0	0	0.0	0	0		1	0	0	0	0	Log
6 NFL Season Totals				59	1	0	0.0	0	0	0		25	442	17.7	0	0		1	1	0	0	0

I admit that getting information about what really goes on in the Oakland Raiders' locker room may take the wits of a Delilah who was cunning enough to get Samson's secret. Of course, she used the information to defeat Samson, for awhile.

No doubt if we find out what really goes on, we will encourage the type of changes that will give the Oakland Raiders more victories, and less defeats. 

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