Oakland Raiders Don't Need Bearers of Bad News

Some of us are fed up with those articles about the Oakland Raiders that talk about what could go wrong. We would rather talk about what could go right.

So, all of the bearers of bad news need to change their perspective and talk about a glass half full, not half empty.

How would you feel if your doctor said to you before an operation: your chances of dying are....

Wouldn't you feel more hopeful if the doctor quoted your chances of survival and of having a restored life? Even if those chances are small, the focus on the positive is much more uplifting than the focus on failure.

So, I don't want to hear about stories that say "what if" Jason Campbell gets injured.

Rather say, what if Campbell has a high percentage of completions?

Don't say what if Bruce Gradowski gets injured in his knees again. Say, what if he plays well and gets us where we want to be?

Don't even try to strike up a conversation with some of us about our chances of losing. Focus on our chances of winning.

When I looked at the head-to-head data for the Raiders and the Broncos, I saw the yo-yo pattern in the past six games from 2007, 2008, and 2009. The Broncos sometimes lose, and the Raiders sometimes win.

That article comparing the Broncos with the Raiders stirred up a discussion but it was good to spread another perspective in cyberspace regarding the potential of the Oakland Raiders.

Last year there were some remarkable surprise victories. Now all the Raiders have to do is stabilize, and we are looking at winning the AFC championship and even more.

Last semester I taught a Vietnam veteran who stood in the hallway on the last day of class and told me that the Veteran's Administration surgeon said his chances were 10 percent for survival with a surgery.

I told him to focus on that 10 percent.

I waited for about 40 days and finally I called the former student. I was uneasy so I had several people around me when I made the call. I said to the people, if "Joe" answers the phone call, then it means that he made it, he survived.

Well, "Joe" answered. We yelled!

Then he told us that a piece of a pig was used to reconstruct a portion of his heart. We still rejoiced.

Similarly, when you talk about the Oakland Raiders tell us about the percentage of success after the surgery or cuts that had to be made.

Some of us believe the Oakland Raiders are going to answer the call: the call to make the 2010 season one of the best that we have seen in seven years.

Go Raiders!