Oakland Raiders: The Best Is Yet to Come with Hue Jackson as Head Coach

Why do I cheer for the Oakland Raiders? There are many reasons. One of those reasons is that I have known several Raider players, and they were hell-raisers on the field and kind off the field.

Hue Jackson wants the Raiders to return to "The Bully" persona. This means he wants, in my opinion, a team that is tough, fearless, decisive and hard-hitting. Let's get ready for " smash-mouth" football in 2011.

Well, sometimes the old-timers I knew and went to college with were dangerous and the defensive players like Winston Hill of the New York Jets, and Ernie Holmes of the Pittsburgh Steelers were "smash-mouth, hard-hitting, smart players."

The Oakland Raiders prototype wide receiver who attended Texas Southern University was fast enough and smart enough to get away from many of those players who chased after him. He was known for making his way to the end zone like Daryl Lamonica and Fred Biletnikoff. His name is Warren Wells and he had good hands and fantastic statistics.

There were other fantastic eras in Oakland Raiders history, but the days under coach John Madden can never be forgotten.

The few senior Oakland Raiders I knew were smart, determined and more than survivors—they were high achievers.

The years have mellowed all of them. Having lived the prime of my life during the 60s and 70s in New York City, you can be certain that I have a strong constitution which complemented the strength of those in my circle of friends and associates. Those early years prepared some of us for our sports writing experiences on this site.

Growing up in those rich and diverse environments, I learned to discern subtle matters. My generation knows and lives by the motto, "only the strong survive." We learned to speak out and to express our opinions.

Hue Jackson apparently believes in that motto too. He certainly knows that only the strong survive in the NFL.

I also believe that strong men are often flanked and further enhanced by strong and compassionate women. An old adage says that behind a strong man is a woman. This is why one of my articles attempted to encourage the women's voices on the Oakland Raiders B/R web page.

Sometimes I do wonder which strong women are flanking our team of young, talented Oakland Raiders. It is a question that needs no answer. Rather, the performance on the playing field will be the measure of the strength and nurture of the Oakland Raiders in 2011. 

Remember, the motto is "Commitment to Excellence."

That's a tall order, but it can be achieved.

My generation expected the best from the Oakland Raiders.

In my senior years, I look back and realize that the Oakland Raiders gave us what we expected. They gave us excellence. They gave us the data. They gave us the unique NFL records which measured both the intensity and integrity of their experiences on the playing field.

Their performance on the playing field inspired us, and we too were victorious in all that we endeavored to do.

Many of us were taught that a strong and discerning woman can uplift the spirit of a man so that he goes out into the world to do nothing less than conquer that world.

He seems to know that he must return with a victory, and with the treasures that come with victories.

This precept must drive the hearts, minds and spirit of the young Oakland Raiders. Nothing less is acceptable.

As a professor, I believe that the desire to pursue excellence with a passion comes not only from the Oakland Raiders training camp and coaches, but from the home, family, immediate circle and other organizations with which the Oakland Raiders are affiliated.

Once we realize that the Oakland Raiders are drawing strength from all of these environments, we then have the responsibility of building up and transmitting the message and precepts to buttress whatever the players need to fulfill their commitment to excellence.

This is the plea that some of us expound. Many of us believe that the best is yet to come. Since Hue Jackson recently emphasized the need to return to "The Bully," he is ready to let his players "cut loose" and play football in the Oakland Raiders style, as long as the new rules are adhered to.

Go Raiders!