Poor JaMarcus Russell. Here's a guy that's simply plugging away as the Raiders quarterback, minding his own business, trying to establish himself as an NFL player in the middle of a three-ring circus. Then, all of a sudden, without warning, he finds his name in the middle of the fray between Al Davis and Lane Kiffin.
It was during that bizarre press conference earlier this week when Davis, the 79-year old owner, let the cat out of the bag and informed us that Kiffin never wanted to take the LSU quarterback with the No. 1 overall pick. Russell seems to be taking the news quite well.
"It just kind of came out of nowhere. I really don't think myself or Coach Kiffin or anybody else were looking for that to come out that way." "I appreciate the opportunity he gave me to play in the National Football League. Wish for him to go out and get him a job because he's a good guy, a good coach."
Interesting.
Meanwhile, former Oakland defensive tackle -- and current dancing with the stars, uh, star -- Warren Sapp continued to make his voice heard on all things Raiders.
Earlier this year, Sapp told us that the Raiders were, pretty much, going to suck, and now he's been kind enough to explain to uswhy the Raiders suck. It's because Davis still thinks Cliff Branch and Jim Plunkett are walking through that door.
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"[Davis] is the common equation," Sapp said on "Inside the NFL." "You take him out, put him at home watching film or whatever he is doing -- you have a functioning football organization. But once he comes over the top, he goes and starts moving it around. "Al Davis knows football -- it's just '60s and '70s football. That's what it is. He's thinking that Cliff Branch is outside and [Jim] Plunkett is dropping back and you can throw it 80 yards down the field -- deep ball, deep ball, deep ball.
Sapp also threw in a reference to Davis phoning plays to the sidelines, which if true, should be a surprise to no one.
Just another day of news in Raider land.
