Kiffin Press Conference (Quotes & Video)
"To the Raider fans, players, to the Raider nation, to the organization, that bleed and give their loyalty and skill to the organization...we will come back, and Lane Kiffin will lead us back!" - Al Davis"I'm extremely excited about this opportunity and where I see this place going. It's a historic franchise that has had greatness and has fallen on tough times, but we will bring it back to where it was before." - Lane Kiffin
Lane Kiffin press confernce video: http://www.raiders.com/multimedia/
posted by Calico Jack at 8:12 PM
15 Comments:
Did get to see the Kiffin/Davis press conference.
Did not think Kiffin was "stiff", but rather he came across as serious minded, which I liked.
He kept his answers to the press terse, which was smart, because they will twist his words first chance they get.
Also, the joke about Gruden as his OC was well done.
Off to a great start Lane. Nice job !!!
I hate to say i've heard it all before - but i've heard it all before.
Especially from Davis.
Whatever.
I was impressed with Kiffin mind you, imcomparable to that stumbling, bumbling, slow witted oaf we appointed last year.
Lane was cogent, serious, professional and determined, Art Shell couldn't finish a sentence.
If Davis hands the draft over to him, and Kiffin gets a QB, we could be in business. Obviously this is all dependent on Davis not totally fucking things up again.
Looks like Moss is staying, no surprises there.
I'm happier than this time last year because the minute we appointed Shell was the day i threw the season away, later confirmed by the appointment of Waffles.
There is hope once again in Oaktown.
Calico, that's an awesome photo. Al looks so pirate-y that if I had any Photoshop skills, I'd be superimposing his mug onto the Raiders logo!
Awesome photo! Kiffin looks like a young fraternity pledge and Davis looks like his maniacal drill master in hell week. Some readers of this blog may see themselves in this picture (you know who you are!).
I TOTALLY agree with ghostraider. The decision to appoint Shell last year absolutely doomed the season. Kiffin is about the best we could expect to get, which is basically a young, aspiring no-name out of college, and a pretty decent college program at that. All in all, I'll take it. I was worried we'd get Jimmy Bagofdonuts from Podunk U.
Hope springs eternal. First step down, now on to building an offense.
Calico-
I saw the press conference portion when Kiffin was there (CBS), but heard there was more Q&A with Al after Kiffin left. The now infamous Deng Xiaoping comment was made then. Is that portion included in the link you have posted?
I too am excited and hopeful for a turnaround in 2007. It'll be interesting to see of the old codgers like Freddie B and Willie B stay on the staff. I'd like to see an entirely new staff, save for Ryan.
I also like the comments coming from the players. If you read between the lines, sounds like Shell never really inspired them...I guess that's pretty obvious though from their play.
Nice comments gang.
This photo is a classic. I was considering posting the picture and having everyone submit a caption. My idea was to photo shop an eye patch for Al and add the following "I take that as an affront Ann. Lane Kiffin is damn minty fresh!"
While Al was busy rambling about the past, I liked the fact that Kiffin emphasized his focus was on the present. I think he realizes it serves no purpose to be dragged down by the baggage of the last 4 years.
It was great that Kiffin took ownership of the offense/offensive playcalling. He seemed to have a noticeable zeal or spark when dicussing the impact he will make on the offensive production by using his personnel in the best possible ways.
I also found it interesting that Kiffin continually referred to the owner as "Al" as opposed to the more deferential "Mr. Davis". This would seem to hint at his sense of authority and lack of puppet strings.
Calico:
That's a great take (re: your last comments).
I really hate the deferential "Mr Davis" bullshit. Especially from fans, there's no occasion or need for any fan to use "Mr Davis" they do not know him personally, he isn't within earshot, and they do not work for him, it's just sycophantic forelock tugging.
It was great to see Kiffin calling him "Al" he clearly isn't cowed at all. Of course things may be different in reality, but it's hopeful.
It seemed to me there was genuine respect and liking for each other. There was sense of optimism here.
Last years PC with Shell was uncomfortable, nauseating, and cringe making at times, and left one with a sense that the two men were clutching at straws and trying to convince THEMSELVES that dragging up all that old "Raider way" crapola wasn't just a load of old hooey.
Last year PC was an exercise in PR, the repeating of tired old cliches, and statements delivered as if they were self fulfilling prophecies.
"We will run the football" "We're gonna lineup and show you what we're gonna do and you have to stop us" etc
I was real glad "We're gonna run the football" didn't rear it's ugly head as it's the biggest cliche in in the NFL (2nd biggest), it's a meaningless crutch every coach in the NFL leans on.
There isn't a commitment to run the ball from Davis, never has been, he wants to throw the football down the field.
I liked the fact Kiffin wants to call the plays, Al's actually in step with modern thinking here.
To me, this off season was about two things, finding a viable HC, and finding a franchise QB in the draft.
We are halfway there, failure to draft Russell or at worst Quinn, will render everything else pointless in my view.
Andrew Walter never be a frnachise QB.
X ~ You can find some of the post press conference entertainment here .
Al still has a sharp axe to grind with the mediots...
There was a bizarre exchange with Tim Kawakami when Davis asked him if he knew who Deng Xioping was.
"You don't even know your own culture,'' Davis said.
Davis was referring to the former leader of Communist China. Kawakami is Japanese-American.
Anyone else would be subject to ridicule for one of those "guess you all look alike'' moments.
Davis will slide, because you dismiss it like he's your strange uncle.
LMAO!
CJ ~ As far as a caption to the photo... sure looks like Al is pinchin' a loaf to me!
Always smiling...
It remains to be seen what the old man still has. Most of the last two and a half decades have pretty much shown he doesn't have shit.
How is Davis your superior?
How is he your superior?
Get off your knees for fucks sake!
"Coach Shell" isn't my or your superior in any sense, is he your coach now? was he ever your coach?
What planet are you on?
Neither "Mr Davis" nor "Coach Shell" have ever been your superiors, you seem simply to enjoy showing phony and uneccesary deference.
"As a man" What??? I wouldn't put "Coach Shell" above myself or my own father as a "man" - the guy has a lousy personality, and is dishonest and two faced IMO. I couldn't care less what he's done in football, the guy is an asshole.
Who said anything about "above"?
It's 2007 and the United States, this isn't the British Raj in the 19th Century.
Get up off your knees man!!!
My life's very happy thank you, i enjoy not pseudo sucking up to people i have no need to.
Your's must be pretty unhappy that you feel the need to "know your place" and spend your days genuflecting to people you have no personal relationship with on any level.
I am the well rounded modern type who doesn't need to tug my forelock to feel secure, you are the type that enjoys being a public lickspittle.
You show deference where it is not neccasary because you enjoy the master/slave relationship, this is entirely different from showing respect where it is neccasary.
My generation does not lack "strength" it lacks the need to know it's place, i don't fell the need to be part of a command structure to excel in life, i don't wish to have "power" over anyone that works for me, and be under the command of anyone else either.
Command doesn't come from stripes on arms and pips on shoulders it comes naturally or not at all, as Art Shell found out.
What your generation lacks is the "strength" to go out and excel away from a command structure.
I've seen nothing from you to respect of as a man, what i see is a weakling who enjoys being on his knees to people who doesn't even know.
"Coach Shell" "Mr Davis" LMFAO.
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Ghostraider & Panty Raider -
You might be wondering why your most recent remarks were deleted. This is an open forum and I appreciate a good debate just like most of us do but here's where I draw the line: no offensive language, no racsists remarks, or sterotyping.
For the record Ghostaider, I'm a former Marine and I took offense to your comment. Need I remind you gentlemen with different life perspectives and opinions, this is a Raider blog. All the personal BS is not suited for this page. I would suggest that you do 1 of 2 things (1) avoid each other's comments or (2) find common ground...as Raider fans.
Best Regards,
Calico Jack
Fair enough Calico.
There's nothing wrong with the men and women who form the rank and file of our military - they are the salt of the earth, and believe that they are indeed "fighting for freedom" and "protecting thier homeland".
Unfortnuatly this goodwill, sense of duty and honour, and naivete is taken advantage of by the corrupt politicians who run this country, and their lives are being thrown away not to protect the USA but further the selfish ends of the elite of the this nation.
I didn't mean to be offensive, but the guys throwing their lives away for nothing in Iraq have been taken advantage of.
That's naive.
Back to football.
I don't really get off on the physichal side of football, i like the hits sure, but it's the mental war that i love, the chess match, the strategy, the psychology.
I know for a lot of fans, they just wan to see some violence, the want to see thier players acting out their violence on hated rivals for them.
I don't even "hate" our rivals anymore, i HATE how bad we've become, when we're good again, and we're competitive i'll start to concern myself with our rivals. At the moment they are not standing in our way, they are so far ahead we are not a challenge to them, i HATE that.
0-12 in the division? that's not a rivalry that's a no contest beat down.
I'm not a fan that looks back to the past and sits back on laurels, it's 24 years since we won a SB - i want a team that links us back to the past to carry on the legacy, recent teams make our great teams somewhat "Ghosts in the machine".
Barring the Gruden era we have been mostly lousy, and a slavish devotion to the past has been a large part of that failure.
The Raiders owe the fans now. Devotion has been shown in spades and is still shown, it's time this team woke up embraced modern football again and at least tries to give us what we deserve. The manner is which this team sets out to do that on and off the field is unacceptable to me - i don't mind failure, i didn't mind losing the SB, because that team was set up to win, and barring the Robbins incident it didn't beat itself.
I knew the moment i woke up and checked the 'net and saw that Robbins was out that we would lose, as i watched that season unfold and saw the Bucs inch themselves into contention i thought "we'll beat anyone and everyone - no doubt, but the Bucs? maybe not" they had such an inbuilt advantage.
I knew the team was old and done, and would not be back and would slowly breakup, i expected a return pre Gruden football and that's just what we have.
During that time we did not recognise what we needed to do to get back, and instead have largely wasted four years trying to reload, i HATE that.
After four years of losing, and three top 10 draft picks, how can we have no QB?
I HATE that.
This was all so predictable and avoidable if Davis wasn't mired in this "We don't have to rebuild" bullshit. We could be back already.
We are not prepared to do what it takes to win consistently, that to me is unforgivable.
These last four years have saddened the hell out of me, i saddened that i was right, and i'm saddened that in four years we have not done nearly enough rebuilding to excuse winning 15 games.
We have a half a team, and had some realism and commitment been shown to rebuilding we would be a force again.
If Kiffin is allowed to run the team and is allowed to draft a QB, then the sky is the limit, he already has a fine defense, Gruden never even had a good defense.
I think we all knew that NT, Callaghan (despite the SB) and Shell were just wastes of time and would produce wasted seasons, this at least has the chance to be different.
But, we will again beat ourselves by not showing the neccassary commitment to WINNING?
If the Raiders are all about WINNING the WAR, then has doesn't it arm itself properly?
We've tried all the quick fix crap, we've tried polishing turds, it's time for the Raiders to draft a QB - take that leap of faith, make that investment in the future, and COMMIT TO WINNING.
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