James Bond "Casino Royale" Behind The Scenes Video

I found this cool video of behind the scenes work for Casino Royale on YouTube. In it you see the human side of Bond, as Daniel Craig takes a moment to comment on the progress of the movie, and give some quick qips.

James Bond "Casino Royale" Trailer Video - BBC Gives Rave Review Of New Bond

I just found this article by the BBC which is a review of the new movie Casino Royale, the 21st movie in the James Bond series, which has seen each actor, save for two (George Lazenby and Timothy Dalton) go on to super stardom, or in the case of Pierce Brosnan, solidify his super star status.

Paul Arendt, the review writer, reports that Craig is not just a good Bond, he's a great Bond. We'll all know starting this Friday, November 17th.

The new bond is Daniel Craig -- and he's blond. This minor difference does nothing to diminish the quality of Bond or the film, according to the BCC. Here's the review, and the movie preview below:

Santa Clara Politicians Wreck Bay Area Olympic Bid For 49ers Dream

When I was a City Planning graduate student at Cal Berkeley, I was first introduced to the concept of "regionalism" where one city's economic development policies are shaped to benefit not just its municipal jurisdiction, but the region it's within.

It came as no surprise to me that this concept was discussed in the backdrop of the San Francisco Bay Area of which UC Berkeley is a major part. There are nine closely linked counties here and cities that are at times in the same county and find themselves competing for the same resources.

Like sports teams.

Sports teams are more than just economic impacts, they're an expression of the culture of a city. Game day is a great time to see friends, relatives, and your doctor, and all at the stadium. When sports teams leave, a part of the city goes with them. This would be true for the 49ers. But it's also true when a region's cities work together to draw a sports team or event. This is what has happened with the San Francisco Bay Area Olympic Bid. Over the last decade, this effort has been a model of regional coorperation. A kind of unwritten contract. A contract that's about to be broken by Santa Clara's elected officials, led by Mayor Pat Mahan (pictured).

In one fell swoop, Santa Clara's not only threatened to damage San Francisco's culture, but trash the Bay Area's chances to land the Olympics. In the case of the Olympics, Santa Clara and Santa Clara County would have enjoyed overflow use of their hotels, so they would be an economic gainer -- but so would San Francisco and Oakland.

In the case of the 49ers, Santa Clara also gains if they move there, but it's at the expense of the Bay Area. That's not a good tradeoff, and it's for that reason Santa Clara should teminate its pursuit of the 49ers.

Santa Clara's argument is that it's the best choice for the team to build a new stadium in. But with an organization that has as much history and social impact as the 49ers, that's not true from a holistic standpoint. Indeed, look at the bad feelings that have already been generated. That's not going to go away and can effect everything from State politics to the direction of Federal dollars to the needs of Santa Clara. So when you add it all up -- politics and negative economic impact on San Francisco, as well as the loss of the good international will generated by the very act of bidding for the Olympics, let alone getting the Olympics -- Santa Clara's being a real selfish meany of a municipality.

The best solution is for Santa Clara to be a uniter and not a divider. The best action is for Santa Clara's Mayor to say to 49ers Owner John York "You know. You should really sit and work things out with San Francisco and that Olympics Bid and if things aren't workable, then have Mayor Newsom call us and say so. This way, we'll have a clear go-ahead."

That's a great example of regionalism. Santa Clara, be a Bay Area team player.

Senator Diane Feinstein Brings SF 49ers Owner John York In To Talk With Mayor Newsom - SF Gate

Thank God for Senator Feinstein! Now you're about to see how sports and politics intersect. 49ers Owner John York's about to learn the basic rule of corporate institutions: when you inherit control of a business institution, you share it with the community impacted by it.

John -- in his "I'll take my marbles and run" actions -- forgot this. He's about to learn a lesson. Plus, he's threatened to wreck an Olympics Bid that San Francisco and the Bay Area region has worked on for almost ten years, and was the front runner amoung US cities. John's move was a terrible development, and it's matched only by Santa Clara County's unwillingness to be a team player.

More on that in another post.

49ers agree to talk to S.F. on stadium
Feinstein, Pelosi pressure team's owner to reopen decision on Santa Clara move

Cecilia M. Vega, John Coté, Chronicle Staff Writers
Saturday, November 11, 2006

Negotiations to keep the 49ers in San Francisco will officially resume next week after two of California's most powerful politicians intervened, officials on both sides of the talks told The Chronicle.

Two days after the team abruptly announced its plans to move to Santa Clara, Sen. Dianne Feinstein on Friday gathered Mayor Gavin Newsom, his chief of staff and 49ers co-owner John York and his son, Jed, in her San Francisco office for a morning meeting.

House Speaker-to-be Nancy Pelosi also phoned John York and left him a message expressing her disappointment and telling him it is "unacceptable for the 49ers to leave San Francisco," according to an aide.

Though the team agreed to resume talks with San Francisco, it also will continue negotiating with Santa Clara to build a new stadium there.

The new development, however, left Newsom feeling like "nothing's changed."

"No new expectations have been raised," he said after the meeting in Feinstein's office.

While on Thursday the mayor angrily denounced the team's decision to move to the South Bay and vowed that the city would explore legal options to keep the Niners from leaving, on Friday he referred to the meeting as "great," "nice" and "not supposed to be made public."

"It was good to get together right away before letting a month go by and then more animus is created," Newsom said. "That was the spirit of the meeting, to say, 'Let's just get together and let's try and tone it down,' but at the same time to be resolved that we don't want the team to leave, but it's not an at-all-costs strategy."

Lisa Lang, spokeswoman for the 49ers, confirmed that the team would be pursuing dual discussions with the two cities.

"The doors definitely are not closed in San Francisco, and we are continuing to talk to the city to see what we can work out," she said.

City leaders in San Francisco and Santa Clara had expressed shock at the team's plans to trade in Candlestick Point for the South Bay.

But the potential move also worried San Francisco's representatives in Washington, as well as in Sacramento. Assemblyman Mark Leno on Friday announced a plan to introduce legislation that would ban any professional sports franchise that is not headquartered or does not play games in San Francisco from using the city's name, unless the Board of Supervisors and mayor specifically authorizes it.

"It's his proposition. It's his team. He gets to do with it as he chooses," Leno said of John York. "But he can't take our name."

The team informed San Francisco officials late Wednesday that they intended to drop plans for a stadium and retail housing complex at Candlestick Point and instead move the proposed development to a parking lot near Great America amusement park in Santa Clara. The 49ers have been trying to rebuild the stadium at Candlestick Point for nearly 10 years.

Infrastructure was the 49ers' largest concern, York said during a news conference announcing the move. York cited the high cost of building a huge parking garage and of bringing public transit to Candlestick Point, saying it would have doubled the $600 million to $800 million stadium price tag. He also expressed concern that a parking garage would have killed the tradition of tailgating before football games.

As San Francisco officials shuddered at the thought of losing a coveted NFL franchise -- one founded in the city 60 years ago -- officials in Santa Clara welcomed the possibility of gaining one, and on Friday remained convinced that their city was the team's first choice for building a new stadium.

"They're moving ahead with Santa Clara, but I think they're going to listen to San Francisco," Santa Clara Vice Mayor Kevin Moore said after learning from a 49ers team official about the meeting in Feinstein's office. "I think we're in the top spot now."

Moore said he was even more confident Friday than he was earlier in the week about the team calling Santa Clara home.

He pointed to the $765 million in transportation and parking infrastructure costs projected for the proposed development at Candlestick Point and to the logistical hassles of building on a peninsula with an existing stadium in place.

"I've had great moments at Candlestick Park, but it doesn't make sense anymore," said Moore, an avid 49ers fan. "I know that Candlestick Point is not the best place for fan entertainment, and the numbers are crazy, just crazy."

Santa Clara Mayor Patricia Mahan was diplomatic about the possible move.

"Anything the two of our cities can do to keep the 49ers in the Bay Area is great," Mahan said. "That's the most important thing to me, to make sure the 49ers have an appropriate home in the greater San Francisco Bay Area, so that there will always be a San Francisco 49ers."

She maintained, though, that the Santa Clara site wouldn't have parking or traffic-congestion problems and would be a better fit for fans than the Candlestick Point proposal.

"The 49ers are going to make their decision on what's best for the fans and what's best for the team," Mahan said Friday. "As long as they're staying in the Bay Area, that's what's most important to me."

York told reporters a day earlier that, "it would be foolish to just slam the door," if San Francisco officials approached the team for further talks, but he said the focus was on Santa Clara.

With that in mind, Newsom said he was heading cautiously into the resumed talks with the team.

"We're not going to be in the middle of being played against each other," he told reporters Friday. "That will not happen."

The San Francisco project's potential demise also dealt a blow to the city's hope to land the 2016 Olympic Games. The United States Olympic Committee is scheduled to make a decision on whether it will recommend a U.S. city -- either San Francisco, Los Angeles or Chicago -- by the end of the year. Whether the city has a stadium that can accommodate the Games' Opening and Closing ceremonies is central to the committee's decision.

Scott Givens, managing director of the bid group San Francisco 2016, hailed Feinstein's involvement in the negotiations as a positive step, but hinted that the damage to the city's Olympic bid may not be reversible.

"That dug a big hole for us to get out of. The Niners dealt a big blow by the manner they did this," Givens said.

Givens said San Francisco 2016 will decide by Monday whether to continue or pull the plug on the Olympic bid.

"We can't let this linger for too long," he said. "If we can come up with a viable option the USOC deems appropriate, we should proceed with great haste.''

Still, exactly what future discussions between San Francisco officials and the 49ers will entail and whether city leaders can succeed in keeping the team at the bargaining table remain to be seen.

"I'm as resolved as everyone else to try to keep the team here," Newsom said. "But not at all costs. We're not going to sell our soul ... this city is not going to mortgage its future for billionaires. We don't do that."

Coach Bill Walsh Has Leukemia - SJ Mercury News

This sheds light on what I wrote about after the Titans Breakfast just over a month ago, when I reported that Coach Walsh was not well.

Bill Walsh tells selected media members that he has leukemia
By Daniel Brown

San Jose Mercury News

(MCT)

Bill Walsh kept his illness from the public as long as he could. But his players all knew. They called and wrote and showed up at his doorstep, doing whatever they could to help the former 49ers coach battle leukemia.

Roger Craig, a star running back in Walsh's innovative offense, visited the coach's home three weeks ago.

"He was laughing, cracking jokes. That's Bill. He's upbeat," Craig said Friday. "This is a serious thing he has, but he's been dealing with it. He's a fighter."

Walsh, who turns 75 on Nov. 30, disclosed his fight to the rest of the world Friday, not with a news conference but with the more personal touch of calling two sportswriters, Ira Miller and Lowell Cohn, who had covered him for decades. The Hall of Fame coach told them that treatment has helped him bounce back from a recent stretch in which his condition looked grave.

"When it was life-threatening, I had a lot of considerations about my wife, Geri," Walsh told Miller, a contributor to mercurynews.com, in comments posted Friday. "It appears I've gone through that threshold and it may turn out OK, at least for a while."

Walsh coached the 49ers from 1979 to 1988, winning their first three Super Bowl championships and leaving behind a framework for two more titles.

He last worked for the team in an official capacity in 2003 but has kept his hand in the organization with behind-the-scenes support for Coach Mike Nolan.

The two talk frequently by phone, since Walsh's leukemia has kept him at his Woodside home for long stretches. The coach's treatment has included a series of blood transfusions, which left him exhausted.

"Bill means a lot to me," Nolan said after the team's practice Friday. "He's a huge supporter of what we're doing here.

"But it's not just us. Everybody across the NFL - everybody - has been affected by Bill Walsh and the things he created. You're talking right down to the practice schedules and your everyday itinerary. When I worked in Baltimore, everything Brian Billick did there as coach was because he learned it while working for Bill Walsh."

Last week, though, there was no phone call with Nolan.

Walsh has been increasingly elusive as rumors about his condition spread, staying away from his office at Stanford, where he is a special assistant to the athletic director, and leaving messages unreturned.

"News about me has been circulating," Walsh said. "The media has been aware of the possibility of this and has refrained from writing. There are too many people following the progress of this. I felt it was appropriate to confirm what's happening."

Walsh said the first indication of the disease came in 2004, when doctors wanted to see why he was anemic. A test of his bone marrow revealed leukemia, a cancer of the blood cells that weakens the body's ability to fight off infections. It was unclear Friday what form of the disease Walsh is battling.

Walsh was absent Sunday at Monster Park for Alumni Day, which featured Joe Montana and Clark's recreation of "The Catch." But a friend of Walsh told the San Jose Mercury News this week that the coach plans to be on hand for Jerry Rice's retirement ceremony Nov.19.

"The worst phase was three to four weeks ago," Walsh said. "I've come back dramatically since, and I'm better."

In fact, he was feeling well enough this weekend to plan on attending a volleyball game at Stanford.

"He taught me all those years to be an optimist, and he'll beat it," said Ken Margerum, a San Jose State assistant coach whom Walsh recruited to play at Stanford in 1977.

Tom Williams, the Spartans co-defensive coordinator, said: "Certainly when you find out a giant...has an illness, you are touched with your own mortality because he is larger than life. He's a giant."

Walsh had two coaching stints at Stanford and recently spent seven months as the Cardinal's acting athletic director.

But his greatest fame came with the 49ers, where his West Coast offense propelled Montana, Jerry Rice and Steve Young and became the most widely copied blueprint in the history of the NFL. Walsh went 102-63-1 and won six division titles before abruptly retiring after winning the 1989 Super Bowl.

"Together, we changed the game," said Craig, who under Walsh became the first running back to have 1,000 yards rushing and receiving in the same season. "Bill Walsh has touched not just people all over the NFL but all over the world. This man is much larger than football - trust me."

Miller wrote that more than 100 former players have called Walsh, including Montana, who recently met the coach for breakfast. Craig made the trip to Walsh's home with Arizona Cardinals Coach Denny Green and former 49ers receiver Mike Wilson.

Former 49ers owner Eddie DeBartolo and former president Carmen Policy came over for lunch - with DeBartolo making the trip from Tampa.

"We talked about the old times and laughed and teased each other," Walsh told Miller. "I felt flattered Eddie would come all that way to see me."

Despite the illness, Walsh has done his best to stay active. He served on the search committee at his alma mater, San Jose State, when it landed Tom Bowen as the new athletic director in 2004.

"This is something that comes unexpectedly," Bowen said, "but hopefully he will pull through this and make a full recovery."

Walsh was a member of the boxing team at San Jose State and had aspirations of becoming a professional heavyweight before choosing a career in football. Still, most of his friends used the same phrase - "He's a fighter" - when reached for reaction.

Walsh, in speaking of his prognosis, said: "I'm positive but not evangelistic. I'm pragmatically doing everything my physicians recommend, and I'm working my way through it. I always felt I'll accept my fate as it unfolds."

He added: "If we continue with the ongoing treatment, the future could look very bright."

SF 49ERS Say They're Moving To Santa Clara - An Excercize In Bad Politics and PR

Yesterday, San Francisco 49ers Owner John York shocked the football world by announcing that his organization's backup plan to build a stadium in Santa Clara. They caught San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom by suprise. They threw Santa Clara's mayor Patricia Mahan for a total loop as well. In this the 49ers showed a penchant for bad politics and terrible public relations.

First, regardless of some glaring technical issues with the stadium proposal, everyone I knew was excited about the plans for the new facility at Candlestick Point, and how it would be a key part of the San Francisco Bay Area Olympics Bid. It seemed the responsible and brave act for the 49ers to make their stadium proposal part of the Olympics Bid.

But in one fell swoop, John York has done what he seems very good at doing: upsetting both elected officials and the community. As of this moment, the 69.4 percent of the readers of "DumpYork.com" have rated him the worst owner in the NFL. In an election, such a percentage would be called a landslide of massive proportions. York has angered fans with the way he runs the team -- cheap. He didn't initially handle the famous Videogate scandal well. And now he's pissed off the very elected officials he's supposed to work with.

This is not the way to get a stadium built.

In my experience, a normal developer woos elected officials, puts the legal amount of money in their campaign war chest, and even hosts a fund-raiser or two. But Dr. York has done none of this. Instead, he's acted like the kid who has the basketball everyone wants to play with. When things don't go his way, he gets up and walks off.

But here Dr. York's playing with grown ups, and dangerously thinking that he can just piss off elected officials. As much as politicians are put-down and picked-on, they do serve as the guardians of our government, and should not be taken lightly, but Dr. York does by his actions. He's had a number of people working on proposals and poor San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom meeting with Olympics officials and running around the World touting San Francisco as the best place for the Olympics. He's had Lennar's Kofi Bonner -- formerly a Bay Area municipal official of high regard -- negotiating with representatives of several jurisdictions which have a hand in the Candlestick Point recreation area

Now, York threatens to scuttle all of the work of these good folks. Moreover, he's got no deal with Santa Clara and is playing with the most dangerous fire of all: the Santa Clara City Council.

City Council's are where the rubber meets the road of politics in a city. They have to decide how the roads get fixed and the schools get books. Dr. York has to first create a plan and then pass the plan to the council and then make sure they pass it.

But John's done no political work down there and doesn't even know the players. He's not contributed to their campaigns or really done any wooing of them, much less meeting them. He's in a real pickle and it's one he's created for himself.

The best way out of this is for John to stop what he's doing, meet with Gavin, appologize, and get back on track. Yes, he will further upset the leaders in Santa Clara, who feel like they're being used to begin with and are currently placed in the position of indirectly spoiling the Bay Area's Olympics Bid by working with the 49ers, but let's face it. Santa Clara will not bite on that big chunk of a stadium cost when they realize they may have to be the fiscal backer of whatever "private" deal York's people come up with. That deal will almost certanly approach $1 billion.

Plus, York doens't have Kofi Bonner to help him down there.

Something bad happened behind the scenes for this to unravel and the man who best knows what happened isn't talking: Kofi Bonner. I can see the Candlestick Plan as having Kofi's signature of urban planning all over it. Knowing Kofi since 1986, my guess is that he tried to smooth over a misunderstanding and it went South.



What I mean is that it was Kofi's working with the architects and land planners in his role of Senior Vice President of Urban Land with Lennar that created the 10,000 square - foot parking lot that the 49ers complained about. But Lennar needs the land that would be used for parking for the housing. Plus, having the housing's a key part of the stadium financing plan. So I don't know why John would be so hard headed, but apparently he was not only that, but a bit angry.

John, go back to Gavin and make peace; and buy Kofi dinner and a nice Gin and Tonic. Forget Santa Clara; it's not going to work.

San Francisco 49ers Tell SF Mayor Gavin Newsom They Plan To Move - SF Chronicle

The real question is how does this impact San Francisco's Olympics Bid?

49ers tell San Francisco mayor they plan to move
By JOSH DUBOW, AP Sports Writer
Wednesday, November 8, 2006

(11-08) 22:30 PST San Francisco (AP) --

The San Francisco 49ers ended negotiations with the city about building a new stadium and plan to move to either Santa Clara or somewhere else in California, The Associated Press learned Wednesday night.

Owner John York notified Mayor Gavin Newsom of the team's decision earlier Wednesday, a city official close to the negotiations told The AP on condition of anonymity because no announcement had been made.

Team spokesman Aaron Salkin declined to comment Wednesday night. Phone messages left on the office and cell phone of Lisa Lang, the 49ers vice president for communications, were not immediately returned.

The sides had been talking over the last few months about building a privately financed stadium at Candlestick Point that was going to be part of the city's bid for the 2016 summer Olympics.

The team's current lease at Candlestick runs through the 2008 season and the team holds three five-year options that could extend it through 2023.

The current stadium at Candlestick is one of the most run-down in the league, leading the team's desire to seek a new stadium with revenue-generation suites and luxury boxes. The plan to build a stadium also included public housing, retail and office space.

The city was not going to contribute any money to the stadium but was willing to possibly help with some of the infrastructure costs.

The 49ers headquarters are currently based in Santa Clara, located about 30 miles south of San Francisco.

Los Angeles and Anaheim also are seeking an NFL team. The mayors of the two cities met last month with new commissioner Roger Goodell to offer their competing plans to lure a team back to southern California.

Los Angeles city leaders want to build a new stadium within the walls of the historic Memorial Coliseum, featuring 200 luxury boxes and 15,000 club seats at a cost of $800 million.

Goodell also met with Anaheim Mayor Curt Pringle about his city's plans to sell the NFL 53 acres at the below-market price of $50 million to build a new stadium adjacent to Angel Stadium.

The Los Angeles area hasn't had an NFL team since after the 1994 season when the Raiders returned to Oakland and the Anaheim-based Rams moved to St. Louis.

The Problem With The Raiders Passing Game - A Note To Raiders Fans

A fan called Hawaiian Raider at Raiderfans.net wrote this post below that I had to respond to. He seems to think there's nothing reallly wrong with the Raiders Offense. He doesn't really know what to look for. Read on...


Hawaiian Raider: So what? [B]Execution[/B] has nothing to do with it? What? Fire Whisenhunt - last season's SB Champ OC and the next greatest coming of a coach in here? Why not? His offense isn't [I]executing[/I] either.

And it's the thing about the whole matter concerning our offense - [I]execution[/I]. A perfectly timed screen-pass that has the Pitt D off guard, is thrown a little bit behind by Andrew and then dropped by Lamont. Walsh's fault?

Gallery and Lamont [I]both[/I] can't block Merriman so, Walsh's fault?

Grove, first with Aaron, and then Andrew can't execute a center-to-QB exchange 3 times in one game and it's Walsh's fault?

Sims get's holding called on him nearly twice in a row that kills moderate to long gainers and it's Walsh's fault?

And the broadcast of the 'Zona game displays a graphic in which Randy Moss had 3 drops in the game, and right on cue Randy drops his fourth - and it's Walsh's fault?

And if you watch the game, we use the same base formation that all teams run that have a single-back: called "1" or "A" in high-school, referred to as "Ace" or "Single-Back" in most systems in the pros, with X(WR), Y(TE), Z(Slot-R) and another TE - with the QB and HB (RB). From this base set, Walsh's offense has [I]shifted[/I] into everything from 3 wide to 3 TEs. His offense has shifted into split-backs, line-up in power Is', ran end-arounds, reverses and [I]thrown off of them[/I]. And despite the perception, there's been 3-step and 5-step drops too - not only 7-step drops.

And there's a little mis-information in terms of the "pass to Slaughter". It was immediately addressed: he was only out in a pattern to clear-out, which he did effectively as he had Joey Porter hanging all over him. He wasn't the primary receiver. So, it's Walsh's fault that Andrew threw to him? Chad Slaughter able to draw Joey Porter on him in the end zone is brilliant! Throwing the ball to him wasn't. Not Walsh's fault.

Otherwise, there is room for improvement, specifically, using a "shotgun" in obvious passing situations instead of having a clumsy-footed Andrew dropping back 7-steps. And maybe, if it's second-n-goal from the 1, you go with another pound up the gut and see what happens before you send Chad out in a pattern.


Me I've got to take this on. Please don't be mezmorized by formations. The problem with the Raiders Offense rests in two areas: 1) blocking style, and 2) a lack of timed passes in the offense. The way the Raiders play under Shell / Walsh (since Art defends Walsh) is such that 1) prevents 2) and causes the sack problems we see.

Art has consistently said that he wants the offensive linemen to [I]block until the quaterback finds an open receiver. [/I] Think about it. It's a philosophy that goes back to the time Art Shell was the Raiders OT. They had a drill where they would block and block until the whistle was blown -- sometimes for 10 seconds.

But when Art played the defensive lineman was a different breed -- generally smaller than the offensive lineman they faced. Then the Dallas Cowboys drafted and played offensive linemen who were over 300 pounds and ushered in the era of smash-mouth football.

That development forced general managers to draft bigger defensive linemen who were equally as strong as their offensive counterparts. And in some cases, offensive linemen in college were converted to defensive line in the NFL as projects.

After this wave of evolution we now have this development over the last 10 years: massive rashes of QB injuries, the installation of the Bill Walsh Offense as the standard system with it's timed passes, or just the use of timed passes. The current New England Patriots are a 3 and 5 step passing team with timing.

Now, were in a time where Art's old way doesn't work. The way he remembers -- holding blocks forever -- also produced a lot of holding calls and sacks. I remember a 1977 game against the Denver Broncos where Ken Stabler was sacked five times and threw four interceptions.

The Raiders offense has the steps -- but not the timing. The QB JUST takes steps, but the steps are seldom consistent and not monitored by the coaches and it's obvious in watching them. The Raiders don't run the patterns that other teams do that GO with three and five step passes.

For example, the Texas Passing combination (has nothing to do with UT) where in a formation with a tight end (TE) and a running back behind the offensive tackle nect to the TE, the tight end runs an "Up" pattern, and the running back runs a pattern that starts out with a run to the flat, but then turns back up and then into the short middle of the field, calls for a five steps, but three big steps, and two small, then one hitch step, then throw -- if the defensive linebacker has cleared the middle for the running back.

When playing a Tampa Two coverage, this is what happens. The middle linebacker goes to the deep middle, which is why the Texas concept was created -- by Mike Holmgren when he was with the 49ers. The Raiders have nothing like that.

But also pay attention to the fact that the Raiders don't pay attention to the details of the steps. To them, it's ok as long as we have the steps.

Wrong.

The Raiders should make sure that the QB in a three step drop pass has the ball for not longer than 1.3 - 1.5 seconds. For a five step drop, 3 seconds. That's it.

IF the Raiders do this, their offensive linemen will not give up as many sacks as they have.

But there's more.

Offensive design.

The Raiders have never used a formation to force the defense to show their coverage. What formation does this best? The five wide receiver set.

Now before you go on a rant about the Raiders line, let me explain that would be wrong. Football is a time / motion study. If we have five wide receivers the defense has to commit five of 11 people to cover them. That leaves six people. You should have a free safety, so now we're down to five people. I'll take that.

I'll call three step passes, sprint outs, and roll outs. I'll bring my running back in motion and give the back the ball as the back is coming behind the quarterback. It's called the "Jet" run.

This is something the Raiders don't have. They need to change how they think about the passing game if they are to expect to win.

Raiders Tyler Brayton Fight - Video Of Knee To Groin Of Seahawk's TE Jerramy Stevens

Accordiing to ESPN, Oakland Raiders defensive lineman Tyler Brayton will be fined, but not suspended for his knee to the groin of Seattle Seahawk's TE Jerramy Stevens. Here's the video of what happened.

Raiders Coach Art Shell Willing To Stick With Tom Walsh - And Fall With Him Too

Well, Art Shell really stuck his foot in it. In the article that appears below, he says "I like Tom Walsh." But that's not the way a team wins. Later in the article, Raiders Owner Al Davis says that Tom Walsh "Is a bright guy. You'll see that in time."

Wait.

It only takes a few moments of time for any level of intellectual greatness to emerge in any field of endeavor, and that includes football. What are the Raiders going to do, wait until they have the personel to win with whatever Tom Walsh does? That's silly and will never happen.

It's appearent that the only way Tom Walsh knows what he's doing is because Al Davis and Art Shell don't know what they're doing, and they hired the guy.

Look, your offensive scheme either works, or it doesn't work. There's nothing in between. Thus we see a textbook example of failure. Making a terrible decision based on blind loyalty and sticking with it because of -- yep -- blind loyalty. There's nothing in Tom Walsh's "system" to suggest greatness or innovation. There's not a single NFL coach or GM that's willing to stick their neck out and say the Raiders Offensive system is the best in the NFL.

And the numbers prove it's not. If this keeps up, Bill Walsh will ask Tom Walsh to stop using his last name.

So watching the Raiders Offense is going to be a form of torture for a while. As long as this management-by-friendship continues, Shell will ultimately produce a losing team and avoid giving young black offensive minds any chance to show that they really do know what they're doing.

And I'm not talking about running bed-and-breakfast homes.

_____________________________________________________________________

Shell stands by his coach
Raiders' Walsh is still upbeat
David White, Chronicle Staff Writer
Monday, November 6, 2006

Offensive coordinator Tom Walsh is in charge when the Raiders have the ball. Off the practice field, you can usually find him smiling and strolling, but it can't possibly be connected to production levels.

Going into Sunday, his overall offense -- or the Al Davis offense, if the boss still wants his name attached to this -- is ranked 32nd in a 32-team league, making it just as bad in the NFL as the team's passing offense.

The Raiders are last in yards per play.

And, rushing yards per carry.

Also, passing yards per net play.

Don't forget interceptions per throw, or giveaways all together.

Or, sacks per pass play.

First downs per game, too.

Plus, for those into scoreboards, the Raiders have produced the fewest offensive points in the NFL.

So, why does Walsh look like the happiest man in Alameda this 2-5 season?

Maybe because his immediate supervisor is thrilled with him.

"Yes, I am," Raiders coach Art Shell said.

Never mind that you have a tough time getting a starter to praise Walsh beyond calling him cool or a nice guy.

Forget that Warren Sapp, the unafraid team leader, half-joked about Walsh "flipping pancakes" the last time a pass to an offensive tackle scored, making Sapp the umpteenth person to drop a bed-and-breakfast reference on the pride of Swan Valley, Idaho, where Walsh ran a B&B during a lengthy break from football.

Lay aside the dumbfounded employees within the hierarchy, one of whom described the Raiders' offense as "an absolute embarrassment" under Walsh. The daily e-mail bag produces ALL-CAPS requests for Walsh to be the NFL's fourth offensive coordinator canned this season.

Walsh can't defend himself. Shell hasn't allowed media access since Walsh sat down with reporters during training camp to discuss Sega games, Ronald Reagan and chicken Marsala.

So, Shell does the standing up for him.

"I like Tom Walsh," Shell said, tersely enunciating every syllable. "Tom Walsh has been with me for a long time. I like what he does. Everybody criticizes the guy, but the guy is a very smart guy. The guy knows exactly what he's doing."

But, Walsh's offense has not scored a touchdown in four out of seven games. Wind and sideways rain tonight in Seattle might make matters even more difficult for his charges.

"There's a whole lot of so-called geniuses in this league, too, and they're not doing as well as a lot of other people think they should," Shell said. "Tom Walsh can coach. I trust him."

That last sentence explains everything.

Walsh and Shell go way back, and Shell is ever the loyalist.

Walsh was Shell's play-caller during his first run as Raiders head coach, all the way up to the day Shell was fired after the 1994 season. They were co-assistants from 1983-89.

Shell decided long ago that if ever got another head coaching job, Walsh would be his right-hand man. Shell made good when the Raiders re-hired him in February, even though Walsh had been out of the NFL for 12 years, serving as mayor in small-town Idaho and running that B&B.

Nothing is going to change Shell's mind at midseason, and Davis is the only person with overriding power. For now, Davis is backing Shell.

"Tom Walsh is tremendously bright," Davis said in August during his most recent interview. "You will find that out over time."

It's taking time, no doubt.

Walsh has worked with second-year quarterback Andrew Walter since Aaron Brooks went down with a bruised pectoral muscle in Week 2.

He didn't have wide receiver Jerry Porter at his disposal until last week, and lost another key receiver, Doug Gabriel, in a late-August trade to New England, where the player has 22 catches for 302 yards and three touchdowns.

The offensive line hasn't pass-protected, running back LaMont Jordan is off the 1,000-yard pace and star attraction Randy Moss is suddenly dropping balls.

So, it's not as if Walsh is dealing with overachievers, but still.

Walsh calls the plays. There's no truth to rumors that tight ends coach John Shoop -- the former Chicago Bears offensive coordinator -- has assumed some play-calling duties, a team source said.

If results don't change soon, it's only a matter of time before players stop speaking in subtle code for "This reeks."

"At times, we're just banging our head against the wall," Walter said. "We need to shake it up, I believe. It's been frustrating and certainly we need to get better.

"I'm a player. I try to play. Certainly, coaches can answer that better than myself, but I know we need to do something different."

Time To Praise Indianapolis Colts' Head Coach Tony Dungy

Almost every week -- in fact of late every week -- we hear or read about how great New England Patriots Coach Bill Belichick is or how many rings he has. Last week, all we listened to was how Belichick was going to come out with a mad-scientist-level game plan for the Colts game. Or if it's not Bill Belichick, it's Dallas Cowboys Head Coach Bill Parcells. Yes, I know both have a combined total of five Super Bowl rings, but there's one coach who has the second highest winning percentage of all NFL head coaches from 1999 to 2005 according to NFL.com, and has won a remarkable 30 of his last 33 regular-season games. This coach just beat Bill Belichick for the second consecutive year.

Indianapolis Colts' Head Coach Tony Dungy.

No, Tony doens't have the rings, and he's not flashy or given to the loud shout or the quick quip, or even the use of weird hair gel. But what Tony has is a steady temperment and the kind of focus, determination, and managerial accumen that has few peers.

Managerial acumen? Yeah.

Think about it. Tony stays in the background of his team's glorious stars like Peyton Manning, Marvin Harrison, Bob Sanders, Dwight Freeney, and many others. He has a group of talented assistants like Offensive Coordinator Tom Moore and Defensive Coordinator Ron Meeks. They all do their jobs well and gain praise -- especially Manning, who may be the best quarterback of the 21st Century. But at the end of the game, they all turn to Dungy. As Manning said after the Denver Broncos game, Dungy is a calming force while your in the middle of a game. Reminding you of what to do in certain situations.



Like the late Dallas Cowboys Head Coach Tom Landry, Dungy calls on his faith in God for guidance and calm. It certainly helped him last year with the passing of his son James. And it was during that most trying of times that America saw just how much this "All-Pro Dad" was loved by everyone in the NFL and in sports.

Dungy is also an incredible role model, especially for African American young men. It's a true and rare event to see the national TV cameras pointed at a black male leader of a team headed for a remarkable record. But it's a welcome and much needed image, and one that Dungy's fully aware of. But with that, Dungy does not seek the spotlight. He's not on every talk show. He's not trying to upstage his star quarterback. He's not a fixture on the NFL Network -- except when the Colts win.

What everyone is seeing this year is just how good Dungy is at leading and managing his on-the-field organization. And now, as we begin talking about the Colts driving toward perfection, it's time to praise Tony Dungy.

Indianapolis Colts' Perfect - Beat New England Patriots 27-20 - Indy Star

Prime-time punchout

By Phil Richards
phil.richards@indystar.com

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- Peyton Manning piled up the big numbers but the Indianapolis Colts' much-maligned defense made a bunch of the big plays Sunday as it contributed five takeaways to the Colts' 27-20 victory over the New England Patriots at rowdy, chilly Gillette Stadium.

It's only midseason, but the Colts' 30th victory in their past 33 regular-season games pushed them to 8-0 and gave them what amounts to a three-game lead on the Patriots (6-2) in the chase for the AFC's No. 1 playoff seed, because of the head-to-head tiebreaker. The Colts are at least two games ahead of everyone else in the conference and remained three up on Jacksonville (5-3) in the AFC South.

It was the Colts' second consecutive victory at New England after a run of nine losses in succession here.

Manning completed 20-of-36 passes for 326 yards and two touchdowns to become only the second Colts quarterback to throw for 300 yards in three consecutive games. John Unitas did it in 1963.

"You have to win as a team," Manning told an NBC reporter after the game. "You can't win playing as an individual against these guys."

The Colts embodied team. On a night when they were outrushed 148 yards to 53, the defense kept taking the football away.
Defensive tackle Raheem Brock forced and recovered a fumble. Safety Antoine Bethea intercepted one pass in the Colts end zone. Safety Bob Sanders stole another at the Colts 3-yard line.

The second of linebacker Cato June's pair of interceptions came on a pass that deflected off Patriots running back Kevin Faulk and put the game away. It came with 1:18 to play with New England driving and at the Colts 39.

"They were around the ball," Patriots quarterback Tom Brady said. "They've got good aggressiveness on defense. They got their hands on it. They didn't drop any."

Adam Vinatieri, who played the first 10 years of his career for New England before signing with the Colts as a free agent in March, had a forgettable homecoming night. He converted 23- and 31-yard field goals but missed from 37 and 46. He was booed throughout by the sellout crowd of 68,756.

Colts wide receiver Marvin Harrison caught eight passes for 145 yards and two touchdowns. It was his seventh 100-yard game against the Patriots, two more than he has against any other NFL team.

Harrison's most spectacular catch was for the third-quarter game-winner, the touchdown that gave the Colts a 24-14 lead. He beat cornerback Eric Hobbs into the end zone. Harrison stretched with his left hand, tipped Manning's pass, then gathered it in and got both feet down before he fell out of bounds.

It was touch, artistry, ballet. And it came against one of the NFL's top defenses.

New England hadn't permitted a touchdown in its past two games and was the only team in the league that hadn't allowed an opponent to score more than 17 points in a game all season.

"The thing I like about our team is we're finding different ways to win," Colts coach Tony Dungy said. "We're still not playing our best."

Manning came into the game on a roll. In victories over Washington and Denver, he had thrown for 342 yards and four touchdowns and 345 yards and three touchdowns, respectively.

After missing his first two passes Sunday, he hit his next nine for 140 yards and two touchdowns as the Colts took a 14-7 lead.

"We had them in a chase position most of the night," Manning said. "That was part of the plan and it worked out well for us."