Jan 30
Jan 11
Hip Hop.
Feat. Mad Squirrel, Newageynofriends, Prego3.5, WAEZONE.
Produced by Blake9
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (5.7MB)
Jan 4
(Staff: J Browse, Holiday hunnit, Al Dro, Reggie Matthews, The Politician, Trelly Trell)
Oakland, Ca. Too much game in one studio! A few on-air callers and a few email questions answered. What’s wrong with women who wear Jordans? What is “touchdowns no field goals”? Old skool Town slang (burl, poppin, hooride…)…..WHAT IS THE TRUE DEFINITION OF TRICKIN??? Answers INSIDE!!
Subscribe on iTunes. PARENTAL ADVISORY!
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (45.0MB)
Jan 1
Jamaal Johnson, 12.30.10
Going into the 2010 season, the 49ers were expected to win the NFC West and go to the playoffs. The Raiders were supposed to again disappoint their fans and fail horribly. Neither of those prediction happened. Both teams faced adversities throughout the 2010 season, yet going into week 16 the teams were mathematically still in the playoff hunt. Alas, both teams lost, and both teams were bumped from the post season. It’s been 8 years since the both the San Francisco 49ers and the Oakland Raiders have been to the playoffs (and the Super Bowl). So who has the best chance to make it back to the 2nd season? Let’s take a closer look…
49ers
After the Niners lost to the St. Louis Rams in week 16, management fired coach Mike Singletary, so finding a head coach should be their highest priority. Singletary fell out of favor early in the season when he continued to support offensive coordinator Jimmy Raye (who was ultimately fired after a loss in week 3 to the Chiefs), and the team started 0-5. The 49ers should look long and hard for an experienced NFL head coach, because this team cannot continue to have a new coaching staff every season. Jim Harbaugh, head coach of the Stanford Cardinal, will be the sexy choice, after turning Stanford’s football program around down the road in Palo Alto.
There has been much talk about the talent on the offensive side of the football, but not much to show for it in the 2010 season. Ranked 26th overall in the NFL, this unit was abysmal most of the time, with brief signs of life here and there, but not consistent enough to control football games. Much of that had to do with quarterback play. 1st round bust (yes it’s finally time to say it), Alex Smith played in 10 games and threw two more touchdowns than he did interceptions (12 to 10), and only won two games as a starter. Former Heisman Trophy winner Troy Smith wasn’t much better, but at least he brought some fire and intensity, as well as an ability to scramble. Their obvious star on offense is Vernon Davis, but how long will he stick around if this team continues to have losing season after losing season. Michael Crabtree and Josh Morgan have shown sings of explosiveness, but until there is a good QB in place, the passing game will continue to flounder.
Besides quarterback, the next biggest hole could be the running back position. Incumbent starter Frank Gore broke his hip in week 12 versus the Arizona Cardinals, and he faces a long road back to claim his title as a premier NFL back. Michael Westbrook was good at times, but is not the long term answer because of his concussion history. Anthony Dixon showed flashes during the preseason, but did not get enough carries to make a difference. Whoever the running back is next year the offensive line will have to step up, and grow up, as Barry Sims (12th year) is their most tenured lineman.
The defense was again stout, ranking 14th overall in the NFL, keeping the Niners in most of their games. Linebacker Patrick Willis continues to be the defensive leader, leading the team in tackles and sacks. Takeo Spikes, Nate Clements and Justin Smith are the veteran leaders, but how much long will they stay around? Spikes is in his 13th season, and has never been to the postseason, so expect him to stick around.
Outlook: Playing in the horrible NFC West means anything can happen, but they can’t afford to fall farther behind the young talented teams of the West. With some changes on offense, and a solid choice for head coach, the Niners should again be in the running for the title.
Raiders
Going into the off-season, the Raiders too have to make a decision about their head coach. Tom Cable’s contract will be up, and his two and a half year tenure will be highly scrutinized by owner Al Davis. Many teams already want to interview offensive coordinator Hue Jackson, who has completely turned the Oakland offense around (ranked 10th overall), and Davis may not want to take a chance on Jackson going elsewhere. Second year defensive coordinator has kept the defense running smoothly, ranking 13th overall in the NFL, even though he has yet to find a consistent way to stop the opposing teams running game.
Quarterback Jason Campbell will be the most effected if there is indeed any changes on the coaching side. In the 5 years as a starter in the NFL, he has had 5 different offensive coordinators. At the beginning of the season, his inconsistent play led to him being benched in favor of Bruce Gradkowski. As the season went along, and Gradkowski was finally placed on the IR for the rest of the season, Campbell seemed more at ease, and finished the season effectively. Zach Miller was the biggest target for Raider QB’s, but look to the younger upcoming stars, (Jacoby Ford and Louis Murphy) to make a much bigger impact in 2011.
The running game was the biggest part of the offense’s rebirth. A healthy Darren McFadden finally lived up to his college potential, and his coming out party came in game 7 at Denver where he ran for 165 yards and 3 touchdowns (plus one on a catch). His play in 2010, moves him up into the upper echelon of backs in the NFL. Michael Bush and Marcel Reese proved to be two more big weapons coming out of the backfield. The offensive line did a good job overall (as shown by how the running game dominated many of their games), but can still improve on passing downs.
Because the offense played so well, and controlled the clock better than they had in previous years, the defense again was strong and stingy. Top rookie Rolando McClain ranked among the team leader in tackles, and got more and more acclimated to the NFL each week he played. Cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha continued his stellar play, and made the Pro Bowl as a starter for the first time. Richard Seymour and Tommy Kelly played huge on the defensive line, but with Pro Bowler Seymour being a free agent we’ll have to wait and see if he’ll rejoin the Oakland D. With a young core of players including Tyvon Branch, Matt Shaughnessy and Mike Mitchell, look for the Raider D to continue to prosper for years to come.
Outlook: In the wild AFC West, the Raiders more than held their own by owning the best record in divisional play. With more depth on the offense and defensive lines, I fully expect the Raiders to dominate in 2011 and beyond.
