Once upon a time, there was an owner who put the team shield above all else — for better or worse. To Al Davis, there was nothing more important than the eye-patched wearing, Silver and Black trail blazing persona that adorns the Raiders logo...
… but those days are long gone.
Enter the social media minefield and you’ll be witness to infighting and childish bickering over a particular player.
Don’t take my word for it. Mention Derek Carr and see what happens. Good, bad or indifferent — it doesn’t matter. The Raiders quarterback can set the Twitter Verse aflame as if it were propane.
On one side, you have a sect of folks who are akin to the seagulls in Finding Nemo lustfully shouting “Mine! Mine! Mine!” when Carr’s appears on the timeline. On the other, you have a group who are like the gal in Game of Thrones ringing the bell and chanting “Shame. Shame. Shame.” Those who try to remain impartial in the middle get ransacked by both groups. It’s a prime example of social media debauchery, really.
Lost in all that lunacy, there’s a simple fact: Player will come and go, the shield is forever though.
Related: The face of the franchise: Derek Carr’s year in review
Carr is perpetually marked in the annals of Raiders lore as the franchise all-time passing leader with 22,793 yards, statically eclipsing Ken Stabler (19,078). The former sits third on the all-time Raiders passing touchdown mark at 143 with Daryl Lamonica (148) and Stabler (150) ahead of him.
Alas, in the unfair world of signal-caller evaluation — namely, wins and losses — Carr will forever trail the Snake, who sports an impressive 69-26-1 record in 10 years as a franchise quarterback while Carr holds a 39-55 mark in six years at the helm of the Silver & Black offense.
But even for all the glory Stabler brought to the Raiders franchise, he was sent packing and went on to post a 16-12 record for the Oilers (2 years) and an 11-11 mark in New Orleans (3 years).
To those that proclaim they’ll leave their Raiders fanhood in the garbage bin if and when Carr is no longer a Raiders: More power to you. But don’t let the door hit you in the ass on the way out, bruh.
To those that boldly claim they’ll root for the Raiders regardless of player(s): Cheers, mate.
And to those that toe the line of neutrality: Stand your ground without flinching. Don’t let anyone tell you that you have to bounce from your stance like Brexit.
Inevitably and eventually, Carr will no longer be the Raiders quarterback. Whether that’s sooner than later remains to be seen and the only gent that’ll make that call is one current head coach Jon Gruden.
Las Vegas is a place where you gamble it all and either win or lose. Even breaking even doesn’t feel right.
But here’s a question for you: Will he be as fondly remembered as Stabler or other successful Raider quarterbacks?
Snake Skin Boots
- The Los Angeles Chargers and longtime gunslinger Philip Rivers are mutually parting way and starting anew is the end of an era. It also means another veteran quarterback will hit the free agent market.
- Speaking of veteran signal-callers, Patriots owner Robert Kraft said it would be in the best interest of the team and Tom Brady if he quarterback tests free agency.
- Would the NFL ever present the kind of transparency the XFL had in the review booth in its debut? Fat chance. Doing so would expose the seedy underbelly of the NFL.
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