Silver and Black Report

According to Michael Lombardi, Green Bay Packers director of football operations Reggie McKenzie is reportedly visiting the Bay Area interviewing for the vacant general manager position for the Raiders.

The former linebacker played for the Los Angeles Raiders from 1985 to 1988 and has been with the Packers organization since 1994.

Hiring McKenzie, 48, would be the first major move for Oakland this off-season.

Mark Davis and Amy Trask will spearhead the movement to find a personnel staffer that will work hand-in-hand with Hue Jackson and ultimately, make the decisions needed to free up the coach to handle the team on the field.

Confidantes of Al Davis; John Madden, Ron Wolf and Ken Herock, will also help the Raiders come to a decision regarding their opening.
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On Sunday, the Oakland Raiders celebrated the life of Al Davis in their first home game since his passing. The event brought out a who’s who of ex-Raiders and celebrities that wanted to pay their respects in the Black Hole.

SBReport.net was there to capture all the highlights of this historic afternoon in the Coliseum:

Ole’ number #26, Napoleon Kaufman was one of many Raider legends. He was the Raiders 1^st round draft pick in 1995. The diminutive rusher, who was known for his speed and quick strike ability, was right at home donning Silver & Black.

Bill Romanowski, who was a vital veteran free agent acquisition in 2002, providing leadership and grit to the team that claimed their third straight AFC West crown and a trip to Super Bowl XXXVII, seemed right at home, paying homage to Mr. Davis.

Tom Flores, who was the first Hispanic quarterback and head coach in the league, and one of only two people to win a Super Bowl as a head coach, assistant coach and player, graced the O.co Coliseum field.

Fans had their homemade banners, donned shirts with Al Davis’ name and face, and cheered on the Raiders towards victory.

“AL” emblem lit up the screen.

Raiders FS Michael Huff & Ice-Cube during pre-game festivities.

Ice-Cube, this time with one of the most devastating safeties to ever play the game, George Atkinson.

Henry Lawrence sang the National Anthem.

Oakland’s own, MC Hammer, represented and wore the Silver & Black with Pride and Poise.

Mark Davis took in all the action.

Raiders assistant Al Saunders, along with all the staffers, donned black shirts with the same logo Oakland Raider players have on their helmets.

The Raider Nation.

Rich Gannon and Greg Papa reminisce during pre-game.

Amy Trask was one of many to put together all the happenings on Sunday.

The legendary John Madden. “The fire that burns brightest in the Raiders organization is the will to win,” said Al Davis.

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This Sunday, the Oakland Raiders will pay tribute to Al Davis at the O.co Coliseum, in their first home game since the passing of the legendary figure.

On their official web-site it states:

Please be sure to join us at this Sunday’s game between The Oakland Raiders and the Cleveland Browns at O.com Coliseum in Oakland as we honor and celebrate the life of Al Davis. Kickoff is set for 1:05 p.m. PT.

CEO Amy Trask and the Raider organization gave complimentary tickets to season-ticket holders, stating in an e-mail, “Your guests, will be our guests.”

A who’s who of ex-Raiders will likely be there, as they pay their respects to Davis.

JANO RECOGNIZED

Sebastian Janikowski has been named AFC Special Teams Player of the week after his NFL tying three field goals from 50-yards and beyond versus Houston in week-five.

It’s the second time this season he has been given this distinction, the first being in week-one after he got into the record books with a 63-yard field goal.

The all-time Raiders leading scorer was Special teams Player of the Month, for September.

ONLY 10…1 IN SPIRIT

Yes, on the decisive play of Sunday’s victory at Houston, the Silver & Black only had 10-men on the field.

Oakland’s Michael Huff intercepted Matt Schaub’s pass as time expired, preserving a Raider win. The scramble and pass attempt was shut-down by the Raider defense, adding to the already growing lore of the game, the fact that they came away with a victory and they played one-man short.

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The Oakland Raiders issued a statement on their official web site and Twitter account stating:

ESPN’s Adam Schefter is once again making untrue statements about The Oakland Raiders, this time regarding Matt Leinart. The Raiders have never discussed trading for Leinart.

The Raiders are very happy about their quarterback situation.

The Silver & Black has had a history with ESPN and their reporters, with the club vehemently denying information that has been disseminated by the likes of Adam Schefter and Chris Mortensen.

In January of 2009, Mortensen reported on ‘NFL Countdown’ that the team was negotiating to sell a major percentage over to a billionaire investor who had interest in moving the franchise to Los Angeles.

Raiders chief executive Amy Trask stated after the report: “Chris contacted no one with the Raiders to ascertain if there was any truth to his report. There is not.”

Mortensen responded with an email to The Associated Press commenting, “The Raiders have lost the privilege with me of running stories past them for comment. This stems from their history of denials to most stories I have reported — as well as others in the media — when those stories have eventually proven to be true.”

Owner Al Davis has even shot back at Mortensen, calling him “a professional liar,” during the Lane Kiffin fiasco.

Schefter reported this morning that three teams showed interest in Leinart and that the Raiders were one of those clubs actively looking into acquiring his services.

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Contact Author: Victor Cotto – SB Report Columnist

In a statement released by the Oakland Raiders:

The Oakland Raiders are pleased to announce that Wendy’s will be the presenting sponsor of the new “Small Fries of the Game” promotion during the Raiders’ 2010 season.

The promotion features a new youth themed “Wendy’s Small Fries” section inside the Oakland- Alameda County Coliseum for Raiders games. Fans can obtain information on how to win tickets and become a “Small Fry” by visiting any of Wendy’s 42 Bay Area locations. The promotion will run from July 19th to August 17th.

“We are delighted with our new relationship with Wendy’s and with the opportunity to bring more family friendly programs like the Small Fries of the Game to Raiders games in 2010. This program, along with our other youth initiatives, will help provide access to the Silver & Black to the next generation of Raider fans,” said Raiders Chief Executive Amy Trask.

There is no purchase necessary for the “Wendy’s Small Fries” promotion and 50 tickets per game are allotted for one “Small Fry” and one parent or guardian to attend. Fans sitting in the Wendy’s Small Fries section will be recognized on game day via public address announcement and the Diamond Vision scoreboard.

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Contact Author: Victor Cotto – SB Report Columnist

OAKLAND — An always smiling Jailen Cooper must have been in Seventh Heaven as Wednesday’s Oakland Raiders’ VIP guest along with his proud family from North Carolina. Jailen was chosen by the Make-A-Wish Foundation to participate in an Oakland Raiders practice session. He is also recovering from a tumor on his pituitary gland and the subsequent treatments, but you would never guess that in a million years judging by his exuberance.

Raiders’ CEO Amy Trask and the rest of the Oakland Raiders rolled out the red carpet for Jailen as they gave him his own locker complete with his own personalized jersey and cap. The Raiders also gave him Carte blanche of the practice field as he got a once in a lifetime opportunity to lead the team warmups alongside the team trainer, assist the assistant coaches during positional drills, and even watched the more intensive team drills alongside Raider Head Coach Tom Cable! Never once looking overwhelmed; Jailen looked curiously like a seasoned veteran as if her were made to do this. Jailen was totally in his element.

At the end of practice, the team typically comes together on the field for a group huddle before they hit the lockerrom. This time it was a little different. Jailen was in the center of the team huddle. All of a sudden a chant breaks out, “Jai-len…Jai-len…Jai-len!” from all the players. All of a sudden, the team splits off in two columns; making a gauntlet (it’s sort of like a Soul Train Dance line), but with football players and no music.

At one end of the gauntlet stood Darren McFadden, (Jailen’s favorite football player), with the ball in the ready position and at the other end stood Jailen in his best defensive lineman stance. Then all of a sudden Jailen runs full speed, hits, wraps up (proper technique too), and tackles McFadden to the ground. The team erupts in euphoria as they cheer on Jailen and briefly hoists him in the air in celebration.

Then for kicks and giggles, Jailen stole the show as he headed the coach’s pres conference by fielding questions from the media before coach Cable took over. The kid was AWESOME!!! Did I mention that he’s only 10 years old?!

*ESPN will be airing Jailen’s visit and other Make-A-Wish recipients July 18-27.

Per a press release disseminated on Friday, the non-profit Friends of Oakland Parks and Recreation organization will receive a $200,000 National Football League Grassroots Program grant, facilitated by the Oakland Raiders. This award brings the amount of youth related grants facilitated by the Silver and Black in less than a decade to over $1 million.

Stated in the document:

The grant, awarded by the Raiders, the NFL Youth Football Fund, and Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), is part of $2.5 million in field refurbishment awards allocated this year. It will be used to install a synthetic turf field and drainage system at Sobrante Park, a multi-purpose field located in East Oakland, designed to serve more than 14,000 young people in the area. Once completed, the new field will offer a range of athletic programming for the community including NFL PLAY 60 activities and tackle and flag football leagues. It will also serve as a physical education site for Sobrante Elementary School and James Madison Middle School. Matching funds will be provided by the City of Oakland and Oakland Unified School District.

“It is always our pleasure to work with the NFL Grassroots Program and LISC and we are delighted to participate in this exciting project, which will enhance the community and provide an improved venue for the enjoyment of outdoor activities,” said Chief Executive Amy Trask. “It has been our pleasure to facilitate the award of grants of this nature throughout the region for the last decade.”

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Contact Author: Victor Cotto – SB Report Columnist

Willie Brown working with Nnamdi Asomugha last summer

Oakland Raiders legend Willie Brown retired on Wednesday.

He commented to reporters outside the team’s facility, “I’m retiring,” and then stated “Yep,” as he went on his way when he was asked if he was serious.

Oakland has not made an official announcement, but per beat writer Steve Corkran, Raiders CEO Amy Trask stated, “Willie shall be remembered as one of the, if not the, greatest Raiders players of all time. We will honor Willie in the coming months.”

Brown just finished his 39^th year of service to the Silver & Black and the 15^th as the Director of Squad Development and defensive backs assistant. He was the secondary coach from 1979-88 and during that span, the team won Super Bowls XV and XVIII.

He played for the Raiders from 1967-1978 and tallied 54 interceptions during his illustrious 16-year career. In one of the most iconic moments in Super Bowl history, Brown returned a Fran Tarkenton interception 75-yards for a score during the Raiders 32-14 mauling of the Minnesota Vikings.

His induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame came on July 28, 1984.

Brown stated on his way out on Wednesday that he had no knowledge of Tom Cable’s status with the Raiders and that all other coaches are still employed by Al Davis.

Michael Huff was reminded everyday of the importance Oakland places in solid secondary play.

“I’m wearing the number 24″ he said a few years back. “Willie Brown follows me around every day.”

And that legacy at cornerback that is rich in tradition in Oakland was also carried by another no. 24 that just won a defensive player of the year for the Green Bay Packers – Charles Woodson – who always praised Brown for aiding his development.

Current Raiders Pro-Bowl cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha stated once, “You’ve got to be able to play man if you play for the Raiders. It’s that simple.”

Not too many did it better, nor taught it as well as Brown.