The Raiders’ brutal 2012 season is now officially over

The official end to the Raiders season came Sunday against the North Mexico Chargers, but the unofficial end was weeks ago. QB Terrelle Pryor got his first start and showed promise and poise, but still needs work.

Looking back over the brutal 2012 season, there are few highlights. The measly four wins the Raiders logged were against the pathetic Chiefs (2), Steelers and Jaguars.

I think the turning point of the season was the loss to then-undefeated Atlanta.  The Raiders had them, but gave the game away. Momentum and confidence may be sports buzzwords, but if they had won that game, it might have been different.  I’m not saying they would have magically become contenders, but who knows?

Whatever. It’s all over now and the highlight of my week was Monday when offensive coordinator Greg Knapp was fired. I heard he got a job Wednesday at In-N-Out Burger, but was fired the same day for insisting on using his own system for making fries even when it was obvious it didn’t work.

Raiders GM Reggie McKenzie was hamstrung this year cleaning up the wreckage of the late Al Davis’s personnel decisions, but there will be no excuses next year. The Raider Nation demands to see improvement on the field.

During the game Sunday, some Raider hatin’ CBS maroon put up a graphic on who the Silver and Black had picked in NFL drafts past and who the next pick was. I will not list the busts the Raiders picked and the studs who were chosen next because it makes me throw up a little in my mouth.

Free agency has not been that great either.  So many guys built up their resumes elsewhere then came to Oakland and became great at cashing phat checks. Years ago I actually bought a Warren Sapp “QB Killa” T-shirt when Oakland acquired him. What a joke. After watching him “perform,” I would have been satisfied if he could have at least once been a “QB Toucha.”

I am tired of the cycle of the Raider organization selling fans hope (and tickets) and then punching us in the gut while we simultaneously try to swallow bitter disillusionment.

If that wasn’t bad enough, I am now a 49er. No, not a fan of that other Bay Area team – that would be cause not just for a little throw up in the mouth, but projectile vomiting. I turned 49 on Jan. 2. To keep my sanity, my age reflects the number of former Raiders wide receiver Mike Siani.

So peace for now, Raider Nation. Our time is gonna come.

Fairfield Raider fanalist, part fan, part journalist, Tony Wade apologizes for so many vomit references. Reach him at ffraider@sbcglobal.net.

Tony Wade

Tony Wade is the slightly older yet infinitely more handsome brother of long-time DR columnist Kelvin Wade

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