Hey Al, try a mirror

So the Raiders lose a close one to the Bills yesterday, 24-23, on a last second field goal. Today, reports surface that Oakland owner Al Davis is going to fire coach Lane Kiffin. Granted the two never really clicked in the personality department. One of the root causes of the whole mess is the relationship between defensive coordinatior Rob Ryan and Kifflin. Interestingly enough, yesterday's loss came after the Raider defense allowed 17 points in the final 8 minutes of the game. Sabatoge? Considering Ryan's pedigree, it's not as improbable as it sounds.

But Al Davis needs to look in the mirror. It's there he'll see the man who refused to backup his head coach when Kifflin asked to fire Ryan before the start of this season. As a result, you have a defensive coordinator who refuses to listen to the head coach. It's no wonder the defense blew a 17-point lead with 8 minutes left. You're to blame Al, one else.

When is it no longer artistic license?

That swooshing sound is Ernie Davis rolling over in his grave. Multiple times. The new Ernie Davis statue unveiled this week at his alma mater Syracuse is, um, stretching(?) the idea of artistic license. As was widely reported, the bronze of the first black Heisman trophy winner depicts the collegiate football legend wearing Nike cleats.

And a Nike jersey.

And a modern-era helmet.

Ernie Davis died in 1963.

The twist? Bruno Lucchesi was commissioned to create the statue to replace another statue of Davis by Rochester artist Sharon Locke unveiled several weeks ago because the university decided that her work "didn't come out the way we expected."

Screwed or blown?

Ed Hoculi's call in the Chargers' Bronco's game was horrendous. It was so big that the NFL's competition committee will probably change the rule that caused him to erroneously blow the play dead.

But my high school football coach had a saying that is still apropos low these many years later: "If you win the game, there's no call that can take it away from you."

I still believe in that sentiment. Did the Chargers get screwed on that call? Yes. But if they had gone out and dominated that game and won it before the waning minutes of the fourth quarter, one bad call wouldn't have made any difference. The Chargers blew the game and have only their on-field performance to blame.

He's nothing if not consistant

Consistently an asshole. Only Belechick, given the opportunity to inure sympathy even from his biggest detractors, maintains his arrogant asshole attitude (alliteration!) by not releasing the details of Tom Brady's injury.

Does Belechick need sympathy? Not personally, no, nor does he deserve it. But one year after a massive cheating scandal and a horrible collapse to a Giant underdog (pun intended) in the Superbowl, the Patriots organization could use a little good PR.

In building the closest thing to an NFL dynasty since the Cowboy's-Aikman run, the Patriots, despite their Americana nickname, have not become the new version of America's Team.

You don't see fans in other regions across the country wearing Patriots merchandise the way you did with the Cowboys and before them the "other dynasty teams" the Giants, Steelers and Raiders.

In fact, the Patriots have earned a bullseye on their backs, thoughtlessly placed there by their own Machiavellian leader. (For anyone who doesn't know what "Machiavellian" means, just substitute the word, "douchecanoe.")

This is where truly great coaches, like Parcells and Madden, realized that the game - and the team - are much bigger than any one person.

And it's only the first week

This part of RallyCap is pissed off. I mean really PISSED OFF.

Wanna know why? Cause I spent my f-ing weekend (Friday included) passing a #%#%%%^ kidney stone. When I wasn’t passing it, I was puking. When I wasn’t puking I was walking the pain off. Hell, I even tried rubbing dirt on it. Didn’t work. It still hurt. (Ok, it wasn't as bad as this guy, but damn!).

So today is the wrong day to get this part of RC rolling.

Then I watch some of the NFL action on Sunday (kudos to me for going with NE in the suicide pool) and have to listen to the crap on Monday about the NFL being weaker because little Tommy Brady got hurt. Pussies!

No, not Brady, I’m talking to those of you who think the league is diminished because he’s not playing any more. You’re probably New England fans who think it’s your birthright to win championships. Well wake the hell up! Other people want what you have (or had . . . when was the last time you won again, oh yeah, 2004 . . .).

Is the league any more diminished that Montana, Staubach, Rice, Starr, Unitas, Brown, Simpson, Butkus, Taylor, Upshaw (maybe an argument here), Biletnikoff, Nagurski, Page, Shell, etc. aren’t playing. No. So shut the hell up. Or better yet, get your hands on a copy of North Dallas Forty and try to learn something. Not a better movie exists showing you how the real world of professional sports (circa 1979) works.

I don’t think the league is diminished at all. I think Brady’s getting hurt is just a continuation of the conspiracy that gave the Super Bowl to the NY Giants! That’s what I think.

It's on to Plan B

Here at Wearing the RallyCap we strive for the upside down, inside out look on sports. I say that as we revisit one of my all-time favorite melt-down moments for a professional athelete. IMHO.

It was late October 2006. The Eagles were playing the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in a regular season game. It means this half of Rally Cap was rooting for the Bucs. In the fourth quarter of the game, Jerome McDougle sacked QB Brad Gradkwoski (who?) for a huge loss at a key point. But, he was called for intentional facemask and penalized 15 yards. In a fit of rage, McDougle kicked the referee's flag and was penalized another 15 yards. It was self-destruction at its finest.

Tampa went on the win the game by two, with the game winning field goal coming at the end of that drive. If you think about it, had McDougle not imploded, the Eagles may have finished the year at 11-5 instead of 10-6. They may have gotten the bye in the first round of playoffs, earning a week off instead of having to face the Giants in the wild card game. A week later, they lose to 27-24 to New Orleans. Season over.

Well, McDougle signed with the Giants.

Now, he's part of Replacing Osi, Plan B.

The next hanging Chad?

Ok, just wondering. There was a lot, I mean a lot, of hoopla about Favre’s return to the Packers. A lot. Hell, even Greta van Susteren or whatever her name is, “covered” the issue for a week. Yes, she dedicated her nightly show for a full week to Brett Favre. And it was excruciating to watch even a few minutes.

So now the dust has settled, Favre is planting roots in NY and his immediate predecessor there, Chad Pennington, was named the Dolphins starting quarterback today.

Now, I’m not a naysayer, really, and could care less about the Jets and Favre or even the Dolphins/Pennington/Parcells etc. But wouldn’t it be interesting if Pennington posts a higher QB rating than the Hall of Famer Favre?

Here is an interesting tidbit to bolster that potential scenario: according to the Associated Press, “Pennington ranks first in NFL history among quarterbacks with at least 1,500 attempts with a 65.6 completion percentage.”

And he did that with the Jets. Yeah, it’s a stretch for him to come anywhere near that with the Dolphins, but it could happen.

I’m not saying, I’m just saying, know what I’m saying?

Falcons ask Ryan to rub Vicks away

The Falcons made Matt Ryan their starting QB this year. Ryan will make his debut against the Detroit Lions a week from Sunday. Ryan is a local product. He hails from Exton, Pa., not far from the world headquarters of Wearing the Rally Cap. So naturally, we’re keeping an eye on him.

Of course, competing against the likes of Joey Harrington, Chris Redman and D.J. Shockley, makes it that much easier for the third overall pick to earn the starting spot. But that's nitpicking.

The Atlanta Journal Constitution has more. . . .

Paging Michael Strahan

Hey Strahan,
Answer the damn phone. It' s Coughlin on the line and he has an idea . . .

Osi goes down . . .

Why Wear a Rally Cap?

Because in sports, hope springs eternal.

Because sport gives every person, regardless of shape, size, income or actual hand-eye coordination, proof positive that they could have hit that cutter, scored from the 1, or drained that three.

Sport confirms upon every fan the firm knowledge that, despite a complete lack of experience, insight, planning or preparation, they could have drafted better, called the right pass play, pulled the goalie at the right time, or chosen a pinch hitter that would actually hit.

Most importantly, the Rally Cap empowers every fan with the right to ridicule rival teams and players, regardless of game results, current standings, or droughts between championships.

So go ahead, flip your cap inside out, turn it around, and tell that guy he's a bum.