Lakers' Weekly Roundup (12/30): Fallen King and Fallen Floor General

How much did it cost for the Lakers to get a convincing win against the almighty Golden State Warriors? Everything. It's as if the Purple and Gold made a deal with the Devil before Christmas that if they win against the Warriors, they'd need to sacrifice LeBron James and Rajon Rondo for a couple of games. LeBron sustained a groin injury and is out for an indefinite period of time. Rajon Rondo needs hand surgery again to repair a ligament in one of his fingers and is expected to miss one month of the season. As shorthanded as they are without their unquestioned leaders, it was time for the Laker youth to step up and be the next generation of Laker greats they are projected to be. Let's see how the fared here as they run the "California Gauntlet" in this week's Lakers' weekly roundup.

12/25: @ Golden State 127-101 [W] (20-14)

Full postgame recap HERE

Merry Christmas Dub Nation! Here's a lump of coal. The Lakers pulled out a convincing win against the two time defending champs. But at a cost, LeBron pulled his groin and will be out for an indefinite period of time. Have no fear Laker Nation, Playoff Rondo and ZuPac are here to save the day as they destroyed the Warriors in pick-and-roll action. "Wait until Boogie gets back." They said. As if 4 All Stars weren't enough.

12/27: @ Sacramento 116-117 [L] (20-15)

HIGHLIGHTS

Don't let this distract you from the fact that the Lakers blew a 104-89 lead in the middle of the 4th quarter this game. I was keeping track of this game during a hangout. About 10 mins later, I found out that the Kings made a monster run to pull within as little as three. The Lakers were gonna be super shorthanded with LeBron and Rondo out. But, the Laker youngins played compelling games until when it was time to close the Kings out. Brandon Ingram had 22 points, but decided to play hero ball in crunch-time moments, which lead to critical mistakes and misses. Ivica Zubac was nowhere to be found, which says a lot on how much he needed Rondo and LeBron to be effective. Kyle Kuzma lead the team with 33 points, but missed a free throw that'll ultimately doom them as Bogdan Bogdanovic hit a dagger three to steal a game from the Lakers. Lonzo Ball was the only one who didn't crumble under the pressure as he kept the Lakers in it with a near triple-double of 20 points, 9 rebounds, and 12 assists. Way to waste another rare excellent game from Zo Lakers!

If that tells us something, Lonzo is much more effective when he's given command of the offense. He hasn't had that luxury since he's third in the pecking order with LeBron and Rondo. With LeBron being ball dominant, Zo has had a tough time to adjust playing off ball. Maybe, this game will tell us something down the line and if Luke can make the correct adjustments.

12/28: vs. LA Clippers 118-107 [L] (20-16)

HIGHLIGHTS

Prior to the season, Lou Williams claimed that the Clippers are still L.A.'s team even if LeBron joins the Lakers. Put that crackpipe down Sweet Lou. No question, the Clippers are a surprise team so far in what should've been a rebuilding year. They don't have an established All-Star, but they are a deep team in the league. It was a slugfest for three quarters until the Clippers pulled away with their depth. To add more salt to the wound, Lou Williams went off for 36 points and lead the Clippers to the win here against a short-handed Lakers squad. Congratulations, you beat a Lakers team missing LeBron, Rondo, and let's throw in JaVale McGee too. You're definitely the team in LA.

To throw even more shade, Montrezl Harrell added some more fire. He said: "Y'all try to overlook us just cuz everybody in that purple and gold and the history of it. Yeah, I respect it. But, that don't mean shit to me. We are gonna make you understand who we are." Yes, you are the Clippers, a cursed franchise that is living in the shadow of the Lakers. And also, a team who'll forever be known as that "other LA team." They are a team that wasted their best years behind a prime CP3, Blake Griffin, and DeAndre Jordan by choking in the playoffs year after year after year. They are a team that still hasn't lost their Western Conference Finals virginity. And want to know more? They cover the Lakers' championship banners every home game with selfie banners because clearly they are salty that they can't win the hearts of LA. That's who you Clippers are and who you'll forever be until further notice. World Peace (no pun intended to Metta World Peace) will be attained before the Clippers ever win an NBA Championship for Los Angeles.

12/30: vs. Sacramento 114-121 [W] (21-16) 

HIGHLIGHTS

Happy 34th birthday LeBron! Your present? The Lakers young core finally showing up and winning without you having to bail them out. I mean, it only took three tries. This game did look like the Kings were going to pull away. But, Brandon Ingram, Josh Hart, and KCP came to the rescue to save the Lakers from skidding down further in the standings. KCP lead all scorers off the bench with 26 points. Unfortunately, his own inconsistency will make this performance forgettable in a couple of days. SlenderIngram took over the game and this time, he did right unlike Thursday night. And he only committed 1 foul as prone as he is committing a whole lot of fouls before realizes he's going to get DQ'd. The Lakers erased the pains of "Yes-Thursday." They made the right adjustments, putting a body on anybody from beyond-the-arc when it mattered the most, especially not giving Bogdan Bogadanovic any air space to hit an open three. The result? The Kings didn't shoot the ball well from deep, connecting on only 13 threes on 34 attempts. And other note, JaVale McGee returned to the lineup last night. He was definitely missed.

The Silver and Black Shitshow: Chapter 9 - "Ode to Oakland" (FINAL CHAPTER)

*Readers' Discretion is advised*

In this final chapter of the Silver and Black Shitshow,
A farewell to Oakland against a familiar foe.
As the City that once housed them files a lawsuit,
The Raiders' stay in Oakland becomes more moot.

By all accounts, this means Oakland and the Raiders are done,
Now, the Raiders start temporary home-searching from San Francisco to London.
As the Vegas stadium isn't opened until 2020,
The team's search for a temporary home remains steady.

True, the City of Oakland had ample time to get the ball rolling,
But the fact that Mark Davis didn't even speak to the City one bit, had us all groaning.
When you have two incompetent parties working together,
Raider Nation, on both sides of the spectrum, voice their displeasure.

However, to talk about relocation isn't the time,
The fact that the Raiders played their last game at the Oakland Coliseum is a crime.
The Coliseum may be a dump,
But it is a place where you, as a Raider fan, can get pumped.

Lighting the Al Davis torch in the Coliseum for the last time was Oakland's own Marshawn Lynch.
Everybody in that Coliseum was in a pinch.
The final opponent for the Raiders in the Coliseum: the Denver Broncos.
For the Oakland fans, put one last curbstomp on them Donkos.

The most frequent matchup on Monday Night Football, on the Eve of Christmas Day,
Started off with a Dwayne Harris 99-yard punt return big play.
A quick 0-7 lead against the Ponies.
C'mon Raiders, keep your foot on the gas against those Denver Phonies!

Throughout most of the game, Derek Carr and the Raiders kept their foot on the gas.
They stomped a mudhole on the Broncos' ass.
It got worse for Denver as Doug Martin scored a 24-yard rushing touchdown.
It was just like the Sunday Night game in 2016, wear out Denver's defense with the "ground and pound."

The Broncos tried to rally in the 2nd half,
But it's clear as day, that they want Vance Joseph to get the ax.
You can see the look on disgust from John Elway, as he salivates on getting Vance Joseph fired.
Let's hope he causes more pain on Broncos fans by getting another idiot head coach hired.

Case Keenum made one last effort to make things click,
But instead, all he threw was a series of picks.
One last time for Oakland, the Raiders just won baby.
The entire Black Hole in the Coliseum went crazy.

The first year in Tank Commander Jon Gruden's return was a disaster.
This season couldn't end any faster.
When the Shitshow traded Khalil Mack and Amari Cooper,
You can say that this year was a pooper.

But this one game was all that mattered,
An Ode to Oakland, leaving the Broncos battered.
As the Raiders prepare to wander out of "The Town" by season's end,
The Raiders in any location other than Oakland, will never blend.

Signing off, I proudly shout "fuck Mark Davis,"
For the move to Las Vegas.
Leaving Oakland and all of Cali after 2019 is a huge blow,
Courtesy of the Silver and Black Shitshow.

Lakers Silence "Roaracle" With Convincing Win vs. Warriors

Welcome in to the first full recap in a long while for the Lakers' most-anticipated Christmas Day matchup vs. the Golden State Warriors where the Lakers put the clamps on the Warriors for the most part of the game and they blew it open in the 4th quarter, sending bitter Warriors fans home in a 127-101 rout.

From me to the rest of my Lakers fans, Merry Christmas. Hope you guys had a chance to spend time with your family and watch a couple of great NBA games. And this one was a beauty to watch. We've heard the media talk about the Lakers that when it comes in comparison with the Warriors, the Lakers are more the inferior team even if they have LeBron James. I could not believe that despite that the Lakers team taking the same Warriors team to the limit in three out of four competitive games last season, they were getting disrespected. The Warriors will handle them with ease, they said. Clearly, they did not watch the tape. The downfall on the Lakers against the Warriors last year was that they didn't have LeBron James nor any gutsy veterans that thrive in big game moments to close games out. Now, they have a plethora of them and we saw a very big difference between this year and last year. The Lakers were more than capable of giving the Warriors a handful. They have the blueprint of countering the Warriors near-invincible "small ball" with a tall and lengthy lineup and to expose them where they're most vulnerable: the paint. Now granted the latter point will change whether or not DeMarcus Cousins gets back to 100%, but the paint has been the achilles heel of the Warriors for a long time. The Lakers exposed that this game and they've successfully executed the anti-Warriors operation to perfection with a resounding victory that hopefully boosts their confidence from here on out.

(+)

Ivica Zubac, 18 points, 11 rebounds, 9-10 shooting, 2 blocks. I'm impressed with Zubac's efforts the last few games. If we remember from last season, he looked like an absolute slouch his sophomore year. He was super slow in terms of quick, lateral movement and reaction time to a play. This season, he looks more conditioned and he's active on both side of the ball. Zubac is just at the right place at the right time, especially in screen and roll action. Let's be clear here, the Warriors without Boogie are vulnerable in the interior and Zubac did one hell of a job to expose that and just flat out dominate in the paint. Defense and rim protection was on point too. The Warriors just couldn't buy a bucket inside as Zubac made them work for it. He absolutely made them work for it and they couldn't get the right angle on the basket. Zubac's performance makes the Center position interesting again, especially once they get JaVale back from illness.

Rajon Rondo, 15 points, 10 assists, 6-11 shooting. Thank goodness Rondo recovered in time from his hand surgery to put up this throwback, virtuoso performance. When LeBron went down, it looked like things were gonna go South for the Lakers. The Warriors just turned a big Laker lead into a 4-point game in the 3rd quarter. I was like "uh-oh, not this again." Rajon Rondo kept the situation under control with his leadership and tenacity as a pure floor general. If he needed to score, he kept attacking the paint. I remember when he was playing with the Celtics, he used to fluster me as a Laker fan when he blew by Derek Fisher and the teeth of the Laker defense then to get to the hoop. That's the same thing that happened tonight and I was on the other end of cheering. Life works in mysterious ways guys. Playoff Rondo came to play tonight.

Lance Stephenson, 11 points, 4-6 shooting, 3 three pointers. Make 'em dance Lance! He made an impact off the bench with a triplet of on-point three pointers. Two of them he connected to balloon the Laker lead. The third one was much needed when the Warriors were going on their typical monster run in the 3rd quarter to put the lead back up by nine points.

Warriors foul trouble. I think getting the Warriors in foul trouble early on was a big difference maker this game, especially getting two out of their big four to sub out early. Draymond Green and Steph Curry had to go out because they committed two fouls early. Green fouled out. He was a non-factor. Steph Curry had 5 fouls. He almost gave us a scare in the third quarter, but luckily he wasn't able to get that much into rhythm with his quick release. LeBron helped trigger most of that contact and why he was able to get most of his points from the free throw line.

(-)

Third quarter. In-game, this was a significant negative. When LeBron went out, the Lakers momentum fizzled out. The Warriors were able to get on a run sparked by Curry's two 3-pointers. The Lakers saw their 15-point lead evaporate into a 4-point game at one point of this quarter. That is until Rondo, Lance, and Ingram came in and settled things down with a couple of buckets.

LeBron James' groin injury. We all know LeBron is the definition of Most Valuable Player because when he's on the floor, he brings a different edge for the team. When he's not there, the team just doesn't know what to do. LeBron awkwardly split his legs and knees while he was diving for a loose ball in the 3rd quarter. According to him, he heard something pop and never returned to the game. He tried stretching it out, but clearly something was bothering him. From what I heard, it's nothing serious. But, groin injuries can be really tough to evaluate, especially when it comes to NBA players. We hope LeBron gets well soon. But how this game went, this should give some confidence to this team that they can step in without his presence.


MVP

Rajon Rondo, 15 points, 10 assists, 6-11 shooting

Lonzo Ball still has a long ways to go to reach like that of Rondo's PG stature. It was tough to choose between either Rondo or Zubac. But, Rondo was the glue to keep this team poised as he controlled the flow of the offense and got players to get on their assignment on defense. As Chris Webber would shout: "RONDOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO...."


Conclusion

Okay back to reality, it's just one game against the Warriors. But this win should have the Lakers' confidence soar at an all-time high. They came into a very hostile crowd, going up against the 2x defending champs. And they took the air out of the building with a very convincing win without the best player in the world for 1 1/2 quarters. If we've been following, consistency is the Lakers' biggest ailment. They beat some of the best teams, but they lose to some inferior teams. Hopefully, this game is a harbinger for the Lakers to build some consistency. They're 33 games into the season now, things should've gotten figured out this game. At the same time, this sends a message that the Lakers are coming back and they will do whatever it takes to regain that status among the NBA's gold standard. This was fun to cover for one night. Given my tight schedule now, I won't be around to do as much open thread and full recap. Hence why I implemented the Weekly Roundup posts. Don't worry, I'm not abandoning the blog. I'm still the following the games. I have a life outside this blog and I couldn't do much as I used to back in the day. But I'm still around. Look for the Weekly Roundup post for this week by next Monday. I will post up an all new chapter of the "Silver and Black Shitshow" by tomorrow night. I can confirm that this week's chapter is the last chapter of that segment. I feel it was only fitting since last night was the last game at the Oakland Coliseum against the Denver Broncos. On top of that, I'll see you guys later.

12/25: NBA Christmas Special - LAKERS @ Warriors 2nd Half Open Thread and Discussion

2nd half open thread of the Lakers-Warriors Christmas Day matchup. As usual, leave a comment below and share your thoughts on the game.

Q4

LAL 127 GSW 101

When it looked like all hope was lost when LeBron went down, in comes Rondo to save the day! Great team effort all-around. Everybody stepped up when needed the most. That third quarter was quite a scare and we're like, yup just another run. But, Rondo played some peacemaker to control the game. Playoff Rondo was in full display. Zubac too contributed. I know it's three games in since he made the start, but we might have ourselves a headache at the center position with Zubac and McGee. What a game. We Laker fans got ourselves a hell of a Christmas present. Stay tuned for the full recap!

Q3

LAL 91 GSW 82

Yes, that LeBron injury changed the whole momentum of the game. The Warriors won that quarter. The Lakers played a little out-of-control this quarter, which was pretty disappointing. It was the moment that the inexperience on this team was starting to show once again against the 2x defending champs. Luckily, Rondo and Ingram stepped up to control the Laker lead down the stretch. Both of them and Kuzma got to pick up the slack as if LeBron is not going to return for the rest of the game. Meanwhile, Lance Stephenson with a huge three to end the quarter helped as well. He continues to have a solid game from deep. 4th quarter without LeBron? Time to gauge the moxie of this young Lakers squad.

12/25: NBA Christmas Special - LAKERS @ Golden State Warriors 1st Half Open Thread and Discussion

Ho! Ho! Ho! Merry Christmas! Open thread is back for a day! 1st half of the Lakers-Warriors most anticipated matchup. Leave a comment below and share your thoughts on the game!

Q2

LAL 65 GSW 50

Tremendous half by the Lakers. I'm impressed with the way they controlled the tempo for the majority of this game. You're not going to beat the Golden State Warriors by playing undisciplined basketball. They will beat you. But, the Lakers stayed at home especially on the defensive end and that helped set up the fast paced offense. Even greater, players are stepping up. Lance Stephenson connected on a couple of huge threes to balloon the lead even further. They're feeding Zubac inside the paint. No McGee. Chandler is barely playing. Yet, Zubac is earning his minutes on both ends of the floor. Great start from Kuz and Ingram. Hope we get to see more as they gotta help take pressure off LeBron. But so far, looks like LeBron don't need them to do much as he's having his way against the Warriors. If you're wondering why the Warriors are getting into foul trouble, look no further. LeBron has put up point on the free throw line, which is a major difference. So far, so good against the Warriors. The only negative, Andre Iguodala is stepping up for the Warriors. He's surpisingly off to to a good start with a couple of threes. The Lakers have to do a better job accounting for him on defense when he's about to cut to the basket. We'll live with Iggy having a nice game rather than the combined scoring potency of Curry, Thompson, and Durant. They've had quite a funk this first half. Lakers have to keep pounding this team inside and if an open shot is there, take it. Defensively, stay disciplined and make the Warriors uncomfortable by forcing them to turn the ball over. This is far from over. The Lakers took them to the limit last year and couldn't finish. They have LeBron and a couple of veterans to help in that category this time around hopefully. The second half will open up shortly.

Q1

LAL 32 GSW 25

Great pace from the Lakers this game. When they started with a turnover that set up a KD three, I thought I sense that was going to be a microcosm for this game. But, the Lakers recovered and controlled the pace of the game. Very encouraging to see that B.I., Zo, Kuz, and Hart hit some threes early. Definitely they need to step up to take some pressure off LeBron. Speaking LeBron, he did a great job going to the free throw line early, putting the Warriors in early foul trouble. Draymond and Steph in particular, they were absent midway through the first quarter, which gave the Lakers a big time advantage to build this lead.

Lakers Weekly Roundup (12/23): Readiness vs. Warriors = 50%

The most anticipated Christmas Day matchup is upon us. Last year, the Lakers took the Warriors to the limit in all four games. Talent disparity was the Lakers' downfall as they couldn't close out the Warriors at home twice in regulation. At Oracle? Much different story, but same result. With the addition of LeBron James, the man who got swept in the finals, there's nothing but revenge here. This is a test for the Lakers that they can dethrone the Warriors. But before we get into that, there's no denying that the Lakers have had their share of struggles as of late. The trade talk of Anthony Davis is heating up. LeBron's patience meter is, well, close to below zero. Drama and the bright lights of Los Angeles go hand-in-hand. One cannot separate from the other. Let's see how the Lakers' fare in the past week in the latest Lakers' Weekly Roundup.

12/18: @ Brooklyn 110-115 [L] (18-13)

HIGHLIGHTS

One year ago, the Lakers made a shocking trade that sent their then-rising star D'Angelo Russell and overpaid Timofey Mozgov to the Brooklyn Nets for Brook Lopez and a 1st round pick. So far, it has worked out well for both teams, but it looked like the Lakers got the better end of a deal. Timofey Mozgov had to be unloaded. $68 million for a guy who hasn't played much is by all accounts wasted salary. At the cost of one of the promising young cores, the Lakers shed much-needed cap space and got three young players for the price of one. This trade in particular helped the Lakers land a steal and a stud in Kyle Kuzma to go along with Lonzo Ball and Josh Hart. Since then, two teams were going opposite directions. The Lakers secured the services of LeBron to put the Lakers back into conversation among the elite and the Nets were still in purgatory with a whole lot of unknowns. But to this point of this game, the Nets were riding a 5-game winning streak.

This spelled "trap game" for the Lakers like two nights before against the Wizards. And hook, line, and sinker, the Nets set up the surprise attack. The Lakers did all they can behind valiant efforts from LeBron, Zo, and Kuz. Lonzo Ball had a nice game with 23 points and an efficient 9-16 shooting and 5-9 from three-point territory. Too bad this effort was wasted on a loss and this kind of stat line from Zo is once in a blue moon. The major difference for the Nets was their bench and the former Laker who was to receive the keys to the franchise, D'Angelo Russell. D'Lo netted 22 points and a career-high 13 assists. Perhaps the most daunting observation was that Zo wasn't even matched up against him. D'Lo was defended by Josh Hart and Kyle Kuzma and he put them on roller skates. As the Lakers rallied, D'Lo rallied the Nets, taking over the game as a scorer and facilitator of the offense. We can blame Magic and Rob as they had the final say, but let's not forget who the real culprit of the Lakers was when they were forced to trade D'Angelo.  It was the offseason idiocy of the Lakers' previous regime that got D'Angelo traded. Timofey Mozgov $68 million. Luol Deng $72 million. One of the worst tandem of free agent acquisitions ever! I know it's been one year now and by all accounts, we've gotten over D'Angelo Russell. The phone snitching incident was a thing of the past. Yet, good to see "RussellMania" succeed elsewhere. What could've been with a Zo-D'Lo backcourt.

12/21: vs. New Orleans 104-112 [W] (19-13)

HIGHLIGHTS

We've heard all this before about trading for a star player in his prime to come to the Lakers. It hasn't happened yet. The latest of the talks, Anthony Davis. Let's connect the dots here, Anthony Davis is signed to the same sports agency as LeBron James. The addition of Davis would give the Lakers a franchise-altering star big man since Shaquille O'Neal. But of course, there are hurdles as the small market GMs came out of the woodwork to cry wolf on the Lakers and LeBron that they're tampering with AD. I mean seriously, LeBron just commented that him pairing up with AD would be "amazing." How the hell can that be tampering?

Onto this game, this was pretty much the Lakers' audition for the AD to LA hype train. The good news about this game is the return of Brandon Ingram and Rajon Rondo. The Lakers did all they could with a short-handed roster and it did experience some success. But since JaVale McGee contacted pneumonia, the Lakers' depth suffered even more. It was a sight for sore eyes to have SlenderIngram and Playoff Rondo back as they made quite an impact. B.I. is back to provide some length and another scoring option. Rondo restored order to the bench, but that also means Zo is back on the leash. JaVale McGee missed this game as well, but a forgotten man has stepped up: Ivica Zubac. Zubacalypse was back from the dead as he was the recipient of many passes from LeBron, Rondo, and Zo off pick and roll situations. He held his own against the likes of AD and another former-Laker in Julius Randle. Last year, Randle probably bullied Zubac inside and Zubac hasn't forgotten that as he made a key block on Randle late in the game. After this game, will that be a yes or a no AD? This talk escalated further when LeBron and AD had a postgame dinner after this game. That's another fine on the Lakers for "tampering."

12/23: vs. Memphis 107-99 [L] (19-14)

HIGHLIGHTS

In the first meeting between the two, the Lakers put a curbstomping against the Grizzlies in Memphis. After this game, that seemed like a distant memory. I'll give the benefit of a doubt, the Lakers were super thin in the front court without JaVale McGee and Tyson Chandler, so we get to see extended action of Zubac and Mo Wagner. Zubac more action definitely. But despite the Lakers' rally, they couldn't extend the Grizzlies' 5-game losing skid. I didn't see this much of the game, but my goodness, Lonzo Ball had a trainwreck of a game last night. It's absolutely bad when he finishes 0-7 from beyond the arc and he throws a bullet pass over the first row in the stands. In fact, some of those misses were in crucial moments when the Lakers needed a bucket to stay alive. Don't get me wrong, I love that he's shooting it, but my goodness, drive to the hoop goddammit to get yourself going! We want to see aggressive Zo, not passive Zo who looks like he doesn't give a crap about the game.

After this skid, the readiness against the Warriors has significantly drop. Too much inconsistency. Free throws are still bad in particular. However, they are a bit short-handed and I expect to see them at full strength. Although, I'm not sure about JaVale McGee though. He just got out of the hospital after being contacted with pneumonia. It'll be unfortunate that he's going to possibly miss out on this revenge game since he's still recovering. Tomorrow night, it's going down on Christmas against the defending champs here in the Bay Area. And for my present? Open Thread and Full Recap is back for this particular game. See y'all tomorrow.

The Silver and Black Shitshow: Chapter 8 - "Fumble in the Jungle"

*Readers' discretion advised*

Last time on the "Silver and Black Shitshow," the Raiders scored yet another upset victory in Oakland against the Black and Gold Brigade (UrinatingTree, 2018). The loss was so embarrassing, that the Raiders earned a special appearance on the #1 sports soap opera webseries "Days of Our Steelers." For one day, the Silver and Black weren't a shitshow as Derek Carr and the Tank Commander lead the team to their biggest win this season.

But the jubilation wasn't meant to last. The following day, the Raiders have fired the Fat Freckle Face after 7 years as the GM of the Raiders. Let's make one thing clear, we need to take out the first two years of the Reggie McKenzie era. Prior to his arrival, the Raiders were financially strapped and they didn't even draft until Round 3 in 2012. They were stuck with the salaries of a washed up Richard Seymour and a disgruntled Carson Palmer that the Hue-Man (Hue Jackson) foolishly mortgaged the future for just to acquire him. The 2013 draft class, outside of Le'Veon Bell, is considered as one of the worst draft classes of all time.  It wasn't until the 2014 Draft where Reggie finally righted the ship. Reggie had a 5-year plan enacted to restore the Raiders back to contention. He did so in 2016. 2017 was significant down year marred by injuries and division in the locker room due to the anthem protests. And now 2018, the team that Reggie worked to achieve in a 4-5 year span was destroyed in an instant, courtesy of Madman Gruden. (Honestly, how many nicknames have I given him already?) This season, Reggie was not the GM. He was nothing more of a puppet, a "yes man", a punching bag, and a scapegoat to the epic fail moves the Chuckster executed behind-the-scenes. His firing was imminent. The Chuckster had assumed direct control of the team since the day he returned from the booth.

The Shitshow raged on. In a season full of lies, deception, and false hope, a city bounded its community together and rose up to the occasion that it is tired of being the epicenter of the Shitshow. That would be the City of Oakland. After a long period of staying silent, the City of Oakland finally filed the lawsuit against Mark Davis, the Raiders, and the NFL for damages in the relocation to Vegas. Let's not forget that Oakland is still paying off the bonds for the construction of Mt. Davis in the Coliseum in 1995. They need every penny to squeeze out of the Raiders to pay that off if the team is going to leave them in dust. An added bonus, the City could retain the Raider name and colors in and keep it in Oakland. Let's get facts here, Oakland came up with the "Raiders" name during the franchise's inception.

In another sense, the lawsuit indicates that the Raiders have played their last season in Oakland. Effective, Christmas Eve against the Denver Broncos on Monday Night Football could be the last time the Raiders play in the Oakland Coliseum. Mark Davis and the Raiders have rescinded their lease extension proposal until 2020 when the Las Vegas stadium is complete in response to Oakland's lawsuit. Yes, after this season, they're essentially homeless. So homeless, yet so wretched that I won't even sing "Paradise" by Phil Collins to them. The Raiders do have options to remain in the Golden State for at least one more year before they move to the Silver State: Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, Levi's Stadium in my home town of Santa Clara, AT&T Park in San Francisco, and even Bulldog Stadium in Fresno. Oh if they ever choose Levi's Stadium or AT&T Park, it would be the biggest definition of hypocrisy from the Raiders and Mark Davis.

The rest of Raider Nation still has to open their eyes and recognize the real problem: Mark Davis is writing checks that his ass can't cash. If we look at his net worth compared to other NFL owners, he is a little fish in the big ocean swimming with the sharks. He blew $100 million for Jon Gruden. He's borrowing a big loan from BofA that is bigger than his net worth of $500 million to finance the Las Vegas stadium. We get more insight from Amari Cooper (yes, I know you guys are tired of him), insisting that Mark Davis was the one who wanted him traded. We all know Mark is a sensitive piece of shit, so when someone or something gets in his feelings, he acts irrationally. Does firing the timeless Raiders radio play-by-play announcer Greg Papa because of his criticism of Mark wanting to bring Mike Shanahan back at the expense of a deceased Al Davis ring any bells? Now that we hear a little bit more from Coop, that adds more firewood to the flame. If we can just get some more testimonials from Khalil Mack, Reggie McKenzie, and Jack Del Rio, Mark Davis is on the verge of being exposed as the snake that he is. The lawsuit from Oakland is a must-buy for Pay Per View as Mark Davis is about to get cornered like the scowl, broke owner he is. Oh and even if he successfully goes to Vegas, he still has to deal with a pissed off Las Vegas casino mogul in Sheldon Adelson. All I can say to Marky Mark is "keep your friends close and your enemies closer."

So much drama has unfolded over the last few days since the Raiders pulled out the victory against the Steelers. The one thing that could remedy this is another win. And the Raiders have no better opportunity against the Cincinnati Bungles. The Bengals have to play the rest of the season without the Andy Dalton-A.J. Green connection. Marvin Lewis somehow still has the head-coaching job with Cincinnati. Oh, and look who it is? Hue-Man, Hue Jackson. This should be easy picking. Hue has brought nothing but bad juju since returned to Cincinnati after being let go by the Browns. Long overdue, now the Browns can win games.

They couldn't seize the opportunity that presented itself. The Shitshow found themselves in a 0-17 hole early. Derek Carr, to no surprise, kept getting sacked behind a patchwork O-line and rookie tackles that couldn't hold up penetration if their life depended on it. Let's make some things clear, Kolton Miller sucked major ass being a blindside protector. Brandon Parker is the 2nd coming of Khalif Barnes with all these false start penalties he committed this game. It also doesn't help that Kelechi Osemele and Gabe Jackson are injured, so they had to be replaced by two nobodies whose names that even die hard Raider fans don't give an absolute shit about. Oh yeah and turnovers. Jalen Richard reminded all of us of his fumblerooskie ways dating back to his sophomore campaign last year. There was a reason why he was on the roster bubble this season. The strip-sack on Carr was all she wrote as the Bengals scored early and never looked back.

However, the Raiders did keep themselves within striking distance behind the big leg of Daniel Carlson, trailing by 10 points or a touchdown. Derek Carr kept the offense churning as much as he could. Long without Amari Cooper or Michael Crabtree, long without the Great Wall of Oakland that was destroyed courtesy of the Cable Guy, Carr kept the wheels of the patchwork offense moving like it was 2014 all over again. What a difference four years make. Unfortunately, the Bengals went for the knockout punch late in the 4th quarter, behind a haymaker from Smokin' Joe Mixon. While Jeff Driskel did make plays as he had competent receivers like John Ross and Tyler Boyd, it was Joe Mixon who carried the Bungles' dead carcass to victory.

Back to the Shitshow indeed after this loss. They say football is a funny game sometimes. The Raiders had a big win last week. The following week, they lose to the Bungles. I've lost count how many times Derek Carr has been sacked this season. Truly, he is dying for the Tank Commander's sins. Derek is literally his brother David Carr his first two seasons with the Texans. Promising quarterback, but had a shitty O-line around him that ended up scarring him for his first two seasons. Derek is lucky that he is still relevant than his brother was in their first five seasons. Speaking of O-line, it could get worse as Gabe Jackson is lost for the season. Barring a return from Kelechi Osemele, that leaves Rodney Hudson as the only competent O-linemen remaining. The Great Wall of Oakland has been torn asunder. The same can be said about the Coliseum as the Raiders could play their final game there against the Donkeys on Monday Night Football. Cleveland '95 part two could be brewing regardless of the outcome.

The final results of the Khalil Mack trade are in! The Bears clinch the NFC North and Mack has made the Pro Bowl yet again. As for the Raiders? No Pro Bowlers were selected, only alternates as Jared Cook, Hudson, and K.O. were selected and they're tanking. Perhaps, this should serve as a valuable lesson in life: YOU DO NOT TRADE YOUR ONCE IN A GENERATIONAL PLAYER FOR 50/50 DRAFT PICKS! Thus far, the Tank Commander had no significant moves to respond to one of the dumbest trades ever executed in Pro Football. Not even one addition. Let's see the latest move he made:

Nathan Peterman? The Nathan Peterman? The man, the myth, the living meme? HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA..........

Lakers Weekly Roundup (12/16): FINAL - LeBron 16 Wade 15; Ref-Ball

For years, many have come to believe in the conspiracy that the NBA is rigged. Reason #1 - the refs. From Joey Crawford to Tim Donaghy, they intentionally try to invade the spotlight of the NBA players. From phantom foul calls to unnecessary technical fouls/ejections, they even get more attention when they miss a few blatant calls. Sometimes, players use that to their advantage to intentionally draw contact on their defender, lowering the integrity of officiating even more. Truly, it's a "black eye" in the league. Even so, our love for the NBA does not change despite all suspicions. We are treated with so many star matchups over the years. Our "cardinal sin" is that we don't appreciate them until one of them decided to call it quits for a great career. Indeed, we take so much for granted what the NBA had in store for us over the years. Enough of the pros and cons, this is your Lakers Weekly Roundup!

12/10: vs. Miami 105-108 [W] (17-10)

HIGHLIGHTS

The Final LeBron vs. Wade matchup. It truly is the end of an era for the one of the most notable rivalry turned friendship turned rivalry again in the NBA. Barring any divine intervention that these two teams meet in this year's NBA Finals, this should be indeed the last matchup between the two. The two players are even in 30 total head-to-head matchups with both winning 15 wins. Only one will come out on top here for good. This was an antithesis of the last meeting against this Heat team in the Miami game. You know it was going to be a struggle for the Lakers when Lonzo Ball blows two wide open layups. It was like he's playing "Knockout" trying to get the ball in the hoop as he missed a jumpshot from the free throw line. Though D-Wade put up some vintage buckets, it was Justise Winslow stealing the show, putting up 28 points off the bench. This guy was a glorified non-scorer, but he's found the groove the last few games. Back and forth the two teams went. But the Lakers came out on top thanks to the heroics of King James and Lord Kuzma as the duo combined for 61 points. LeBron got the best of his "frenemy." A fitting end of an era as the era of the 2003 draft class draws nearer to a close. Wade will retire by season's end. Melo is left unsigned. Chris Bosh is in no condition to play anymore after two blood clot scares. And Darko Milicic is...well somewhere (the Pistons just had to ruin that talented order). Only LeBron will stand tall and fittingly as he's the flagship for that talented 2003 draft.

12/13: @ Houston 111-126 [L] (17-11)

HIGHLIGHTS

REFS HIGHLIGHTS

The rematch we've all been waiting for. The bad blood between the two teams has been brewing since the brawl in the home opener back in October. The only difference is, Brandon Ingram is out with a foot injury and Rajon Rondo had a setback following hand surgery. There will be no punches thrown here. The two teams exchanged baskets all game long. Though the Rockets had the lead the majority, the Lakers continued to fight and try to scratch and claw the best they can. That's until Floppity Flop Flop James Harden started taking advantage of the refs to draw unlimited fouls. The Bearded Man clearly has an endorsement with the refs. You can't even breathe on the man because he'll sucker himself into that modicum of air to draw contact and the refs will still end up calling a foul. If you're going to flop, at least make don't make it look obvious that you'll intentionally run into your man to get the call. Shit like that is why the NBA is a goddamn joke nowadays. To add insult to injury, Harden wraps up his School of Flopping by capping off a 50-point triple-double. We definitely needed Rondo and Ingram to throw hands for the Lakers this game. Hell, wish they brought back back Metta World Peace to check Harden and remind him of what legit contact feels like:

*In case anybody quickly forgot.*

12/15: @ Charlotte 128-100 [W] (18-11)

HIGHLIGHTS

Two days removed from the fuckery of the refs in Houston, the Lakers travel to Charlotte to visit the palace of "His Airness." The LakeShow had their extermination squads loaded to sweep out the Hornets. It was an old school, take-you-to-the-woodshed beatdown as the Lakers imposed their will on the hapless Hornets. We have ourselves two players with triple-doubles on the same team, a feat
that hasn't been accomplished in a long while. We are witnesses to the full power of "LeBronZo." King James, as he has done many times in the East, imposed his will on the Hornets, racking up 24 points, 12 rebounds, and 11 assists. While the first born of the "Triple B's" from Chino Hills racked up 16, points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists. He even shut down Kemba Walker and racked up 5 steals, intercepting passes like he was playing Defensive Back in football. The LakeShow put the hammer on the Hornets in the 2nd half leading as many as 30 points. A splendid bounceback effort indeed!

12/16: @ Washington 110-128 [W] (18-12)

HIGHLIGHTS

Talk about a fucking letdown. It looked like the Lakers took the quick flight to the Nation's capital and left their complete team effort behind in Charlotte. You know how the old saying goes: "what goes around, comes around." The Lakers looked flat this game in this upsetting beatdown courtesy of the Wizards. The King proved that he was mortal after all as he was blinded by the wizardry of the Wizards.  LeBron was held in check to just 13 points. John Wall exploded with a 40-point game and getting away with so much contact on Lonzo Ball on the break. Honestly, how in the blue hell did the refs miss that call? John Wall didn't block Lonzo. He lead with his hip and bumped the shit out of Lonzo. No call. Probably the refs have made it clear to the Lakers that it was time to pay back the debt for the 2002 Western Conference Finals. I swear if that was James Harden, they will call that a flagrant 2. The only big takeaway this game was that KCP went off with 25 points off the bench. Wasted effort as we all know that KCP is hot-and-cold in terms of scoring.

The Silver and Black Shitshow: Chapter 7 - "This Week on 'Days of Our Steelers'"

*Readers' Discretion is Advised*

Before I write this chapter, I will let you know that I am in no way, shape, or form, associated with UrinatingTree nor responsible for the creation of "Days of Our Steelers." I am just a fan of his content and shitposting of all things sports. The shitposting of UrinatingTree of his own Pittsburgh Steelers has inspired me to create this segment on the blog to substitute live coverage of Raider games. Cause let's be honest, they aren't doing that well since they made a string of dumb ass decisions in the thought of thinking they can easily replace a talent of Mack or Cooper's talent in the next NFL Draft. They're tanking right now. That is a fact. And the lack of cohesion among the organization, front office, coaching staff, and players has manifested itself week after week. Since the Raiders did play the Steelers and won in a way that'll awaken the rage of the Yinzer, it would eventually set up for a "Days of Our Steelers" episode of epic proportions. 

This chapter will be a lot different. What will be written here is not a rehash of the new "Days of Our Steelers" episode. What this chapter will be is a scholarly critique of the episode from the perspective of a Raiders fan who's lost all sanity at the start of the season. Well, scholarly may be pushing it because that don't mix with insanity. But you guys get what I mean. If you're a sports fan who hasn't heard of him, then I suggest you go check out his YouTube channel and subscribe. Praise the almighty Yinzer and his rage! And fuck you Spanos!

If you love sports and drama, whether you're a Steelers fan, a Steelers hater, or an NFL newbie, you will love "Days of Our Steelers." "Days of Our Steelers" is an episodic mini series on YouTube created by UrinatingTree. The premise behind the segment chronicles the drama within the Pittsburgh Steelers organization. Such examples include Le'Veon Bell's holdout, Antonio Brown being a diva and throwing a temper tantrum when the ball is not thrown to him, and Captain Fatfuck himself, Big Ben Roethlisberger throwing teammates under the bus because he can do whatever the fuck he wants to do. The segment itself is even funnier when the Steelers lose against weaker competition that they should've beaten soundly. After all, the Steelers have a chronic history of playing down to their level of competition over the years. They are an example of potent talent that's being handicapped because of their pride and arrogance, blindly assuming that the league will bow down to them.

This week's episode of "Days of Our Steelers" featured the Silver and Black Shitshow themselves or the "Autumn Fart" as UrinatingTree coined them. This was the Steelers' last chance to beat an AFC West opponent as they were 0-3 in their attempts. The Steelers were flat out embarrassed in Pittsburgh by the Cult of Mahomes and Kareem Hunt before he became known as "The KHunt." Second try, the Steelers got a little Mile High as they lose to the Broncos when Captain Fatfuck threw a very sloppy interception at the 3-yard line to Shelby Harris, the ex-Raider, in the End Zone. Why not give it to James Conner to punch it in? Two Sunday Nights ago, they faced off against a surging Chargers team. I mean, that game should've been the game where the real Steelers should've stood up. They're facing off against a contending team. San Dieg-err Los Angeles doesn't even have their best running back on the field in Melvin Gordon. This should be an easy win for Pittsburgh at home. They couldn't capitalize after building a big lead because to the Steelers, "halftime adjustments" did not exist in the English language. And who can forget the infamous final seconds of that game when the Steelers were offsides for three consecutive fucking plays? At this point, it's like they're begging the Ravens to overtake them for the division lead in the AFC North.

Since the Raiders pulled off the upset, I've been waiting for this episode all week and I was not disappointed one bit. Something about the Oakland Coliseum just brings the worst out of the Steelers and they lose in the most stunning fashion possible to the Raiders. Since Ben Roethlisberger entered the league, the Steelers lost in their visits to Oakland in 2006, 2012, 2013, and 2018. Out of those four teams, the 2006 Raiders roster at least had talent. They had a great defense and Randy Moss *shudders* was still a deep threat whenever he's on the field. The only problem was Art Shell, his coaching staff, the outdated schemes they ran, and Andrew Walter and Aaron Brooks tagging in and out as starting quarterbacks. 2012, 2013, and 2018, the Raiders were in the midst of roster deconstruction and the Steelers overwhelmed them in talent on both sides of the ball. But as usual, they play down to their level and it bites them in the ass.

The rib injury on Ben Roethlisberger, outside of the issues of cleats and footing from Ryan Switzer and Chris Boswell was probably the most mysterious thing that happened in this game and this was covered in half of the episode. At first glance, I thought Big Ben was in concussion protocol, it turned out it was a rib injury. He did take a good shot. I couldn't remember who tackled him. Would the Steelers had finally break the curse had Big Ben played the whole game? That is arguable. Because honestly, they did not look good with their backup QB. That was the perfect opportunity for the Silver and Black to stop being the Shitshow. They couldn't do anything the majority of the third quarter as the Steelers D easily penetrated the most penetrable O-line courtesy of the Cable guy. Checkdown Derek was getting harassed as he took sack after sack. But luckily, the Steelers couldn't do anything without Big Ben. That set up the Shitshow to conduct the ritual to resurrect 2016 MVP Derek Carr. "The shattered dreams of what was once a quarterback (4:18)" was indeed resurrected as he outclutched Big Ben in the last two TD drives. The last drive though that set up the TD to Derek Carrier, Carr threw a deep ball to Seth Roberts. That play looked awfully familiar when Carr hit Crabtree in stride 3 years ago against the same Steelers team for the game-tying TD in Pittsburgh. It's safe to say, on that play, that Derek Carr and Seth Roberts are finally reminded that money is the root of all evil and started balling like they did before they hit lucrative pay dirt with contract extensions.

It's not just fact that the Steelers lost, it's how they lost. From Big Ben's mysterious rib injury to Chris Boswell slipping and sliding for the game-tying field goal. I gotta admit, that lateral to JuJu Smith-Schuster almost got me a heart attack. It was almost like Antonio Brown outrunning a near 40-year old Charles Woodson back in 2015 to set up a Boswell game-winning field goal. Speaking of AB, I guess it's a big win that he didn't put up 200+ receiving yards yet again considering how shit this defense is without a consistent pass rush. He was lost on "(Gareon) Conley Island" this game. This time, it didn't bite the Raiders in the ass because the Steelers do what they do when they come to Oakland and that's lose in embarrassing fashion. To no surprise, the Yinzer raged on the Steelers' shortcomings, which is always the best part of this segment. Good luck against New England and New Orleans the next two weeks. This episode definitely sets up another two more great episodes to come.

While the Raiders celebrated the win and the Tank Commander celebrated with Raider Nation, the jubilation was short-lived and they immediately turned back to the Shitshow we know and love. The day after the win against the Steelers, the Shitshow proceeded to relieve Big, Fat, Freckle-Faced Reggie McKenzie of his general manager duties. Let's be honest, we saw this coming a mile away since Chucky was hired. True, McKenzie didn't exactly have a good track record, but the guy was financially strapped his first two years. He finally builds a team only for the Tank Commander to tear it back down and place all the blame on McKenzie for his shortcomings. "I was in the meeting room when the announcement was made." Chucky said. That is signs of deflecting blame that you have a hand when you literally berate McKenzie to the press week after week. You'll be well on your way to a political career after this shitfest Chuckster!

With the trades and the behind-the-scenes politics within, the Raiders have hit an all-time low in terms of being an incompetent organization. It's just like Fight Club. "The first rule of Fight Club' is that you don't talk about 'Fight Club.'"And the Raiders clearly don't want to talk about the internal turmoil surrounding this team. What's the worse that could happen? Oh look, the City of Oakland is finally filing that lawsuit for you to finally get the fuck out after cockteasing them since the Vegas move was approved. There goes all hope of playing in Oakland until the Vegas stadium is complete in 2020. After Christmas Eve this year, you'll no longer be known as the Oakland Raiders. You'll be the To Be Determined (TBD)...Raiders...of Las Vegas.  Time to start home searching. You got a head start by going overseas yet again next year for an International Series game that the NFL likes to shove down everyone's throats. But hey, no matter where they go it's Raider Nation all day right? Astonishing to see that a team with the same name and colors changes entirely new locations five times in their franchise history. Five times! Absolute lunacy at its finest! Sums up the dysfunction of this organization's ownership under the Davis family.

Lakers Weekly Roundup (12/09): Home Sweep Home; Road Game Splits

*Some NSFW language*

Back-to-back against San Antonio. Back-to-back road games. This was going to be a tough stretch for the Lakers. The Spurs had a tough stretch. But so far, they had the Lakers' number right out of the gate this season with a couple of close wins. Meanwhile, Memphis has surprised some people, but they've showed signs of slowing down during this stretch. Let's see how the Lakers measured up. This is you Lakers' Weekly Roundup.

12/05: vs. San Antonio 113-121 [W] (15-9)

HIGHLIGHTS

Finally, the Lakers had a game go their way against San Antonio. Despite the Spurs being in a complete slump with a blowout loss against the Jazz, they made this game a lot more competitive as it should be. You'd think the Lakers would take advantage of that. They did not as the Spurs gave them a run for their money. Not to mention, the Lakers lose Brandon Ingram early with an ankle injury. It looked like the Spurs were going to run away with this game. But, LeBron would not lose to the Spurs for a third consecutive time as he lead the way with a 42-point game. The way the Spurs were fighting back, it was obvious that LeBron needed a little more help. And he got it as Josh Hart, Lonzo Ball, and Kyle Kuzma traded clutch shots to help their King. Zo, in particular, stopped being a pantsy and shot the wide open shots he could take instead of passing it up. Josh Hart didn't have an eye-opening game. Majority because he was foul trouble. But he made the shots down the stretch to help seal the game. With that, the Lakers sweep their 4-game home stand and finally get a win against the San Antonio White Walkers.

12/07: @ San Antonio 120-133 [L] (15-10)

HIGHLIGHTS

The Lakers just won against the same Spurs team at home. Figures, they gotta exploit that and win against them on the road. The Lakers built a big lead in the 2nd quarter. Pretty good start. Not bad. But they wouldn't hold on to that as the Spurs drew a lot of fouls to cap off their big run. The Lakers built a lead in the 3rd quarter. It's close out time. LeBron's coming back in the game. That should do it. Wait a minute San Antonio's making a run? DeMar DeRozan is not even on the floor? Who's carrying them? Of course it's their bench. If there's anything that's constant from the Spurs that makes them an unselfish team, it's their deep bench. Jakob Peoltl dominated inside the paint. Davis Bertans was lights out from deep. Patty Mills put up buckets and facilitated the ball movement without DeRozan on the floor. The Spurs' bench put up 52 combined points compared to the Lakers' 26. That's the difference maker right there. Didn't help that the referees were helping the Spurs get to the free throw line with some phantom calls. It's always that way whenever the Lakers go to San Antonio.

12/08: @ Memphis 111-88 [W] (16-10)

HIGHLIGHTS

It felt like eons ago that the Memphis Grizzlies were at one point the top seed in the West. They put up some convincing wins in the last two games against the Clippers and the Pelicans. The Lakers are coming off a tough back-to-back loss against the Spurs. This is Memphis' chance to kick them while they're down. *Final Score* That escalated quickly. The Lakers made quick disposal of the Grizzlies. with a balanced team effort. It wasn't just LeBron James doing all the work. Kyle Kuzma racked the same amount points as LeBron did with 20 points. Josh Hart finally got back to scoring double-digit points while KCP and Svi carried the bench with 16 points from KCP and 11 points from Svi. The Lakers never looked back at this one. On a side note, it was funny the way the Grizzlies commentators were pronouncing Svi's last name. Pronounced it like MICK-HAY-LUKE instead of ME-KAI-LUKE. 

The Silver and Black Shitshow: Chapter 6 - "Orale (Ma)Homes!/Kicking City Chicks"

*Readers' Discretion Advised*

Strap yourselves in people! This is going to be a long ass chapter!

Judgement Day was approaching for the Silver and Black Shitshow. The well-oiled machine known as the Kansas City Chiefs and the Cult of Mahomes were coming to town. As the Shitshow prepared for its inevitable beatdown, one former player opened up about the lackadaisical time during his tenure with the team.

That man would be Amari Cooper.

Since contributing to the Dallas Cowboys to a 3-1 stretch run, Mr. Cooper opened up in an interview since the Tank Commander traded him to Jerryworld. He felt that the trade "changed him as a person." It was well documented during that Thanksgiving game against the Redskins where he started showing more personality than he did in four combined seasons in Oakland. He did pull a string in this interview with a couple of key quotes:

"I wasn't really happy in Oakland."

"I just always felt like I wasn't really being used how I felt like I would have used me if I was the coach."

After reading the entire interview, I only had one question: WHY!? Why did you have to phrase it that way? Because of that interview, you just made yourself Public Enemy #1 to the entire Raider Nation as they turned your back on you immediately. In fact, Raider legend, Phil Villapiano called you a "sissy" and a "punk." Phil really wanted to rewind it back to 1976 along with George Atkinson and "The Assassin" Jack Tatum to pop you in the mouth across the middle. Don't get me wrong, as a fan who endorsed you to be a Raider since I saw your breakout year in Alabama, nobody outside of Bill Musgrave knew how to utilize you and I agreed with the 2nd quote. Your first two 1,000 yard seasons were nothing more than an afterthought as Drowning Downing and Vanilla Olson ruined you following Billy's departure. In fact, you're doing much better now that you have a QB who lets plays develop instead of a Checkdown Derek that gets rid of the ball too quick. You get to showcase your precise route running a little more in Dallas. But the number one rule if you want that "Once a Raider, Always a Raider" title, you don't make your unhappy time in Oakland publicly known! You could've taken the high road like Khalil Mack did. But to say that you weren't happy in your time in Oakland puts you in company with the likes of Warren Sapp, Randy Moss, and JaMarcus Russell, former Raiders who don't deserve the "Once a Raider, Always a Raider" title. You've brought shame to me Amari. Continue on with your great performance with the Cowboys though as you helped the team to an upset victory against the Saints.

Despite the tank job the Silver and Black Shitshow showed all season, they were by all accounts not eliminated from playoff contention. How that was a possibility was beyond comprehension. SB Nation drew up a five week scenario where the Raiders won every game from here on out and a couple of games fell their way over the past week.

- Jaguars beat Colts
- Falcons beat Ravens
- Jets beat Titans
- Dolphins beat Bills
- Broncos beat Bengals
- Texans beat Browns.

I couldn't believe that the best case scenario almost happened. But, the possibility was thrown out the window when the Ravens beat the Falcons and the Titans beat the Jets. But, the Raiders still had a glimmer of hope. They just have to win against the Kansas City-welp that's it they're fucking dead. Mahomes and that well-oiled Andy Reid offense is gonna burn them! However through divine intervention, the Shitshow got a little unsung help to spring a possible upset against their bitter AFC West rivals.

*The other place where Sports Athletes' Careers go to die...from outta nowhere.*

Whenever a sports figure shows up on TMZ, chances are that things are looking bleak going forward in his career. I mean come on! They were integral in getting Donald Sterling kicked out of NBA ownership. The latest athlete to receive the "kiss of death" from the most annoying site of tabloid media in the world, none other than Kansas City Chiefs star Running Back, Kareem Hunt.

Security footage leaked to TMZ last Friday of an incident at a hotel in Cleveland where Kareem Hunt and his entourage were caught in a shouting match with a drunk, underage woman. The woman shouted the "n word" at Hunt repeatedly that Hunt started pushing and shoving the her. Hunt's entourage intervened to calm Hunt down. But, the woman and her girl friend continued to provoke the Kansas City star. Then, all hell broke loose as the woman was pushed to the ground. Hunt got a little too extracurricular by kicking the woman while he was down to the ground. The video was then under investigation by the NFL that the NFL placed Hunt on the exempt list. In return, the Chiefs released Hunt not because of the incident, but they believed he was too dishonest when it came to telling the truth.

A moment of silence for Kareem Hunt Fantasy owners.

In all seriousness, the issue of domestic violence reared its ugly head yet again in the NFL. I understand that Kareem Hunt was getting provoked by these two women as they yelled out racial slurs to him. Who can blame him for standing up? It's a matter of how he did it by being a big, dumb "KHunt." Yes, when your first initial is "K" and your last name is "Hunt," that's what you'll be remembered by. There was no question that Kareem Hunt fucked up his NFL career royally after that incident. Kicking the lady while she was already knocked to the ground? C'mon man, no need to go that far! Unless you were planning on taking over for Harrison Butker as the new kicker for the Chiefs, go kick a football! Going back to the domestic violence issue, it shows the double standard and inconsistency by the NFL when it comes to this issue. The NFL has dragged their feet time and time again with their lackadaisical stance on this issue. They don't even have a set discipline for it either! Some players get a slap in the wrist with one or a few games suspended. Some are banned from professional football. Some get released by their team and no other teams picks them up, but they're still out there (ie: Ray Rice). And others are still playing in the league and the NFL are nonchalant about their cases. The Redskins signed Reuben Foster despite another domestic violence incident that he got cut from the 49ers, the NFL doesn't bat an eye yet. The Kareem Hunt video goes viral and they take immediate action. It's no wonder that this league is dying because the NFL can't make up their goddamn minds when it comes to handling this sensitive issue and not all domestic violence cases among NFL athletes are created equal through the eyes of the league. Nor can they come up with an established, consistent disciplinary system when it comes to this league-wide chronic issue.

Raider Nation thanks TMZ for the assist. But at a cost, the Cult of Mahomes grew bigger and badder. KHunt or no KHunt, the Chiefs were going to put a mud stomping on the Shitshow. Mahomes started with a strike to Kelce and Kelce is off to the races, *Kelce fumbles the football.* Well, well, this makes things a lot interesting. But, the Raiders couldn't capitalize as they stalled with a 3 and out.

*Mahomes hits Kelce for the TD* Yup, it's over. Nothing to see here. Now the Kansas City Chiefs are going to kick our a-*down 10-0 at the end of Q1.* Well, that wasn't so bad. The Raiders held the Kansas City juggernaut to just 10 points. The Raiders are competing, that's a good sign. They just put together a solid drive capping off with a Doug Martin one-yard TD. But, unfortunately they let the Chiefs drive down the field. The biggest gut wrencher was that 38-yard Mahomes pass to Demarcus Robinson. Honestly, how the hell do you allow this guy to go sideline to sideline and not tackle him inbounds? Despite a good showing by Gareon Conley, this doesn't change the fact that this secondary is still fucking trash. Then again every secondary is trash without a decent pass rush. 

*Mahomes hits Kelce with another TD* It's 19-7. Nothing to see here. Blocked PAT. Woohoo. But Kansas City is going to come out of the locker room to whoop some Silver and Black ass. I can see it now.

*Raiders down 26-10* Raider Nation, I can't say that I told you so, but I told you so. This team is just not that good to combat the Cult of Mahomes. Checkdown Derek is suffocating behind Tom Cable's most penetrable O-line. *Carr hits Cook for a TD to cut it to 26-16.* It's no longer AC/DC = TD, it's now JC/DC = TD. Unfortunately, Carr could not hit Jalen Richard in stride for the two-point conversion.

*Fumble by Richard, Chiefs extend lead 33-16.* It's impossible for the Shitshow to win in a shootout. Just drop your flags and tank. The Tank Commander commands it. *Derek Carr hits Lee Smith for a TD to cut lead to 33-23.* Okay, it's back to 10 points, but we all know the Cult of Mahomes and the Cheetah speed of Tyreek Hill and Mini "Gronk" Kelce will respond back.

*Raiders cut the lead 33-30* Holy shit, this is actually a game now! The Raiders can do it! They can pull the biggest upset of the year! Derek Carr has risen! He'll beat the Chiefs from behind like he did in 2014 and 2017. Jordy Nelson has rekindled his Green Bay form! Jared is cooking! Pocket Rocket Jalen Richard has returned to form! The defense just needs one stop for once in its Khalil Mack-less life. They continue to bend, but we just need one stop. Give the ball back to Derek and this inspired Raiders offense. Just hold them in the end zone boys! Hold them to a field-

*Mahomes hits Chris Conley to extend the lead KC 40-30 late in the 4th.* "GODDAMN IT! Y'ALL HAD ONE FUCKING JOB! CAN'T THIS DEFENSE DO ITS FUCKING JOB FOR ONCE?! THIS IS WHY TRADING KHALIL FUCKING MACK AND RELEASING BRUCE FUCKING IRVIN WERE TERRIBLE IDEAS! WE NEEDED THAT QB PRESSURE! FUCK!"

As a Raider fan, I could not be mad at this effort. They could've just let Kansas City "beat the Devil" out of them as they don't have a lot to play for. But there was one thing that they were playing for and that was pride. The Raiders-Chiefs rivalry had lost its luster as it has been lopsided in favor of the Chiefs since the 1990s. And as football fans, we hope that this rivalry returns to its former glory once again as we were cockteased from 2015-2017. There were signs of heart from the Raiders and a Derek Carr that's slowly re-surging back to 2016 form and good to know that some veterans on this roster still give a flying fuck about playing for the Silver and Black. 

Chiefs Kingdom though, my goodness, talk about a weekend for you guys. Your former stud running back did the dumbest shit in the world and now the whole nation sees it. Your defense is ass. You should be mad that you didn't win in convincing fashion against a Raiders team that is completely voided of young, promising talent and veterans on their last legs. This tells me one thing: the Chiefs will keep going depending how far Patrick Mahomes and this offense can take them. Hmmm...that sounds familiar. That reminds me of the 2016 Raiders. The defense was asinine, but Derek Carr and the offense kept putting points on the board until he got hurt. Better hope the same fate doesn't await the almighty Mahomes. Without Hunt, Mahomes is going to have to carry that big load. Oh and Andy Reid is still the head coach. We know how his teams turn out in the postseason. And to top it all off, you guys still won't sniff a Super Bowl as long as Darth Brady, Emperor Belichick, and the Death Star Patriots from Foxborough, MA are still around and exerting their AFC dominance. 

*Oh, the Raiders are expected to make an appearance on the next episode of Days of Our Steelers? I can't wait to do a Silver and Black Shitshow chapter on that... Wait, so you guys think it's best for me to leave this to (Urinating)'Tree? Well, what the hell is my Week 14 content gonna be about then?*

Lakers Weekly Roundup (12/02): Bad Nuggets, Free Tacos (Except Friday)!

*Some NSFW language*

Playing in Staples Center, there are two things Laker fans expect: 1) a win 2) free tacos from Jack-in-the-Box. It doesn't matter if the Lakers are blowing an opponent out by 30 or 40 points. If they don't hold opponents to under 100, Laker fans in attendance will not be too thrilled of going home without free tacos. This is your Lakers Weekly Roundup!

11/27: @ Denver 117-85 [L] (11-9) 

HIGHLIGHTS

Talk about a Mile High asswhoopin'. The Nuggets avenged their October loss by putting a curbstomping on the Lakers. Kudos to them, they had a well-balanced game.The defense suffocated the Lakers ability to play at the fast pace they wanted. The tone was Nuggets basketball, especially in the 2nd half. They blew this shit wide open and the Lakers couldn't do anything about, especially when they were missing a lot of shots. It was not the ideal Denver homecoming for JaVale McGee as he put up his worst outing of this breakout season with just a mere 2 points. We'll let Denver have this one as they needed something to spark this "rivalry" as they're always at the short end of the stick. The Nuggets have shown a lot potential as a playoff contender. The question remains whether or not they can sustain that success, especially down the stretch.

11/29: vs. Indiana [W] 96-104 [W] (12-9)

HIGHLIGHTS

The Lakers have a four game home stand starting with this game. They should take advantage of this. The first quarter was thing of beauty this game. You see what happens when the Lakers go full throttle on both ends of the floor? The activity was awesome as the Lakers generated turnover after turnover. Stop after stop. Going the length of the court for easy, unselfish buckets. They didn't allow Indiana to score their first bucket like 5 minutes into the first quarter. They got the Pacers pounded into submission with a 13-32 first quarter. This should be a decisive W. Victor Oladipo is not there pick up the slack. Then, all of a sudden that lead became a distant memory as the Pacers made a huge run. We were all like "not this shit again" as this is textbook example of the Lakers' inability to play with a big lead. LeBron ex Machina came in to save the day at the expense of the Pacers the same way he was able to do back in Cleveland. Free tacos for everyone!

11/30 vs. Dallas 103-114 [W] (13-9)

HIGHLIGHTS

As the Lakers got themselves to a fast start he previous day against the Pacers, they got themselves to a really slow start this game. Dallas came in and punched them right in the mouth. Luka Doncic blocked LeBron not once, but twice early on this game. Seems the student has surpassed the master as Doncic grew up idolizing LeBron. However, Karma strikes those who lay their hands on the King...twice.  Proceed to be shut down by Lonzo Ball and Brandon Ingram the rest of the way. Doncic shot a terrible 2-13 from the field and 0-5 from beyond the arc. There's no question this rookie is a star in the making though. Lonzo Ball continues to establish himself as a severely underrated perimeter defender, generating 5 steals. First team all defense awaits. The Lakers may have won this game, but they lost the tacos as they couldn't lay their hands off the Mavericks down the stretch. Seriously though, those tacos from Jack-in-the-Box are only 99 cents. I'm sure Laker fans can squeeze one more dollar if they paid $500+ for a ticket.

12/02 vs. Phoenix 96-120 [W] (14-9) 

HIGHLIGHTS

The Suns started off with a 17 point lead this game? Never noticed. Phoenix got themselves a great start this game as they fired on all cylinders in the first quarter. As much of a confidence builder this was, the Suns truly remembered who they were onward: trash disguised as an NBA team. I'm pretty sure the Lakers just spotted them a 17 point lead before they started putting the clamps on Phoenix from the 2nd quarter till the rest of the game. LeBron and Kuzma combined for 45 point and the bench got a much-needed big contribution from Michael Beasley. Holy hell, it took 'em awhile to finally put him in the rotation. Another big factor this game was that Devin Booker was limited to just 6 points this game. I'm sure Lonzo Ball once again had to do with that with his 4 steals this game. In all seriousness though, the Suns still can't get it right despite having a promising young core. How many more tanking seasons do they need to get back to being relevant? In other news, it was good to see Moe Wagner get some action with 10 points. Nothing says welcome to the NBA when JaVale McGee and Tyson Chandler get hyped for your first points in the NBA. Hopefully he finds his way into the rotation. I saw some really good glimpses in garbage time. Free tacos for everyone!

*UPDATE: Clearly I missed Devin Booker's injury late in the 2nd quarter. Looks like he re-aggravated that hamstring injury.*