San Francisco Chronicle, 4/12/07

The 2006 season wasn't kind to the Raiders, and the 2007 schedule isn't cutting them any breaks, either.

Along with the Buffalo Bills, they are saddled with the toughest schedule statistically in the NFL this season.

But you won't hear the 49ers complain about their lineup of opponents.

After narrowly missing the playoffs last season, the 49ers ended up with one of the NFL's softest '07 schedules, facing teams that had a combined .469 winning percentage in '06.

As previously announced, the NFL is spotlighting the 49ers' Sept. 10 season opener at home against the Arizona Cardinals as a marquee ESPN Monday Night matchup between two rising young quarterbacks: Alex Smith vs. Matt Leinart.

In all, the 49ers have four nationally televised games this season, against the Cardinals, the Seahawks, the Bengals and the Buccaneers. The Raiders have no nationally-televised games on tap.

The NFL released its full 17-week, 256-game regular-season schedule Wednesday to much fanfare, with the Super Bowl champion Indianapolis Colts garnering four prime-time television appearances, starting with the league's regular-season debut, a Thursday night Sept. 6 game at home against the NFC runner-up New Orleans Saints. That game marks the sixth consecutive year the NFL has opened its regular season on a Thursday.

Burdened with the worst record in the NFL last season at 2-14, the Raiders will be facing the league's most difficult cast of opponents in 2007. Once they get past their regular-season opener, at home Sept. 9 against the Detroit Lions (3-13 in 2006), the schedule gets a lot tougher.

Combined, the Raiders' opponents had a .539 winning percentage in 2006, and all three of their AFC West opponents finished .500 or better. September may be the Raiders' easiest month: After opening against the Lions, they travel to Denver for a Sept. 16 AFC West game against the Broncos before returning home to face the Browns at the Coliseum on Sept. 23. They finish the month with a long road trip to Miami for a Sept. 30 game against the Dolphins, followed by an Oct. 7 bye.

As a rule, Raiders 'always involved'

Bruce Adams

San Francisco Chronicle - 11/28/06

Raiders coach Art Shell is burning up his minutes. He sounds like he may be quietly burning up on the inside as well.

On the flight back from San Diego on Sunday night after the Raiders' 21-14 loss to the Chargers, Shell phoned Mike Pereira, the NFL's director of officiating, to ask about the latest bizarre ruling that went against his team. Monday, he said he'd be calling Pereira again for further clarification.

"Somewhere hidden in the rule book, there's something there," Shell said. "But they seem to dig it up when we play."

Shell didn't learn anything in his airborne call that he hadn't already been told by referee Mike Carey at the game.

Appearances aside, Chargers receiver Vincent Jackson's spinning the ball onto the turf in celebration of a 1st-down catch was by rule an incomplete forward pass -- an illegal one at that since he was 13 yards beyond the line of scrimmage.

It was not a fumble, as the Raiders thought at the time, with cornerback Fabian Washington falling on what he took to be a live ball.

Those are the rules -- for now.

"It seems like the Raiders are always involved in these types of things," Shell said. "Any time there's a rule change, it becomes a Raider rule, and most of those things go against us. So I'm sure they'll look at it and come up with an answer."

The Raiders were leading 14-7 at the time. Instead of losing the ball on the turnover, the Chargers were penalized 5 yards, kept possession, tied the score and then scored the go-ahead touchdown six minutes later.

"It's unfortunate, when those plays happen we do seem to catch the wrong end of it," Shell said.

That's an argument that's hard to refute. Such rulings, often strange and sometimes rarely used, have become part of Raider lore.

In a playoff game in January 2002, New England quarterback Tom Brady apparently fumbled and lost the ball to the Raiders on a sack. Instead, it was ruled an incomplete pass under the so-called tuck rule and the Patriots came back to win the game.

In the January 1978 AFC Championship, back before instant replay, Denver's Rob Lytle was ruled to have scored the go-ahead touchdown even though replays showed he lost the ball before crossing the goal line with the Raiders recovering.

And in the playoffs in December 1972, the Steelers beat the Raiders in the closing seconds of the game on the "Immaculate Reception," with Franco Harris coming up with a pass the Raiders contend was illegal because it was tipped first by Pittsburgh's Frenchy Fuqua.

Shell may not be happy with the results. But he understands, having spent five years as the NFL's vice president for football operations and development before rejoining the Raiders this year for his second stint as head coach.

"So the gist of the rule book, the interpretation of the rule book, coming out of the league office," he said, "we have to live with it."

The ruling at San Diego was the second time in recent weeks a rarely used call has shifted momentum against the Raiders. In the 17-13 loss to the Broncos at the Coliseum on Nov. 12, the Raiders' Chris Carr was charged with unsportsmanlike conduct for not returning to the field soon enough after he was knocked out of bounds while going downfield in punt coverage. The penalty negated a fumble and recovery by the Raiders on the punt. At the time, Oakland was leading 13-7. Shell was fined $12,500 by the NFL for complaining about the officiating in that game.

"Along the way, owner Al Davis and the Raiders have been convinced that the league office and the officials are out to get them every game. Sure, there have obvious lousy calls.

The NFL office, for example, quietly informed the Raiders days after their 23-17 loss to Kansas City that, yes, the officials erred in calling offensive holding on wide receiver Randy Moss in the end zone, negating a second-quarter touchdown.

"We're never gonna get calls. We go in thinking that every week," said safety Derrick Gibson, who -- not surprisingly -- commits more than his share.

So while it isn't exactly a full-blown conspiracy, there are merits to some of the Raiders' arguments. It's up to Turner to ensure the penalty history doesn't continue to be an excuse, rather than an explanation, for losing."

I don't know how many Raiders fans truly believe in an anti-Raider conspiracy. I personally do not believe there is a conspiracy to stick it to the Raider organization. It does; however, seem as though year after year there is ample evidence to support the conclusion that the league has it's favorites and the Raiders are not among them. Take for example the 2005 schedule. The Raiders (5-11, last place in the AFC West in 2004) open the season AT New England, host Kansas City, then travel to Philadelphia in week 3. Two east coast trip in three weeks...both against last years Super Bowl teams.

Meanwhile, lets take a look at the Denver Broncos. The Broncos finished last season 10-6, and made the playoffs as a wild card team. Do they travel to New England and Philadelphia the first few weeks of the season? No! They open the season at Miami, then host San Diego and Kansas City. In fact, Denver HOSTS both New England and Philadelphia.

I'm aware that the schedules are pre-set to a degree with regards to opponents. But dates and home/away are determined much later based on numerous factors. Funny how when all is said and done, the Raiders usually seem to end up getting screwed. Conspiracy? I'll let you draw your own conclusions.

Ever hear of BALCO?  BALCO is the Burlingame, California company (owned by Victor Conte) accused of providing top athletes with steroids.  

The entire investigation into BALCO started with a stakeout of the Bay Area company. Newsweek wrote that Federal Agents "watched famous athletes visit BALCO headquarters, possibly to get the steroids"  When the story first broke in September 2003 after authorities raided the BALCO offices, the San Jose Mercury News wrote: "Conte is well known for helping athletes, from 49ers and Raiders players ... to Olympic stars and bodybuilders."  An October 2003 report at ESPN.com contained a 49ers connection: "(Renaldo) Nehemiah said he was sent to BALCO by the San Francisco 49ers in the early 1980s for testing because he was lethargic and it was thought he had some sort of nutritional deficiency."  According to the San Francisco Chronicle, Colorado investigators took a written statement from former-49er Martin Harrison in connection with the BALCO-Romanowski relationship. Harrison testified that Romanowski "pushed a speed pill" on him "and provided the pill to other 49ers in 1992 or 1993".  

When the NFL conducted it's investigation, it appears only 10 NFL Players were tested for the steroid THG.  Of the 10, 7 were Oakland Raiders...none were SF 49ers.  It's interesting to note that despite numerous links between the San Francisco 49ers and BALCO, PLUS the fact that 3 of the players tested were former 49ers, the league focused its investigation on the Raiders.  Bias?  Nah...

Check here for more on the BALCO - RAIDERS - 49ers connection     

Raider fans have long complained that they don't receive a fair shake from the league whether it be calls on the field, treatment by the leagues executives or the schedule they face. One website conducted a study of warm weather (west coast, south, dome) teams scheduled to play cold weather games each season.  The logic, of course, is that for a warm weather team, playing a game in the extreme cold of an east coast winter is a distinct advantage for the home team.  The Green Bay Packers come to mind as a perfect example of a team that rarely loses a home game in the cold.  Shockingly (note the sarcasm), the study found that the Raiders had the highest percentage of cold weather games scheduled...

A few memorable officiating gems:

12/24/04 - For some reason, NFL officials seem to have a habit of screwing the Raiders out of fumble recoveries. With Oakland leading 24-21 early in the 4th qtr, Chief receiver Eddie Kennison caught a pass, ran several yards and was nailed by a Raider defender. As Kennison went down, the ball popped out and was recovered by the Raiders. Despite the fact that replay CLEARLY showed Kennison had fumbled, the officials had blown the whistle as Kennison was going down, thus nullifying the fumble and any chance to overturn the play on replay. “It is out long before Kennison’s elbow hits the ground” said announcer Dan Dierdorf. “How did they miss that?” replied announcer Dick Enberg. That’s a real good question, Dick. How did they miss it? Better yet, why the hell is the official so quick to blow the whistle? Oh yeah, I forgot. It’s the Raiders.

11/28/04 - What a joke. In all my years of watching NFL football, I've never seen a more blatant example of pass interference not called. Raider receiver Ronald Curry is absolutely blindsided by Bronco Safety Kenoy Kennedy on a pass play with the ball a good 20 yards away, yet no flag. Flabbergasted, announcer Joe Theismann exclaimed "In this league, if that's not pass interference, then I don't know what is" to the agreement of the rest of the broadcasting crew.

In fairness, I'm willing to accept that officials can't see everything (thought it's pretty pathetic that a professional NFL Official would miss such a blatant penalty). In Major League Baseball, for example, what will often happen is that the umpire will make up for the mistake by letting something slide later in the game, or perhaps calling a close play the other way. But this isn't baseball, and we're talking about the Raiders. On the very next Bronco possession, Raider CB Denard Walker is flagged for a marginal pass interference against Denver WR Ashley Lelie. Funny how the officials miss blatant penalties committed by Raider opponents, but throw a flag on every little miscue and imaginary penalty they can identify against the Raiders. Is it any wonder the entire Raider Nation believes the league is biased against the Raider organization?

11/21/04 - Ah yes, the Raiders and NFL officials. Seems like rarely a week passes without some sort of controversial call playing into the outcome. For the first time in weeks, I sat down and watched an entire Raider game (at 3-6, there hasn't been much worth watching). Naturally, I was treated to the usual roughing the QB double standard when a head slap on Raider QB Kerry Collins did not draw a 3rd qtr flag, but a face mask slap did draw a 4th qtr flag. But, as usual, the officials saved the best for last by flagging Raider Guard Robert Galley for what the San Francisco Chronicle referred to as a "head-scratching block-in-the-back penalty" which negated a late TD that would have brought the Raiders to within 2 points with 7 minutes remaining. Said Raider coach Norv Turner "I've never had that called, ever, in pass coverage.'' Kinda like we've never seen the Tuck Rule until the closing minute of a snowy playoff game in New England. 

What's even more galling is the illegal take down of Raider Linebacker Napoleon Harris by Charger Center Nick Hardwick on a 2nd qtr 6 yard TD run by QB Drew Brees. Funny how the official miss a blatant illegal tackle, but notice an imaginary block in the back. Any wonder why Raider fans believe in a conspiracy?

1/19/02 - The Snow Job

9/9/01 - Wrote David Bush, SF Chronicle Columnist "The Kansas City Chiefs and the hostile environment of a packed Arrowhead Stadium were not all the Raiders had to overcome yesterday.  They also had to brush aside the errors of a bumbling group of replacement officials and their own misdeeds, but ultimately they prevailed 27-24 in their season opener...The Raiders lost a scoring chance late in the first half, when the neophyte officials reversed themselves and ruled that Charlie Garner was out of bounds on a 27-yard reception from the Kansas City 39.  "I was pushed out," said Garner, who was hit by Jerome Woods as he was coming down with the ball. "It should have been called a catch."  Then the officials got into the act again. They botched a crucial spot, and a few plays later, let Greg Biekert get drilled by an illegal helmet-to-helmet hit as he was running with what he thought was a fumble."

1/14/01 - The AFC Championship goes to the Baltimore Ravens 16-3.  The loss of Raider QB Rich Gannon on an illegal hit turns the tide of the game.  Said SF Chronicle writer Kevin Lynch "Siragusa changed the complexion of the entire game early in the second quarter when he drove his 342 published pounds into quarterback Rich Gannon. It rendered the Raiders' best offensive player and team leader practically useless for the rest of the game".  Arguably, the hit came in late and was overly aggressive, yet no flag.  Of note is the fact that Siragusa was later fined by the league for the hit.  Adding insult to injury, the Raiders last hope for a comeback was dashed when Raider receiver Andre Rison was flagged for offensive pass interference, negating a TD that would have brought the Raiders to within 6 points with just under 5 minutes to play.  Replay showed that Rison and Baltimore cornerback Duane Starks had their hands on each other when the pass came toward the end zone.  Naturally, the call went against the player wearing silver & black.

12/3/00 - With Oakland trailing 21-20, the Raiders were looking at a 3rd- and-1 from the Steelers 41 with 7 seconds left on the big expensive computerized board and on the official down marker on the field.  Quarterback Rich Gannon's screen pass fell incomplete.  One slight problem here, it was actually 4th down.  Only the scoreboard operators and sideline officials failed to change the down markers.  Bottom line, game over.

1/1/78 - Raiders versus Denver in the AFC Championship.  Anyone remember a Bronco running back named Rob Lytle?  Anyone remember his fumble?

12/23/72 - Steelers quarterback Terry Bradshaw, faced a 4th and 10 from his own 40 with 22 seconds to go.  Bradshaw's pass over the middle intended for Frenchy Fuqua bounces back to Franco Harris who allegedly snatches the ball just before it hits the ground, and rambles untouched into the end zone for the game winning score.  Did Fuqua touch the ball?  If he did, the pass cannot be legally caught by Harris or any other Steelers receiver.  Naturally, after lengthy discussions and a phone call (phone call?, they didn't have replay back then), the officials ruled a touchdown for Pittsburgh.  Tatum has always claimed that he didn't touch the ball.  Fuqua has remained silent, telling only the late Steelers owner Art Rooney what really happened.  Likewise, Franco Harris will not discuss the play, only giving a knowing smile when asked if the ball touched the ground.  As an added bonus, Phil Villapiano was blatantly clipped in the open field while giving chase.

Of course, on field officiating is not the only point Raider fans bring up when discussing the conspiracy theory.  The 1999 Oakland Raiders schedule provides a classic example.  Fresh off an 8-8 season, the Raiders were given the most difficult schedule in the NFL.  Wrote David Bush of the San Francisco Chronicle "Some diabolical schedule-maker in the NFL office has presented the team with one of the most difficult opening sequence of games in memory...Four of the Raiders' first six games are on the road, four are against 1998 playoff teams including the defending Super Bowl champions..."  

Oakland's opponents had a .570 winning percentage the previous season.  The league is quick to remind fans that strength of schedule is based primarily on how well a team performed the previous year.  For example, the defending Super Bowl Champions should have a more difficult schedule than an 8-8 team that did not make the playoffs.  Usually, that's the case, unless you're referring to the Raiders.