Just out of idle curiosity (and I do mean "idle"), I wandered over to Silver and Black Pride to see what they're saying about The Trade.  It's amazing. 

On the other hand, you have to give some credit to a fan base that has no sense of reality whatsoever.  Picture the guy with a tattered Howie Long jersey, wing-stained fingers and a warm Coors Light clenched in his greasy fist who, drunk beyond reason, leans across the bar and fixes you with that drunk man's stare -- you know the one: the "I have the absolute truth" look -- and says, "I'm tellin' you: THIS IS OUR YEAR."

Behold:

Let's Hear It For Al Davis and his management team!

Seriously. Once again they have gone out and done the best they could with what they had to get a piece that can best help the organization!

How this move pays off in the near and long run remains to be seen, but from where I am sitting (in a comfy new leather seat) this move may be the best we've made since we brought in Rice, Parella and Woodson. And not one of those players was shy of 30 years old.

The pundits are already flapping their gums about this being a one year deal and the Patriots getting over on the Raiders again. To them I say that we are still repaying them for Jim Plunkett. We owe them two Championships and we may have just gotten over again.

Heh. 

Look, I don't know that 1st-rounder will turn into -- could be a Jerod Mayo.  Could be a Kaczur and a Wilhite.  Could be a cup of crap and an elephant's foot trash bin.  But I do know that a future 1st round draft choice is way too much money for a heavy player on the downslope of 30 with a history of injuries and a reputation for picking his spots.

Don't get me wrong!  I am and will remain a huge fan of Richard's.  Incredibly classy guy.  Amazingly talented athlete and, often, an unblockable force.  He'll forever by one of The Guys -- the team that redeemed decades of fandom with the ultimate success.  Three times.  He was also a stubborn negotiator, and I'll never fault a player for that. 

But there's just no denying that, from a business perspective, the Raiders got hosed.  When I read stuff like that quote above (from one of the site's editors), I am left with no choice but to conclude that Oakland-Alemeda County Stadium is nothing but a giant toilet bowl, once full of kool-aid, of which every drop has been silver-and-black-slurped with utter relish.

In fact, I almost hope they have "gotten over."  That kind of blind belief is almost holy, in the way aboriginal peoples honor the completely insane "holy."