Raiders practice is disorganized and chaotic
Michigan
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in Sports Talk
DENVER -- A "chaotic" Raiders practice session on Friday in Alameda - a
sloppy, longer-than-usual workout that left many players grumbling,
sources said -- resulted in wide receiver Jerry Porter receiving a
four-game suspension from coach Art Shell for conduct detrimental to the
team when the seventh-year veteran openly complained within earshot of
the staff.
Porter, 28, already has been deep in Shell's doghouse after the
opinionated receiver clashed with the new head coach and receivers coach
Fred Biletnikoff during a meeting last spring.
The team's No. 2 receiver in 2005, behind Randy Moss, with 76 catches
for 942 yards and five touchdowns, Porter has not been active in any of
the Raiders' four games this season, all losses. Since then, he has been
practicing on the offensive and defensive scout teams, mimicking
opponents during the week and sitting on game days.
Characterized by one Raiders player as "the worst practice we've had all
season" under Shell, the usual 90-minute Friday session extended well
past 2½ hours, several team sources said on the condition of anonymity,
and much of the roster was frustrated and angry by the lack of organization.
"People wonder why we're 0-4 -- that's why," one player said of the
workout. "It was a joke out there. Guys were pissed off."
Numerous players, including veterans such as Moss and defensive tackle
Warren Sapp, were grumbling among themselves about the practice session,
which one Raiders source described as "completely disorganized and chaotic."
At one point, sources said, Porter -- who was running with the scout
team defense -- asked somewhat loudly if the practice "was going to last
three hours or what?"
Shell overheard the comment, sources said, and retaliated with the
suspension, which would cost Porter $235,000 of his $1 million base
salary -- if it were to stick.
And that appears unlikely.
Unlike the Philadelphia Eagles, who carefully documented every egregious
offense committed by controversial wide receiver Terrell Owens before
slapping him with a similar four-game suspension without pay last
season, the Raiders have not kept a detailed dossier on Porter.
Without proper documentation of so-called detrimental conduct, an NFL
source said, it would be almost impossible to enforce the suspension
once it is appealed by Porter's agent, Joel Segal, and the NFL Players
Association.
"This won't last a week," an NFL source said Saturday.
The Eagles built their case on Owens by citing instances such as a fight
he had with former player Hugh Douglas, who serves as a team
"ambassador." When Owens' suspension was finished, Philadelphia coach
Andy Reid then deactivated him the remainder of the 2005 season.
In Porter's case, the Raiders will have a difficult time proving he has
done anything disruptive enough to warrant banishment.
"The guy is out there practicing, doing everything he has to do to help
us," one player said Saturday before the team departed for Denver for
Sunday night's AFC West contest against Denver. "Come on now, this is
getting out of hand.
"A lot of us are wondering what's next."
Ailing team owner Al Davis, several sources said, has turned over almost
all authority to Shell and did not intervene in the decision to suspend
Porter.
Porter told The Chronicle in July that he and Shell were not on the same
page and that had no confidence in Shell's choice for an offensive
coordinator, Tom Walsh. Porter also said that he hoped the team would
trade him.
The Raiders gave Segal permission to shop Porter, provided he repays
about $4 million in bonus money the receiver was paid last year. So far,
there have been no takers.
The NFL's trade deadline is Tuesday.
sloppy, longer-than-usual workout that left many players grumbling,
sources said -- resulted in wide receiver Jerry Porter receiving a
four-game suspension from coach Art Shell for conduct detrimental to the
team when the seventh-year veteran openly complained within earshot of
the staff.
Porter, 28, already has been deep in Shell's doghouse after the
opinionated receiver clashed with the new head coach and receivers coach
Fred Biletnikoff during a meeting last spring.
The team's No. 2 receiver in 2005, behind Randy Moss, with 76 catches
for 942 yards and five touchdowns, Porter has not been active in any of
the Raiders' four games this season, all losses. Since then, he has been
practicing on the offensive and defensive scout teams, mimicking
opponents during the week and sitting on game days.
Characterized by one Raiders player as "the worst practice we've had all
season" under Shell, the usual 90-minute Friday session extended well
past 2½ hours, several team sources said on the condition of anonymity,
and much of the roster was frustrated and angry by the lack of organization.
"People wonder why we're 0-4 -- that's why," one player said of the
workout. "It was a joke out there. Guys were pissed off."
Numerous players, including veterans such as Moss and defensive tackle
Warren Sapp, were grumbling among themselves about the practice session,
which one Raiders source described as "completely disorganized and chaotic."
At one point, sources said, Porter -- who was running with the scout
team defense -- asked somewhat loudly if the practice "was going to last
three hours or what?"
Shell overheard the comment, sources said, and retaliated with the
suspension, which would cost Porter $235,000 of his $1 million base
salary -- if it were to stick.
And that appears unlikely.
Unlike the Philadelphia Eagles, who carefully documented every egregious
offense committed by controversial wide receiver Terrell Owens before
slapping him with a similar four-game suspension without pay last
season, the Raiders have not kept a detailed dossier on Porter.
Without proper documentation of so-called detrimental conduct, an NFL
source said, it would be almost impossible to enforce the suspension
once it is appealed by Porter's agent, Joel Segal, and the NFL Players
Association.
"This won't last a week," an NFL source said Saturday.
The Eagles built their case on Owens by citing instances such as a fight
he had with former player Hugh Douglas, who serves as a team
"ambassador." When Owens' suspension was finished, Philadelphia coach
Andy Reid then deactivated him the remainder of the 2005 season.
In Porter's case, the Raiders will have a difficult time proving he has
done anything disruptive enough to warrant banishment.
"The guy is out there practicing, doing everything he has to do to help
us," one player said Saturday before the team departed for Denver for
Sunday night's AFC West contest against Denver. "Come on now, this is
getting out of hand.
"A lot of us are wondering what's next."
Ailing team owner Al Davis, several sources said, has turned over almost
all authority to Shell and did not intervene in the decision to suspend
Porter.
Porter told The Chronicle in July that he and Shell were not on the same
page and that had no confidence in Shell's choice for an offensive
coordinator, Tom Walsh. Porter also said that he hoped the team would
trade him.
The Raiders gave Segal permission to shop Porter, provided he repays
about $4 million in bonus money the receiver was paid last year. So far,
there have been no takers.
The NFL's trade deadline is Tuesday.
0
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<< <i>Is there competition off the field to earn the title of disorganized and Chaotic? >>
No but michigan holds the title of largest number of copied and posted articles with no link given.
Experience the World through Numismatics...it's more than you can imagine.
<< <i>I was thinking of California... the recall from afew years back and the Mayor of Oakland making a political comeback... of course it can be argued he never left... >>
And yet, if California were its own country, its economy would be the 5th largest in the world.