Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.3 4.3bsd-beta 6/6/85; site decwrl.DEC.COM Path: utzoo!linus!decvax!decwrl!dec-rhea!dec-latour!jmccollum From: jmccollum@latour.DEC Newsgroups: net.sport.football Subject: The Raiders are out! Message-ID: <285@decwrl.DEC.COM> Date: Mon, 6-Jan-86 14:32:39 EST Article-I.D.: decwrl.285 Posted: Mon Jan 6 14:32:39 1986 Date-Received: Tue, 7-Jan-86 07:00:29 EST Sender: daemon@decwrl.DEC.COM Organization: Digital Equipment Corporation Lines: 51 What a pleasure it was to watch the Raiders go down on their home field yesterday. It's been a long time coming for the Patriots. It seems that nobody outside of New England has been paying any attention to them. All I heard from Raider supporters before this weekend was how well they matched up against the Bears in the Super Bowl. It really disgusted me. Here's a team with a one-man offensive attack and their fans feel like they should have some sort of automatic berth in the Super Bowl. The Patriots have an overall more talented roster and a first year coach that knows how to win in a tough division. Young as he is, Tony Eason is an infinitely better QB than Marc Wilson. I was really amazed at just how lousy Wilson was yesterday (and those two time outs were STUPID). It makes me wonder about the rest of the AFC west if the Raiders are the best they can turn out for divisional champions. I have to admit, I'm a life-long Raider-hater. I've seen too many cheap shots and victories by intimidation by them over the years. And a lot of it came at the expense of the Patriots. Everyone here remembers what Jack Tatum did to Darryl Stingley. Everyone here remembers the last time the Raiders and the Pats met in a playoff game. But as usual, the Raiders lived up to their reputation. They couldn't beat the Patriots on their own field so Matt Millen decided to beat up on New England GM Pat Sullivan. Howie Long (quickly losing his popularity in his home state of Massachusetts) had called Sullivan a "wimp", "spineless", and a "classless slob". But it was the Raiders Millen who showed his lack of class by beating on Sullivan with his helmet after the game. I think if any team in the NFL characterizes "classless", it is now and always has been the Oakland/LA Radiers. Great win! The Patriots and their fans deserve it. As for next week in the Orange Bowl, I think Miami is far too smart to take the Patriots lighlty. Despite the fact that they have now lost 18 consecutive games on the Dolphins home field, I don't think there is a single player on the Pats who doesn't think that this is the time. They beat the Dolphins in Foxboro and they could well have won the Monday night game in Florida a few weeks back. Tony Eason has gained playoff level experience since then (and including that game). If they can cut the turnovers out completely, I would not be too suprised to see them in the Super Bowl on January 26. Cleveland showed what a good running attack can do to Miami. New England has it. But they also have a passing game and a better defense than Cleveland. The stage is really set for New England to shed all the curses and jinxes that have plagued them over the years. The victory in LA this weekend was a major part of it. A victory in the Orange Bowl, now long overdue, would really make the nut. Jim McCollum decvax!decwrl!dec-rhea!dec-latour!jmccollum E-Net: latour::jmccollum Internet: mccollum at TOPS20.DEC.COM