HAWAIIAN RAIDERS: the OFFICIAL thread.

[J-Rod]

... much like how we enjoyed Wyo getting sodomized by Temple.

Of course, we know that you brokeback mountain types like it too, so it's a "win win" situation, eh?

Its been a good Holiday season for the Pokes.....

[wyokie]

... much like how we enjoyed Wyo getting sodomized by Temple.

Of course, we know that you brokeback mountain types like it too, so it's a "win win" situation, eh?

Its been a good Holiday season for the Pokes.....

Eh...I'm not all that sad about the loss. I'm happy for Temple in that they won their second ever bowl game (first since 1979).

[Haynr8dr]

Raiders taking on a totally new look, starting with the fact that they have a GM since Darth expired.

So far, Reggie McKenzie as GM, Dennis Allen as HC, and Greg Knapp as OC.

[Haynr8dr]

Bumped into Samson's dad today. I seen this tricked-out black Ford pickup with a huge Raiders shield on it and "Satele 64". It so happened to turn up my road, so I followed it an approached the driver - Samson's dad. I believe he said his name is Fa'a. We exchanged pleasantries. He said Samson bought a '64 Impala that he's pimping. I told him to wish Samson "good luck". Fa'a is much like Samson - humble, soft-spoken, really nice guy.

[Haynr8dr]

http://twitter.com/#!/vittoriotafur

Bay area sports writer Vittorio Tafur reporting that the Raiders won't be bringing Samson back.

It is what it is.

Mahalo Samson, and good luck!

[Desert Isle]

A little late, but the Raiders got a great one in the draft with my guy Juron Criner! He doesn't have a great speed but he's really physical going for the ball and has great hands. He's tough to bring down after the catch too. The play at the 2:30 mark happened right in front of me and shows that knows how to make a play when the ball's in the air.



Link

[Haynr8dr]

A little late, but the Raiders got a great one in the draft with my guy Juron Criner! He doesn't have a great speed but he's really physical going for the ball and has great hands. He's tough to bring down after the catch too. The play at the 2:30 mark happened right in front of me and shows that knows how to make a play when the ball's in the air.



Link

Very cool.

Criner was my pre-OTA selection of rookies that will make the team. Not only do I think he makes the team, I sense he'll crack the starting line-up within the first-half of the season, if not the start.

Meanwhile, exactly 5-weeks from this post I'll be in the mist of watching the opening night of preseason MNF - Raiders v Cowboys.

[Haynr8dr]

WELCOME TO THE RAIDER NATION, VAUGHN MEATOGA!

http://m.nfl.com/combine/profile/253291 ... n-meatoga/

[J-Rod]

WELCOME TO THE RAIDER NATION, VAUGHN MEATOGA!

http://m.nfl.com/combine/profile/253291 ... n-meatoga/

One of the most underrated players to ever play at UH.

Still shocked Mack struggled to make the Tuipulotu/Meotoga tandem work.

[Haynr8dr]

Easy come, easy go.

Meatoga released by the Raiders this morning.

[Haynr8dr]

Brutal being a Raiders fan this morning. The snakes are eating the snakes on the Raiders message boards. Looks like I'll have to get yard work done today.

[BigWave96744]

This one is for all you Hawaiian Raiders

[Haynr8dr]

My Private Jet:

[Haynr8dr]

Six Questions with Greg Olson

The Raiders named Greg Olson their new offensive coordinator January 19. Raiders.com had the opportunity to catch up with him for a Q&A.

Raiders.com: What did you know about the history of the Raiders and was that a factor in you coming to coach with the Silver and Black?

Coach Olson: Interesting story – when I was just graduating high school, a long time ago, that was 1981, I had some friends that got a scholarship to the University of Hawaii and went over to visit them and I just happened to be walking the beach and I looked up and saw Al Davis on the beach in Hawaii. I walked up to him and introduced myself at the time because I was a big Raiders fan growing up in the state of Washington. I’ll never forget, he asked me the same question, ‘what do you like most about the Raiders? Why are you a Raiders fan?’ I said, ‘Coach, it’s just the intimidation factor that you guys present when you step on the field.’ And I’ll never forget that conversation. He asked me to sit down. We spoke for about 30 minutes and it really had an impact on me that the owner of the Oakland Raiders would ask me to sit down. But I’ll never forget that question when he asked me, ‘what is it about the Raiders that you like?’ I just felt like at that time for me, growing up there in the ‘70s and early ‘80s, that’s who they were. The Silver and Black, they were a team that was going to intimidate you in their style of play. So I’ve always known about the history of the Raiders.



Raiders.com: So it means something to you to put on the Silver and Black and wear that Shield…

Coach Olson: Oh yeah, and after that I’d gone back and Mr. Davis had sent me a box of Raider gear and he autographed a book on the Raiders that he sent to me. I’ll never forget that, but I look at the history of the Raiders and the players that have played in this organization, the Matuzaks, the Alzados and Willie Brown, just so many, a list of players in my era especially that you look back on and they just had some real special teams. So the history of the Raiders certainly played a part in me wanting to come here.

Raiders.com: How do you approach coaching and what’s your favorite thing about being a coach in the National Football League?

Coach Olson: To me, it’s about teaching. I think I’m a teacher at heart. I think most players, most coaches, most management that have been around me say he’s a teacher first. And really, I got into coaching thinking I was going to be a teacher. My father was a high school coach and a teacher for 37 years. I have a brother that’s a high school coach and a teacher. So I got into coaching thinking I’d be in the teaching field. After dabbling a little bit as a graduate assistant, I kind of got the bug to coach at a higher level. I never had real aspirations initially to coach at this level. I thought it was too far out of reach, but with each success I had at each level of football, I was able to get to the next level. I feel fortunate and blessed that I’m able to coach in the National Football League. I think it’s an honor to be at this level and to coach at the highest level, but I didn’t start out as a 15-year-old kid thinking, ‘I’m going to set a goal to coach in the National Football League.’ I think once I got started in the coaching field, especially at the collegiate level, I would set goals – this is what I’d like to be doing. That’s what I tell people often, some of my fondest memories are coaching at the NAIA level. I’ve had some great experiences in the National Football League and coaching on some good teams and I’ve coached a number of good players, but I’ve always said whether I was coaching a backup quarterback at Central Washington or the starting quarterback for the Oakland Raiders, to me it’s all about teaching and developing players.

The first player I ever recruited and I coached for four years was Jon Kitna and he just retired last summer and I spoke at his retirement. He had a retirement party, his wife put on a surprise retirement party in Tacoma, Washington. I went back and spoke and it was amazing to me, it was 1991 when I recruited Jon out of high school. Again, the memories I have in coaching him and the development and watching him develop from a 16-year old high school kid to a 21-year-old adult was very gratifying to me and to be able to maintain that relationship and friendship through the years. We both kind of chuckled at who would have thought that two guys coming out of Ellensburg, Washington, would be in the National Football League and spend the amount of time that he did certainly, had a tremendous career, and then for me to be in coaching, it’s special.

Raiders.com: What is the most important thing for you as offensive coordinator of the Oakland Raiders to accomplish during the off-season and also Greg Olson as a new coach of the Raiders to accomplish in the off-season?

Coach Olson: First and foremost, we’ve got to identify and gather players. Identify the specific skill set of players that we have so that we can put the in the position to be successful. Whatever skill set that the players on this team currently have and then certainly as we look into the draft and free agency as we’re acquiring talent, is identifying skill set of the players we have so we can mold our offense to that unique set of skills that they possess. So to me that’s what it’s been about in the first couple of weeks here in Oakland is watching a lot of tape, not only from this past season, but the seasons before, to again find out what we think our players do best and to be able to put them in position to be successful.

Raiders.com: What are you most excited about for this coming 2013 season?

Coach Olson: To me it’s about being part of turning it around I think will be the most exciting thing. I’m here because of a 4-12 season. That’s why I’m here so I think there’s a great challenge for me to come in and trying to be a part of turning the record around to win games here with the offensive players that we have acquired and the team we will acquire. To me it’s a tremendous challenge and a tremendous opportunity.

Raiders.com: What does the Raider Nation need to know about Greg Olson?

Coach Olson: I think, number one, I’m a very competitive person. I’m a person that was not a silver-spoon fed; I’ve gotten here based on my merits, based on my hard work and preparation and I think they’ll know that they’ll get that from me – a lot of hard work. The team is going to be well prepared to play in the National Football League. The team is going to be a tough team, both physically and mentally tough, I stand for that. They’re going to get a teacher and someone who is going to put the players on the Raiders team in a position to be successful and develop their unique set of skills, whatever that may be.

[Haynr8dr]

From Maui to the Raiders!

ALAMEDA, Calif. » Maui's Kaluka Maiava got both his wish and a good payday in signing a $6 million, three-year free agent contract to play linebacker for the Oakland Raiders on Wednesday.

Maiava, a Baldwin High graduate, said Oakland was the first team to contact his agent when the free agent signing period began. "My ears definitely perked up when my agent told me about Oakland being interested," Maiava told a media conference call. "I already came in with high hopes and, fortunately, got a deal done. I'm very excited about it."

Maiava said, "Coming into it, I always grew up a Raiders fan. Being from the islands, we always watched the Raiders and San Fran games, so it was definitely a team I was familiar with."

Maiava was a fourth-round selection of the Cleveland Browns out of USC in 2009. He started 13 games for the Browns last season and played in 50 games over four seasons with Cleveland.

The signing of Maiava came along with the additions of defensive tackle Pat Sims and defensive end Jason Hunter as the Raiders sought to rebuild their defense.

In him, Maiava said the Raiders are, "getting a tough guy. I pride myself on being one of the tougher players and I'm here to win."

Maiava said, "I'm a hard-nosed guy. I come to work every day and lead by example. I'm not a 'rah-rah' guy leading with speeches."

The addition of Maiava, Sims and Hunter comes a day after Oakland lost three of the team's most productive defenders from last year when they released defensive back Michael Huff and lost free agent linebacker Philip Wheeler to Miami and defensive lineman Desmond Bryant to Cleveland.

"We're excited to add three veterans through free agency, helping to create depth and competition on defense," general manager Reggie McKenzie said. "We'll continue to add free agents as the opportunity surfaces."

Oakland has only four returning defensive starters under contract in safety Tyvon Branch, linebacker Miles Burris and defensive linemen Lamarr Houston and Tommy Kelly. But Kelly could still be released as a salary cap casualty this offseason.

Oakland ranked 18th in total defense and 28th in scoring defense last year in coach Dennis Allen's first season in charge but showed signs of improvement late in the year that led to the decision to bring back coordinator Jason Tarver for a second season.

Tarver will have to work in quite a few new players into his scheme. All three of the new players will likely be in the mix for starting jobs with Maiava expected to replace Wheeler at outside linebacker after Wheeler got a $26 million, five-year deal from Miami with $13 million guaranteed.

Maiava started 13 games last season for Cleveland with 30 solo tackles, two sacks, two forced fumbles and three passes defensed. Maiava has played 50 games over four seasons with the Browns after being a fourth-round pick out of Southern California.

Hunter spent the past three seasons in Denver, sitting out last year with a triceps injury that shut him down shortly after he worked his way into the starting lineup in training camp. Hunter said he is fully recovered and will be ready to participate in the offseason program when it starts in April.

"I'm a hungry player right now," he said. "I have a lot to prove. My actions are going to show it."

Hunter has familiarity with both McKenzie and Allen. He played the first three years of his career in Green Bay where McKenzie worked in the front office. He then played in Denver in 2011 when Allen was defensive coordinator.

Hunter said he was excited as soon as his agent told him the Raiders were interested in signing him.

"It feels great," he said. "It feels like you're wanted and you can come in and contribute. That's a great feeling. It's like family. I'm excited. I'm looking forward to getting out to Oakland and back to work."

Hunter has 11 sacks, three forced fumbles and six fumble recoveries in 88 career games with Green Bay, Detroit and Denver. He began his career as an outside linebacker but Allen moved him to defensive end in 2011.

Sims played just eight games last season for Cincinnati after beginning the year on the physically unable to perform list with a hamstring injury. He had 12 solo tackles and one interception as a reserve. He has five sacks in 60 career games.

The Raiders also re-signed defensive back Coye Francies to a one-year, $630,000 deal after letting him become a free agent when they didn't tender him a contract.

Francies played mostly on special teams in his first season with the Raiders when he got only 11 snaps on defense. Francies averaged 23.8 yards on his 20 kick returns and also played on coverage units for Oakland.