FSM Presents: The Raiders Realist - Carl Nassib's Powerful Liberation

FSM Presents: The Raiders Realist – Carl Nassib’s Powerful Liberation

Franchise Sports Media

 

In lieu of anything major, I felt compelled to just do some quick observations of the things I have seen over the past four weeks, with the big story that is not really a story first.

Raiders defensive end Carl Nassib made a statement that he is gay. A truly progressive world would see this is as a non-event because men and women should be free to be whoever and whatever the hell they want in their personal/private lives.

Some online idiots are like, “of course it is the Raiders,” as if it is meant to be disparaging, and I’m like, YES, IT IS! The Raiders, the first team to draft a Black quarterback in the first round (Eldridge Dickey in 1968). The first team to hire a Latino head coach in Hall of Famer Tom Flores, then the first Black head coach in the modern era 10 years later in Hall of Famer Art Shell.

The first and still and only team with a female CEO in Amy Trask. Legendary late Raiders owner Al Davis would’ve been told this and said something to the effect of, “well, does that help him rush da passah any bettah?!”

 

And THAT is precisely why I love this team. The people he hired didn’t make Al a saint. It just meant treating the world as it is and daring to try and push towards what it should be: A place truly where the best people have opportunities and all capable ones actually get them.

As a proud former US Marine with two very good friends who were closeted gay men because of the military’s “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” policy, if a man is willing to take a bullet for you, who he likes/loves is irrelevant. To be honest, we spent more time giving them cover to find time with their partners. I just happen to feel it is irrelevant even if that person ISN’T taking a bullet for me.

So yes, as much I would like to downplay this story out of the hope that it simply should not be big right now, that is not possible. We are not always in a progressive world, and being the first openly gay NFL player on a roster is absolutely gigantic news even in 2021. Props to Carl Nassib for making an announcement on his terms and for the generally positive response to it. Nice to see there is still hope for us as human beings sometimes.

Moving on.

 

Trevon Moehrig signed his rookie contract Monday, making him the fifth of the seven 2021 picks to ink a deal. Just Malcolm Koonce and Divine Deablo remain. Formalities, but again, that is where we are at in June people.

 

Minicamp had an encouragingly high turnout with 81-83 of the 89 players that were on the roster consistently available. That’s solid. But let me be clear about how I feel about minicamp, offseason team activities (aka OTA’s), training camp, preseason, etc.: It does not really matter. I SAID IT. It doesn’t matter as much as one vital thing, and that’s staying healthy.

Do not get me wrong, it is cool to hear positive feedback about young players and rookies. But it is meaningless. If a guy shines in that setting but gets torched on the field, it never meant anything anyway in the big picture. So I will repeat what I said, it does not matter. Stay healthy fellas, this team will need all hands on deck to overachieve to the playoffs in 2021. In my humble opinion.

Somehow, there was anger from some people over the fact that Raiders quarterback Derek Carr stated that he would probably retire than play for another team if he happened to be traded. And that is clearly based on the fact that we just have an anti-Carr sect of Raider Nation that is bound and determined to find fault with anything the man does. It is beyond addressing at this point. I have said what I’m going to say about this.

But I have time, so I will. The man just openly did what some of you completely excoriated Khalil Mack and Trent Brown and Amari Cooper for not doing: showing love for this franchise and a clear intended desire to be here and play for this team. That some of you would conflate his desire to be here with anything other than that is honestly a little sad. I cannot say it any more plainly than that.

 

Speaking of quarterbacks, no matter how improbable it is in reality, in the world of football gossip and speculation, the Raiders remain linked potentially to Aaron Rodgers should the Green Bay Packers choose to trade him.

 

Clearly, in the betting world, Rodgers would make the Raiders a more sexy pick, as demonstrated by the following betting lines, courtesy of Sportsbettingdime.com:

• Rodgers MVP odds with Packers +1100, Raiders +1250, Broncos +1350
• Rodgers 2021 team: Packers +125, Broncos +250, field +585, Raiders +700.
• Raiders odds to win Super Bowl with Rodgers 13-1. Without Rodgers 70-1.
• The Raiders win total with Rodgers 10.5. Without Rodgers 8.
• Henry Ruggs III receiving yards total with Rodgers 899.5. Without Rodgers 775.5
• Jon Gruden Coach of the Year odds with Rodgers 9-1. Without Rodgers 18-1.

The harsh truth is, Rodgers is more likely to be dealt to Denver, a franchise with a clear recent history of acquiring an all-time great QB at the end of his career and a GM/coaching combo in John Elway and Vic Fangio willing to invest the capital required to trade for a superstar of Rodgers’ vast caliber. So again, I have to say it, but A-Rod to Sin City is not happening.

 

I’ll be back with the other FSM writers to start a position breakdown of the Raiders roster during traning camp. Stay locked in with Franchise Sports Media for all your Raiders coverage.

 

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CJ Baldwin – Franchise Sports Media

Follow CJ on Twitter @ManusBaldSpot

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