The Post Mortem

�You didn�t have time for golf; you didn�t have time for family; you had only time for one thing�Raiders silver and black football.� � Al Davis during his induction speech for John Madden.

Obviously the Raiders didn't have a lot of time for beating the Steelers, either. Everybody recognizes that the 1970s Raiders were one of the most overrated clubs in the history of football, right? For all the bluster and hyperbole, the Raiders won only one Super Bowl during the 1970s.

One.

To put it into perspective for the kids. Imagine if the Baltimore Ravens got together 30 years from now, and crowed that they were better than this era's New England Patriots. That was the Raiders during the 1970s. A one-hit wonder that inexplicably has received nine inductions into the Hall of Fame.

All for one Super Bowl title.

While Madden was up there rambling like a drunk uncle at Thanksgiving, being one of the only people in the world who can make Davis seem lucid, he should have given a shout out to Tom Flores who actually won a couple of titles while Madden was hocking Ace Hardware.

And seriously, was that the longest Madden has ever gone without pitching a product?

• Madden likes to pretend that he wasn't inducted into the Hall earlier because voters thought he would come out of retirement to coach. Sorry John, they were too polite to let you know that your coaching credentials were not good enough. You had to go the extra mile with your inane ramblings and video game. But those with NFL knowledge understand it was his appearance in The Replacements that pushed him over the top.
  

• Is it too soon to label the Aaron Brooks era a bust? The team went three-and-out on its first two possessions and Brooks' interception halted the third drive (at least they got a first down). That play could have been challenged as it look iffy, but why would coach Art Shell want to protect his quarterback? The club had a penalty on its second play from scrimmage, highlighting the emphasis on "Raiders football." Randy Moss was used as a blocker on the first play from scrimmage. Yeah, the old Raiders way is back, if winning 13 games in three seasons is considered Raiders football. Normally, fans watch preseason games with baited breathing, hoping that the quarterback does not get injured. Not Raiders fans.
  

• The Eagles looked pretty impressive in its opening drive. Wait until they do it against a real NFL team to get too excited.
  

• Harry Carson, in the Pro Football Hall of Fame? Are you serious? Lil' Hater nailed it here. Carson said that he had asked the Hall of Fame voters to no longer consider him for the honor. At least he knew how overrated he was. They should have listened.
  

• Carson is discredited with being the creator of the Gatorade dump. He should have been kept out of the Hall for that alone, along with being an average linebacker. The world could have done without the image of Bill Parcells in a wet sweater.
  

• It's a shame Reggie White was not alive to receive his induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Could you imagine that speech? How many people could have offended with that? Just imagine his ramblings; "Fat white coaches with mustaches are blessed with the gift of calling a great offensive game." Except, of course, for Andy Reid.
  

• Greg Kinnear as Dick Vermeil on the silver screen? Hopefully he can cry on cue.
  

AND FINALLY
The new Sunday Night broadcast on NBC looks pretty good. And to think, it only took until the third quarter for Madden and Al Michaels to start drooling over the Manning brothers. That promo of the two brothers with Cris Collinsworth was horrible.

If you missed it, Collinsworth asked the two brothers to impersonate each other after interceptions or missing a receiver. The two brothers are so devoid of any charisma, they looked painfully uncomfortable trying to do anything improvisational. Collinsworth should have asked, �Hey Peyton, do an impersonation of Eli refusing to play for the team that drafted him. Hey Eli, do an impression of Peyton after he has lost another playoff game.� That would have been cool.

It's good to have football back.