"Scumbags!"

I had expected the long-awaited Letterman/Oprah interview to be the highlight of Thursday night TV, but like so many things, it failed to live up to the hype. Dave went into the fawning mode he usually saves for beautiful young starlets, and even Oprah seemed shocked by what a straight interview it was. ("Thank you for being nice to me.")

Instead, the best moment came on "Survivor," when Judd proved once and for all what a poor sportsmanship he was. After saying minutes earlier in Tribal Council that getting voted out wasn't personal, just business, when he discovered that he had been voted out, his anger management problems bubbled over again and he called all the other players "Scumbags!" (Between this and that "Daily Show" interview with our governor a few nights ago, I've never been prouder to be from Jersey.) Not since "Survivor: All-Stars," when Lex told his backstabbed pal Ethan to learn to lose with a little class, then became the sorest loser of all after his pal Boston Rob did the same thing to him, has a contestant been this big a jackass at their exit.

Since I didn't watch anything else last night (I didn't realize "The O.C." was new, and upon realizing that I'd missed it, didn't feel that bad), a few other "Survivor" observations:

• Cindy's identical twin sister is named Mindy? That's some good parenting right there. And seeing the two of them sitting next to each other and looking very different was one of the better reminders of the physical toll the show takes on people.
  
• Unless they edited a lot out, this was the first food auction I can remember where all the contestants didn't wind up getting some grub. Weird, since the whole point of it is to prevent a lot of late-in-the-game whining about how everyone's too tired and hungry to do anything interesting. But if this is really all that happened, then Danni had a genius performance: she gets the two major sources of protein (the jerky and the steak sandwich), plus the clue that allowed her to stick around.
  
• I can't believe how much I despise Stephenie this time around. It's so obvious that what we thought of as pluck and grit in Palau ("I can't believe how much I'm losing") was actually her enormous sense of entitlement, which has been allowed to flower by her position in this game.
  

• In all, this is turning out to be a better season than I'd expected. Not remotely in the class of Australia, the Amazon, Pearl Islands or the original, but certainly a step up from Africa or Thailand or Vanuatu.

Two links: My review of "Sleeper Cell," and my column on NBC's scheduling moves.

Great Moments in Raiders History

The 2000 AFC Championship Game

The Raiders, in their third year under Jon Gruden, looked like they had finally put it all together notching a 12-4 record in 2000 and having the third best offense in the league. The Raiders clinched home-field advantage and seemed like a lock to reach their first Super Bowl since 1983 until Tony Siragusa knocked out quarterback Rich Gannon with a belly flop.

For once, the fat ass was good for something.

The injury ended Gannon�s day and the Raiders season as some fans felt it was a cheap shot by the NFL�s worst current commentator (now that Michael Irvin is suspended). Was it a cheap shot? Was it dirty?

You bet your ass it was. That is what made is so sweet. The Raiders have this �rough-and-tumble� imagine, the persona that they commit all of these unnecessary roughness penalties. And yet, there they were crying because the Ravens defensive tackle was a little mean to their quarterback. Share some of your greatest moments in Raiders history in the Hater Nation Forums.

The Hater Nation Remembers

The clutch plays of Tim Brown.

We have been too harsh on Tim Brown. It is hard to talk bad about a future Hall of Fame receiver that led the league in receptions once, and never led the league in receiving yards or touchdowns. The dude was just that dominant.

But nobody could match Brown in the clutch. Brown was at his best when it mattered the most. When you think of Tim Brown, which clutch playoff moment do you think about? Do you think about his three career playoff touchdowns in 12 games? (Brown and the immortal Don Beebe are only 19 playoff touchdowns behind Jerry Rice.)

Maybe it was his 2 receptions for 17 yards in Buffalo�s 51-3 route of the Raiders. It was as if Brown had put the Raiders on his shoulders and led them to that field goal.

Brown was instrumental as the Raiders prevailed over the Dolphins, 27-0, in 2000. Yes , an actual Raiders playoff victory. It is hard to believe that he did not get the game ball in that one after making 2 receptions for 27 yards. (That is ten more yards than the game in Buffalo).

But my favorite Brown playoff moment was his lone reception, for nine yards, in a Super Bowl loss to the Buccaneers. In the biggest game of Brown's career, he came up woefully short. Just as he always had during his NFL career.

The dude averaged less than 4 receptions for 48 yards in 12 postseason games. Brown topped more than 100 receiving yards only once during that stretch. Brown stepped it up a notch in a game against arguably the greatest defense in NFL history (2000 Baltimore Ravens). He had 5 receptions for 48 yards �and no touchdowns. When Brown was pitted one-on-one against the greatest defense he had ever seen, he pushed his total up from his average of 4 to 5. That is clutch. If that does not spell clutch to you, then you are just a hater that does not realize just how great the Raiders are.

Congratulations Tim Brown. It is no wonder you won that fist full of rings with the Raiders.

You can read about Tim Brown's credentials here, or his induction in the Hall of Average. Keep up the discussion in the Hater Nation Forums.