Should Mark Davis move the Oakland Raiders back to L.A.? [Poll]

Oakland Raiders owner Mark Davis wants a new stadium for his team. The Raiders still have a large fan base in the Los Angeles area, where there could be one or more new facilities built in the near future.

Sounds as if it could be a natural fit, an observation that is not lost on Davis. The Times' Sam Farmer reported Tuesday the Raiders organization has had conversations with L.A. stadium groups about a possible relocation back to the city the team called home from 1982-94.

The Raiders are already in a state of transition with a new owner (Davis took over after the death of his father, Al Davis, back in October), a new general manager (former Green Bay Packers front office man Reggie McKenzie was hired this week) and soon a new coach (Hue Jackson was fired Tuesday after one season).

Of course, L.A. isn't the only place where a new stadium could be built. Plus, Commissioner Roger Goodell has already indicated that no team will be relocating to L.A. in 2012.

And Davis really wants that new stadium ASAP.

"The timetable is yesterday," Davis said. "So that's where it is. We've got to get a stadium. We've got to get that done."

What do you think? Would you like to see the silver and black back in L.A.? Vote in the poll, then leave a comment explaining why you voted the way you did.

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-- Chuck Schilken

Photo: Mark Davis. Credit: Marcio Jose Sanchez / Associated Press

Report: Hue Jackson fired by Raiders

Hue Jackson has been fired by the Oakland Raiders after one season as head coach, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, who cites an NFL source.

The Raiders were 8-8 under Jackson and missed the playoffs, losing four of their final five games. They would have won the AFC West, however, had they been able to beat San Diego in Week 17. The Chargers, who were already out of the playoff picture, eliminated Oakland with a 38-26 win at Oakland.

A text message to Jackson on Tuesday morning was not immediately returned.

Jackson replaced Tom Cable as coach and looked to be among the most powerful coaches in the league after the October death of Raiders owner Al Davis, seeing as the franchise had no general manager.

But on Friday, the Raiders hired Green Bay executive Reggie McKenzie as general manager, and McKenzie  -- a former Raiders linebacker -- officially began his new job Tuesday. He reportedly planned to evaluate the coaching situation. McKenzie and Jackson have the same agent.

After the season-ending loss to the Chargers, Jackson had ripped the team to the media, saying he was very angry at his players.

“At some point in time, as a group of men, you go in the game and you can say whatever you want about coaches, you win the game. Here's your time. Here's your time to make some plays,” Jackson said at the time. “We didn't get them stopped and we didn't make enough plays. Yeah, I'm [ticked] at the team. Like I tell them, I always put it on me, but I am [ticked] at my team because when you have those kind of opportunities, you've got to do it and we didn't do it.”

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Can Tim Tebow lead the Denver Broncos to the AFC Championship?

-- Sam Farmer

Photo: Hue Jackson. Credit: Thomas B. Shea / Getty Images

Carson Palmer talks to Shannon Sharpe for CBS

Former USC quarterback Carson Palmer will be featured on the CBS show "The NFL Today" on Sunday and will be interviewed by Shannon Sharpe.

Palmer is getting ready for his second game as a quarterback of the Oakland Raiders, who play the Denver Broncos in a game that will feature two former star college quarterbacks who are trying to silence critics (Tim Tebow, remember him?).

The show begins at 9 a.m. PDT.

After spending eight seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals, Palmer said he would retire rather than play for the team this year and Palmer stayed retired until Oct. 18, when he was traded to the Raiders. After only five days with the Raiders, he made his debut in the second half against the Kansas City Chiefs and had three passes intercepted.

But Oakland did not have a game in Week 8 and now Palmer has had two weeks to get ready for what is expected to be his first Raiders start Sunday. The Raiders are 4-3 and tied with Kansas City and San Diego for the AFC West division lead. 

-- Diane Pucin

Carson Palmer, Jason Campbell caught in whirlwind with Raiders

Carson Palmer and Jason Campbell are two examples of just how fast things can change in the world of the NFL.

On Sunday afternoon, Campbell was in the midst of reviving both his career as an NFL quarterback and the fortunes of the Oakland Raiders. Meanwhile, Palmer was at home, refusing to play for the team that employed him and considering himself to be retired.

Then suddenly Campbell broke his collarbone late in the first half against Cleveland, and everything was turned upside down. Two days later, Palmer was introduced as the Raiders' new quarterback and Campbell is left to wonder if he will ever suit up for the team again.

“I went to bed at 10:30 a retired football player and got a text message at 4 a.m. and was told to get on a plane to Oakland,” said Palmer, who has been sitting out all season and had said he'd never play for the Cincinnati Bengals again. "So it's been a whirlwind."

Campbell had surgery Monday, and while he was confident he'd be back in as little as six weeks, others fear he's out for the season. With just Kyle Boller and rookie Terrelle Pryor as the only other quarterbacks on the roster, Oakland Coach Hue Jackson acted fast, turning to a player he helped recruit at USC.

"I know his passion," Jackson said of Palmer. "I know his dedication to the game. What's gone on for Carson at Cincinnati is over. The time is now and that's what I'm going to worry about.”

The Raiders gave up a lot to get the 32-year-old Palmer -- a first-round draft pick in 2012 and a conditional second-round pick in 2013 that could become a first-rounder. But Jackson called it "the greatest trade in football."

“I know a lot of people think we've mortgaged the future of the organization,” Jackson said. “I don't see it that way. I don't think you ever mortgage the future of an organization when you're putting a real big-time franchise quarterback on your team.”

Palmer, 6-foot-5 and 236 pounds, is a classic downfield thrower, although an elbow injury in 2008 may have affected his arm strength.

But, he said, “I've been throwing and my arm feels as good as it ever has. I feel confident in it. It's my job to answer that question. The only way I can do that is on the field, throwing it.”

Palmer reportedly agreed to a restructured contract that would pay him $2.5 million this season, $12.5 million in 2012, $13 million in 2013 and $15 million in 2014, with $7.5 million guaranteed next season.

Where all this leaves Campbell -- the man who led the Raiders to a surprising 4-2 start -- is unclear. But it probably isn't in Oakland, at least not for much longer. His contract is up at the end of the year, so his days with the team may have been numbered anyway.

But at least he got a chance to put on a pretty good audition for another team during the first six weeks of this season.

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-- Chuck Schilken

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Photos, from left: Carson Palmer (Credit: Marcio Jose Sanchez / Associated Press); Jason Campbell (Paul Sakuma / Associated Press).

Oakland Raiders promote Hue Jackson to head coach

Hue Jackson will take over as head coach of the Raiders, the team announced Monday.

Jackson, who was the offensive coordinator at USC from 1997-2000, took over as Oakland's offensive coordinator this season and helped the team double its scoring from 2009 to 25.6 points in 2010, sixth best in the NFL. The Raiders finished with an 8-8 record to break a streak of seven consecutive losing seasons. He was widely considered a leading candidate to replace Tom Cable, whose option was not renewed earlier this month.

This is Jackson's first head coaching position at the college or pro level. The Los Angeles native previously was an offensive coordinator for the Atlanta Falcons and Washington Redskins as well as California.

"The fire in Hue will set a flame that will burn for a long time in the hearts and minds of the Raider football team and the Raider Nation," owner Al Davis said in a statement.

Tight end Zach Miller gave credit to Jackson for helping turn the Oakland offense around.

"We were pretty bad last year on offense," Miller said of 2009. "To have a turnaround like that is a great credit to our players and coach Jackson."

--Dan Loumena

Associated Press contributed to this report.

Photo: Raiders quarterback Bruce Gradkowski talks to Hue Jackson, then offensive coordinator, during a game against the Arizona Cardinals last season. Credit: Kirby Lee / US Presswire

Raiders owner Al Davis praises late Yankees owner George Steinbrenner

Raiders owner Al Davis released a statement Wednesday sharing his thoughts on his friend George Steinbrenner, the Yankees owner who died Tuesday at 80.

Some of Davis' comments about Steinbrenner:

-- "He was a friend and a warrior. We not only shared a birthday (July 4, one year apart), but also an unyielding will to win and an unparalleled commitment to excellence."

-- "I judge sports figures based on individual achievement, team achievement and contributions to the game. George was right up there with me at No. 1 -- bright, aggressive and, most of all, not afraid."

-- "When the Yankees were going through the lean times in the '80s and after we beat the Redskins in the Super Bowl in Tampa, George and I would talk and I would pep him up. Later on, he did the same for me when Tampa beat us in the Super Bowl."

-- Chuck Schilken

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Left photo: Al Davis in 1999. Credit: John David Mercer / Associated Press

Right photo: George Steinbrenner in 1997. Credit: Ray Stubblebine / Reuters

Can you believe this one? A cruise for Raiders fans

The Oakland Raiders have come up with an interesting idea for their fans. It's called the Raidercruise, a seven-day cruise aboard Royal Caribbean's Mariner of the Seas.

It leaves from Los Angeles on May 2 and makes three stops along the Mexican Riviera.

Now comes the big questions.

How many security guards will be aboard? Will the Mexican government be on alert for each port call? Will Al Davis have new sweat suit? Will real pirates make an appearance?

-- Eric Sondheimer

Disgruntled Raiders fans unveil message to Al Davis

Approaching the seventh anniversary of the last notable moment in Raiders' history, it appears some disgruntled fans have decided to do something other than hide behind their Darth Vader masks.

A group of Raiders fans have pooled their money and frustration to start the website MessageToAl.com. And on Tuesday the group unveiled a message to Raiders owner Al Davis on a billboard near the Oakland Coliseum on Interstate 880.

Though most Raiders fans would probably support the billboard's demand, I'm not so sure the eccentric owner would go along with it (provided, of course, he even sees it).

Until Davis somehow realizes he no longer has all (if any) of the answers, the Raiders will be waiting quite a while for that next great moment in franchise history.

-- Austin Knoblauch

Photo: Disgruntled Raiders fans unveiled a billboard message to Al Davis. Credit: Paul Sakuma / Associated Press

Napa DA to announce decision on Tom Cable today

Napa County District Atty. Gary Lieberstein will announce later today whether he will file charges against Oakland Raiders Coach Tom Cable for allegedly attacking one of his assistant coaches.

Lieberstein told the Associated Press he will announce his decision sometime after 2 p.m. PDT.

Cable is accused of assaulting Randy Hanson during a team meeting on Aug. 5. Hanson suffered a broken jaw in the incident.

Hanson has cooperated with investigators after initially choosing not to tell the police about how he broke his jaw.

-- Austin Knoblauch

Photo: Oakland Coach Tom Cable. Credit: Jed Jacobsohn /  Getty Images

Raiders coaches -- Pride, Poise and Punches

The Raiders tried a different approach to start training camp this summer: the players went four days without hitting.

Evidently, the same cannot be said of the coaches.

According to a report by FanHouse, which cites unnamed NFL sources, Raiders Coach Tom Cable punched defensive assistant Randy Hanson in the face, possibly breaking his jaw.

The FanHouse report came on the heels of one by the National Football Post on its website that broke the news of the Aug. 5 incident and identified Hanson, but did not name who threw the punch. The report said the altercation took place at the Napa Valley Marriott, where the Raiders hold training camp.

A police report was taken at Napa's Queen of the Valley hospital, but police spokesman Lt. Brian McGovern told FanHouse that the alleged victim did not want to press charges. McGovern told the website that police consider the matter closed at this point "unless we are re-contacted by the victim, and the victim changes their mind that they want us to follow through and pursue an investigation. At this point we're not doing anything else with it."

-- Sam Farmer

Photo: Oakland Raiders coach Tom Cable, left, defensive assistant Randy Hanson. Photo credit: Associated Press.

Lane Kiffin could be in trouble with NCAA again; Raiders call him a liar

Former USC assistant Lane Kiffin, now head coach at Tennessee, continues to struggle with the rule book. Tennessee, according to the Associated Press, has reported four minor recruiting violations to the NCAA since Kiffin was hired late last year.

The most recent came today after ESPN's "Outside the Lines" on Sunday included a segment showing Kiffin in his office with two high school recruits.

That would be a violation of NCAA recruiting rule 13.10.1, which states: “A member institution shall not permit a media entity to be present during any recruiting contact made by an institution’s coaching staff member.”

The ESPN program also included a statement from the Oakland Raiders, who fired Kiffin in September. The two sides are in litigation over pay Kiffin claims he is owed.

“Lane Kiffin is a flat-out liar. He lied to the team, he lied to the fans, and he lied to the media,” the Raiders’ statement said. “He will try to destroy that university like he tried to destroy the Raiders, and will eventually clash with [women’s basketball coach Pat] Summitt and [men’s basketball coach Bruce] Pearl.”

The university had no comment about the statement to the Associated Press.

-- Randy Harvey

Photo: Rocky Top? More like rocky start for Lane Kiffin at Tennessee. Credit: Wade Payne / Associated Press