The Case for Optimism

The commenting system here is a bit wonky right now, suddenly limiting viewable comments to 200 total per take. The most recent take is up to 197 comments as of this writing, so while I don't really have a fresh take, I'm creating a new post to keep the conversation going.

Many of the comments lately relate to questioning my, and others', optimism regarding the state and direction of the Oakland Raiders as of January 28, 2012.

Personally, I don't get it. NY Raider summed it up pretty succinctly: "In simple terms, the Raiders are now doing what many of us very much wanted Al Davis to do while he was still alive. Now folks are upset by the fact that we're happy to have Mark Davis and Reggie McKenzie provide us with the very process and structure we've been begging for. Bizarre!"

Optimism is opinion, not fact. It's choosing to believe in a good outcome out of many possible outcomes. I am optimistic and believe that we are on the right track. Why do I believe that we are on the right track? Let me reiterate:

-We had a hole at GM that we needed to fill.

-Mark Davis sought the counsel of Ron Wolf and John Madden.

-Benefiting from that counsel, he hired Reggie McKenzie; some say that Al Davis had instructed his son to pursue McKenzie if necessary.

-McKenzie's credentials are unquestioned at this point. He comes from one of the NFL's most successful organizations, and I've heard no one question his resume or abilities.

-McKenzie considered numerous head coaching candidates from far and wide, if reports are to be believed, and ultimately chose Dennis Allen.

-I know very little about Dennis Allen, but I like what I am hearing. Again, look at McKenzie's credentials, then tell me why I shouldn't be confident that he found a strong coach for us.

-Allen breaks the mold of offensive-minded head coaches for the Raiders, and since defense is our main weakness, the timing is perfect. I think that this will be a wake-up call for players who may have been slacking under Bresnehan's watch.

-Now Allen is assembling his staff, as it should be. I'm not going to spend my afternoon on the Internet researching and pretending that I have great insights into who should fill out the staff. I have no reason to believe that the process of Davis-Wolf-Madden selecting McKenzie, and McKenzie selecting Allen, is suddenly going to break down with awful decisions in filling out the coaching staff.

I think these guys know what they're doing. That makes me optimistic. I am more bullish on the Raiders than I've been in many years. Al Davis pulled us out of the abyss, and now his son and his team are going to finish the job and build a long-term winner. That's my take, and I'm sticking to it until further notice to the contrary.

P.S. OTB made a suggestion for Raider Take in the previous comments section: "I think a good ground rule might be, if I may be so bold, to encourage more news and less PowerPasting of poster quotes."

I don't know about PowerPasting. I will say that I've always viewed this place as more of a social experiment than a news site. It's my diary sharing my thoughts on the state of the Raiders, and you all get to scribble on it, and over time it has become more of a collective diary and a vivid reflection of the diversity, colorfulness, intelligence and craziness of the Raider Nation at large.

I could spend 10 minutes every morning regurgitating news that is easily found on dozens of other sites and blogs, but that seems pointless to me. I could spend 30 minutes or an hour per day analyzing the news and developing more thoughtful takes on a more regular basis, but I don't really have the time or inclination to do so.

So, alas, you're sort of stuck with the quirky, intermittent and unapologetic nature of Raider Take as it is, should you decide to stick around. Personally, I enjoy everyone here, including those who argue with me all the time. It keeps me on my toes, and it's sort of a like a neighborhood tavern where we might all have one too many and start throwing chairs, but we'll be back the next day buying each other a beer.

That's not to say that things don't get out of hand sometimes, and all I can do is ask that folks refrain from profanity, personal attacks, etc. But I'm not in the censorship business, so the comments section will benefit, as always, from self-policing when things get out of hand.

So there you have it, can I buy you a pint?