warum » Pplayoffs. Im a fan of consistency and, the

It took GM Reggie McKenzie two years to clean up the mess left in Oakland by former Raiders owner Al Davis. For everything Davis did for the franchise in its 54-year existence, the team was floundering under him late in his time presiding over the team. When McKenzie was hired in early 2012, he probably circled March 11, 2014 on his calendar. He knew it would take two years to complete the teams much needed deconstruction, and it wouldnt be until March this year – the opening of free agency – that the Raiders would have a shot at actually building a sustainable winner. But what happens when you have all the money to spend, but nothing to spend it on? The answer, apparently, is to load up on aging veterans in a weak free agent crop, hoping they have enough gas to elevate the roster to competitiveness while at the same time mentor the fairly barren corps of young players who will one day, hopefully, form the nucleus of a winner. The list of free agents whose motors at this stage in their careers are justifiably questioned is a long one, but it doubles as the list of players who will determine the Raiders ultimate fate this season, so McKenzie needs this gamble to pay off. Matt Schaub, Maurice Jones-Drew, Donald Penn, Justin Tuck, Lamar Woodley, Antonio Smith, and Carlos Rogers will all be leaned on for one – or two – last strong seasons to bridge the gap while the Raiders build up their crop of young talent. For their part, the veterans are saying all the right things. Phrases like “playing motivated” and “chip on our shoulder” have been thrown around a lot in Oakland leading up to the season. The reality is that the Raiders should be more competitive this year, but still nowhere near able to challenge for a playoff spot, especially in the tough AFC West. McKenzie and company feel strongly Schaub wont repeat his disastrous 2013 campaign, in which he broke the record for consecutive games throwing a pick-six, but its unrealistic to think the 33-year-old will recapture the magic of his 2009 or 2010 season. Other vets brought in, such as pass rushers Tuck, Woodley, and Smith, are too talented to completely fall off a cliff, the three combining for 21 total sacks just last season. And at running back, so long as Jones-Drew and Darren McFadden alternate their weeks on the sideline with injuries, theres hope for the running game as well. Its nearly impossible for the future to not look brighter than the past in Oakland, while young talents like Khalil Mack and Derek Carr give the fans tangible reasons to get excited. But the future may still be a couple years away. The last two years were the deconstruction period, the next could very well be the rebuilding phase. Adidas Ultra Boost Cheap Sale .com) - Manu Ginobili capped off a 26-point night with a go-ahead layup with 24 seconds left in overtime, with the basket giving the San Antonio Spurs a much-needed 95-93 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans. Adidas Ultra Boost Outlet Store . - Chelseas 1-0 win at the Etihad, spoiling Manchester Citys perfect home record continues to be the talking point of the week. http://www.cheapultraboost.net/ . Bobrovsky posted a 2-0-1 record with a 1.58 goals-against average and .950 save percentage to help the Blue Jackets (35-26-6) gain five of a possible six points last week. He capped the week by making 32 saves and stopping 2-of-4 shootout attempts in a 2-1 win over the Minnesota Wild on Saturday. Adidas Ultra Boost Clearance Sale . The Toronto Blue Jays general manager made a series of bold moves that reshaped the club ahead of what would turn out to be a disastrous 2013 campaign. Ultra Boost Cheap Real . "Im proud, obviously. Its been a long day, but now Im a Crystal Palace player, Im very happy," Bannan said. "The seasons been started now for a couple of weeks and Ive not featured at Villa.FIVE QUICK HOOPS THOUGHTS: 1. FLIP SAUNDERS (Timberwolves): Im not the least bit surprised that he appointed himself as head coach after his search concluded. The president had the most successful run of any coach in franchise history and is a good fit at this stage. The fact that hes got lots of power in the organization will help him in the locker room because players will know that the buck stops with him. That always helps a coach. 2. NBA FINALS FORMAT: I love the fact that the NBA has gone with the 2-2-1-1-1 traditional format. Im a huge believer that the finalist that had the better regular season deserves to be able to host that critical Game 5. This was a smart move to get in line with the demands of the fans and most coaches and executives. 3. NBA REFEREES: You can say what you want about officials and I have a tendency to mildly voice my opinion from time to time (haha) about them, but on the whole they do a terrific job and the playoffs are really difficult to call. I really like what the league has done this year with trying to keep officiating crews together during the Pplayoffs. Im a fan of consistency and, the more a crew woorks together, the more cohesive they become.dddddddddddd It helps a great deal and it not only makes sense, but its smart. 4. ABC ANNOUNCERS: I absolutely love listening to Mike Breen, Jeff Van Gundy, Mark Jackson and Doris Burke. Insightful, prepared, enthusiastic and entertaining - a really enjoyable listen that enhances the experience of watching the game and helps promote the sport. Just like the Spurs and Heat on the floor, this is the best game broadcast team in hoops. Theres a nice balance of opinion and strategy brought each telecast. For me, a joy to listen to. 5. RASHARD LEWIS (Heat): Lewis dropped 14 points in Game #2 and its nice having veteran experience on the floor. His perimeter shot-making ability is critical and he gives them better size to deal with the Spurs penetration and post-ups in the paint. Hes got a ton of big game experience and it showed in a huge win for Miami. LeBron was brilliant, yet you must have unsung heroes to help complement the stars. This is a guy on many nights this season was a DNP or barely played. Lewis is a true pro whos ready when called upon. ' ' '