This bit of Oakland News is here at Football Reporters Online (via Zennie62) and to help promote the growing football-oriented, but pop-culture focused content here. With that, let’s start:

Oakland Raiders Pursue Josh Cribbs

The Oakland Raiders invited Cleveland Browns Free Agent speedster Josh Cribbs in to its Alameda, California headquarters on Monday. After testing well in his physical, the Raiders offered Cribbs, the two-time pro bowler, a contract. But, as of this writing, Josh has not accepted the Raiders offer, and is still talking to other “interested” NFL teams as of this writing.

Oakland Mayor Quan’s Bodyguard Appears To Be Husband

At last Friday’s Art Murmur, Oakland Mayor Jean Quan and her husband Dr. Floyd Huen were out and about, when a video-blogger representing a website called Copwatch came up to ask her questions related to that person’s perception that Oakland Police were harassing some Art Murmur attendees who were of color – a part of overall complaints related to Oakland’s increasingly perfectly mixed population, both in ethnicity and in income.

As one can see in the video, posted at Zennie62.com (Was Oakland Mayor Quan’s Husband Driving Drunk In Art Murmur Video?), Floyd puts on the role of the Mayor’s bodyguard in trying to intervene between the video-blogger and Jean Quan. In effect, that makes Floyd the Mayor’s bodyguard, and by driving her around in their Toyota Prius, her driver – thus it also places him in a role that could be interpreted as a violation of the Oakland City Charter’s anti-nepotism provisions.

Since the language of the City Charter includes the words “for compensation in the administrative service of the city” Mayor Quan has an out: she can claim that Dr. Huen receives no payment from the City of Oakland.

Still, the minute Jean Quan hands Dr. Huen even a $5 bill to pay for gas, that’s the act of the Mayor compensating her loved one who’s in the act of driving her around in her capacity as the Mayor of Oakland.

And sets up the chance that Dr. Huen could be accused of getting behind the wheel after having had a drink. And while defenders say they’ve never seen Floyd Huen take a drink, that’s beside the point. The most important issue is that he placed himself in a position as Quan’s driver, and after a confrontation, of being accused of doing that.

Mayor Quan needs to get a real driver / bodyguard, and stop placing her husband in that role. If he has an accident, or another encounter like the one at Art Murmur, it could go very bad for her and for the City of Oakland.

Let’s not allow that to happen.

City Of Oakland Local 21 Workers Make A Video Saying ‘Don’t Forget Us”

Mayor Quan would do well to hire an Oakland Police officer, and give that person a chance to earn some extra money. Or perhaps someone from City of Oakland’s Local Union 21. After giving up as much as 25 percent of their income to help keep the city running, the Local 21 folks have had it. So, here’s the video, which is opened with the face of Zach Seal, who manages the Free Broadway Shuttle Program, and other City of Oakland workers like Mike Munson of KTOP.

All the City of Oakland Local 21 workers are saying is that they’re being bled to financial ruin by constant concessions, and while they support more police, it should not come at their expense. After all, they provide the other city services Oaklanders count on.

Or should.

Stay tuned.

By Dr. Bill Chachkes & David Levy-Football Reporters Online

Wilson sporting goods brought their “Factory” to the NFL Shop’s “pop up” store to NYC for NFL Draft week, and I have to say I was impressed at the dedication and workmanship of the folks who put the time into making each football. Yes folks, even though there are machines involved in the process, it’s still a “hand to hand” station to station process. I was also surprised to learn that each ball passes a quality control process that rivals many appliance and electronic companies. Our Fan experience reporter/videographer David Levy and I watched the entire process from start to finish(see video below) and after it passed over all the stations it gets a laser etchng process with the NFL teams‘ name that the ball will be shipped to(780 Balls for each team per season are made, not including special orders for each team. (See Photos of my sample)

“Giants” ball). we were also treated to a great Interview with Kevin Murphy, Wilson’s General Manager of American Football and Wilson’s PR staffer Molly Wallace. We Hope we have conveyed the work ethic and dedication that goes into creatiing each football.

To us, everyone who is is involved in producing footballs for Wilson is dedicated to their work. Those of us who are football fanatics are grateful that all this hard work goes into making a ball.

Click Here for video of our Interview wth the Production staff.

Click Here for the Interview with Kevin Murphy

Special thanks to our fan experience reporter David Levy for The Video

and to Sixto Gallgeo for the video editing.

By Dr. Bill Chachkes-Executive Editor/Managing Partner-Football Reporters Online.

Staff for NFL teams at the 2010 NFL Draft. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Loyalty: it’s a word no one associates with professional football any longer. Today it’s all about the “Dollar signs” ($$$). Usually when I read those I expect to pay more money for a meal in a restaraunt or for tickets to a show.  But with NFL player salaries going up constantly, the teams’ rosters should have $$$’s next to each player’s names. For example, if a player was an Undrafted free agent or a late round selection, he should get 1 dollar sign next to his name, Two dollar signs would go to a mid-round Draft choice who successfully intergrated into his new team and contributed. Three dollar signs goes to a high round selection or expensive free agent. Lastly, four dollar signs should signify an “Over priced” free agent or someone who did not live up to expectations as a draft selection. I think I will call it “Dr. Bill’s NFL Player value ranking system.”  No wonder why the salary cap has increased 7+ times it’s original amount since free agency‘s inception in the NFL.

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By Dr. Bill Chachkes-Executive Editor-Football Reporters Online

What do St.Patricks day, The IRS, and NFL Free Agency have in common? Their busy seasons all start in MARCH. As for the bank accounts of future “million dollar babies,” please don’t think that they are getting handed something for nothing. They are all expected to produce on the field or they can kiss most of that cash goodbye (See JaMacus Russel). These days there are lots of “incentive clauses” built into contracts, as well as “ethics” clauses for “behaviour of an unbecoming nature.”

A big part of the interview process when teams check out players these days, are surveys and “human science” driven conversations to determine if a player has underlying issues. Still, it’s easy to miss something if your not looking hard enough for it. NFL teams would do well to employ their own investigators so their local police departments don’t have to do the work for them when it’s too late.

(JaMarcus Russell at the 2007 NFL Draft)

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By Bobby “Blackjack” –Taking Football Live Host-on Special to Football Reporters

Rutgers running back, Joe Martinek, after the Rutgers-Army game. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Greetings from Piscataway!  Ok, so it doesn’t have the same zing as Bruce Springsteen’s Greetings from Asbury Park.  But those in attendance were there to see either the next great export from New Jersey, WR Mohamed Sanu or perhaps the next great hidden gem, FB Joe Martinek.  Among those under the Rutgers practice dome included scouts from 25 NFL teams and I even saw one from the Canadian Football League.  Rutgers’ Alums in attendance included All-Pro RB Ray Rice, Bengal RB Brian Leonard, the Dolphins’ new LB Jamaal Westerman and Eric LeGrand among others.

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By Dr. Bill Chachkes-Executive Editor-Football Reporters Online

Well the scouting combine is finally over, and there is an awful lot to digest yet, but here is some of the happenings you can think about from now until the NFL Draft In April.

(photo-Former Florida Gator & recent North Alabama DB Janoris Jenkins turned heads at the combine despite his past off the field issues)

Teams are now more wary then ever about “at risk” players.  Former Florida Gator and more recent North Alabama Defensive back Janoris Jenkins is finding this out first hand. “I’m done with it” he says of his past mishaps, and on smoking pot. “I can’t do it any more.” NFL teams are “red flagging” more players now for “indiscretions & conduct unbecoming.”  It was very clearly addressed during on-field drills by Giants cornerbacks coach Peter Guinta (Who BTW once upon a time was the defensive coordinator of the Rams “greatest show on Turf” that won a Super Bowl) “Playing in the NFL is not a right, it’s an honor”

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones thinks that soon the Combine will be open to fans(the ones who pay 400 bucks a pop like the VIP seating at the draft) and someday soon there might even be cameras in the meeting rooms when players are being interviewed.  I wonder how much the guy with the AIR Horn that signals the end of the interview sessions gets paid?  Maybe ESPN commentator and former Giants LB Antonio Pierce should have that gig since he’s so good with horns..

It’s evident that after 3 full days of broadcast coverage on the NFL Network that they will run out of relevant stuff to say. Now I know what I was missing the last few years watching it on my computer. How many times can we watch Rich Eisen’s two nephews videos of 40 times? At least Rich can run a faster 40 then me, and I walk with a cane these days.

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