So I’m sitting at home smoking a joint, scrolling though this sub, I see the usual displeasure for JMD, players being unhappy and focused on themselves. Also some stuff about potential trades and a few comments about what Mark Davis should moving forward. Not to mention the post about the “patriot way”. Then I thought, what if the issue is Mark Davis, hear me out. Most franchises in any sport have a culture or an identity that you almost immediately associate with the team. For years now the Raiders have had an extreme lack of an identity. That starts at the top with Mark Davis, who inherited the team from his late father, the great Al Davis. We all know that Mark isn’t much of a football guy and if you think about it Al was so involved in every decision that was made for the team there probably wasn’t much room for Mark to insert himself. Also consider that towards the end of Al’s tenure he threw money at players that were past their prime or just here for a check. Fast forward and as we’ve all seen Mark is willing to throw money at what he thinks might make the team better. The habits he learned when he was closer to ownership age from his dad weren’t necessarily the best and that has continued. A lot of Al’s decision were based on hype or a specific physical attribute such as sited and size. We are in a new generation of football where is a combination of smarts and physicality, not just being able to run fast or a physical freak. A smart person would know that you can’t hire an injury prone QB with a weak arm and a backup that has done nothing in his career and is known for being inadequate. A smart person brings in strong leadership to maximize the potential that you have and not force players into roles they can’t fill. I know Mark loves this team and us as fans, even if the product on the field doesn’t match that love. We’ve been in the bottom of the NFL for decades now, Commitment to Excellence, Just Win Baby and The Winningest Team in Football are all linked to Al’s blueprint and impact. Mark needs to find his own identity and what culture he wants this team to have, stop believing the hype of these coaches/GM’s, to stop throwing money at the problem but actually building from the ground up. There’s been 20+ years of roster, staff and coaching changes, it’s time to do some homework and pick a guy with sticking with for more than 2-3 seasons. But until that happens, try to enjoy what you can, root for our team but be ok with turning the game off and enjoying your day.