This year, not many people have much faith in the Raiders. And that’s more the awful reality of their roster situation than it is a rallying cry. They’re a club moving in the right direction, you could certainly argue, but as of right now, no one is really considering them as an AFC West contender. But keep that from Jack Jones!
Jones was questioned about his lack of enthusiasm for the Raiders, and more especially for Antonio Pierce, their new head coach, during a recent press conference. And he’s not a fan, believe it or not.
“Him being ranked as the 28th coach, I felt like they were disrespecting him,” Jones stated. “Him, the group, and myself. That doesn’t sit well with me. That made me feel enraged. We intend to present it to all. 6-11 is absurd. I’m going to lose eleven times in a year? Will I lose more money than make it? That doesn’t sit well with me. We are not like that. That isn’t our motivation for working or being here. We’re going to take the initiative and demonstrate why.”
Even though Jones’ response seems cliché, it’s precisely the kind of enthusiasm that makes funny teams entertaining to watch. The Raiders should at the very least try to make the 11 games they lose this season enjoyable. Eleven losses seems a little excessive if Pierce can keep inspiring and motivating the group the way he did when he took over in the middle of the previous campaign. Nine? Yes. However, “don’t lose double digit games” appears to be a realistic objective this season, and Jack Jones is obviously on board.
