NFL Oakland Raiders

Oakland Raiders Interim HC Tony Sparano Having Immediate Impact

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By @Kevin_Saito

Bob Stanton-USA TODAY Sports

Bob Stanton-USA TODAY Sports

There was a palpable difference in the Oakland Raiders last weekend when they battled the San Diego Chargers – and nearly pulled off the upset. You could feel the difference. You could see it in how they played. Though they came up short against the Chargers, the fact that the Raiders pushed them to the final minutes of the game perhaps signals that things are changing in Oakland. Though one game is a very small sample size, and we’ll obviously need to see more to know that it’s not just an anomaly, it seems that in just a couple of weeks, interim HC Tony Sparano is changing the culture of the Oakland Raiders for more decisively and effectively than Dennis Allen did in more than two years on the job.

The Raiders are a team that hasn’t tasted victory since November 17, 2013 – a 28-23 win over the Houston Texans. They are a team that has only tasted victory eight times since the start of the 2012 season. And in many of those games, the Raiders haven’t even looked competitive and have been outscored 1030-691 since the start of the 2012 season.

Given how dreadful the Raiders have been for so long, in his first meeting with the team after being named interim HC, Sparano warned the team that changes were coming. While not coming right out and saying it, Sparano said that he would be changing a culture that had become stagnant and bordering on toxic, as well as a philosophy that simply didn’t work. He acknowledged that not everybody would be on board with him, and told the Raiders, “Either you get on board with change or we find a way to get you out.”

And last Sunday, the team looked like they were on board with change. They were sharp. They looked hungry. They looked competitive. The team played harder for Sparano after one week than they did in more than two seasons for Allen. If not for a defensive letdown very late in the game – thanks to some highly questionable play calling from DC Jason Tarver – the Oakland Raiders would have shocked the football world by walking off the field with a win over division rival, AFC West leading, and potential title contender San Diego.

Following the game, DT Antonio Smith was quoted by ESPN as saying:

“The team we were when we played was a totally different team. The vibe was different. The energy was different. And I think it’s still growing. I think that and more people are buying in.”

Whether it was holding his funeral for a football, changing around the seating assignments in the locker room, changing up the practice and meeting schedule, holding faster, up-tempo practices, or some combination of all of that an more, it’s clear that Sparano is having a fast and immediate impact with his team. And the difference in not just the team’s attitude, but their level of passion showed last Sunday.

Smith went on to say:

“I think for a minute there, it felt like just a job, just going to work every day, just doing your job. I think Tony’s main coal is bringing that excitement, that fun, that passion back into football.”

The clear implication from Smith’s remarks – sentiments echoed by other members of the team – is that under Allen, not everybody bought into the philosophy. That perhaps the joy and passion for the game were missing elements. With those elements seemingly restored to the Raiders, they were flying around the field and pushed San Diego to the limit.

The question now is, whether or not can they sustain that level of play, that level of fun and passion, and continue to right the ship. If they can, they just might have the chance to savor that sweet taste of victory, which is something the Raiders have not done for nearly a full calendar year.

It seems clear that Sparano is having an immediate impact on the Raiders. He seems to be effectively changing the culture of a team that had seemed to grow too comfortable with losing. If he can do that, and get the Raiders back to winning again, he can bury as many footballs as he wants.

 

Kevin Saito is a fiction writer, sports junkie, history nerd, and NFL contributor to www.RantSports.com Follow him on Twitter, Facebook, or on Google

 

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