. September 23, 2006 SouthAmerica: This weekend I can guarantee that the Oakland Raiders is not going to lose a NFL game. .
. October 9, 2006 SouthAmerica: I have started wondering if this will be the first season that the Oakland Raiders is going to go 0 wins and 16 losses. Next Sunday they are going to lose on the Sunday night game for entire country to see how much they stink. I am not looking forward to that game against Denver. What has happened to Al Davisâ â Just win baby. .
. December 10, 2006 SouthAmerica: Here is the first pick on next years draft â and the Oakland Raiders needs very badly a new quarterback. Plus a new offensive line and so onâ¦.. ********** Smith picks up Heisman on way to national championship game By RALPH D. RUSSO, AP Sports Writer AP â Associated Press December 9, 2006 NEW YORK (AP) -- Winning the Heisman Trophy was easy. The hard part for Troy Smith was staying composed. To the surprise of no one, the Ohio State quarterback was the runaway winner of the award that honors college football's best player. Seconds after his name was called Saturday night, he hugged everyone important in his life -- coaches and family -- let out a deep, deep sigh and headed for the podium. "Normally, I'm pretty cool in pressure situations, but my heart is pounding so fast now," he said. "I'm at a loss for words. I just can't believe this is happening. ... It means everything. Just to be here in this situation. I love everybody back home in Columbus." Just two years after nearly derailing his career by taking money from a booster, Smith received 801 first-place votes and won the Heisman by 1,662 points -- both the second-best marks in the 71-year history of the award. Arkansas running back Darren McFadden (878) finished second, Notre Dame quarterback Brady Quinn (782) was third and West Virginia running back Steve Slaton (214) was fourth. Only O.J. Simpson's 1,750-point victory in 1968 was more lopsided than Smith's. "I haven't spent that much time dreaming about it," Smith said of winning the Heisman. "But I'll be dreaming about it tonight. It's pretty cool." The senior moved to the front of the Heisman race in September with a flawless performance against Texas and finished off a perfect regular season by throwing four touchdown passes against Michigan. Now, there's only one thing left for Smith to do: Beat Florida for the national championship on Jan. 8. A huge smile lit up Smith's face when his name was announced. After getting a hug and handshake from Quinn, Smith headed to the row of chairs directly behind him, where his mother, Tracy, and sister, Brittany, were sitting. They each took turns giving Smith a big squeeze. But Smith wasn't done with the hugs -- one for Ohio State coach Jim Tressel and another for his high school coach, Ted Ginn Sr. Mom wiped away a tear and his sister shouted "Yeah, Troy!" as Smith ascended the stairs to give his speech and collect his big bronze statue⦠.
. December 10, 2006 SouthAmerica: The Oakland Raiders and the Detroit Lions are going to end the NFL season with a record of 2 W â 14 L I am not sure which team will have the first pick on next year NFL draft. Anyway I am sure that the Raiders will end up with one of these 2 quarterbacks. Maybe the Raiders will be able to pick Brady Quinn if he still available. ********** NFL beckons for Smith and Quinn By RALPH D. RUSSO AP SPORTS WRITER AP Associated Press â December 10, 2006 NEW YORK -- Heisman Trophy night belonged to Troy Smith. Brady Quinn's big day will come in April at the NFL draft. Seniors Smith and Quinn have one more game left in their stellar college careers. Smith leads No. 1 Ohio State into the national championship game on Jan. 8 against Florida, where he'll try to wrap up his career with the ultimate prize. Quinn and Notre Dame are off to the Sugar Bowl to face LSU on Jan. 3. Then it's time to start thinking about getting paid. At the next level, that Heisman Trophy on Smith's resume doesn't mean much - Eric Crouch, Danny Wuerffel and Gino Torretta can attest to that. Smith was the overwhelming choice of Heisman voters - a record 86.7 percent of them put him first on their ballots. Arkansas running back Darren McFadden was the distant runner-up and Quinn came in third, one spot up from his 2005 Heisman showing. Quinn, however, appears to be most wanted by the NFL. He's among the early favorites to be the first player drafted. Size and system are Quinn's advantages. He's 6-foot-4 and under coach Charlie Weis, Quinn has been running essentially the same offense Tom Brady and the New England Patriots used to win three Super Bowls. In two seasons under Weis, Quinn has thrown for 7,197 yards and 67 touchdowns with seven interceptions and a completion rate of 64 percent. Plus, there's no question about his character and ability to handle the spotlight - no small thing for an NFL quarterback "Anybody that's able to start at Notre Dame and handle that pressure is very impressive," said Gil Brandt, an analyst for NFL.com, who was Dallas' vice president of player personnel from 1960-89. Smith is listed at 6-1, which is less than ideal for the pros, and perhaps that's even a bit generous. The most important part of Smith's pro workouts might be when he faces the tape measure. "He's about the same height as Drew Brees and Michael Vick, and Brees is playing about the best of any quarterback in the NFL right now," Brandt said. Another thing that could work against Smith is that he's done much of his best work out of the shotgun. But Smith no longer can be labeled a running quarterback. Sure, he's still elusive and fast, but he only tucks and runs when all else fails these days. Smith ran 136 times for 611 yards in 2005. This season, he's run 62 times for 233 yards. He's comfortable in the pocket and accurate with his throws, completing 67 percent in '06 for 2,507 yards with 30 TD passes and only five interceptions. "The guy has a tremendously strong arm," Brandt said. "He's also very mature. The guy's 22 going on 25." As Smith and Quinn head to the NFL, McFadden will return to college as the 2007 Heisman front-runner. "It was really just a great opportunity for me to be here with two seniors," said McFadden, the super sophomore who ran for 1,558 yards. He also had a 70-yard touchdown reception, a 92-yard kick return for a score and was 6-for-8 passing with three TD throws. Smith became the sixth quarterback in the last seven seasons to win the Heisman. USC tailback Reggie Bush broke up the quarterback run last season, and '07 is sizing up to be a big year for running backs. West Virginia's Steve Slaton (fourth in the Heisman voting), Rutgers' Ray Rice (seventh) and Boise State's Ian Johnson (eighth) all are sophomores like McFadden. Michigan tailback Michael Hart, a junior, finished fifth and also could be back next season. Of course, McFadden's strong showing as a sophomore is no guarantee of a Heisman in his future. Oklahoma tailback Adrian Peterson was the Heisman runner-up as a freshman to USC quarterback Matt Leinart in 2004. Return trips to New York City seemed to be a given for Peterson, but injuries cut into his sophomore year and he broke his collarbone six games into this season. Unless Peterson puts off the NFL and returns for his senior season, his first crack at the Heisman will have been his best. .