AP Is Writing Some Huge Checks

Yo Raider Nation… what up, how you living? Seems to me that the vibes are pretty good in Raider Nation at the moment. Which is almost weird. Because the vibes are almost never good in Raider Nation. I might even say that the vibes are a little TOO good right now. Like, y'all are feeling yourselves a little TOO much right now. 

Don't get me wrong, I love some good Silver and Black energy. But there is such a thing as too much good Silver and Black energy. And I think we just hit that point. What I'm trying to say is, you might want to tell your new head coach to stop talking. Because this dude is writing some huge checks with his huge right now, and I'm trying to figure what there is to gain from it.

Just to be clear, I have no problem with Antonio Pierce. IN FACT, I like Antonio Pierce.  A LOT. I like the job he did last season. I like that he earned his keep in Vegas. And I like that the Raiders didn’t do what the Raiders always do and go chase a splash hire while overlooking the guy that already won over the building. They actually didn't overthink this one with AP. I just need AP to do a little more thinking before speaking.

Because based on his viral comments from Maxx Crosby's "The Rush" podcast this week, I'm not sure what this dude was thinking. Or if he was thinking at all. Props to Maxx though for getting Coach to pop off on his pod. Apparently that damned good football player is also a damned good podcaster.  And a damn good human: I love Maxx Crosby. 

Just had to say that about Big Maxx: legend.  Anyway...The first red flag in the conversation, at least for me, was when Pierce made the claim that he’s “already given a recipe” on how to beat Patrick MAHOMES. Of course what he was referring to was that win on Christmas Day. You know, the one that was so humiliating to the Chiefs that it motivated an entire Super Bowl run. The ass kicking that Andy Reid literally called AP and thanked him for. Because it was the cleanest burning motivational fuel possible for his team.  What A.P. calls a recipe, Andy Reid would call a wakeup call: the ultimate get your asses in gear call. 

Yes, the Raiders won that game. Yes, it was an impressive win. And ordinarily I would say, if you win you can talk your smack. AKA… scoreboard. Look up at it.

But in this case, it really doesn’t seem necessary to poke the bear here. Or really I should say, poke the soon-to-be GOAT. In fact, poking MAHOMES can only go badly. There’s no upside. It's like the podcast version of taking a victory lap around Arrowhead. What is the point? Why?

But if it was just that one comment alone, I wouldn’t be talking about Antonio Pierce right now. Unfortunately for AP, it wasn’t only that comment. Far from it.

Because AP also explained that he has a name for his “recipe” and it’s... The Mahomes Rules. 

Why my dude? Why brag about roughing up Mahomes? What is there to gain from that? Other than the league watching you even more closely when you play KC. And MAHOMES being even more locked in than ever when you play KC.

I don’t have a problem with that energy: in fact, I like that energy. I don’t even have problem with that strategy... We all watched The Last Dance, everyone knows exactly what AP's getting at there. But that’s the problem. The league office also totally knows what AP's getting at and I'm sure they just LOVED hearing it. You know, the same league that goes out of its way to protect its qbs, and especially THAT QB.  Their best quarterback.  Their face of the league. This isn't the 90s NBA. In fact, it’s exactly he opposite.  

I'm not saying it's a bad strategy at all, it’s just exactly the kind of thing that should stay behind closed doors, for really obvious reasons. Kinda like the phrase “We gotta knock off the head of the snake… fifteen.”  Something else he said that on this pod.

UH OH… you mean like AFFECT THE HEAD? Because it definitely sounds like you mean AFFECT THE HEAD. It sounds like AP is gonna get a call from Triple G.. Gregg Williams today looking for credit for his strategy. You know, the strategy that got Triple G Gregg Williams suspended for a whole year. 

No, I’m not saying AP is gonna get suspended for this. Or that he should. And no, I’m not saying AP put a bounty on anyone’s head. But he did just put a target on the head of the soon-to-be GOAT. And said the words… we gotta knock off the head of the snake. And that's just not smart that’s just saying too much. That's saying the quiet part out loud, for no reason.  And by you way.  I’m guessing most teams already had the Mahomes rule in effect; they just didn’t say it out loud.

AP, my dude, again what is there to gain from this? Besides flag after flag the next time you have to deal with the Chiefs. I know you're a big NBA fan, but this is not like Pat Riley saying “no easy layups.” When he has Anthony Mason and the crew back in the day: This is specifically calling out the best player in the world, using terms that we all know will get the league’s attention, and the Chiefs attention, and there doesn’t really seem to be any upside to doing it. 

Do they really think they can intimidate Kermit? Do they really think they can get in his head? Do they really think Kermit won't make them regret bragging on the "Mahomes Rules?" Kermit IS MIKE, just with a funny a voice and a weird family.  And poking that bear slash goat is not a good recipe.

My point is, AP, say less my dude. I get it, you're feeling great. The vibes are great. You just pulled off an all-time coup. And your chest is all puffed. And your head is all inflated. And I understand all the reasons why. And I'm happy for you and the Raider Nation.

But the reality is, The Head of the Snake and his Chiefs just won another championship. And AP's Raiders just won 5 out of 9 games. That’s all you did. It was impressive, don’t get me wrong. And I thought you deserved the permanent gig based on those 9 games. But it was 9 games. And you won 5 of them. And that is all you've accomplished as a coach in the NFL. 

So my advice to you, keep Patrick Mahomes name out your bleeping mouth.

You wanna talk, talk after you beat those dudes in a game that really matters. In a game they really need. Or how about this... Talk after you win a championship. What a concept, right? It's not like AP and Maxx haven't been name dropping another legend... Legend by the name of Lombardi. 

My dude Maxx even talked Super Bowl on this very show just a couple of weeks ago, when he told me he wanted to win one for his dude the Bowl Cut Mark Davis.

See, that's how it's done. I have no problem with that. I'm sure V in the Fee and all of you other Bowl Cut haters hate that. But to me, that's the way you channel some good vibes and some good momentum in the building. I personally like that energy. 

But too much silver and black can be too much of a good thing. And AP spouting off about affecting the head ERRR knocking off the head of the snake was where we officially crossed that line. I'm sure this is now where Mark Davis comes in and lends some leadership to the situation. He'll handle this, and I know exactly how too. He's gonna sit AP down. And he's gonna look his new head coach right in the eyes. And he's gonna tell him to SMARTEN UP. 

I get why the raiders players love this guy: because he says things like that: he just can’t be saying into a hot mic or a live camera. Because while the league may not a have public comment about it, you sure as hell know they have something to say about it. But unlike A.P. They’ll say it behind closed doors. To him directly. And you know Mahomes will have something to say about it: and he’ll say it on the field and on the scoreboard; and then in the end, A.P. Will probably wish he had never said it all.