Warren Sapp: 'It's probably the worst time in my life right now'

[Taco John]

Losing taking toll on Sapp
Raider lineman: 'It's probably the worst time in my life right now'
By JOSH DUBOW, Associated Press
Article Launched:10/19/2006 07:10:08 AM PDT
ALAMEDA - Warren Sapp walked by Randy Moss' locker recently and saw a framed picture commemorating the receiver's 100th career touchdown catch.
"You catch 100 TD passes, you think that would bring a little happiness to your life," Sapp commented.

On this Oakland Raiders' team there's little to be happy about.

Moss goes on the radio weekly and criticizes the team. Last year's leading receiver, Jerry Porter, hasn't played a game all year and has been suspended by coach Art Shell for insubordination. And the winless Raiders are off to their worst start in more than four decades.

After spending most of his career on winning teams in Tampa Bay, Sapp is struggling with the losing and negativity around the Raiders.

"It's probably the worst time in my life right now," Sapp said.

Oakland (0-5) heads into Sunday's game against the Arizona Cardinals as the NFL's only winless team and having lost 11 in a row dating to last season.

Sapp hasn't been on a team that started this poorly since his second year in the league, when the Buccaneers lost their first five games on the way to a 6-10 mark.

The Raiders haven't been this bad since 1964, when they lost their first five games in Al Davis' second year as coach.

Most of the problems have been on an offense that has scored just 50 points and has been kept out of the end zone in three of the first five games, including last Sunday's 13-3 loss at Denver.
"We aren't going to win many with three points, but we are just going to keep plugging along," Sapp said. "It's about pride, now, more than anything. We haven't won a game. We can't hang our hat on anything. You have to go out and play. I know for myself I am, because I love this game."

Shell considers Sapp one of the leaders of a team that is sorely lacking them. With Moss and Porter making their problems public, that leadership is being tested like never before.

"He's a guy guys look up to," Shell said. "He keeps guys loose. He's demanding of his teammates. He makes sure they're doing the right things. Guys respect him a lot and I'm sure there's a bunch of them that look up to him."

Sapp has learned to tone down his rhetoric, saying he's learned that it's not "really wise to say all the stuff you're really thinking."

That's a lesson Moss could use. Having shut out the local media during most of his two years in Oakland, Moss gets his thoughts out through a weekly radio spot on Fox Sports Radio.

He's talked about how things are "fishy" around the Raiders, complained about how hard Shell makes the team work, said there's no reason for him to care about the losing because no one else does, and said he'd welcome a trade if the Raiders thought it would help the team.

Sapp, who used to have his own radio spot in Tampa, said Moss' interviews wouldn't be such a big deal if the team was winning.

"But when you're (0-5), everything's magnified," he said. "And I think being a veteran guy he would understand that. But, hey, Moss is Moss. . . .

"But Randy's always been a different guy. Nothing that's going to make it any worse right now, I don't think. It's got to get better before it gets worse."

That could take a while.

The Raiders are the laughingstock of the league right now, with Web sites already running polls about whether they'll even win a single game this season.

http://www.timesheraldonline.com/ci_4516102

[scorpio]

Somewhere, the world's tiniest violin is playing for Warren Sapp

[Rohirrim]

The Raiders are the laughingstock of the league right now, with Web sites already running polls about whether they'll even win a single game this season.
:giggle:

[BroncoFiend]

Couldn't happen to a better guy!
!Booya!

[Taco John]

These guys are getting what they deserve... But even still, it's hard not to feel bad for people who are trapped by the whims of a senile wind bag who the sport has passed by. All the press about Randy Moss prior to recent weeks were about how he had become a leader, and what a great work ethic he has. A fellow can only take so much losing before a lot of hard work starts feeling like you're in a hampster wheel with no hope at all.

[Rohirrim]

I'm convinced the Faders won't recover until Greasy Al shuffles off his mortal coil. Then, it will be a few years until the ownership gets straightened out in the courts. Hell, who knows? Maybe the court stuff will get so messed up that the City of Oakland will be running the team, like some kind of messed up version of Green Bay. It would only be fitting if the history of the franchise was tied up in the courts for a few decades.

[Bronx33]

Welcome to raider football warren but hey you got those cool corn rows. (so ya got that going for ya)

[BroncoMatt]

[QUOTE=Taco John;1319658]l, it's hard not to feel bad for people who are trapped by the whims of a senile wind bag who the sport has passed by. [QUOTE]


But didn't you hear Al Micheals and John Madden during the game? According to them that half dead zombie in the owners box still has a mind as sharp as a blade. You must have heard it, they talked about it for darn near a whole series.

[Rohirrim]

[QUOTE=Taco John;1319658]l, it's hard not to feel bad for people who are trapped by the whims of a senile wind bag who the sport has passed by. [QUOTE]


But didn't you hear Al Micheals and John Madden during the game? According to them that half dead zombie in the owners box still has a mind as sharp as a blade. You must have heard it, they talked about it for darn near a whole series.

:giggle: Yeah, that cracked me up. Here's Madden gushing about how sharp Al is, and everytime the camera pans over on him, he looks like one of those guys they parked in the aisles in "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest."

[Smiling Assassin27]

Leave it to Warren to keep things in perspective...What a tool.

[Bronx33]

http://www.rant.com/Monty_Burns.jpg

I was sharp as a tack when eddie (nine fingers) johnson and larry (cold feet) murphy were tops in the leauge but now iam about as sharp as a box of http://images-partners.google.com/images?q=tbn:y9nv9aQlEXWTfM:www.heavyrotation.net/mastertapes/catalog/images/419T_DJ%2520JS%2520One%2520%26%2520ODY-Roc_Mashed%2520Potatos%2520Instant%2520Mix.JPG

[Billy Clyde Puckett]

[QUOTE=BroncoMatt;1319667][QUOTE=Taco John;1319658]l, it's hard not to feel bad for people who are trapped by the whims of a senile wind bag who the sport has passed by.

:giggle: Yeah, that cracked me up. Here's Madden gushing about how sharp Al is, and everytime the camera pans over on him, he looks like one of those guys they parked in the aisles in "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest."

I'm sure it looks that way to Madden when he is sitting there with the drool running down his chin and he is counting the seconds till half time so he can change his Depends.

[missingnumber7]

Madden has to talk all nice how else was he gonna get into the hall of fame? I mean Joe Gibbs was in and then came back and coached some more. Madden hasn't coached for what...20 years?

[DenverBrit]

Heartbreaking!

[loborugger]

"It's probably the worst time in my life right now," Sapp said.

Buck up, Warren, cuz its only gonna get worse. You are old - ancient for a lineman - and soon you will fade to obscurity. There wont even be a reporter with a mike around to record your laments. You are a halfwit that soon has to figure out how to exist on a non-NFL player's income. Hope you hired a good finicial guru. Additionally, instead of being a stud Dlineman (which you really arent anymore), you will be just some fat, middle-aged dude who better start worrying about his weight, cholesterol, etc.

[Crushaholic]

I could see this coming a mile away when Greasy Al re-hired Shell. Like individuals such as Norv Turner and Gunther, Shell is an adequate coordinator but a LOUSY head coach. Some people just aren't cut out to be the boss...

[epicSocialism4tw]

"He's a guy guys look up to," Shell said. "He keeps guys loose. Guys respect him..."

Here's a typical football example of football jargon from a National FOOTBALL league head football football coach.

[Bronx33]

Here's a typical football example of football jargon from a National FOOTBALL league head football football coach.


That really means the guy cashes his check and STFU.

[epicSocialism4tw]

That really means the guy cashes his check and STFU.

Hey, a guy can talk about guys in the national FOOTBALL league if the guy is a guy that football guys know can play football and is a football guy.

[Bronx33]

Hey, a guy can talk about guys in the national FOOTBALL league if the guy is a guy that football guys know can play football and is a football guy.


I think it's a football thing among football guys.

[-Slap-]

Not worse than when they discontinued the all you can eat ribs and chicken night at his local HushPuppies.

[dbfan21]

When they showed Al Davis on MNF, he looked like a skeleton with skin dangling on it. It was almost nauseating to watch. :raidersux

[Bronx33]

When they showed Al Davis on MNF, he looked like a skeleton with skin dangling on it. It was almost nauseating to watch. :raidersux


But madden says hes as sharp as a battle axe still. :oyvey:

[Kaylore]

I'm going to shock some people here. I think Sapp's a guy who gets a bit of bad wrap. I thnk he built part of that himself but I also think part of it is the media. I'll admit I'm not pro-media, so that part I enjoyed. John Lynch always talks about the guy as all class and they're still close. Before you say "well that's John Lynch" I remind you he didn't do that for guys like meshawn or Simeon Rice. I think Sapp is someone who would probably be a pretty decent guy to talk to.

[Billy Clyde Puckett]

There is an ex player (GB OT if my memory is correct) that probably will never say anything good about Sapp.

[Bronx33]

I'm going to shock some people here. I think Sapp's a guy who gets a bit of bad wrap. I thnk he built part of that himself but I also think part of it is the media. I'll admit I'm not pro-media, so that part I enjoyed. John Lynch always talks about the guy as all class and they're still close. Before you say "well that's John Lynch" I remind you he didn't do that for guys like meshawn or Simeon Rice. I think Sapp is someone who would probably be a pretty decent guy to talk to.


Iam shocked! ;D

I don't mind sapp as a player and a human but the minute he went to the raiders (and you have to want to go to the raiders) i don't like him and what i notice with players that end up in oakland (always) put in corn rows, rice, moss and sapp. (It's seems like they need an attitude dooo when you become a raider.

[UKBronco]

The guy who has slept with multiple women and fathered numerous illigitimate children and not paid a penny towards their upkeep is saying how hard his life is.

Maybe we could have a whip-round for the guy and see if we can raise enough for a cyanide pill.

[XXXII&III]

I like Sapp. I always wondered what the heck was he thinking, going to the Raiders. He's too decent of a person. well except that i didn't know that about all the screwing around he did. ick.

Oh and I have to add that I was shocked as all getout to hear Greasy Al give his Madden speech at Canton. I kept peering at my tv trying to figure out if someone was pulling his strings or if somebody was lip synching for him, because his voice sounded way too, well, alive, to match what it allegedly was coming out of.

And then to see him Sunday night, parked in his chair all slack-jawed and drooley in his box. The voice sure doesn't match the body.

anyway, it's either that corpses can vocalize which is something I find amazing, or the special effects used these days are even more spectacular than I imagined. Making a dead guy appear as though he's speaking! and the emmy for best special effects goes to...!

[Bob's your Information Minister]

I'm going to shock some people here. I think Sapp's a guy who gets a bit of bad wrap. I thnk he built part of that himself but I also think part of it is the media. I'll admit I'm not pro-media, so that part I enjoyed. John Lynch always talks about the guy as all class and they're still close. Before you say "well that's John Lynch" I remind you he didn't do that for guys like meshawn or Simeon Rice. I think Sapp is someone who would probably be a pretty decent guy to talk to.

Sapp got this bad image after he decleated that Green Bay Packer offensive lineman. It's pretty unfounded.

[ZachKC]

I am kind of in Kaylore's corner. I will go short of saying I feel bad for the guy. He was a little more mouthy than I care for but I think he loves the game and I think he goes and plays with all he has on every snap...which is more than you can say for alot of players in this league. I couldn't imagine going to work every day and putting in all the hard work those guys have to and hating it. Not a good place to be.

[Florida_Bronco]

Sapp got this bad image after he decleated that Green Bay Packer offensive lineman. It's pretty unfounded.

He had that bad image before he decleated Chad Clifton, that incident made it worse.

[shaun514]

"It's probably the worst time in my life right now," Sapp said.

Buck up, Warren, cuz its only gonna get worse. You are old - ancient for a lineman - and soon you will fade to obscurity. There wont even be a reporter with a mike around to record your laments. You are a halfwit that soon has to figure out how to exist on a non-NFL player's income. Hope you hired a good finicial guru. Additionally, instead of being a stud Dlineman (which you really arent anymore), you will be just some fat, middle-aged dude who better start worrying about his weight, cholesterol, etc.

What's your point? This could also be true of Tom Nalen or any lineman in the NFL near the end of his career.

[Orange_Beard]

From the thread title, I thought that he had been traded to the chefs.

[Circle Orange]

Things are looking bleak for Warren...the team made him cut back to twenty bags of fries a day.