Our reporter spent the day at Oakland Raiders training camp in Napa Valley, Calif. Here are his notes.
> Quarterback JaMarcus Russell, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2007 draft, appears to be turning the corner. (There is a Krispy Kreme around the corner from Oakland’s training facility.)
> With unemployment near 10-percent nationally, the Raiders fanbase is expected to be more rabid than ever.
> The autumn wind may be a Raider, but the summer wind is definitely a Raider: weak, tepid, somewhat pointless.
> Raiders head coach Tom Cable said that, despite reports, he did not punch assistant coach Randy “Donny” Hanson. However, the two obviously had a strained relationship for quite some time.
> Owner Al Davis said he does not have a problem with his coaches getting in heated arguments. However, he has stated that immediate dismissal will result for anyone who punches a team employee with lady glasses.
> The Raiders were criticized for reaching on first round draft pick Darrius Heyward-Bey, and even more so for their second round pick of Michael Mitchell out of Ohio. And then they were criticized again for Heyward-Bey’s massive contract. But Raiders management is adamant that you don’t just win more than five games a season by making smart personnel moves, you have to gamble.
