It's not unusual for reporters at any level to get into tiffs with certain teams, but it's rare that it happens with the same team multiple times in a season. The Raiders gotten into it with Tim Kawakami of the San Jose Mercury News, and ESPN a few times, during the 2008 season, but their latest feud with Chris Mortensen is getting really interesting.

Recently, Mort reported that the the Oakland Raiders were negotiating with a controversial investor, and the Raiders issued a statement that the story was completely false. Mortensen then decided to naturally do what any good reporter would do. He said that taking to him is a "privilege" and that the Raiders have lost said "privilege". Via the Associated Press....

"The Raiders have lost the privilege with me of running stories past them for comment," the e-mail [from Mortensen] stated. "This stems from their history of denials to most stories I have reported -- as well as others in the media -- when those stories have eventually proven to be true. The latest example is I reported that Al Davis planned to interview Giants offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride and, of course, the story was trashed by a team spokesman."

Mortensen has since clarified that privilege was the wrong word to use, but also added that the team, "repeatedly diminished and discouraged efforts to reach out for an official comment based on the repeated denials of prior stories."

While I also agree that the word privilege was the wrong word to use, his statement about the team is certainly true. Certain teams will never regain prominence, or attain it for the first time, until their Owners are ousted. Al Davis is unfortunately one of those at the top of the list.

Raiders talk with Gilbride about coaching opening (AP)

I mentioned the other day that the NFL is showing tonight's Thursday Night Football game in fabulous 3-D at a few movie theaters around the Country. More specifically at establishments in Los Angeles, New York and Boston. Well today, Pro Football Talk is saying that sources within the Raiders' organization are a little bit perturbed that the NFL didn't give the team the opportunity to promote a Bay Area screening....

The selected locales made sense; the company that created the technology is located in L.A., the league office is located in New York, and the game is being played in San Diego.

As we hear it, however, the Raiders felt a bit left out, since a screening of the game in the Bay Area would have been a great way for the organization to engender goodwill with current local sponsors, potential local sponsors, and folks who plunk down big money each year for luxury suites at home games.

Actually, it would have made even more sense for the 3D version of the game to be shown in Oakland instead of San Diego, since the actual version of the game will be played in San Diego, and the folks whom the Chargers could be schmoozing at the theater will be at, you know, the football stadium.

If you delve even deeper into the most recent AP story on the subject, they note that a handful of other owners will attend the screenings. Minnesota Vikings owner Zygi Wilf, New York Giants co-owner John Mara, New York Jets owner Woody Johnson and Washington Redskins owner Daniel Snyder, will be in NYC. Robert Kraft will be in Boston for the game tonight.

While I, like many, am not a fan of the Raiders organization, I have to agree with them on this one. Not only is it unfair to have other owners at the events, and not anyone from the teams involved, I think the NFL is missing a great opportunity to promote one of the league's lesser teams at the moment.

With the Raiders alienating their fans on almost a daily basis, this would have been the perfect time to hype a floundering team that currently sits at 3-9. Oh well.

Raiders Fume About 3-D Diss (PFT)
The NFL To Experiment With 3-D Technology During NFL Network's Thursday Night Football Game (Awful Announcing)

One of the things I always looking forward to when new ex-players and coaches become a member of the media, is whether they give easy/cupcake answers to questions, or if they actually give honest and sometimes difficult responses. Most people won't say anything about former teams and teammates, but with Warren Sapp we knew it was just a matter of time, and Lane Kiffin's firing gave him the perfect opportunity.

Sapp just laid into the Raiders' entire organization this past Wednesday on Inside the NFL, and the comments were so strong that ESPN even picked up the story....

"[Davis] is the common equation," Sapp said on "Inside the NFL." "You take him out, put him at home watching film or whatever he is doing -- you have a functioning football organization. But once he comes over the top, he goes and starts moving it around.

"Al Davis knows football -- it's just '60s and '70s football. That's what it is. He's thinking that Cliff Branch is outside and [Jim] Plunkett is dropping back and you can throw it 80 yards down the field -- deep ball, deep ball, deep ball."

Sapp even said that Davis would call in plays when Sapp was playing for the Raiders.

"I remember the first two weeks I was there, we played a preseason game. Somebody came up one time and said, 'We're going deep right here, dog.' I said, how do you know? He said, 'The phone just rang.'

"All the preparation that goes into a week of work is there, the practicing that you have to put in order to do these things, sometimes [Al Davis] messed with that part of it and that's what kills you," Sapp said on "Inside the NFL."

I thought I had the video, but for some reason it didn't save (I'll keep trying to look for it though). Either way, you get the idea. It was a pretty eye-opening segment and a refreshing change from the usual run-of-the-mill responses you get from ex-players. Warren Sapp still has some work to do on the show, but as long as he keeps up this level of honesty, I think more and more people will start to tune in.

Update: And here's your video....

Sapp says Kiffin treated unfairly, blames Davis for Raiders' mess (ESPN)