Oakland Raiders: Thursday Night Scrum Hopefully Ends Conspiracy Theory

The Oakland Raiders won a wild Thursday night game against Kansas City – and an in-game scrum will hopefully put an end to a lingering conspiracy theory.

Well, the Oakland Raiders – at least for a game – brought back that sense of magic that carried them through many a comeback win last season. When Michael Crabtree hauled in a two-yard touchdown pass from Derek Carr, it capped off a win that, given how this offense has performed for the last month, seemed improbable.

As important as that win over the Chiefs was though – and its importance can’t possibly be understated – it was some action during the second quarter of play that could be just as valuable, for it should put to rest a tin-foil hat, conspiracy theory — as well as the rumors of disharmony and discord in the locker room — that have been lingering on for weeks.

At least, one would hope so, anyway.

The conspiracy theory started when conservative radio-talk show hosts Jack Armstrong and Joe Getty – not a sports-talk show, mind you – sounded off during the height of the National Anthem protests that swept through the league.

Claiming to have “insider information” from an extremely “reliable source,” Armstrong and Getty pushed the idea that Oakland’s offensive line conspired together to “punish” Carr for standing during when the rest of the team either took a knee or sat down during the playing of the anthem.

Said Getty:

"“So Derek Carr — who was never sacked last year — was sacked four times by the Redskins, back to back on the second offensive series of the Raiders. The first series he threw almost immediately an interception, so that series was over before it began. So for the first full series he was sacked twice, [on] back-to-back plays. Also, three times, the extremely dependable, never-does-this center (the guy who snaps the ball to the quarterback) snapped it before Carr was ready — three times. He “hiked” it, as the kids say, into Carr’s knees before he was supposed to.I think you’re guessing where this is going. We have some insider information that this was not an accident.”"

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But wait, there’s more. Not only did they claim that their “source” overheard the offensive linemen say, “If he wants to stand alone for the national anthem, he can stand alone on the field,” they also make the claim that a local beat writer found out about it and was threatened with a complete loss of access if he reported on it.

"“A reporter got wind of this — one reporter, and asked a team official about this and was told, “If you report on this you will be blackballed. You will get no access to the Oakland Raiders, period. Your career reporting on the Raiders will be done if you report on this.”"

The first place to start with this ridiculous conspiracy theory is the obvious fact that Carr was actually sacked last year – 16 times,in fact.

Oakland’s line is good, but they’re not that good.

The second thing to consider is that other than giving their alleged “source” a catch name – “Deep Route,” if you’re interested – Armstrong and Getty offered up absolutely zero proof to back up their claims. None. Nada. Zip. Zilch.

And yet, despite the fact that they acknowledged they had no proof and the claim was completely unsubstantiated, they continued to push it anyway.

Which, of course, makes it about as credible as somebody saying they have an extremely “reliable source” who says that Jack Armstrong and Joe Getty enjoy getting naked, slathering peanut butter all over their bodies and dancing to Taylor Swift songs on a moonlit beach together.

What? It was on the internet, and the source is somebody named “Extra Chunky,” so, it has to be true, right?

And speaking of the internet – once the Armstrong and Getty tin-foil hat, conspiracy theory was out there, ridiculous, though it may be, the internet did what the internet does, and it proliferated like rabbits during mating season.

When you take the racial tension already simmering in the country fueled by a number of issues (issues themselves, frankly, better discussed in a different venue), and then add that to an uncharacteristically poor performance by the only all-black line in the league, that allowed their (white) quarterback to take a pounding, blend well, and poof, you have a nice, tidy little conspiracy theory.

It’s incredibly low-hanging fruit, fraught with more logical fallacies than there are fish in the sea – which, given the source of the original conspiracy theory, shouldn’t be all that surprising, really.

A lot of things have gone wrong for the Raiders to this point in the season. And poor play by the offensive line has certainly been a part of that. But, the idea that the line is allowing Carr to get sacked and potentially injured, because he chose to stand for the anthem, is utterly ridiculous.

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It’s a story that’s lingered on in some corners because there hasn’t been anything that’s really disproven the notion that the racial tension infecting the country is also infecting this team.

At least, until this past Thursday night game with the Chiefs.

Not only did this line answer the bell and not give up a single sack to a Kansas City team that can really ring them up, but the offensive line, on prime time TV, showed the world that they unequivocally have Carr’s back.

It happened during a play in the second quarter, when Chiefs corner Marcus Peters hit Carr late. If this line was really looking to punish their signal caller, you would expect them to not react to the cheap shot very strongly – if at all..

And yet, when Peters delivered said cheap shot to Carr, Kelechi Osemele, Donald Penn, Gabe Jackson, Rodney Hudson, and Vadal Alexander were right there. They came in hot and were mixing it up with the Chiefs.

That doesn’t exactly seem like the action of a team divided or an offensive line looking to punish their quarterback.

Armstrong and Getty’s hamhanded attempt at pushing this conspiracy theory doesn’t exactly hold water. To say the least.

Or, perhaps, Willard Ogan, Comcast SportsNet Bay Area assignment manager, and outlet that covers the Raiders, put it best when he said, “… I’m guessing they made this shit up on their way in.”

That show of strength and unity – the entire offensive line taking up for their quarterback – should hopefully put a stake in the heart of the vampire that is an insipid little conspiracy theory pushed by a couple of guys with even less credibility than a 71-year old man calling every story he doesn’t agree with, #fakenews.

At least, we can hope that’s the end of it.. Stay tuned though, to see what they come up with next!

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