Oakland Raiders: Instant Gratification Culture Could Be Team's Undoing

The Oakland Raiders had a bad season, no question about it – but the culture of instant gratification and needing everything now, now, now could wind up doing more harm than good.

According to multiple reports, the Oakland Raiders are putting together an aggressive offer to pursue former head man Jon Gruden, reuniting the man called Chucky with the team the late Al Davis traded him away from a long, long time ago.

It’s a story that very nearly broke the Internet on Saturday night, and one, if true, is insane beyond belief, with Gruden’s compensation believed to be in the $10 million dollar a year range, and a possible ownership stake in the team.

If Mark Davis gives in and makes this move, it’s a move he’s making out of desperation. He’d be giving into the frustration and outpouring of emotions from the fans.

In short, he’d be having the same sort of emotional, knee-jerk reaction his father used to have in his later years – and we saw how well that did for the team and the organization.

Firing Del Rio and bringing in Gruden – especially at that cost – and giving into that culture of instant gratification, would have a big impact, and not necessarily for the positive, on this team for years to come.

The Raiders entered the year with a lot of hype and what we assumed was legitimate Super Bowl buzz. With the construction of this roster, and given the success they had last season, it seemed natural to assume their arrow was pointing up.

With an offense featuring Derek Carr, who garnered MVP consideration, a potent 1-2 punch in Amari Cooper and Michael Crabtree, and the return of Marshawn Lynch to the league many people believed their arrow was pointing up so high, they’d be the team finally end New England’s reign over the AFC.

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Yeah… hasn’t quite worked out that way.

Sixty minutes of football separates the Raiders from the offseason, ending what has been a massively disappointing and underachieving season. To say the least.

Although officially eliminated from postseason contention two weeks ago with their loss to Dallas, it was pretty much over when they lost to the Chiefs back in week fourteen. Inconsistency, injury and a regression in performance, not to mention poor preparation and coaching, has factored large in Oakland’s decline this year.

The poor season Oakland is wrapping up has predictably, ignited the ire and passions of the infamous Raider Nation – one of the most vocal and passionate fanbases in the league. Perhaps, in the world.

And most of that ire and ill-will has fallen directly on the shoulders of HC Jack Del Rio. In this age of social media, where people can vent online for all the world – including the target of their derision – to see, Del Rio has been taking a beating for Oakland’s performance (or lack thereof) this year.

And he most definitely shares in the blame. But then, so does Derek Carr. So does Amari Cooper. So does Marshawn Lynch and Michael Crabtree. So does Sean Smith and David Amer – no, nevermind, he wasn’t really on the field enough this year to be blamed.

Next: One Man Who Shouldn't Escape Scrutiny and Criticism

Also to blame though, are GM Reggie McKenzie, soon-to-be ex-OC Todd Downing, and already ex-DC Ken Norton Jr. The defense has been a lot better since he was shown the door, seeming to definitely prove it wasn’t a personnel problem, it was a coaching problem.

But, because Del Rio is the man in charge of the on-field product, he’s taking the most heat. And in this day and age of people needing instant gratification, they’re calling for Del Rio to be removed from his post – despite the fact that in his now, three seasons with the team, he’s helped take them from perennial doormat and laughingstock, back to relevance.

Yes, this season was a massive disappointment by every metric imaginable. That point can’t be argued or disputed. But giving in to an emotional knee-jerk reaction, based on that disappointment isn’t the way to go either.

Burning it all down and starting over – again – for a guy who’s not been on a sideline for almost a decade, is shortsighted and has the potential to go very, very badly for the team and the franchise. Giving into this need for instant gratification, has the potential to set the club back, rather than move them forward.

What makes the idea of dumping Del Rio and bringing in Gruden – again, especially at that cost – all the more galling, is that this team actually is not that far off. Now that Norton is gone and John Pagano is calling the shots on defense, that unit is playing some very respectable ball.

If Del Rio retains Pagano – and if given the chance, he really should – and finds an offensive coordinator who knows his butt from a hole in the ground (obviously, Downing does not) – and players like Carr don’t continue regressing, of course – this is a team that will be right back in the thick of things.

It makes no sense to burn it to the ground and start over. Again. That sort of instability and chaos were hallmarks of Al Davis-run teams in his later years. It’s been through patience and some definite growing pains under Mark Davis and McKenzie, that this team has started to progress. Has started to regain some respectability and return to relevance.

Why set fire to that stability and start from square one again? What purpose would it serve other than to give into that culture of instant gratification because the Raiders had a bad year?

This is a move that should most definitely not be made. It’s an emotional, knee-jerk reactionary sort of move, and one that could have a profoundly detrimental impact on this team for years to come.

Oh, sure, seeing Del Rio canned on Black Monday would undoubtedly make some people feel good in that moment. But really, what purpose would it serve?

Oh, right — in this culture of instant gratification, we demand somebody’s head immediately when things don’t break our way.

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Oakland Raiders: Instant Gratification Culture Could Be Team’s Undoing

By Kevin Saito | Dec 31, 2017

The Oakland Raiders had a bad season, no question about it – but the culture of instant gratification and needing everything now, now, now could wind up doing more harm than good.

More from Golden Gate Sports