ALAMEDA – Lane Kiffin wants nothing do with Arkansas.
Well, he doesn’t want to talk about coaching Arkansas, is more accurate.
Kiffin’s name has been mentioned as a candidate in reports to replace Houston Nutt, which he said was news to him.
Coaches could avoid the distraction that comes along with these rumors by declaring they aren’t interested.
Kiffin didn’t do that and recommended the media call his agent to find out if he’d been contacted by the school.
Until he Kiffin declares he’s not looking to leave, this won’t go away, whether he wants it to or not.
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Derrick Burgess was limited in practice with an Achilles injury. Kiffin didn’t mention Burgess when discussing injured players and in fact declared the team “pretty healthy right now.”
Isaiah Ekejiuba (ankle) was limited in practice, too.
Stuart Schweigert (calf) and Jake Grove (knee) completed practice.
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It’s ironic the Raiders are playing the Broncos this week, following the shooting death of Sean Taylor.
The Broncos lost cornerback Darrent Williams when he was shot and killed early New Year’s Day. Running back Damien Nash also died following a charity basketball game.
Cornerback Champ Bailey had an interesting take on the situation, especially in regards to athletes protecting themselves.
He said it’s “almost necessary” to keep a gun in the home, but doesn’t condone driving around with a gun.
That’s a touchy subject. Bailey didn’t say he had a gun at home.
But commissioner Roger Goodell doesn’t want the public to see the NFL as a bunch of gun-toting, muscled up freaks.
But the string of NBA players robbed at gunpoint in the offseason can’t make athletes feel any safer.
Bailey said players need to monitor who they are with because they can be targets based on what someone in their “crew” does.
I just watched the latest episode of The Boondocks where fictional rapper Thugnificent explained to young Riley Freeman the purpose of a crew.
Basically, a crew makes sure you don’t have to ever handle your own responsibilities.
Athletes best watch their “crew” because trouble could follow them for something they didn’t even do.
Then again, that’s something we all need to do.
--Jason Jones
@Nyx.CommentBody@