Have we found our own Marques Colston in Chaz Schilens?
Chaz Schilens
Welcome Chaz Schilens to your deserved spot atop the Oakland Raiders wide receiver corps. After flashing in the last few games of his 2008 rookie season, Schilens has done nothing but improve his stock as our #1 receiver. Not bad for a seventh round (#226) pick. Comparisons with New Orleans 7th round steal Marques Colston (also 6’4″ and 225lbs) are inevitable and bode well for young Chazeray. Schilens netted 15 catches for 226 yards and two touchdowns last season, all after Lane Kiffin got the powerpoint memo.
Coming out of San Diego State University, Shillens had prototype measurables at 6’4″ and 225 lbs, running the forty in the 4.4 range. Shillens is remembered at SDSU as a deep threat and being a tenacious blocker. Chaz has continued to grow in the blocking game, using his size and strength to become dominant at times. With Mcfadden coming around on sweeps, tosses, and screens, Schilens blocking could be the difference between a first down and Run DMC taking it to the house.
Schilens at SDSU
Chaz Schilens Video Clips
Grainy but good highlight reel from SDSU… note how he watches the deep ball in, a talent that cannot really be teached.
Chaz Shillens highlights from the Cowboys Raiders 2009 preseason game.
Another stick in the eye to the “Al has lost it” naysayers if Schilens can come anywhere close to the awesome production of Colston, and right now he has every opportunity to do so with a strong armed QB and paired opposite a hopefully healthy Javon Walker.
Bad News Bears in Breaking Training Video – Let Them Play
The Bad News Bears In Breaking Training was a 1977 sequel to the the original Bad News Bears movie. Not to be confused with the horrifically awful 3rd movie set in Japan.
My Bad News Bears Breaking Training top 10 List
Where Breaking Training fits amongst all time classic flicks…
# 2 road trip movie of all time (EuroTrip)
# 2 sports movie of all time (Hoosiers)
#1 kids movie of all time (Star Wars was more of an all ages flick)
#1 coming of age movie of all time
#1 baseball movie of all time
#1 cursing kids movie of all time (take that GoodFellas)
#1 best ever drunken coach (Buttermaker)
#1 best ever team sponsorship (Chicos Bail Bonds)
#1 (tied) best ever racial slur rant (tied with this Do The Right Thing rant)
— a disgusted Tanner Boyle “Jews, Spics, Niggers and a Wop that throws airballs.”
#2 Greatest chant in sports history (Raaaaaaiderrrrrs)
— Coach leak, The Bears, The Astrodome crowd: “Let Them Play, Let Them Play”
This movie follows the Bears’ the year after their infamous second-place finish in the North Valley Little League. After winning this season, the Bears have lost the drunken Buttermaker (Walter Mathau) as their coach, and hero Timmy Lupus ”the Luper” to injury. With a game to play in the Houston Astrodome against the cocky Houston Toros, with the winner advancing to play the Japanese champs, they take an epic road trip to Texas. Kelly Leak (Jackie Earle Haley) reunites with his absentee father (William Devane) who ends up coaching the Bears. The movie returns Chris Barnes as the cursing Tanner Boyle, and brings in new blood in Jimmy Baio as pitcher Carmen Ronzonni.
Tanner Boyle - Bad News Bears cursing Brawler
This greatest sports movie moment ever shows Coach Leak leading the Astrodome crowd in a goosebump inducing chant of “Let them play, Let Them Play!” as a defiant Tanner Boyle eludes security guards. If ever there was a movie scene that could define my entire youth, this would be it.
Bad News Bears in Breaking Training Trivia:
(courtesy of Wikipedia, IMDB, others)
When the team arrives in downtown Houston, they book a room at the Concord Hotel. In real life, the building which they check into is the Lancaster Hotel, located off Texas Avenue across from Jones Hall.
Later in the movie, after Coach Leak reappears, the Bears stayed at the Houston Hilton rooms 324 and 325 among others. The actual hotel is located at 6633 Travis Street in Houston, but the filming location was the Pasadena Hilton in Pasadena, California.
Members of the 1976–77 Houston Astros lineup make a cameo appearance. They include César Cedeño, Enos Cabell, Bob Watson and J.R. Richard.
When the 2002 Major League Baseball All-Star Game in Milwaukee was tied and fans were told if the National League did not score a run in the bottom of the eleventh the game would be called, some of them chanted “Let them play” to no avail.
When Jimmie Feldman is at bat the catcher says “You got one of the Marx Brothers up here.” Jimmie Feldman is played by Brett Marx, grandson of Milton “Gummo” Marx and a great nephew of Harpo, Zeppo, Chico and Groucho Marx.
The playboy magazine that Carmen gets is the February 1977 issue.
Bad News Bears in Breaking Training Movie Poster
Bad News Bears in Breaking Training 1977 - Road Trip
“Folks, There is only one group of people who will truly enjoy and think this is a great film-the group who it was intended for: those of us who were in our pre-teens or early teens who saw this when it first came out in the Summer of 1977.
The tale is pretty much the kind of thing that every red-blooded American boy of that age would dream about. The little leaguers fire their tyrannical coach and “borrow” a van to play at a little league championship in Houston. To avoid spoiling it, I’ll just say that this deals with their adventures along the way and the results. A “Huckleberry Finn” of the 1970s, to be generous.
The overprotective parents and PC squads of today would have heart attacks at the scenes of the kids’ foul language, cigarette smoking, chasing a grown woman, committing grand theft auto, and swiping Playboy magazines. But most of us who saw it at the time knew that this was over -the top and didn’t take it that seriously.
Yeah, an adult viewer would agree that the story, writing, and acting are atrocious. But this wasn’t intended to be Shakespeare. See it with a 13 year old mind and trust me, you’ll “get it.” For those of us who saw this as 13 year olds in 1977, leave your brains at the door and enjoy the nostalgia and the theme song “Looking Good.” To everyone else-you’ve been warned!” – Damon Fordham
*** Damon, I could not have said it better myself. Iwas a pre-teen baseball addicted foulmouthed respectful kid in the Summer of 1977, and this movie inspires me to this day. I simply love it!
Bow down… Bills owner Ralph Wilson, despite his recent lapse of Judgement (T.O.) is a Raiders hero in my book, shit I even ”circle the wagons” and root for the Bills on occasion for him. Litlle known fact… without Ralph’s $400,000 loan in 1962 to then Raiders owner Wayne Valley (specifically against league rules it should be noted) there might not be our beloved Raiders. A very good man.
Ralph Wilson & Al Davis - NFL Mavericks
Days of Yore… remember when you saw the initials T.O. in the sports page, and thought of “time out”
Veeeto… don’t hold a grudge against Wilson for voting against the Raiders move to Los Angeles, he has voted against EVERY SINGLE RELOCATION proposal. Principles young Daniel Snyder… look it up in the dictionary.
Maple Syrup ehhh… Buffalo is “regionalizing” the Bills into Toronto for economic reasons, much like the “globalization” play the Raiders are making. Can Russky pigskin be too far off?
Raiders Globalization - Red Army or Chiefs?
Sorry John McCain… Ralph Wilson & Al Davis are the real mavericks, taking on the NFL as upstart AFL’ers has gotta take more gusto than shrieking “drill baby drill.”
“Billshit”… Sports Illustrated ranks Buffalo as the number one tailgating NFL city. I call bullshit. Though like Fudgepacker fans they do brave extreme temps to get their Bratwurst on, NOTHING compares to gameday with the Raiders. From breakfast tequila to whole hog BBQ’s and every kind of smoke imagineable rising above the great Coliseum lots, we are the most hard core tailgaters I have ever witnessed. Did SI even brave Oakland???
Hey brother, can you spare me a Cadaver ligament… Rod Woodson who had 8 picks for the Raiders in the year which we shall not speak of (2002 Super Blow) played with knee ligaments “borrowed” from a cadaver. Tough mofo.
Rod Woodson - as a Raider
R-E-S-P-E-C-T… one thing I noticed sitting in the bus seat opposite Woodson at the old Raiders “family day” in Napa (before this big overblown Raider Nation Celebration thing) on the way to the field, everybody, and I mean everybody from players to coaches… all quietly nodded to a reserved Woodson in an obvious sign of sincere respect. While Tyrone Wheatley and some lineman were loudly talking good natured trash about each others kids, they all stopped while Passing #26.
Trivia time… Woodson’s game changing pick against the Donkeys was the most memorable in his Raiders days, but do you remember who his 71st and final pick of his career was against??? (answer at the bottom of the post)
Derrick Vincent Thomas 1967 – 2000… the Red Jackyl, the shadow lurking in the dark alley of Jeff George’s mind.
Sadistic… you say Derrick Thomas, I immediately cringe and picture our helpless LT swinging the door open for Thomas to flat out kill Jeff George on his 6-sack day. Warning that if you choose to watch the video below, I cannot be held accountable for any destruction of your monitor or puke on your keyboard.
Oops, but I set a record… you know this if you just watched the video above (sorry!), butwhen Thomas blitzkrieged the Seahags for his record setting SEVEN sacks… he had David Krieg for an eighth on the final play and whiffed… allowing Krieg to chuck a hail mary duck into the end zone which was caught for the Seahawks win.
Travis Henry has a buddy… Thomas a career Chief, left behind seven kids after his accident.
Lesson to be learned… Thomas was weaving down interstate 435 in a snowstorm heading to the Kansas City International Airport, on his way to the NFC Championship game when he wrecked. 2 people in his 1999 Suburban, including Thomas, were not wearing seat belts… both were ejected, and one immediately died. Thomas was left paralyzed and died weeks later from a massive blood clot. The 3rd passenger who was belted up, walked away from the scene with no injuries.
the Stripper… Thomas forced 45 fumbles in his career, an NFL record. Editors note: I could swear 39.5 of those were against the Raiders.
***trivia answer: Woodson’s final pick was as a Raider on November 16th 2003, against the Minnesota Vikings Daunte Culpepper. Mad props to any Raiders centric “stump the Schwab” candidate if you guesssed that one!
