The Ballad of the Sark

Steve Sarkisian, Jan 9, 2007:

"I'm going for this job 100 percent," Sarkisian said. "I'm solely focused on this job with the Oakland Raiders."

Steve Sarkisian, Jan 19, 2007:

"I thank them for their interest in me," Sarkisian said in a statement released by the university. "While the job was never offered to me, at this time in my career, I've told them I want to stay at USC.

So what happened in the roughly two weeks in between? Who knows. Maybe the league is trying to keep good, young coaches away from the Raiders and threatened to do something terrible to him if he took the job (Though what would be worse than getting the Raiders' job? Snakes?). Maybe Sarkisian found the coffin Al Davis sleeps in and decided to stick to his policy of not working for the undead.

Maybe he was tired of being a front runner with no job offer and actually enjoys USC.

Whatever it was, Sark is now off the list, apparently along with James Lofton. The rumor dujour is that the Raiders will wait and talk with Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels once the Pats lose, meaning Oakland would have to wait until at least after the Super Bowl because the Colts are not beating the Patriots. The Raiders tried the same thing last year with Ken Whisenhunt, and you can see how that turned out.

So, what seemed like it would be a quick and tidy hiring process has turned into the makings of a fiasco. I can already hear the gasps from the audience at such a thrilling plot turn. You see, Al Davis was a ghost the WHOLE time.

But I had figured it out anyway.