Play Ball

Yesterday Scott Linehan was fired as the head coach of the St. Louis Rams. Today, Al Davis fired his head coach, Lane Kiffin of the Oakland Raiders.

After firing Kiffin, Davis vented to the media about him and ripped him apart unprofessionally.

Most people in Oakland and around the NFL feel that the Raiders will never improve until Al Davis sells the team.

Kiffin was 5-15 as head coach of the Raiders and will be replaced by offensive line coach Tom Cable. Another interesting and probably stupid move by a dumb owner; promoting someone other than a coordinator to take over the team.

Kiffin was not even fired face to face. Davis called him on the phone and let him go. Kiffin, unlike Linehan, will not be allowed to speak to his players either.

Since losing Super Bowl XXXVII to the Buccaneers the Raiders have been embarrassing to say the least. They have gone through four head coaches in six seasons, have a .238 winning percentage and only 7 road wins in those six seasons.

The St. Louis Rams, in all their embarrassment, fired head coach Scott Linehan on Monday after the team’s second consecutive 0-4 start.

In his first year as head coach, Linehan led the team to an 8-8 record but has since gone 3-17 over the past two seasons. His record with St. Louis is 11-25. The Rams have also lost 17 of their last 20 games overall.

Last year’s team began the season 0-8 and were in the running with the Dolphins as to which team would finish winless on the season. Neither team did as the Rams went 3-13 and the Dolphins were a measly 1-15.

Defensive Coordinator Jim Haslett has been named the Rams’ interim head coach.

Linehan has been openly and publicly criticized by his players for the benching of quarterback Marc Bulger in favor of Trent Green.

This was Linehan’s first head coaching job in the NFL. The Rams have been outscored 147-43 in their four losses this season.

Mike Mussina finally reached the plateau of 20 wins in a season.

With the Yankees 6-2 win over the Red Sox in Boston, Mike Mussina became a 20 game winner for the first time in his impressive career.

Moose finishes the 2008 season with a 20-9 record and a 3.37 ERA.

Mussina went six innings, allowing three hits and no runs in the Yankees final game of the season. He struck out three and walked only two.

The Bronx Bombers will miss the postseason for the first time in 13 seasons.

Daisuke Matsuzaka lost for only the third time this season. He finishes the year at 18-3 for the defending world champs.

Seattle lefty Erik Bedard had successful surgery on his left shoulder earlier this week.

The lefty was acquired in an off-season trade before the 2008 season from the Baltimore Orioles for lefty reliever George Sherrill, outfielder Adam Jones  and three other prospects.

Doctor Lewis Yocum removed a cyst and some tissue from the labrum of Bedard’s pitching shoulder.

A post-surgery examination and report revealed yesterday that there is no structural damage to the shoulder and that Bedard should be ready to pitch come the 2009 season.

The blockbuster trade between the M’s and the O’s did not affect either team’s playoff chances as the M’s will finish with well over 100 losses and the O’s will finish with over 90 losses on the season.