The Oakland Raiders struggled after the loss in the Gruden Bowl and had one of the worst stretches of football in NFL history. During some of the worst years, Raiders fans had very little to be excited about besides high draft picks. One of the few areas of pride for the Raiders was cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha. Despite having a roster full of names few had ever heard of, the Raiders boasted the best corner in the league for a number of years.
That came to an end last season when the Raiders lost Asomugha to the Philadelphia Eagles in free agency. After his first year with the Eagles, Asomugha reflected on the season and compared it to his time with the Raiders. Check out what Asomugha had to say about the Raiders after the jump.
Asomugha was asked to compare what it felt like to be 8-8 in Philadelphia as opposed to being 8-8 in Oakland. Asomugha made it pretty clear that the two were no where near the same. In Oakland, being 8-8 was exciting and was seen as a positive and major progress. In Philadelphia, being 8-8 was a big time disappointment and did not come close to meeting the expectations of the team. Asomugha said that it was great to be in a place where it was unacceptable to finish 8-8.
I completely understand what Nnamdi is saying and do not disagree at all. However, it is interesting to note how far the Raiders have come in just a few years. Asomugha was right, when the Raiders finished 8-8, it was a very big deal. The Raiders did not have a losing record or double digit losses for the first time in years. Now, however, as the Raiders prepare for the 2012 season after back to back 8-8 seasons, no one finds a .500 record to be ok. The Raiders have raised expectations and finishing 8-8 is no longer a positive. In fact, I'd go so far as to say that it is unacceptable for the Raiders to finish 8-8 this season.