It's Official: Raiders Fire Kiffin

Jets, Bears among teams facing personnel issues; pressure on Raiders' Kiffin to win

(NEWSER) - The NFL is in the midst of a turbulent off-season, even if you ignore the Brett Favre and Chad Johnson sagas. ESPN’s John Clayton breaks down the other top distractions as training camp nears:

• With NFL Europe gone but the 80-man roster still in place, teams will have trouble finding enough healthy bodies for training camp.
• The New York Jets must decide whether or not to move an unhappy Chris Baker.
• Jacksonville may need to keep receiver Matt Jones despite his off-field issues.

Longtime owner was huge figure in NFL history

(AP) - Al Davis, the Hall of Fame owner of the Oakland Raiders known for his rebellious spirit, has died at 82. It was Davis' willingness to buck the establishment that helped turn the NFL into the establishment—the most successful sports league in American history. Davis was charming, cantankerous, and compassionate—a man who when his wife suffered a serious heart attack in the 1970s moved into her hospital room. But he was best known as a rebel, a man who established a team whose silver-and-black colors and pirate logo symbolized his attitude toward authority, both on the field and off. More»

Victim wore 'F*** the 49ers' shirt

(NEWSER) - Wearing a "F*** the 49ers" T-shirt to a 49ers game wasn't the brightest idea, but it could prove deadly for a man shot two to four times in the stomach last night following a preseason game against the Oakland Raiders. The 24-year-old is in critical condition, reports the San Francisco Chronicle . Police detained a 20-something in Raiders attire on a party bus a short time later. A second man was shot in a parking lot; it's unclear if the two shootings were related, though police believe all three men attended the game at Candlestick Park. More»

Overall revenues up, but some franchises lose value for the first time in a decade

(NEWSER) - Tight credit and the recession-driven scarcity of buyers and investors slashed the value of eight NFL teams this year, Forbes reports. It’s the first time in a decade that even one team has seen a decline. Though the average team value held steady at $1 billion, Oakland led the losers, shedding 7% of its value. The recession has been kinder to some—the top-valued Cowboys tacked on 2%—but things are likely to get worse. More»

But hold your bets: Rankings show winning isn't everything

(NEWSER) - Great NFL organizations don’t always win Super Bowls, so Adam Schein separates the well oiled from the well Lombardi’d for Fox Sports, ranking franchises on everything from their coaching staffs to public-relations people. The top three:

• New England Patriots: “The model franchise in all of professional sports.”
• Pittsburgh Steelers: A penchant for toughness and even tougher fan base.