- Congrats: 2 These Raider Fans gave Sir Raider Duck, OMS high fives (total 2):
- Opoponax50 • MexicanHulk
-
Sir Raider Duck, OMS » Thu Aug 11, 2022 11:05 am
https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2 ... ew-regime/Was a Team Chaplain really waiting for the Head Coach to call him? Did he not imagine McDaniels had more important things to do???Randall Cunningham resigned as Raiders team chaplain after feeling unwanted by new regime
Posted by Mike Florio on August 10, 2022, 11:49 PM EDT
Last month, former NFL quarterback Randall Cunningham abruptly stepped down as the Raiders team chaplain. He didn’t elaborate on his decision at the time.
In an interview with Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press, the man who resurrected his career in Minnesota with a season for the ages in 1998 explained that he didn’t feel wanted by new Raiders coach Josh McDaniels.
“I kept calling and calling and calling, trying to contact the right officials to get the OK on what the direction was with Coach McDaniels, but it just went by, and finally I said, ‘I don’t think I’m needed here anymore,'” Cunningham told Tomasson. “He texted me one time and he said, ‘I’m looking forward to you and your involvement here. And I said, ‘Feel free to call anytime.’ And I never received a call back. And I just figured that was kind of like a sign for me it is time for me to move on.”
Cunningham explained that, during his time with the Vikings, the team chaplain played an important role.
“The players really need someone who is going to be like a brother, a father figure. Someone they can lean on and talk to outside of the organization, and that’s what we had in Minnesota,” Cunningham told Tomasson.
Cunningham had been hired by former Raiders coach Jon Gruden, who abruptly resigned after someone leaked the media grossly inappropriate emails Gruden had sent to former Washington executive Bruce Allen in 2011.
Cunningham, who served as the Raiders’ chaplain for two years, was a three-time Pro Bowler with the Eagles. After spending 1996 out of football, the Vikings brought him in as a backup. A broken leg suffered by Brad Johnson in Week Two of the 1998 season opened the door for Cunningham’s rebirth, with a 15-1 season and nearly a Super Bowl berth, thanks to an offense fueled by Hall of Fame receivers Randy Moss and Cris Carter, along with an underrated by highly-effective No. 3 option, Jake Reed.
Cunningham lost his starting job in Minnesota during the 1999 season, and he finished his career as a backup in Dallas in 2000 and Baltimore in 2001.
JRaider17 » Thu Aug 11, 2022 11:46 am
Considering the amount of stuff McDaniels had to get in order the last 6 months I'm not surprised some things slipped through the cracks. Whether its right or not, McDaniels valued other areas first it seems.RunOverByHubbard » Thu Aug 11, 2022 11:51 am
McDaniel could have had a subordinate give Cunningham a ring. That would not have been hard and maybe some players really could benefit from his counseling, whether Bible-based or just as a wise, ex-player.UniversityRaider » Thu Aug 11, 2022 11:57 am
Attyla » Thu Aug 11, 2022 12:02 pm
maybe I am in the minority here but a quick touchbase call seems like such a no brainer thing to do, especially since your chaplin is going to be in and around your players a lot. Who cannot create 5 minutes over a 6 month period of time?Sir Raider Duck, OMS » Thu Aug 11, 2022 12:13 pm
Except that Cunningham said "Free free to call anytime." When I receive an email with that phrase, I assume it means the person is OK with me calling them at any time. I do not interpret that to mean they want me to call them or have anything pressing to discuss. Now if Cunningham had said "I'd like to talk with you" and McDaniels never responded, that would be one thing. But it sounds like Cunningham was just sitting by the phone, waiting for McDaniels to reach out.Attyla wrote Thu Aug 11, 2022 12:02 pm:maybe I am in the minority here but a quick touchbase call seems like such a no brainer thing to do, especially since your chaplin is going to be in and around your players a lot. Who cannot create 5 minutes over a 6 month period of time?
Trainnvain » Thu Aug 11, 2022 12:15 pm
If I had to guess, he did pass it off to someone else and didn’t give it another thought. If it was even on his plate to begin withAttyla wrote Thu Aug 11, 2022 12:02 pm:maybe I am in the minority here but a quick touchbase call seems like such a no brainer thing to do, especially since your chaplin is going to be in and around your players a lot. Who cannot create 5 minutes over a 6 month period of time?
Raiderfanrich » Thu Aug 11, 2022 12:53 pm
Not being funny here but who gives a shit? Really.Sir Raider Duck, OMS » Thu Aug 11, 2022 12:56 pm
It was a Raiders story published on a major football news site, so I brought it here. If you don't think it relevant, you can always go to the next thread.Raiderfanrich wrote Thu Aug 11, 2022 12:53 pm:Not being funny here but who gives a shit? Really.
Attyla » Thu Aug 11, 2022 1:09 pm
yea i get that, but 6 months of silence? seems a bit extreme, especially when that guy is going to be working with your playersSir Raider Duck, OMS wrote Thu Aug 11, 2022 12:13 pm:Except that Cunningham said "Free free to call anytime." When I receive an email with that phrase, I assume it means the person is OK with me calling them at any time. I do not interpret that to mean they want me to call them or have anything pressing to discuss. Now if Cunningham had said "I'd like to talk with you" and McDaniels never responded, that would be one thing. But it sounds like Cunningham was just sitting by the phone, waiting for McDaniels to reach out.
sooperkool » Thu Aug 11, 2022 1:17 pm
Judging by what has already happened with Ruggs and Arnette a call to the team chaplain was more than warranted in my opinion.bringdafunk » Thu Aug 11, 2022 1:58 pm
Because of some shit that happened before he got there? I was a First Sergeant of a small Group for a year. I didn't talk with the Chaplains unless there was a reason to. I am sure the players know that the Chaplain is there. The Chaplain should be a confidential sounding board for the players, and I can't imagine anything that he would need to discuss with McDaniels that would warrant him quitting for not getting a phone call.sooperkool wrote Thu Aug 11, 2022 1:17 pm:Judging by what has already happened with Ruggs and Arnette a call to the team chaplain was more than warranted in my opinion.