Here's the Story...And I can't say that I disagree with Shell one bit.
Raiders’ Porter hates Shell, wants trade
Receiver reportedly miffed over new coach’s heavy-handed approach
Jerry Porter dislikes new Oakland Raiders coach Art Shell so much that he wants out of Oakland.
The wide receiver told the San Francisco Chronicle that he wants to be traded — and as a slam to the new boss, he told the team on the first day of training camp.
"Yes. Absolutely. I've told them that," Porter told the paper.
Raiders officials had hoped Porter and the other star receiver, Randy Moss, would work out at the team's facility and set the tone of family for the season, the paper reported. That didn't happen.
Porter, who sat out the first day of workouts because of a strained calf muscle, re-signed with the Raiders in 2005 and received a $13 million signing bonus. In six NFL seasons, Porter has caught 239 passes for 24 touchdowns and 3,215 yards. He has led the Raiders in receiving yards once, in 2004, with 998 yards.
But when Shell was hired on Feb. 13, it seemed Porter was already annoyed with the new coach.
He met with Shell and wide receivers coach Fred Biletnikoff, which resulted in both coaches telling Porter what they thought of his offseason workout plan.
Porter recounted the exchange for the paper.
"They were asking me what I was going to do as far as the offseason program goes. And I told them, 'I just bought a place in Florida, so I'm going to go down to Florida and work with a trainer.'
"And this is Freddie B talking. He said, 'What's the matter, stud, you're not gonna stay here for the program?' And I'm saying, 'Nah, I've got to get away and charge my batteries.'
"And (Biletnikoff) says, 'Well, your battery's not charged?'
"And I'm like, 'No.' "
From here, as Porter told the Chronicle, the dialogue grew more heated.
Biletnikoff: "Your batteries aren't already charged?"
Porter: "No, they're not."
Biletnikoff: "So, what's the problem?"
Porter: "Well, for one thing, I don't like the way things are going around here."
At that point, Porter recalls, the head coach intervened.
"And then Art chimes in, 'Who the f -- do you think you are?' " Porter recalled. "And then it starts from there. Art says, 'Who ... do you think you're talking to?'
"And that was that." Porter said.
Shell reportedly did not dispute Porter's re-telling of the meeting, but did give the paper a response.
"The culture is changing," Shell said firmly, "and everybody has been on board and trying to get involved in the process of winning football games, and getting in here, working. You can't have inmates running the asylum.
"That's not gonna be. Not under me, and 99.9 percent of the players here feel that way. They want direction. We're going to give them direction. And I'm not going to back down off of that.
"A couple of the inmates have been trying to run the doggone culture around here. They've been running the program. And that's not gonna be anymore. I'm the head coach. I'm the guy in charge."
Cutting Porter would reportedly cost the Raiders $6.45 million toward their 2007 total and the team hasn't found many takers for a trade.
© 2006 MSNBC Interactive
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