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Today we sit with the newest guest in our ever-growing segment Better Know an IFL District!, that fast-talking, shoot from the hip, no-one touch my Jack & Coke, no one say Jack nor Coke about my team, and Vito "I love you with all my heart but hate you with a fervor!" Captain of the only IFL team from Oakland, Jave.
Jave runs a team that recently traded in it's wayward ways to honor the great colors of this great nation of ours: The Fightin' Devildogs!!!
SC: GM Jave, for the first time on our show I'm gonna lead off with a statement rather than a question. You can choose to respond if you want and I won't fault you.
You take no gruff and I like it!!!
(...)
SC: Like any good American soldier
No wait!
This ain't right. We need a flag out here!
(looking to the side)
Jimmy?
(Jimmy bring out and plants an American Flag in front of Steven and Jave)
There we go!
Like any good American soldier you're known best for unflappable loyalty and passion for that which you represent. The fans of Oakland, not so much. Let's be honest: Do they deserve you?
J: Oakland is a tough town to play for, there's no doubt about that. But the bottom line is, winning puts butts in the seats, and we haven't been doing that.
We haven't found the key to consistency yet, and that's on my shoulders, but I think were getting close. That being said, I think we will be entertaining the possibility of moving when the lease runs out in 3 or 4 years. Winning games fixes everything though so it's something we will consider when the times arrives but it's my job to give the fans a reason to come watch the games. And being 4-12 every year isn't gonna motivate anyone, so that's something I have to fix and then we will see what kind of support we can get from the city of Oakland.
SC: You've brought the team as close to a title as any GM has gotten without actually winning one. Last time your squad was disassembled soon after. Will there be an IFL Bowl trophy coming home this time and what will you do differently as life has granted you the wisdom of times past?
J: Haha, when I look back on it I think I was the first owner to really use the QB/WR/WR trio successfully. It was a fluke really in that I wanted A stud RB to mirror the success SLC was having with Tard but my (Wesley) Connell experiment was a total failure. My team just wasn't set up to be a power running team and trying to force it was a disaster.
I had drafted Hamilton the same year and had already drafted Martinez, but when I wasn't successful with Connell, I was searching for a formula that would fit my teams style and was contacted by Houston inquiring about a trade for Bice and it hit me outta the blue.
I thought to myself, "Holy fuck"....can we say fuck during the interview?
SC: On my show you can say whatever the fuck you want.
J: Ok, anyway, I was thinking, as good as Martinez is, imagine if I could have have TWO great receivers forcing defenses to pick one to double leaving the other wide open. And with Hamilton improving this could really be insane...running 3 and 4 receiver sets forcing the other teams great LB'ers off the field.
Remember, at this time everyone was stockpiling linebackers galore, no one really had great defensive backfields and that was a formula that we had a great deal of success with in Oakland.
To answer your question, with success comes a price to pay, and it was a mighty one. While I wish I had the opportunity to really spend 5 or so seasons perfecting a great gameplan to use all 3, contract talks came up and while they loved Oakland they wanted to get paid to! haha. I believe by the time we had all 3 resigned long term we were spending 33 million dollars on those 3 players and were forced to trade or let a good deal of our other good players go in free agency. That included most of our offensive line, and that hurt. Then Bice went down and well...yea, it was pretty much out the window by then.
Lozier played a fucking MASTERFUL game that day and just did beat us and it was back to the drawing board. I didn't rebuild the team because it's so much fun, I really had no choice. The lessons learned however have lived with me since.
Take this seasons free agency for example. I used to overspend with no thought whatsoever of the consequences, well not any more. I"m not spending 10 million on a Cash, ya just can't over invest. Free agency is really fools gold. You have to pay a player 3X what he's worth and the reality is, he could get hurt on day 1 of pre-season and you blew your load for nothing. Spreading the money around is the way to go. Make sure you have at least capable backups. Don't load up a third of your salary cap on one position, be willing to make sacrifices, and most importantly, build through the draft.
I can guarantee an IFL trophy will reside in in the halls of the Oakland Devildogs at some point, but I'm not as arrogant as I once was.
SC: Obviously not. :mrgreen:
J: I am still learning, paying attention to the great teams and great owners in this league and taking a little from everyone in what it takes to earn that trophy. Were not quite there yet, but Oakland is quietly becoming a playing in the big game, it's just a matter of being patient and putting the pieces together little by little. This season should go a long way to that goal. We will see.
SC: Switching gears.
Hennessey or Jose Cuervo? And an entertaining story as a chaser.
J: Haha, I don't drink like I once did.....hell, maybe I should, but I do enjoy a rum and coke now and again these days.
SC: True or False in essay form: Oakland has the best secondary in the IFL in 2015?
J: False. While we DO have the best 1/2 punch at cornerback with Doyle and Farley, we haven't been able to fill our needs at safety, which is just as, maybe MORE important then just having great cornerbacks. Great recievers can and WILL find the holes in the secondary. There's only so much ground those 2 can cover, and that's where your safety's and even your bench guys, your nickel and dime cornerbacks come in.
You can't have one without the other in this league. Owners have gone crazy with throwing the ball 40 times a game, and if you think just having great cornerbacks will stop that your going to be staring at the losing end of the clock when time runs out.
With even average safety's now commanding 7 million a year in FA, we are going to have to look to the draft or find a gem in the 3rd and 5th rounds...something to help. You have to have a balance between solid players and payroll, otherwise your going to be in trouble quick. It's definitely a work in progress.
SC: Rickey Doyle. You were publicly worried about him at one time. Has it ever felt so good to be wrong?
J: Haha yes, he has proved me wrong after I blasted him publicly last season. I knew he was capable of much more, be it effort or results.
We spend countless hours researching players on film and on the field and know before we ever draft them exactly what we can expect, both positive and negative. We talk to them, their coaches, their teachers, their friends....we make sure before we invest millions of dollars in a player that he is going to fit our scheme and be a positive influence on and off the field. We know better then the player himself what he is capable of and what he isn't and I felt Ricky needed to grasp the mental aspect of the game faster. He needed to realize that this isn't college anymore. The players are smarter, faster, stronger and more motivated. He initially struggled with that, but with the help of his brother(Nicky), and (Tod) Woods, who has been in this league since it's inception, he adjusted quick last season and really became a force on the defensive line.
He needs to continue that trend, get more pressure on the QB's this year and become better at reading the plays but his coaches are working hard with him this offseason and unlike last year, he is giving 100% effort during OTA's and training camp. Were hoping for a 10 sack season from him, and by the looks of it, he's ready to deliver.
SC: 2013 saw your own Claude Sanderson and three others of the top four best TE's in the IFL get drafted. Has lightning ever struck the league and a specific position like that before? If not will it ever happen again? Will this year's incoming phenom, Kirk Fehr, be the best of all-time?
J: Claude is one of the best players on this team. Not for his stats or potential, but for doing what he's told day in and day out. He is never going to be known as one of the greatest players ever in this league because that's not what we ask of him. We want him to 1. Protect Donovan and 2. Make a path for Wilson. That's it. Everything else is gravy.
He goes out on pass routes when 1 and 2 are done or not needed, and he's an excellent pass catcher. Clutch! We need a 1st down, we know to pass him the ball and it's a done deal.
Best draft ever? Honestly, this years could be the best draft ever. I have never seen so many great defensive players available in one draft. Ross, Garrod, Baerg, Beauchamp, McKinley, Sullivan...WOW. This is going to be a great draft. In 4 years I would love to look back on this and see the results.
And Fehr, the best ever? Mmm, much like Sanderson it depends on who drafts him and what they want him to do. On a team like say...Lawrence he could be running routes and really blow people away with his pass catching skills, but send him to a Montreal and he could be assigned like Claude to block for Osborne...it really depends. Being a lead blocker isn't glamorous and sure won't get ya any press, but it's well respected by your teamates and you can bet other owners will notice as well. And before he gets on his team it's all just speculation anyway. It's up to Fehr to show us what he can do, week in and week out. It's way to early to use poteintal to crown a rookie the best ever, but he sure looks good.
SC: Kenneth Argot has joined your conference and won a divisional title but doesn't seem to be getting the respect that a divisional winner usually does. What gives?
J: Well...Argot didn't so much "win" the division by outstanding gameplanning and superior players, he more or less was the winner by default. Vito and I had horrible seasons and Vancouver was basically on cruise control, lifeless, ownerless, rudderless, so SOMEONE had to be given the division championship ya know. As far as my opinion I still believe that I am the best team in the division even if the wins and losses don't show it...YET.
And it really wouldn't matter who the new owner was, the rivalry between Vito and I go back years and years and having a new owner in the division I feel at least that he has to EARN our respect. Lets see what Argot can do over the long term. Coming in and taking someones team and work and having a little bit of success with it doesn't impress me. Lets see what he can do with the team, lets see over the coarse of 4 or 5 seasons if he can not only sustain, but improve upon what the previous owner has done. That, will impress me.
SC: OUCH!!
SC: Outside of football, if any member of the Devildogs were to attempt to set a Guinness book record what would it be and what do you think the odds are that it would happen?
J: What a dumb question. And I was impressed so far until now when that question just took a big dump on the process. My time is valuable, don't waste it.
SC: So Rudest Guest on The Colbert Show would be the record attempted, Jave himself the attemptee, and the odds set at 100% it is!
SC: As always but with a twist: If you could stand in front of the Flag and IFL and make one glorious American insightful point. What would it be?
J: I hate Lozier! Now someone get me a fucking beer.
SC: We thank you for coming on our show!
We now turn your attention to Harry Potter himself, Daniel Radcliffe, singing his best rendition of Katy Perry's "I kissed a girl!"...
Jave runs a team that recently traded in it's wayward ways to honor the great colors of this great nation of ours: The Fightin' Devildogs!!!
SC: GM Jave, for the first time on our show I'm gonna lead off with a statement rather than a question. You can choose to respond if you want and I won't fault you.
You take no gruff and I like it!!!
(...)
SC: Like any good American soldier
No wait!
This ain't right. We need a flag out here!
(looking to the side)
Jimmy?
(Jimmy bring out and plants an American Flag in front of Steven and Jave)
There we go!
Like any good American soldier you're known best for unflappable loyalty and passion for that which you represent. The fans of Oakland, not so much. Let's be honest: Do they deserve you?
J: Oakland is a tough town to play for, there's no doubt about that. But the bottom line is, winning puts butts in the seats, and we haven't been doing that.
We haven't found the key to consistency yet, and that's on my shoulders, but I think were getting close. That being said, I think we will be entertaining the possibility of moving when the lease runs out in 3 or 4 years. Winning games fixes everything though so it's something we will consider when the times arrives but it's my job to give the fans a reason to come watch the games. And being 4-12 every year isn't gonna motivate anyone, so that's something I have to fix and then we will see what kind of support we can get from the city of Oakland.
SC: You've brought the team as close to a title as any GM has gotten without actually winning one. Last time your squad was disassembled soon after. Will there be an IFL Bowl trophy coming home this time and what will you do differently as life has granted you the wisdom of times past?
J: Haha, when I look back on it I think I was the first owner to really use the QB/WR/WR trio successfully. It was a fluke really in that I wanted A stud RB to mirror the success SLC was having with Tard but my (Wesley) Connell experiment was a total failure. My team just wasn't set up to be a power running team and trying to force it was a disaster.
I had drafted Hamilton the same year and had already drafted Martinez, but when I wasn't successful with Connell, I was searching for a formula that would fit my teams style and was contacted by Houston inquiring about a trade for Bice and it hit me outta the blue.
I thought to myself, "Holy fuck"....can we say fuck during the interview?
SC: On my show you can say whatever the fuck you want.
J: Ok, anyway, I was thinking, as good as Martinez is, imagine if I could have have TWO great receivers forcing defenses to pick one to double leaving the other wide open. And with Hamilton improving this could really be insane...running 3 and 4 receiver sets forcing the other teams great LB'ers off the field.
Remember, at this time everyone was stockpiling linebackers galore, no one really had great defensive backfields and that was a formula that we had a great deal of success with in Oakland.
To answer your question, with success comes a price to pay, and it was a mighty one. While I wish I had the opportunity to really spend 5 or so seasons perfecting a great gameplan to use all 3, contract talks came up and while they loved Oakland they wanted to get paid to! haha. I believe by the time we had all 3 resigned long term we were spending 33 million dollars on those 3 players and were forced to trade or let a good deal of our other good players go in free agency. That included most of our offensive line, and that hurt. Then Bice went down and well...yea, it was pretty much out the window by then.
Lozier played a fucking MASTERFUL game that day and just did beat us and it was back to the drawing board. I didn't rebuild the team because it's so much fun, I really had no choice. The lessons learned however have lived with me since.
Take this seasons free agency for example. I used to overspend with no thought whatsoever of the consequences, well not any more. I"m not spending 10 million on a Cash, ya just can't over invest. Free agency is really fools gold. You have to pay a player 3X what he's worth and the reality is, he could get hurt on day 1 of pre-season and you blew your load for nothing. Spreading the money around is the way to go. Make sure you have at least capable backups. Don't load up a third of your salary cap on one position, be willing to make sacrifices, and most importantly, build through the draft.
I can guarantee an IFL trophy will reside in in the halls of the Oakland Devildogs at some point, but I'm not as arrogant as I once was.
SC: Obviously not. :mrgreen:
J: I am still learning, paying attention to the great teams and great owners in this league and taking a little from everyone in what it takes to earn that trophy. Were not quite there yet, but Oakland is quietly becoming a playing in the big game, it's just a matter of being patient and putting the pieces together little by little. This season should go a long way to that goal. We will see.
SC: Switching gears.
Hennessey or Jose Cuervo? And an entertaining story as a chaser.
J: Haha, I don't drink like I once did.....hell, maybe I should, but I do enjoy a rum and coke now and again these days.
SC: True or False in essay form: Oakland has the best secondary in the IFL in 2015?
J: False. While we DO have the best 1/2 punch at cornerback with Doyle and Farley, we haven't been able to fill our needs at safety, which is just as, maybe MORE important then just having great cornerbacks. Great recievers can and WILL find the holes in the secondary. There's only so much ground those 2 can cover, and that's where your safety's and even your bench guys, your nickel and dime cornerbacks come in.
You can't have one without the other in this league. Owners have gone crazy with throwing the ball 40 times a game, and if you think just having great cornerbacks will stop that your going to be staring at the losing end of the clock when time runs out.
With even average safety's now commanding 7 million a year in FA, we are going to have to look to the draft or find a gem in the 3rd and 5th rounds...something to help. You have to have a balance between solid players and payroll, otherwise your going to be in trouble quick. It's definitely a work in progress.
SC: Rickey Doyle. You were publicly worried about him at one time. Has it ever felt so good to be wrong?
J: Haha yes, he has proved me wrong after I blasted him publicly last season. I knew he was capable of much more, be it effort or results.
We spend countless hours researching players on film and on the field and know before we ever draft them exactly what we can expect, both positive and negative. We talk to them, their coaches, their teachers, their friends....we make sure before we invest millions of dollars in a player that he is going to fit our scheme and be a positive influence on and off the field. We know better then the player himself what he is capable of and what he isn't and I felt Ricky needed to grasp the mental aspect of the game faster. He needed to realize that this isn't college anymore. The players are smarter, faster, stronger and more motivated. He initially struggled with that, but with the help of his brother(Nicky), and (Tod) Woods, who has been in this league since it's inception, he adjusted quick last season and really became a force on the defensive line.
He needs to continue that trend, get more pressure on the QB's this year and become better at reading the plays but his coaches are working hard with him this offseason and unlike last year, he is giving 100% effort during OTA's and training camp. Were hoping for a 10 sack season from him, and by the looks of it, he's ready to deliver.
SC: 2013 saw your own Claude Sanderson and three others of the top four best TE's in the IFL get drafted. Has lightning ever struck the league and a specific position like that before? If not will it ever happen again? Will this year's incoming phenom, Kirk Fehr, be the best of all-time?
J: Claude is one of the best players on this team. Not for his stats or potential, but for doing what he's told day in and day out. He is never going to be known as one of the greatest players ever in this league because that's not what we ask of him. We want him to 1. Protect Donovan and 2. Make a path for Wilson. That's it. Everything else is gravy.
He goes out on pass routes when 1 and 2 are done or not needed, and he's an excellent pass catcher. Clutch! We need a 1st down, we know to pass him the ball and it's a done deal.
Best draft ever? Honestly, this years could be the best draft ever. I have never seen so many great defensive players available in one draft. Ross, Garrod, Baerg, Beauchamp, McKinley, Sullivan...WOW. This is going to be a great draft. In 4 years I would love to look back on this and see the results.
And Fehr, the best ever? Mmm, much like Sanderson it depends on who drafts him and what they want him to do. On a team like say...Lawrence he could be running routes and really blow people away with his pass catching skills, but send him to a Montreal and he could be assigned like Claude to block for Osborne...it really depends. Being a lead blocker isn't glamorous and sure won't get ya any press, but it's well respected by your teamates and you can bet other owners will notice as well. And before he gets on his team it's all just speculation anyway. It's up to Fehr to show us what he can do, week in and week out. It's way to early to use poteintal to crown a rookie the best ever, but he sure looks good.
SC: Kenneth Argot has joined your conference and won a divisional title but doesn't seem to be getting the respect that a divisional winner usually does. What gives?
J: Well...Argot didn't so much "win" the division by outstanding gameplanning and superior players, he more or less was the winner by default. Vito and I had horrible seasons and Vancouver was basically on cruise control, lifeless, ownerless, rudderless, so SOMEONE had to be given the division championship ya know. As far as my opinion I still believe that I am the best team in the division even if the wins and losses don't show it...YET.
And it really wouldn't matter who the new owner was, the rivalry between Vito and I go back years and years and having a new owner in the division I feel at least that he has to EARN our respect. Lets see what Argot can do over the long term. Coming in and taking someones team and work and having a little bit of success with it doesn't impress me. Lets see what he can do with the team, lets see over the coarse of 4 or 5 seasons if he can not only sustain, but improve upon what the previous owner has done. That, will impress me.
SC: OUCH!!
SC: Outside of football, if any member of the Devildogs were to attempt to set a Guinness book record what would it be and what do you think the odds are that it would happen?
J: What a dumb question. And I was impressed so far until now when that question just took a big dump on the process. My time is valuable, don't waste it.
SC: So Rudest Guest on The Colbert Show would be the record attempted, Jave himself the attemptee, and the odds set at 100% it is!
SC: As always but with a twist: If you could stand in front of the Flag and IFL and make one glorious American insightful point. What would it be?
J: I hate Lozier! Now someone get me a fucking beer.
SC: We thank you for coming on our show!
We now turn your attention to Harry Potter himself, Daniel Radcliffe, singing his best rendition of Katy Perry's "I kissed a girl!"...
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