ESPN's 'Mike and Mike' anti-Raiders bias; crew to work MNF game tonight

As the Oakland Raiders take the field tonight in the second 'Monday Night Football' opener, (New England-Buffalo precede at 4 PM PST) the ESPN crew working the game has a notorious history of anti-Raiders ridicule and mockery of the Silver and Black. Fine. Everyone has a right to their opinion, but can Mike Greenberg and ex-NFL player, Mike Golic, transform their Raiders vitriol and turn in an unbiased broadcast for tonight's opener?

The duo, who work the "Mike and Mike" morning program on ESPN Radio weekdays, from 6-10 AM, (locally, KNBR 680 and 1050) have been frequent Raiders critics and have made numerous attacks at the Oakland football operation, including a plethora of personal shots at managing partner/owner Al Davis. Not a problem with that; again, the Bristol-based duo do a radio show and have never been ashamed to rip the Raiders, but how can ESPN and its brass expect Oakland fans watching the game on TV, to see any credible analysis when the two broadcasters are such overt Raiders haters?

Presumably, ESPN will point out that the third man in the booth working the game, Steve Young, will diffuse the legitimate question of why Golic and Greenberg were chosen to work the game in the first place? I mean, sure, the second contest will be aired at 10: 15 PM in the east coast, so most fans watching will be asleep by the time the game is over, but that's not the point.

Golic and Greenberg have ripped the Raiders for years; even going so far as to mock the team's players and question the legitimacy of the Raiders football operation. These attacks have been a constant going as far back to the 2001, '02 and '03 seasons when the Raiders delivered winning seasons and went to the Super Bowl in the '02 season. Again, no one's denying 'Mike and Mike' have a right to conduct bits and anti-Raiders content on their show, but how could ESPN place them on the opening game of a franchise they so openly have ridiculed?

This is not new for the so-called "World-wide leader". Just a couple years ago on a Monday night opener, Golic and Greenberg worked the Raiders home opener; also on a Monday night, and the third man in the booth was Mike Ditka. The same Ditka this reporter asked in a NY bar seven years ago what he thought of the Raiders. Ditka's response? "-UCK the Raiders." Good judgement, ESPN.

Follow me on Twitter and listen to my sports commentary every Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday on XTRA Sports 860 AM.