So did Al Davis really feel bad about firing Art Shell the first time around… because if you wanted to take away someone’s dignity you might do it like this:

Hire Coach A, whom it was widely believed was fired too early, to coach a terrible football team destined for mediocrity at best. When team fails (as you suspected it might), fire said coach and demote him to the mail room.

So who is to know why Art Shell failed at his latest appointment in the NFL. Could it have been that he inherited a team full of egos and clashing personalities? Could it have been the fact that the team had no quarterback to speak of? Or maybe it could have been that he hired a bed and breakfast innkeeper for his offensive coordinator. But what we do know is that despite the fact that Davis is firing Shell, he is going to get his monies worth:

“While Art will no longer serve as head coach, he and Mr. Davis have discussed and will continue to discuss opportunities for Art to remain a valued member of the Raider organization”

I don’t know if cleaning the used jock straps and opening the official Al Davis hate mail to pre-screen for anthrax would make one a “valued member”, but its all in the eye of the beholder and after the Raiders’ 2-14 season that may actually be a more appealing position than head coach in 2007.

• Shell out as Raiders coach (AP)