The (0-4) Oakland Raiders would prefer to forget the majority of their 2014 campaign thus far. And interim head coach Tony Sparano wants to make sure of it.
Monday’s practice was a bit out of the ordinary, as Sparano had the team bury a football to forget all the events that had transpired during the season leading up to that point. For Sparano and the rest of the team, it was about starting fresh and looking forward—rather than letting the past weigh them down.
QB Derek Carr got it started, as he was the first player to shovel dirt on the ball.
Sparano isn’t the only coach in recent years to do this. Jets head coach Rex Ryan buried a game ball back in 2010 after an embarrassing loss to the Patriots on Monday Night Football. And he learned it from Bill Belichick, who did it in 2001, helping provide the spark the Patriots needed to eventually win Super Bowl XXXVI.
“This ball, to me, goes in this hole…four games worth,” Sparano said.
[Photo credit: Raiders.com]