I’m kicking myself right now!

With the 17th overall pick in 2000 NFL Draft, the Oakland Raiders select…are you serious? A kicker!?

Yes, a kicker. On April 15th, 2000, Sebastian Janikowski became the first kicker taken in the 1st round in over 20 years. Now unless this guy can kick 70 yard field goals with his eyes closed, that is a flat-out stupid pick. Rarely do you see a kicker being taken in the early rounds, and almost never do you see it in the 1st round. Some of the best kickers of all time (see Adam Vinatieri, Gary Anderson) were either taken in the late rounds or even undrafted.

The reason for all this complaining stems from yet another tough loss for the Oakland Raiders on Sunday; this time thanks to, you guessed it, Sebastian Janikowski. The Raiders were in prime position to win the game, as they were about to attempt a 32 yard field goal with 0:04 seconds left.

Janikowski, who had already missed two field goals in the game, lined up for what appeared to be an easy chip shot to win the game. Unfortunately, it was far from easy, and he missed it wide left to give the Arizona Cardinals the win.

The Raiders moved to 1-2 on the season, and Janikowski added to his unimpressive resume in his 10-year career as an Oakland Raider. Although he hasn’t been terrible, Janikowski has performed at a level no better than most un-drafted kickers in the NFL over the past decade. He has definitely not performed up to his hype as the highest-paid kicker in the NFL.

Al Davis, the owner of the Oakland Raiders, has been responsible for more questionable draft picks and roster moves than any other owner in the history of the NFL. As a Raider fan myself, all we can wonder is how much longer we will have to deal with it. When will it finally be “the year”? After Sunday, it appears that it won’t be the 2010-2011 season.

Although they do look like an improved team, they still have 99 problems, and a kicker IS one.

Janikowski after he missed the potential game-winning field goal

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