Still 'the dumbest team in America

There were some surprising events in the ' locker room on Monday.It wasn't what defensive tackle Warren Sapp said. It's that it took this long to be said."We're just undisciplined from top to bottom," Sapp told the Sacramento Bee.Whoa, hold on. The veteran lineman certainly can't be talking about the right team. 6 Super Bowl Champions jersey White jersey
Oakland only has 125 penalties this year for 874 yards. That's just eight free trips up and down the field and 48 uncontested points (excluding point-after attempts). It's not as if the Raiders aren't talented enough to overcome 10-plus penalties a game. (Note the sarcasm.)Keep in mind, Sapp's recent comments came nearly four years after ex-head coach Bill Callahan called the Raiders the "dumbest team in America."And nothing -- absolutely nothing -- has changed since.Year in and year out, Oakland is among the most penalized teams in the football. Dating back to the franchise's inception in 1960, the Raiders have led the NFL in penalty yards 12 different times. Only the Bears, who moved to Chicago in 1921, have done that more times; however, they haven't led in the category since 1968. The Raiders last achieved the shameful triumph just four short years ago. That was 2003, the year that sparked Callahan's fearless comments.Since that season, the Raiders have amassed a 17-57 record.This year, the team's starting offensive line alone has combined for an atrocious 35 flags for 232 yards, and that's with right guard Cooper Carlisle factored in, who has been penalized only one time all season. The team's other linemen have done the remainder of the damage: Left tackle Barry Sims has 12 infractions for 75 yards; right tackle Cornell Green has eight for 40; left guard Robert Gallery has 10 for 72; and center Jeremy Newberry has four for 40.Warren Sapp isn't just talking about the O-line, though. He placed the blame on everyone, including himself and wide receiver Tim Dwight, who was sitting on his couch at home three weeks ago."Where the [beep!] you going?" Sapp blurted out to the media, referring to Dwight's mishap late in the fourth quarter in Sunday's 29-22 loss to the Minnesota Vikings. Dwight was flagged for a false start in the closing seconds of the Raiders' final failed comeback attempt, costing his team a 10-second runoff. The worst part: It was on a spike. 4 Brett Favre White jersey
"Penalties, this and that, undisciplined gaps on defense, allowing people to run for 200 yards - it's not going to change until we get out of our own damn way."That could be it. The Raiders are usually playing an opponent ... and themselves on Sunday.And here's the problem:"We can't beat ourselves," starting quarterback Daunte Culpepper admitted.Anthony Carroll, a senior writer for , can be contacted at