Geno Smith flipping off Raiders fans, apology sign of bigger issue

Last Sunday the Raiders had arguably their worst offensive performance of the season in a season of terrible offensive performances. It came against the lowly Browns and happened at home. And the fans didn't appreciate it.

Boos rained down on the Raiders and on Geno Smith in particular. He was sacked ten times -- some of which were his own fault -- and failed to connect with his top receiver on several deep and intermediate routes.

As he left the field, fans were letting their opinions of his performance be known. And instead of taking it as a professional NFL quarterback should, he chose to give those fans the finger. Apparently thinking it wouldn't be spotted by the cameras. It was. And Wednesday he stood in front of the media, swallowed his pride, and apologized for it.

"First of all, I would like to apologize, obviously, to the fans, to the fan base of Raider Nation. I made a poor judgment out of frustration, and that's not an excuse. I've got to be better than that, and I've got to hold myself to a higher standard. In that moment, I didn't. I'm sincerely apologetic and very sorry, obviously, for doing that. I just want to make it known that those things will never happen for me again."

After the game on Sunday, Smith was clearly upset. He was asked several questions about specific plays in the game, and he gave a series of generic platitudes about "I have to play better" which rang in my ear like something akin to when Marshawn Lynch once famously said "I'm just here so I won't get fined." But after thinking about it more, it is actually closer to the kind of line Derek Carr used to trot out after a poor performance.

At least when Marshawn did it, he was being genuine. Geno's attitude said one thing, while his words said another. Being genuine is a quality teammates respect and follow. It's also a sign of intelligence. Because that's what it takes to know what you can and can't say and how to hold it together in high pressure situations. Literally thinking on your feet. Making his childish gestures and his empty words signal a bigger problem as to why he hasn't been able to lead this team through their struggles.

No one likes to lose. And Smith has plenty to be angry about. But dealing with the fans and the media and still maintaining a professional attitude is as much a part of his job as what he does behind center. So, if he can't handle one, he probably shouldn't be handling the other either.

This article originally appeared on Raiders Wire: Geno Smith flipping off Raiders fans, apology sign of bigger issue