For Raiders, it’s Time To Cut The Losses

By MikeBullock  |   Friday, November 06, 2009  |  Comments( 15 )

Oakland Raiders
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The hits just keep coming for (or from depending on your perspective) Tom Cable, who may or may not be guilty of multiple counts of domestic violence. Any man will tell you striking another man, as Cable was accused of doing to ex-Raider asst coach Randy Hanson, is one thing. Striking a woman is another thing entirely.

NOW, the National Organization for Women, emailed a proclamation to USA Today on Wednesday from Terry O'Neill, the group’s President. "Tom Cable's history of violence against women raises a question: why is he still the head coach of an NFL team?”
Why indeed, one might ask. Innocent until proven guilty is the correct answer, but that still doesn’t exonerate Cable in the court of public opinion.

O’Neill continues by pointing out, "Mr. Cable admits having battered his first wife, and he stands accused of battering two other intimate partners as well. As a survivor of domestic violence, I know that women do not make such accusations lightly. Indeed, women have much more to lose than to gain by coming forward to tell their stories."

Especially when making allegations of this nature against men in powerful positions. And for those rising to defend Cable, note that by his own admission, he is now guilty as charged.
While it’s easy to take shots at Al Davis’s hapless Raiders, one thing the embattled owner has managed to do is keep the organization free from the riff raff that has plagued other locker rooms over the last ten years.

There was a time when professional football players were the ultimate role models for our country’s youth. However, allegations of rape, child abuse, spousal abuse, and even murder have been leveled at NFL players in recent years, collectively reducing their reputation to thugs or worse. Keep in mind, the ratio of NFL players who fall on the wrong side of the law is very minor, but under the scrutiny of the national media, one out of every five hundred can be magnified to appear as if it’s one out of every two.

Nevertheless, the Oakland Raiders have been relatively free from this sort of thing over the last decade.

That is, until now.

Going further, O’Neill states "The Oakland Raiders, properly, say they are undergoing a 'serious evaluation' of these recent allegations. At the very least [Tom Cable] should be suspended during this process... A man who has admitted battering his wife has no business being a role model for all of us who would like to be able to look up to the head coach of an NFL football team."

While some may view this as a woman kicking Coach Cable when he’s down, her concerns are credible, valid and spot on.

It’s only a matter of time before NFL Commissioner, Roger Goodell, known for being heavy handed against players who violate ethical and moral codes, steps in and takes action. While Al Davis has a very public history of fighting with NFL Commissioners, this is a battle he should avoid at all costs, knowing full well Raider Nation is comprised of husbands, wives, fathers, mothers and children of all shapes and sizes. The last message Davis needs to send is that it’s okay to strike a woman.
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No.1
RaiderCraig		07:15 PM
11/06/2009
Tom Cable should not be fired because of the Randy Hanson incident. Tom Cable should not be fired because of of a domestic ...
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No.2
neil b		07:21 AM
11/07/2009
Pretty much right on the money with that post Craig.At the end of last season with those two wins against play-off teams I ...
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No.3
Raidehz		09:29 PM
11/07/2009
I'm convinced that until Al Davis leaves this team. Releases control and this means behind the scenes control. The Oakland ...
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