NFL 2, Raiders 0

By Os Davis  |   Tuesday, July 03, 2007  |  Comments( 29 )

Oakland Raiders
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You know who appreciates this holiday right about now? The Oakland Raiders. Even though no too-intense camps are on and no games are played, it's been a long week for the silver and black -- and it's only Wednesday.

The National Football League wished Dominic Rhodes a happy Independence Day when it liberated him from $352,941 of his 2007 salary, not to mention the burden of having to play in the first four games of the season.

Rhodes was suspended for violating the league's substance-abuse policy. No specifics were given on what exactly the running back put into his bloodstream, but it is known that the former Indianapolis Colt, whom Oakland signed as a free agent in the offseason, was busted for DWI and recently had to plead guilty to charges of reckless driving.

Prior to the suspension, Rhodes looked set to team with LaMont Jordan for a pairing-up similar to what the Colts had going on with Rhodes and Joseph Addai. That'll still happen, to be sure, but Oakland does not need this stumble out of the starting block in 2007.

Meanwhile, in the story mainstream press gobbled up like a Paris Hilton trip, Oakland's own Notorious B.A.D. (that's Big Al Davis) took a legal hit, finally killing a lawsuit with roots growing back to 1985 and those faux Los Angeles Raiders.

Having left Oakland by suing his way out back in 1982 (and thus paving the way for the glorious reign of the Oakland Invaders), the world's worst football market couldn't possibly keep Davis happy for long.

Seeking to relocate to new digs in 1995, Davis and the Raiders signed a deal with certain Los Angeles-based interests to build a new facility in Inglewood. Davis asked for $20 million and two Super Bowls to be hosted there between 2000 and 2004.

The NFL put forth a counteroffer of an unnamed (lower) amount of cash plus one Super Bowl guaranteed. Later, the league offered two Super Bowls and possibly the $20 million, but a second team would be created for the Los Angeles area and would share the brand-new facilities.

Mr. Davis didn't like that, took his football and returned to Oakland, where the team has played ever since.

Oakland Raiders v. the National Football League, Paul Tagliabue et al. was first brought forth as an action for damages in March 1999. The jury trial began two years later, and then things really got crazy.

The Raiders' legal offensive in 2001 consisted of five causes of action: three based on claims that, by moving to Oakland, the Raiders "left the NFL with an 'opportunity' to put another team in Los Angeles and that the NFL's constitution and bylaws implicitly required that the Raiders be compensated for providing the NFL with that opportunity; two were based the league's alleged failure to offer the Raiders more support for the development of the proposed Hollywood Park stadium.

The Raiders lost to the NFL, 9-3, but in July 2002, the team moved for a new trial on the grounds of juror misconduct. Davis & Co. alleged that jurors Joseph A. and Linda H. were not exactly straight about their neutrality regarding those hated Raiders.

Check out the decision released by the California Supreme Court for a nice recap of alleged shenanigans pulled by a couple of jurors. (So help me Thorpe, this offseason's got me so bored, I'm reading legal briefs, but it's compelling stuff, for sure.)

In juror commentary, Joseph A. was quoted as stating "several times during deliberations that he hated the Raiders and their owner, Al Davis," and that he "would never find for the Raiders or award them any money." Other odd declarations from Joseph A. stated that "the Raiders were always starting lawsuits with the NFL."

Turns out Joseph A.'s favorite team, according to one fellow juror's testimony, was "the New York Jets or Giants." (Gotta be a Jets guy, right?)

Questionable juror Linda H. comes off as more of a know-it-all poseur than a Raider hater, but she "told the other jurors that the Raiders' lawyer did not want her on the jury, and that she would make them pay."

In September 2002, the jury decision was labeled a mistrial by Los Angeles County Superior Court judge Richard Hubbell. The California Supreme Court, however, overturned that decision, unanimously, declaring that jury testimony about actions committed by fellow jury members was "sharply conflicting on every material issue, and the Raiders submitted no other evidence to support their motion for a new trial."

The case is now considered dead, Joseph A. can join the All-Time Raider Hater Great Names alongside Walt Coleman and Heidi, and the Raiders probably won't be moving into the new Hollywood Park Stadium anytime soon.

RealFootball365.com: Loving the Raiders in Oakland, in Los Angeles and in court all year round.
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About Os Davis

Os Davis has taken a twisted route to get to RealFootball365.com in his nearly 17 years in professional writing, working in any number of capacities in the sportswriting, news reporting and film criticism worlds. In print media, Os has served as editor at a few publications, including Albuquerque's ...
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CommentsComments: 29  |  Sign Up  View all comments
No.1
the franchise		11:36 PM
07/03/2007
well aint that about a dirty biatch, well i guess this is just about gonna make sure that as long as michael bush is anything ...
No.2
raidersteveJ		01:08 AM
07/04/2007
man, cant these freakin football players just stay out of trouble. It seems like the NFL is suspending multiple players daily. ...
No.3
Bama Raider		06:30 AM
07/04/2007
"those faux Los Angeles Raiders." F.. this guy. Is he talking about the SUPERBOWL CHAMPION LA RAIDERS?!? Yea, we got screwed ...
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