Raiders: Cable Exonerated
Written by MC Homer, Thursday October 22 2009
Forget about my dislike for the Raiders. Forget about your dislike for the Raiders. Forget about the circus that is the Raiders, including their silly ring leader, Al Davis. Remember back in training camp, when Oakland head coach, Tom Cable, allegedly attacked assistant Randy Hanson? The drama is over. Okay, drama may not be the right word. I saw more drama on last week's episode of House. In any case, Napa County DA Gary Lieberstein, held a press conference to announce that his office will not file criminal charges stemming from an August 5th dispute between Tom Cable and Randy Hanson at a Napa hotel.
This is just another case of he said, he said. I understand the outcome and I don't have a problem with no charges being filed. Maybe he is innocent in all of this, I don't know and I don't care but I still can't help seeing the entire situation as ridiculous, and, frankly, trivial. Everyone from the DA in charge of this case, to Tom Cable, to the three witnesses, to Randy Hanson himself, have failed as human beings in my eyes.
It may come as a shock, but I'm not a district attorney. Never have been, never will be (never say never, it could happen). I have no personal experience with the law, check that, I can tell you what a traffic citation looks like, but that's it. Fear not my friends, that will not stop me from having an opinion about this charade, but you knew that.
I understand that we reserve the right to “plead the fifth” when the law comes knocking on our door, but if you are innocent, why not give a statement? I have never understood that. At no time, did Tom Cable conduct an interview with the DA's office. Cable's only response, when asked about the investigation, was, I trust the legal system. I call BS. I think he trusted that the other three assistants in the room feared for their jobs if they let the truth slip, but that's just me.
From what I've read (don't believe everything you read, kids), Randy Hanson has a history of being belligerent. Lane Kiffin suspended him and even tried to fire him before being canned himself. Al Davis made sure Hanson finished the season and brought him back during the offseason only weeks prior to announcing Cable as head coach. Hanson also failed to report this incident to police until a month later, making it impossible for police to search the hotel room for physical evidence to support his claims (as if they would've found anything other than a few pieces of teeth and maybe a drop or two of Randy's blood). That said, he still walked into that hotel room with a structurally sound mandible and walked out the door with a fracture and some broken teeth. I've had some rough nights, but nothing like that.
The Napa DA's office determined, through interviews, that no punches or threats were made and that Hanson had fallen off of a chair resulting in the injury. How it all happened seems a little cloudy to me though. The following is the DA's version of what went down. To make the long story short: Tom Cable got mad and went after Hanson. An assistant jumped between the two children to prevent fireworks, which are illegal in Napa County. Tommy bumped into the assistant who, in turn, bumped Hanson, thus knocking him off his chair. Tom Cable then grabbed Randy by the shirt (was it a hug? Was he trying to help him up? Or was he going in for the kill?), but according to witnesses (the assistant coaches), who conveniently happen to be on the Raider payroll (but surely that would have no bearing on the truth), never threatened or physically harmed him. Tommy must have been whispering sweet nothings in Randy's ear.
We will never know what really happened in that room, and it sounds like Randy Hanson never will either. In his press conference, the DA said, and I quote: Something happened, but even he doesn't know how it happened. I don't even think he (referring to Hanson) has a good idea. Ouch. A busted jaw and now amnesia? Tom Cable must have used some very strong words, because he surely never physically harmed him. Not even after grabbing him by the collar (straight from the DA's mouth) while infuriated, which never leads to violence.
A question was posed to the district attorney, during his press conference, if the Raiders holding training camp in Napa had any bearing on the investigation. Lieberstein explained that he is the district attorney for the county of Napa, not just the city, and that he is not swayed by any fiscal benefits Oakland brings the area when they go camping. If anyone believes this, go play on the highway. Maybe no one specifically told him not to press charges because of the income brought in by fans, players, coaches, and the like, during training camp, but I can assure you that there was mention of it, even if only from Jiminy Cricket. Just for the record, an NFL training camp has got to greatly boost a city's economy right? I wish I had the monetary figures to prove it.
Like I said, I don't know if Cable did it. I don't care one way or the other. I just think the way this entire investigation played out is a black eye on our criminal justice system, but then again, it always is in a high profile case. Double standards? You bet, but that's how they roll. Lieberstein said he's been working in that office (not as the DA) for 25+ years, yet he sounded like a novice at his press conference. Granted, he surely does not deal with many high profile cases such as this one, but I expected more. My Dad can throw around more big words than my boy Lieb's, but that doesn't make him qualified to be an attorney, let alone of an entire district.
It is over. Done. The Oakland Raiders can finally focus on football again, which is never a good thing these days. Phew. We can get back to focusing on players making absurd statements, like Seymour guaranteeing a playoff berth this year (have you ever heard a funnier statement?) instead of coaches engaging in a verbal spat (which, chances are, is all it was). Personally, if I was Tom Cable, I'd have begged for an orange jumpsuit and a jail cell just to escape the sinking ship Oakland.
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2 comments
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I've lost all hope.
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i don't think you will ever find justice in the justice system...