On today’s episode of ESPN’s Around the Horn show, Woody Paige of the Denver Post revealed that he had spoken with someone “very much involved in the process” of hiring the next Raider head coach, and that Tom Cable had been promised he”would be part of the organization no matter what happens.”
If this is true, this only further muddies the waters. The Raiders run their organization with a code of secrecy that would make the CIA turn green with envy, so anything released always has to be taken wiih a grain of salt.
What it sounds like is that Al is poking around to see if there are any better options, and if there are none Cable will remain the coach for another year. This is hardly a vote of confidence for the second year coach, but it is as close as it will come for a Raider coach with a losing record.
Transcriptions of the AtH and PTI segments on the Raiders for today:Around the Horn
Tony Realli: Anyone want to talk about what’s going on with the Raiders right now? That’s a rhetorical question. This is only a half hour show. So don’t even try answering it Cable is still the head coach. The steam still talking to other candidates for his job. Maybe Jim Fassel, Maybe Marc Trestman, Maybe Jim Harbaugh, although he expre4ssed no interest. Buy or Sell the Raiders interview process, woody?
Woody Paige: Well, I’m fixin to tell you what’s going on. I talked to someone very much involved in the process earlier today. He told me yes, they talked to Fassel. They have talked to Trestman. They’re reaching out to a bunch of different people. They have told Tom Cable he would be part of the organization no matter what happens.
TR: Don’t you think it’s odd their interviewing coaches for a position that is filled, Mariotti?
Jay Mariotti: No, that’s standard procedure for the Raiders. IF they did something normal, then I would be surprised, I guess, Realli. Jim Fassel, Marc Trestman, Kevin Gilbride. Why would anyone be excited about any of these names? If they do retain Cable in some capacity, you have to keep in mind that he is has a violent past that has pretty much been coberated.
TR: What about you McMullen?
Jackie McMullen: You do have to bring that it. I think its odd that a guy like Tom Cable is going to be kept on as Woody tells us after he fractured the job of one of his assistant coaches and had alleged abuse to two ex-wives and an ex-girlfriend. That to me is a lot of what is going on.
TR: What’s the big deal? We knew about that four months ago. Three months ago. What do you think J.A.?
J.A. Adande: They actually played better football down the stretch. They weren’t a laughing stock. You actually saw them be a competitive football team. Are you going to reward that? You saw Wade Phillips exceed expectations for this maybe stick around. Norv Turner, he’s going to stick around. Why not Tom Cable if you are going to do it on a football basis. If you are going to do it on the other things, should have done it midseason.
PTI
Michael Wilbon: Al Davis has reportedly also spoken to Jim Harbaugh. Nothing strange there, those guys are all very good candidates, those are all good candidates to coach an NFL team. There is one problem tho, the Raiders already have a coach, we think. Tom Cable hasn’t been fired yet. What do you think the odds are that the Cable Guy will be the coach come spring.
Tony Kornheiser: Are you sure he is the Riader Head coach right now?
MW: I said we think.
TK: If I am tom Cable right now, even though I know that my owner Al Davis is tremendously eccentric. I’m angry. I’m as angry as I was with that assistant coach. Remember what happened to him? Knocked him under a table, I don’t think so. Al has interviewed the guy who won UFL, was in the UFL.
MW: Fassel
TK: The guy who won the CFL. He’s lucky there is no league in Eurpe any more because that airfare would just crush the Raiders. Come over from Europe. With Al, and he is the one guy we can say this about, we love AL Davis, you never know. You have no idea what he is thinking or why he was thinking it.
MW: You have no idea what he is thinking. I do think though, we already thought Cable would be fired.
TK: I don’t necessarily think he is going to be fired. They had big wins this year. They beat good teams.
MW: They had big wins, but they were five and something. Max six and something. They don’t have a good team. I am not blaming this on all these coaches that Al keeps firing, but he keeps hiring them.
TK: If you make the decision to go away from JaMarcus Russell, which is a costly decision, maybe they have a better chance to be a good team right now.
MV: Maybe they shouldn’t have made the decision to draft JaMarcus Russell.
E3 TK: I don’t think Cable did that.
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