Oakland Raiders: Gruden's controversial hire shows hes in total control

Oakland Raiders Head Coach Jon Gruden is busy filling out his coaching staff and has made one recent hire that’s not only very familiar, it’s raising plenty of eyebrows.

When Oakland Raiders owner Mark Davis made his dreams come true and landed his great white whale in Jon Gruden, many wondered how much power and authority the new HC was going to have within the organization.

Well, less than a week after his introductory – or rather, re-introductory – press conference, we now have the answer to the question – Gruden has all the power and authority.

Oh, sure, when it comes to drafting players, acquiring free agents, and other personnel moves, Gruden and GM Reggie McKenzie will be marching in lockstep and working together to craft the best roster they can. At least, that’s the company line and they’re both singing the same tune.

And who knows? It might even be true.

But what we learned recently is that Gruden, when it comes to filling out his coaching staff, has absolute carte blanche – his authority even apparently superseding Davis’ own oft-stated beliefs and wishes.

Specifically, where it concerns matters of violence against women.

Not all that long ago, Davis took a firm stand when rumors linking former sack machine Greg Hardy with the Raiders started to make the rounds. At the time those rumors surfaced – a time when Oakland could have used a pass rusher of Hardy’s caliber – Davis held firm, saying:

"“False, falser and falsest. That is not true. “I can tell you this: It has not been brought up to me and it would have to come to me.. ”"

That aligns Davis’ long-held position of zero tolerance on domestic violence and violence against women.

"“I have very strong feelings about this. It’s just something we can’t tolerate. I don’t know how to fix it in society but I know we can’t have it on our team.”"

Davis’ views on the subject of domestic violence and violence against women have strong roots in the murder of Raiders legend Fred Biletnikoff‘s daughter, Tracey, who was killed by her boyfriend in 1999.

More from Golden Gate Sports

And yet, with this history and this zero tolerance attitude for violence against women, Gruden hired former Oakland coach Tom Cable, who was cut loose by the Seattle Seahawks as they retool their coaching staff.

Cable, if you recall, served as Oakland’s interim head coach in 2008, after the firing of Lane Kiffin, going 4-8 down the stretch, and was the HC for two more years, compiling an overall record of 17-27 over his tenure.

But, it’s not Cable’s lack of success as a head coach, or even his success as an offensive line coach in Seattle that should be raising eyebrows.

It’s his long, well-documented history of violence against women that should be raising red flags all over the place.

At least two women – a former wife and former girlfriend – have accused Cable of physical and mental abuse. Allegations that go back several decades.

Speaking to ESPN’s Outside the Lines, Cable’s ex-wife, Sandy, outlined some of Cable’s abuses.

"“On two occasions, one back in ’86 and the other in ’88, he hit me. The second time in the face, however on attempts to call law enforcement, my husband would rip the phone out of the wall.”"

Also speaking to Outside the Lines, Marie Lutz, a former girlfriend, recalled Cable hitting her “three or four times,” and recounted a story in which she showed up at his house early one morning and found him with another woman. After demanding to meet her, Lutz said:

"“[Cable] grabbed her by the left arm, causing her to fall to the ground” and “eventually pick[ed] her up and pushed her out the front door.”"

And a third woman, Cable’s ex-wife, Glenda, in divorce documents obtained by ESPN, said that, Cable was, “in the past he has been physically and verbally abusive to me.”

Next: Raiders Need To Fix Scouting Process Before The Draft

Glenda, however, issued a statement to Outside the Lines, which directly contradict her statements in the divorce documents, saying:

"“I have known Tom Cable for more than 20 years, including 17 years of marriage. Throughout the time I have known him, Tom has never been violent to me or our children. I chose not to speak to the media before now to protect my privacy and that of my children. However, I am very troubled by what is being claimed by others and I felt compelled to speak out about my own lengthy experience with Tom.”"

The fact that Glenda’s own statements come from her official divorce documents hardly make it somebody gossipping and spreading unfounded, baseless rumors. But hey, okay.

Still, whether Glenda was telling the truth then, or is telling the truth now, is immaterial. The simple, indisputable fact is that Cable has a history of violence against women. One he’s admitted to – though, of course, he does his best to minimize it.

"“More than 20 years ago, during my first marriage, I became aware that my wife Sandy had committed adultery. I became very angry and slapped her with an open hand. What I did was wrong and I have regretted and felt sorrow about that moment ever since.”"

It’s a recollection of events though, that Sandy was quick to refute with her own statement.

"“He constantly made accusations throughout the relationship. There was never any infidelity on my part. And he did not slap me, he punched me.”"

Some will obviously downplay and marginalize it all, arguing that the past is the past and there’s no sense in dredging it up today. Cable’s grown, they’ll say. He’s learned. He’s not the same man today that he was back in the 80’s and early 90’s, right?

Maybe. But, maybe not.

Given that the Lutz accusations came as recently as 2009, it shows a very disturbing pattern of behavior from Cable that hasn’t changed in at least twenty years. A pattern of behavior that contradicts the “it was thirty years ago, he’s a changed man” narrative some are pushing.

This isn’t a matter of X’s and O’s – there will be time enough to discuss why Cable may or may not be a good fit in the position from a football-only perspective – this is a matter of Gruden completely contradicting Davis’ oft-stated “zero tolerance” policy for violence against women.

More than that, it shows that Davis, euphoric after achieving his long-held dream of luring Gruden back to the Oakland sidelines, has ceded any and all control to the head coach.

Even if it violates one of Davis’ own, often stated core principles.

Given the fact that they’d conducted multiple interviews with potential offensive line coaching candidates, it’s not like they were hurting for options. Is Tom Cable really a coach who stands head and shoulders above the rest? Especially bringing the baggage he brings with him?

Especially when his mere presence crosses a line Mark Davis himself said he would never cross?

And one has to wonder, if Gruden brings somebody with a history of violence against women like Cable, where will it stop? Would Gruden bring in somebody like a Greg Hardy? Somebody like a Joe Mixon? Somebody like – any number of players with a history of violence against women?

With the spotlight on issues that are impacting women in our society today shining so brightly – and, rightly so – Gruden’s hiring of Tom Cable is incredibly tone deaf. More than that, it opens the door for others with histories as checkered – or even more so – than Cable’s.

Which is a problem. Or at least, it should be a problem.

It’s a hiring though, that shows who’s actually wearing the pants in the Raiders organization today. That Davis would allow Gruden to bring in somebody like Cable, shows that he’s so enamored with his head coach, he’s willing to sell his soul to keep him.

And that’s, potentially, an even bigger problem.

Home/Las Vegas Raiders News

Oakland Raiders: Gruden’s controversial hire shows he’s in total control

By Kevin Saito | Jan 13, 2018

Oakland Raiders Head Coach Jon Gruden is busy filling out his coaching staff and has made one recent hire that’s not only very familiar, it’s raising plenty of eyebrows.

More from Golden Gate Sports