Michael Crabtree and Al Davis: The Clash Of Egos

(Photo by Chris McGrath/Getty Images for Subway)

Michael Crabtree has been quite a controversial topic since he was drafted. He came off a great year at Texas Tech with stats through the roof. He has a list of awards, where if I were to read them off of a scroll, the paper would most likely billow in the wind three feet behind me as I unwound it.

He also has an ego which is going to get him hated.

He was predicted to go earlier in the draft to the Raiders and Darrius Heyward-Bey took his place, so Crabtree went 10th overall to the 49ers.

It started out well, Crabtree talking about how he was happy to be on the team etc. etc. But when it came time to sign the contract, the digits weren't high enough to feed the rookie's hungry ego.

So now he is sitting out of training camp waiting for the big bucks without ever playing a game of football in the NFL, or even hitting the field for an NFL team.

But imagine. Imagine if Crabtree went where he was predicted to go...Oakland.

Al Davis has quite a track record over the last 10 years; he has fired a total of five coaches, one (Gruden) who was said to be 'traded' to Tampa Bay even though Gruden took the team to the AFC championship game.

What we can learn from his history is that Al Davis is an old-school kind of guy; he's pressing 81 so there is no question why. He means business and more business, and he wouldn't be taking Crabtree's attitude.

So if Crabtree was pulling this ridiculous holdout on the Raider's team, Davis would most likely give him a chance, tell him to sleep on his decisions, and then the next day, if Crabtree was still angry about the contract...Davis would kick him off the team.

Now when I say "kick him off the team" I mean Davis would drop the contract's cash value, and simply tell Crabtree that he can take his chances.

Why would this work? Well, Crabtree is saying that he will sit out this season and re-enter the draft next season. But the team he was drafted to still hold his rights until the day of the draft. That means no talks to other teams, no combine, no working out for any team, to put it plainly, "no nothing".

And then where will the trust go? To the receivers who shine on their respective college teams in the upcoming season. Also, no one wants this sort of player on their team.

So guess what Crabtree? You are lucky you got to go to the Niners, a team with a GM who is willing to sort of negotiate with you, because if you went to the Raiders, you wouldn't be pulling this funny stuff.

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