Raiders Coaches Close Ranks on Jawgate

"There must be some kind of way out of here,"

Said the joker to the thief,

There's too much confusion,

I can't get no relief."

-All Along The Watchtower, Jimi Hendrix

If only the cloud of dust would dissipate and we could get a clear picture of what really happened between Randy Hanson and Tom Cable. 

Jaws don't break themselves.  Hanson is alleging felony assault against Cable.

The backdrop is a hotel room in Napa, CA, where a defensive meeting was taking place.  Defensive Coordinator John Marshall along with secondary coaches Lionel Washington and Willie Brown were also present.

It makes sense that witnesses to an alleged crime would cooperate with a police investigation.  BUT, in this case Tom Cable has not been charged with a crime yet (or at all).

Apparently, it's ok for witnesses to not cooperate with a police investigation.  Oakland Raiders lawyers must be providing a legal shield.

For their part, Napa legal authorities are not too keen to forge ahead with charges.  Politics are in play.  They benefit from good relations with the Raiders for training camp during summer.

Still, a citizen was injured and has the legal right to want to prosecute the accused.

But there are several gaps in detail, despite lengthy articles from Nancy Gay of NFL Fanhouse and Michael Silver of Yahoo Sports.

Things are not adding up.  First it was mentioned Hanson was knocked out of his chair and into a cabinet.  That didn't wash very well but Hanson now says he was knocked out of his chair and into a table.  This is what caused the jaw fracture and cracked teeth.

A table did that huh?

It's not out of the question he was blindsided, somehow tossed into a table or perhaps hammered face down into it.  I have an image of an enraged Tom Cable tossing the guy around like a rag doll.  Cable looks like a guy you don't want to tick off.

And let's also be clear, claiming Cable said "I'm going to kill you" is not that big a deal.  That's what guys say when they are pissed off at each other.  It happens.  It would be insane to conclude Cable had any intention of really killing Hanson. 

Machismo is about intimidating the other guy.  That's what this was about.  Hanson got roughed up and now he wants his payday.

This is most assuredly about money and pride. 

Yet, witnesses are not talking.  Tsk, tsk

We know that Cable must have stepped over the line because medical reports are pretty good evidence.

But the game is now a legal one which means stalemate.

On one hand it is unfortunate the guy got hurt.  On the other hand, why was this guy even on staff?

Al Davis, you only have yourself to blame.  Your bad management of the franchise is at fault here.  If the guy is not serving a useful purpose on the coaching staff and getting people upset, confusing players, why is he there?

If your head coach and his staff feel he is not productive, why don't you let the guy go?

Oh that’s right, you threw him a bone for his cooperation with your last head coach hiring mistake.