Here we go again with Cable
Tom Cable got a nine-day reprieve. That’s how long he had between Napa County DA Gary Lieberstein’s liberating announcement on Oct. 22 and a second wave of bombshell news this morning.
In case you missed it, and I don’t know how you could have, two women have come forth to tell ESPN that Cable physically abused them in the past. One was Cable’s first wife, Sandy. The other was a more recent girlfriend, Marie Lutz. Sandy Cable said the coach hit her on two separate occasions. Lutz claimed Tom Cable knocked her down while pushing her out of his front doorway.
In addition, it has come to light that Cable’s second wife, Glenda, stated in divorce documents that Tom had been “physically and verbally abusive.” She now asserts he never was violent toward her.
Cable, who is now married for a third time, denies almost all of it, saying he smacked Sandy one time with an open hand.
Boy, what a mess.
Throughout the Randy Hanson news cycle, I counseled patience and caution. The rumors flew like Drew Brees spirals, and a lot of writers and readers got way ahead of the facts in their readiness to convict Cable.
When Lieberstein dropped the assault case, I felt vindicated. Not because I’m so sure Cable was innocent in that one, but simply because I thought it was possible all along, and because Hanson’s tale always seemed a bit fishy.
Well, this is a whole different scenario. Because these events happened in the past (some long ago, some as recent as January), and because they were investigated by law enforcement, I can’t see this becoming a legal entanglement for Tom Cable.
On the other hand, I can easily picture these accusations getting him in hot water with the NFL office, and they will make it even easier for Al Davis to dump Cable if the Raiders continue to falter on the field.
Beyond official sanctions, though, the news is deeply troubling, and may ultimately tarnish whatever positive image Cable had retained.
Randy Hanson is just one voice, and not a particularly credible one at that. It’s easy to dismiss his story as an agendized fabrication. But two different women, one of them (Sandy Cable) a police officer, painting Tom Cable as a serial woman-hitter?
Very, very disturbing.
Phil Barber covers the Raiders for The Press Democrat, uncovering news and features despite the team’s best efforts to keep everything a secret. He’ll keep our online audience up-to-date and informed with his blog “Instant Raiders.”
Of course she made her claim in a divorce proceeding. Those are known to be a bit exaggerated, wouldn’t you say?
by CaptainBlack
All of this is really ugly, and should not be part of the Raiders. Unfortunately as Cable is the head coach, it is.And it is an ugly distraction we don’t need in light of all our other problems. This is his personal business and should bot be played out in the media, but unfortunately it doesn’t work that way.The Hanson deal was dropped by the Napa police, but the stink is still there. Now this.They definitely don’t need this drama in addition to everything football wise.. With the team playing as poorly as they are, Monte Poole has a point. Al Davis will need to re-evaluate whether Cable is a liability to the team. It is starting to look like he is. He has not produced the wins, though he is not completely to blame, but the last thing a team needs in the midst of rebuilding is a head coach with legal problems. Loyalty is great, but there has to come a point, and Davis may not be able to overlook Cable’s growing rap sheet. You never want this to happen, but probably the best solution in light of all of this would be for Cable to step down voluntarily. To resign as head coach during the bye. For the good of the team. If not, and I don’t think he will, Davis needs to consider removing him.Again for the good of his franchise.His record since assuming head coaching duties certainly doesn’t justify putting up with all of this.It’s never easy to fire a HC mid-season, but in light of everything if Al Davis were to fire Cable during the bye week, I think most would not blame him.And would probably see it as the only possible move. For once.
by Raider Joe
This looks like piling on by ESPn. They bring up something that happened more than 20 years ago, along with someone making a claim in which no charges were filed. Are they in the business of airing sports news, or gossip, and inuendo.
by Dee
Good job, Phil. You kind of left out that he slapped her after he found out that she committed adultery, and “he” felt immediately bad after that. And about the skank that was in his doorway and wouldn’t move, here’s a suggestion, just like you would expect of a man if the tables were reversed, “get the hell out of the way”!!!
by WTF?
Wow. BSPN has outdone even itself. A week shy of a blistering report which recounts years and decades of ESPN executives having sex scandals with its own employees, and instead they decide to further try and denigrate Cable and the Raiders. Poor Cable. The guy is just trying to win. I hope that he and the Raiders sue ESPN for libel, slander, and defamation of character. I cannot believe that they believed the BS coming from that lying rat Randy Hansen.
by OakRaidFan
WTF:
Whoa. Are you actually suggesting the slap — which Cable’s first wife, a sheriff’s deputy, insists was a closed-handed punch — could have been justified by adultery, or any other non-physical transgression?? I hope I’m reading you wrong, because that’s just twisted.
–Phil
by Instant.Raiders
Captain Black:
That’s a valid point. I don’t think you can always take divorce claims at face value. Still, the weight of allegations by three different women add up to a troubling picture.
–Phil
by Instant.Raiders