Eddie DeBartolo will be buying a piece of the Raiders. Unless he doesn’t.
In response to a Sunday splash report from Jason La Canfora of CBS that DeBartolo could purchase a minority interest in the Raiders, both the team and DeBartolo have issued denials.
Said owner Mark Davis to Jerry McDonald of The Bay Area News Group before Sunday’s game against Minnesota: “It’s not true.”
DeBartolo likewise issued a statement denying any potential transaction.
“The report about my interest in buying a portion of the Raiders is absolutely ridiculous and absurd,” DeBartolo said, via Jason Cole. “It is 100 percent not true. I have no intention in returning to the NFL and am focused on enjoying my family, my relationships with my beloved [49ers] players and my business in Tampa. I love the NFL and will continue to watch from afar as a fan.”
Interested in buying a piece of the Raiders or not, DeBartolo has a strong incentive to make a clear statement that he won’t be returning to the NFL. A finalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame in the contributor category, DeBartolo is on the brink of enshrinement. If there’s a chance he’ll return to the NFL, it could impact the willingness of some to vote for him in early February.
At least one Hall of Fame selector has told PFT that a potential return by DeBartolo to the NFL would impact the decision-making process.
So on one hand, it’s a predictable denial, especially with the use of the ultimate wiggle word: “Intention.”
Then again, DeBartolo’s denial is so strong and so clear that it would be very difficult for DeBartolo to reverse course in the future and retain any real credibility.