On the same day that the Raiders issued a response to the recent allegations made regarding coach Tom Cable (more on that to come), the Raiders also took aim at ESPN for its role in providing a public platform for two women who claim that Raiders head coach Tom Cable committed violence against them.
“ESPN’s role in this matter must be carefully examined,” the Raiders said in a statement released within the past half hour. “ESPN routinely disseminates falsehoods about the Raiders. During the last year, ESPN (working with someone who was in this organization) engaged in a calculated effort to distort the truth about the Raiders, utilizing lies and innuendo.”
The statement does not specific the former employee with whom the Raiders contend ESPN has been collaborating.
Last year, ESPN’s Chris Mortensen reported that controlling interest in the Raiders was available for sale, without giving the Raiders a chance to respond.
“The Raiders have lost the privilege with me of running stories past them for comment,” Mort said at the time. “This stems from their history of denials to most stories I have reported -- as well as others in the media -- when those stories have eventually proven to be true.”
Mortensen later admitted that he was wrong not to check with the team, and he apologized to the Raiders.
We’re aware of no other specific incidents between ESPN and the Raiders.
The good news for ESPN is that the Raiders have not yet reiterated the charge that NFL insider Adam Schefter is a “false rumor monger.”
But it’s still early in the evening.