John Madden Still Thinks Al Davis Is Sane

I guess if we're talking crazy it's good that it's from one crazy person to another. John Madden was on Adam Schein's, Sirius radio show, and the former Raiders' Coach had this to say about his former employer. Via PFT....

"People say, 'Why did he have that press conference and why did he go through everything?' I think that he just heard so many things that he wanted to just straighten them out. And it was one of things, he was going to be damned if he did and damned if he didn't. If he didn't have a press conference they were going to say, 'Why didn't you come out? Why didn't you talk to the media? Why didn't you show yourself?' And then if he does [have a press conference], 'Why do you have to air all of your laundry in public?' In that situation there was probably no right way to do it and if you want to criticize him and the Raiders, then either way that he chose he's going to be criticized anyway."

As to the press conference, Madden had two observations. "One, he was making a coaching change and that announcement and that was one part of it," Madden said. "And then I think all the things that he's been living with the last maybe six months and hearing and not reacting to, he reacted to. That's what I think. So I think it was a double agenda. One, a coaching change and, one, let's get some things straight that have been said the last six months that I've been completely quiet about."

Finally, Madden addressed whether the situation in Oakland can be repaired. "I think it is fixable," Madden said. "Anytime you have an organization and an owner that wants to win as badly as Al Davis wants to win, and will spend the money to win, I don't think you have as many barriers as you think. Those are easy. The ones that would be tough is where you didn't have any good players and you had an owner or an organization that didn't want to spend any money to get good players."

Do you think that the Raiders may have had a mind erasing machine back in the day? I know Madden loves Al Davis, and that he owes his career to him, but that was a pretty egregious step around there. Oh and no....the Raiders situation is not fixable. Sorry Raider fans....just jump ship now.

John Madden On Al Davis (Pro Football Talk)