Raiders, Gruden and the Shanahans
Can the star of a reality-TV show, who plays a cocky, knowit-all, bossy man, parlay his TV fame into an important leadership job in the real world? That can’t work, can it?
Maybe it can, as long as the TV star is a genius who is also superduper sane. Maybe Jon Gruden
can make that transition. If he does, he can give an assist to the Raiders’ longtime nemesis, Mike Shanahan.
Soap-opera intrigue is all the rage in the NFL these days, so check out this twisty plot:
Al Davis hired Mike Shanahan to coach the Raiders in 1988, then fired him after 20 games. Davis couldn’t handle Shanahan’s iron-fisted style. Like: Shanahan wouldn’t let Raiders sit on their helmets at practice, a team tradition.
It was an ugly divorce. Shanahan and Davis fought for years over what Shanahan claimed was $250,000 of unpaid salary.
Shanahan moved to the 49ers. During warm-ups before a Raiders-49ers game, Shanahan allegedly ordered Steve Young to drill Davis, standing on the sideline. The pass nailed Davis on the leg.
Fast-forward to October. The Patriots decide to unload Jimmy Garoppolo. The QB is in big demand, but Bill Belichick doesn’t even shop him, just hands him to the 49ers for a crazy-cheap price.
Why? Well, Belichick knew Garoppolo would thrive playing for Mike’s son, Kyle. Also, the trade was a thank you to Mike Shanahan, who went to bat for Belichick during the Spygate scandal.
So, in part because of Mike Shanahan’s warm relationship with Belichick, the 49ers improved dramatically. Almost instantly, the 49ers became the Bay Area team with the hot young quarterback, the dynamic head coach and the Super Bowl aspirations.
Mike Shanahan couldn’t have planned it better if he tried. The dizzying reversal of fortunes, for both the 49ers and Raiders, didn’t go down well with Mark Davis. Mark’s goal is to win Super Bowls, but his secondary mission is to field the Bay Area’s dominant football club.
Had the 49ers muddled to 1-15, had Garoppolo been so-so, maybe Davis would’ve given Jack Del Rio another year. Instead, Davis turned to Gruden.
Sorry, Jack. Blame the Shanahans.