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Tom Cable Firing Reminds Me of When Al Davis Fired Joe Bugel & Mike Shanahan

By Kevin Ewoldt
Two big time name coaches in Redskins history have meet the wrath of <strike>the Grim Reaper</strike> Al Davis
Two big time name coaches in Redskins history have meet the wrath of the Grim Reaper Al Davis

Man, Al Davis really canned Tom Cable? The Raiders were an impressive 8-8 team this year and really looked to be building something. Cable joined Oakland in 2007 as the OL Coach and took over as the Skipper when Lane Kiffin was canned. Cable and Hue Jackson had the stats to validate their 3-win improvement from 2009 on both sides of the ball:

  • The Raiders Defense moved from 26th in 2009 to 11th in 2010
  • With Hue Jackson calling the plays, the Raiders Offense doubled its points per game from 2009 (jumped from 31st in 2009 to 6th in 2010).
  • Oakland's 2010 Rushing Offense was the 2nd best in the NFL - behind only K.C.

We are talking about Al Davis though. He's had a quick trigger dating back to when he decided to chose a Head Coach for the first time out of the organization....Mike Shanahan.

In the 1988 season, Shanahan was sitting pretty at 7-7 with two games left in a weak division that year. Mike lost the final two games of the season killing their post-season chances. Fans and Al Davis were short-tempered (sound familiar??) in 1989, after a home opener win vs the Bolts, Shanahan lost his next 3 games, was given the pink slip, and Art Shell was promoted to Head Coach.

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Then of course there was the single season Joe Bugel was the Head Coach of Oakland and subsequently canned:

-- Jan. 22, '98 -- Joe Bugel, fired after Oakland went 4-12 -- its worst record since 1962. Jon Gruden, 34, was then hired as the Raiders head coach leaving a job as the Eagles' offensive coordinator.

-- Sept. 6, '98 -- In front of 78,945 spectators and a national television audience, the Raiders disintegrate in Gruden's first game, losing 28-8 at Kansas City. They give up five fumbles and 10 sacks, committing 15 penalties. (Gruden not fired, shockingly).

Gruden's first year in 1998 they finished 8-8 after most journalists had predicted 6-10.

A funny tidbit regarding the Shanahan firing:

Shanahan was owed $250K of salary after Al Davis fired him. Davis told Shanahan he could go to any team but Denver if he wanted to receive that payment. Mike of course told Al, "You're firing me. I should be able go where ever I want." Mike went to Denver and Shanahan has still to this day not received that money.

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