Raiders Attorney Challenges League To Punish Davis

Raiders attorney Joseph Alioto "angrily challenged" the NFL to sanction Raiders Owner Al Davis for his failed lawsuit against the league, according to Sam Farmer of the L.A. TIMES. Alioto said that the NFL "has no authority or jurisdiction" to punish the Raiders and added that any punishment would "violate the team's right to due process" and "intimidates others who might have legitimate cases against the league." Alioto: "(The NFL) is playing with fire, and if they continue to do it they're going to get burned." Alioto said that if the NFL punishes Davis, he "would have no hesitation in going back to the trial judge to bar the league from" from doing so. Alioto: "I guess [Commissioner Paul Tagliabue] and the owners need to know that besides their own constitution we have other constitutions also that are a little bit higher in prestige." Alioto also "took issue with the notion the Raiders must pay" the NFL's legal bills. A '97 league rule says a team suing the league must pay its legal bills if a lawsuit is unsuccessful, but the Raiders claim "theirs was a countersuit — not a suit — that began in 1995, and is exempt." The NFL said that the Raiders filed a separate suit in CA state court in '99 after the countersuit was dismissed in federal court (L.A. TIMES, 5/25).

RAIDER AL: FSN's Jim Rome, on Davis: "The rest of the NFL is now laughing at Al, who was soundly thrashed by the league in the courtroom. Since Al was unable to squeeze the NFL, he can now focus all his energies on jamming up the city of Oakland, who he says has not made good on promises it made after he screwed (L.A.) by leaving. And if that doesn't work, he can always jam Irwindale up for another 10-mil for the right to dig another hole in the middle of that town. ... Just sue, baby" ("Last Word," FSN, 5/24).