Raiders Owner Mark Davis yesterday "emphatically denied what he called a 'non-story' about the Raiders' refusal to honor Super Bowl 50 by painting O.Co Coliseum's 50-yard line in gold," according to Jimmy Durkin of the SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS. Davis: "We're waiting until the baseball season's over. We don't paint our shield on the field, we don't paint the end zones, we don't paint gold things, but we'll be painting them for the Denver game (Oct. 11.)" The A's conclude the home portion of their schedule Sunday and the infield dirt "will be filled in" by the time the Raiders host the Broncos two weeks later. At that time, they will "join the other 31 NFL teams in using gold paint on the 50-yard line markers in recognition of the Super Bowl's golden anniversary." Davis: "Nobody respects the Super Bowl more than Raiders. I think we had a little bit to do with the merger" (SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS, 9/24). Davis said that he spoke with 49ers CEO Jed York "about stories that came out suggesting there was some hidden agenda." He added, "It’s unbelievable the ideas that people are throwing out there in terms of reasons why we’re doing it. It’s just beyond me. I don’t normally talk about non-stories, but I wanted to clear this up" (CSNBAYAREA.com, 9/23).
THEY ARE WHO WE THOUGHT THEY WERE: ESPN's Michael Wilbon said, "This what the Raiders do. This is their whole history. Why should the Raiders change suddenly now?" He suggested the Raiders are "angry at the NFL for not helping them ... get a new stadium" because the league "helped the golden child 49ers get that” ("PTI," ESPN, 9/23). The Boston Globe’s Bob Ryan said it was the “Raiders being the Raiders, and this is Mark Davis paying tribute to daddy.” Denver Post columnist Woody Paige: “This is just defiance. Mark Davis is saying, ‘Dad, look what I'm doing. I'm just following your lead.’ That's what this is all about -- we don't want to be like the rest of them.” ESPN’s Israel Gutierrez said he understands there might be some "bad blood" between the Raiders and the NFL, and he said he does "buy the idea that the 49ers have this new stadium and (the Raiders are) kind of bitter about that." Gutierrez: "They still have to be in a baseball stadium. I get it. I don't necessarily support it too much, but I understand it” (“Around The Horn,” ESPN, 9/23).
