My Two Cents: Raiders and Marcus Allen Bury the Hatchet
What’s up RaiderNation? Welcome to this week’s edition of My Two Cents, with your favorite old geezer, Old Timer. This week’s column deals with an attempt to end the long standing rift between the Oakland Raiders and Marcus Allen. In case you haven’t already heard, Marcus Allen will be lighting the commemorative torch this Sunday, in honor of our beloved fallen leader, Al Davis. Apparently, Mark Davis himself approached Allen and asked him to do the honors. Now I know there are a lot of mixed feelings out there about Marcus Allen’s rift with Al Davis, but let me just say first that I think this is a good thing for the team and its fans. Letting the feud continue serves no purpose, and has no value, but mending fences is always a good thing.
Please understand, I am not taking Marcus Allen’s side in this feud, I am just saying it is best if it ends. There has been much discussion over the years as to what caused this rift between Allen and Davis. One thing is for sure, something happened to cause it, Al Davis just did not have a vendetta against anyone unless there was a reason. Personally, I find it very difficult to side with Allen on this, for reasons that I will explain as you continue reading.
Their are many schools of thought as to what happened. Some say that Allen was upset with Davis starting Bo Jackson instead of him. Some say that it was over a contract dispute. I never believed either of those scenarios for even one second. I have always believed that Marcus Allen had said or done something that had infuriated Al Davis. Let’s face it, Al Davis was fiercely loyal to a fault to his employees. Something happened that set Davis off, and if it were one of these two reasons, then why doesn’t Allen say so, instead of claiming he has no idea why?
Of all of the theories I have heard or read, this next one makes the most sense to me. Marcus Allen was believed to have had an affair with O.J. Simpson’s wife, Nicole Simpson. This is one type of behavior Al Davis would not tolerate. Before you suggest that there is no basis to this, here are a few tidbits of information that lend more credence to it. Simpson and Allen were friends, with Marcus often spending time at the Simpson’s home, giving plenty of opportunity for something like this to happen. Then after Nicole Simpson was murdered, and O.J. was on trial, Marcus Allen was questioned about an alleged affair between the two. Allen vehemently denied having an affair with Nicole, and while this may be true, I simply cannot believe much of what Allen has to say period. I will go as far as to say that I am sure he is a liar as he claims to have no idea why Al Davis was “out to get him”. There is no way that Al Davis is that upset with you, and you don’t know why, so this not knowing why is pure, well lets just say its something you find in the cow pasture! LOL
But that was then and this is now, and what it all comes down to now is, does it really matter who was at fault or why? As the old saying goes, time heals all wounds, and it is time for this one to be healed. There is no benefit to continuing the rift, all if can do is bring more heartache for all concerned. Everyone makes mistakes, and it is better to forgive and forget. I know he went to the Chiefs, and I don’t doubt that he was trying to get back at Al when he did, but that was two decades ago. It is time to let it go. Once a Raider, always a Raider was something Al Davis believed in. I for one applaud his son Mark for adhering to that belief, and making an attempt to heal a wound that was inflicted long ago. Hats off to you sir!! If you can be even half the man that your father was, there is no doubt in my mind that my beloved Raiders are still in good hands. Now it is time for you to give your two cents on this RaiderNation. You can do that either by leaving a comment at the bottom of the column, or sending me an email to the address posted at the end of the column. Maybe you have a different theory as to what happened, or maybe you just want to sound off the whole idea of Allen lighting the torch tomorrow. Hit me up either way, and I promise to respond as soon as I have the opprotunity to do so. Also, keep an eye out for a new poll going up soon asking your opinion on this momentous occasion.
Well, that’s it for this week my Raider brothers and sisters. Make sure to check back next week for another edition of My Two Cents. Peace out RaiderNation!!
Old Timer
Questions? Comments? Email me at OldTimer@silverandblackdaily.com
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I have always believed, and still do, that Al punished Allen for years for that fumble against SD. The prime of his career was spent either on the sidelines or as a blocker or decoy. Allen would have retired at #1 or #2 in rushing and touchdowns had he been allowed to play. I think he left Oakland because of this. As for money or personal, off the field situations, we’ll never know.
The Raiders have been my favorite team for almost 40 years, and Allen has been my favorite player. Glad he’s back, but it does seem disingenuous.
Thank-you for your comment!! Although that is certainly a possible explanation, the reason I don’t buy it is that if that was indeed the case, then why wouldn’t Allen say so, instead of saying he has no idea why? Of course, we will never know for sure I suspect, and whether or not it is a genuine burying of the hatchet, I still think it is good for the fans, and therefore good for the Raiders as well. Thanks again for your comment!!!
I agree…Allen was the BEST!
Dub
Thanks, and keep the comments coming!!
you have no idea how close to the truth you are – it goes much deeper and IS truly about the murder of Nicole Simpson…
Thanks for the reply. Exactly what happened, we will probably never know, but Marcus Allen is not an innocent victim and that much is for sure!!