Marcus Allen and Al Davis

I love the game-- it all started with M Allen. We all know Al really had it in for him, I just do not know why. Please, tell me nation if you know. It looks like M Davis is righting dads' wrongs. Allen lite the opening torch in 2012. Davis committed 250000k to oakland schools in a ticket promo-- the same amount Shanahan was owed, and asked Al to " give to schools" if you do not want to pay me. Anyhow, please tell me if you know why Al hated Marcus Allen.

Marcus was a big time ladies man and suposedly had a go with one of Al's family members. His wife i beleive. Thats why Al never publicly said what was bad about him.  Only that he was a cancer.

I worked for a guy who filmed commercial promo's for the lakers and Raiders back in the 80's. He told me when he tried to ask Allen for an interview all the staff yelled dont talk to him! He is a jerk. Talk to anybod else. Al had everybody goose stepping to his tune.

Once when Allen was interviewed and asked why Al didn't like him he said "i dont know youll have to ask him". All the while looking down with a huge smile on his face. Classic

Does everyone forget he had Bo Jackson?

I just want to make sure I've got this story right. Marcus Allen is the star athlete at USC in the early 80's when the hottest women in the world were snorting coke and dropping their togas more than Caligula. He brings all that debauchery across the street with him to the LA coliseum to play for the Raiders during the time they had the hottest cheerleaders in the league and none of the players cared because they were banging models and actresses. He is hanging out with OJ who is screwing porn stars and video vixens. And the lady he has his sights zoned in on is the 50 year old wife of the owner of the team. Maybe he was doing threesomes with Carol and Al's momma too.

one of our west coast posters here had told me that it involved one of al davis's neices. she was a raiderette and it was an unwritten law of the land she was not to be touched. marcus allen felt that rule didn't apply to him.

Bet it was that same source that was talking all about how Dennis Allen would be fired.

Bet it was that same source that was talking all about how Dennis Allen would be fired.

Ha!

Seriously though this is old news. Bo Jackson did not make AL HATE Marcus. He later brought in Roger Craig and then Eric Dickerson  to steal his carries. Obviously it was personal and i have talked to too many Raider fans over the years who assume this is common knowlege.

By the way Leppy you get the commitment to keeping it real award. Seriously. I love sceptics.Props.

 But this particular story i heard from Raider fans on the plane from LA to SF for the Raider home game against the pats. Also from boosters and people who filmed commercial spots. Maybe where there is smoke there's fire? But realy...if not personal...why?

It adds up.

 But this particular story i heard from Raider fans on the plane from LA to SF for the Raider home game against the pats. Also from boosters and people who filmed commercial spots. Maybe where there is smoke there's fire? But realy...if not personal...why?

I'm skipping straight to 1986, coming off by far the best season he'd ever had. Marcus holds out through training camp, starts 10 games. He demands a multi year guaranteed deal that pays him more than Eric Dickerson, (the top paid guy at the time). Marcus, when healthy, is ineffective. 3.6 YPC doesn't exactly solidify your legendary status.


Then, in 1987, Davis drafts 2 running backs, the 2nd, the former heisman winner, who refused to sign with Tampa because they screwed his eligibility. A #1 overall pick, the greatest athlete in the history of professional sports, and the Raiders just got him with a 7th rounder, convinced him to play for them after the baseball season ended.

1987, Bo Jackson
1988, Bo Jackson... Marcus tells the team, he's done being a fullback.
1989, Bo Jackson
1990, Bo Jackson

Over that period of time, dude averaged 3.8 YPC, and missed about 1/4 of each season. He also held out of training camp most seasons. Bo Jackson clearly outperforms him during the entire tenure. 

We can all talk conspiracy or whatever. But when you have Bo Jackson, he's the starter, period. Bo gets hurt and Mr. #2 is openly challenging authority after not being particularly efficient, so you bring in someone else. Then he sues the NFL so he forces himself to get a raise.
 

What I wonder is why you wouldn't get another back?

In comes Roger Craig, multi time all pro, coming off a bad season.
August 13, 1991, [http://articles.latimes.com/1991-08
-13/sports/sp-867_1_marcus-allen]
Marcus Allen attempts to sue the NFL for a raise... Helping to usher in the era of free agency.

Would I start Marcus Allen in this scenario? No. But Roger Craig doesn't do well either. You can't be the owner that gives the most volatile position in all of sports a fully guaranteed multi year deal at the highest rate in the league. Period.

So... Eff you Marcus...  Roger...  you're in.


"So, Mr. Allen, you've had fumbling problems, and declining skills, and injuries as well. You are now 30 years old, and extremely jealous of a contract that previously had been extended to Eric Dickerson.... I'd like to introduce you to your new teammate, Eric Dickerson."
Marcus - "I'm holding out again."
"Of course you are."

Eric Dickerson had 2 less than stellar seasons at that point, following up a legendary string of 1200 yard seasons... something Marcus had done once, in what looks largely like a fluke season when you look at the whole of his career.


This person agrees with me on the way most of it came down. [http://weareoutofink.blogspot.com/2
012/12/marcus-allen-vs-al-davis-exp
lained-and.html]

Per the article:

• • Davis deeply resented the holdouts.
  • Allen’s performance was slipping and he was missing more games. Davis was justified in bringing in new running backs each year because tailback is a volatile position prone to injuries.
  • Jackson clearly outplayed Allen when they were teammates. Allen was initially a good soldier when Jackson arrived, but Allen’s pride was hurt more than he’d care to admit.
  • Davis should have released or traded Allen, at least one year before Allen departed via free agency, and perhaps two years earlier. Because Davis didn’t do that, Allen’s claim that Davis was intentionally trying to sabotage his career carries more weight. Yes, depth is always needed at running back, but there’s a certain dignity granted to the league’s elite players. For example, the 49ers traded Joe Montana to make room for Steve Young, rather than stashing Montana on the bench as an insurance policy in case Young got hurt. Davis should have done that, and he could have hand-picked an NFC team where Allen wouldn’t directly impact the Raiders.

  Allen holds out to get a guaranteed contract when he's not even the best running back on the team. He openly skips training camp year after year. Still has problems with fumbles, and is getting injured a lot. You can't rely on him to play a whole season, and this team has now been based around getting lots of production from the running back position. Based on varying accounts, he's already been given a raise to about 1.1 million, which compares favorably to Eric Dickerson's 1.4 million he is getting for doing way more.

So, of course, eventually Allen gets his freedom, and intentionally decides to sign with the strongest division rival at the time, just to sock it to the owner. He's tried to win these little battles since he was drafted, and has been openly staging these protests since he first had his huge season.

All these other rumors... Who cares really. There are very good reasons that new running backs were signed each time, and throughout the bo jackson years, it was clear he wasn't the best RB on the team.  

Also missed in this whole... conspiracy scenario...

Al went way out of his way to sign former all-pros. Always.
He went out of his way to sign 1st rounders other teams dumped.
And he went way way out of his way to get Heisman winners.
Disgraced and "wont touch that talented guys" were also welcome on the Raiders. 

This is how he compiled the best record in the NFL up until 2000. He stockpiled as much talent as he possibly could.  

Al would have signed any of these guys, like Roger Craig, or Eric Dickerson, any time he could... regardless of who he had on staff. If Al could convince those guys to play opposite Bo Jackson, he would have. Especially considering how it had now become a 2 RB offense.

You miss the point Lepp. Davis would publicly go out of his way to bad mouth Allen and the type of person he supposedly was. When the OJ trial started Davis stated he hoped Allen whould have to testify and be examined because he wanted people to see the dark world of Marcus Allen. Clearly there is no conspiray. He personaly hated him.

And all the things you list have some truth but the perspective i dissagree with. They had no right to ask Allen to play FB. The fact they he did as he was asked even with a cast on one arm all year showed his dedication and humility. Allen was a clutch back near the end zone and short yardage. Bo was not. Allen would have 12 carries for 76 yards and they would make sure he didn't get any more carries. If he got near 100 yards they would always shut him down. I  saw this many times. When craig was signed Allen was the better back. Period. Dickerson also was no better then Allen at that point. Bo and Marcus were a tandem not a starter and backup situation.

The Allen Davis feud was about something away from football. 100% personal.

I AGREE 100%!!!

I AGREE 100%  It was personal

Everybody makes Marcus to be this consummate team player.

He volunteered to be the fullback, that lasted a season and a half.
He held out over and over and over.

He sued the NFL to get out of the situation.

People continue to talk about how great of a "team player" Tim Tebow is, but that little whore does anything for the media, and nothing for his teammates. He thinks he's better than he is.

Also forgotten in this whole thing is how the Raiders continued to do when waiting for Bo Jackson to arrive in week 5.

I remember a very similar fued between Lane Kiffin and Al Davis. Lane would go out publicly and badmouth him in the media, try to get everyone on his side. We all know what kind of a person Lane Kiffin is now.
I think it's all blown out of proportion. There are reasonable business decisions to be made at each stop, and they were all in line with Al's philosophy. Add in all the offseason drama of Marcus Allen, that he was second fiddle to Bo, and blah blah blah. Dude wasn't worth the headache, he wasn't worth the raise, and if he hadn't constantly been holding out, he'd have had some trade value elsewhere. Where, through his entire career could you say that Marcus Allen deserved to be the highest paid running back in the league?

Can't blame anyone for not favoring a guy like that.

And now... you guys are all inferring that he was ALSO banging Al's family members?

There are plenty of reasons, productionwise, impactwise, injury wise, holdoutwise to not prefer the player.

There doesn't also need to be some family member banging.

There doesn't also need to be some family member banging. 

But it makes for good movies and television.

"Based on a true story.." 

Something else that continues to get missed is Bo Jackson.

Dude declined being the #1 pick, refused to sign, because they screwed him over.

Baseball starts in March. Football (without playoffs) ended at the new year. Bo played the most volatile, injury prone, position in all of sports (IMO), after coming off a full season where he played a physically demanding position, in a marathon season.

I'm certain the arrangement with Bo was... "You're the guy, we're going to have Marcus keep you fresh." The pioneering of the 60/40 thunder and lightning rushing attack. Bo Jackson would have been legendary if he just played football without the injuries. Marcus Allen was a popular drama queen.

Pay him more than the obvious star, potential best ever... and throw in a (if the rumours make any sense) "free to bang my family members" clause.

Speaking to that, someone who could purportedly bang anyone they want... Are you somehow on his side that he can't keep his hands off recreational banging of the boss's family members? That somehow escapes scrutiny as a dickhead move?

(PS, I'm not saying it's true, I'm just trying to reason out how absurd it sounds.)

And let's speak some more to Marcus's production.

759 yds rushing (3.5 ypc), 5 TD, 453 yards receiving, 2 TD
754 yds rushing (3.8 ypc), 5 TD, 410 yds receiving, 0 TD
764 yds rushing (3.7 ypc), 12 TD, 238 yds receving, 3 TD

In 1986, he was 18th in rushing, and 19th in yards from scrimmage. 31st in total TD for RB, behind someone on his own team.
In 1987, another strike weird season, he was 10th in rushing, 26th in yards per carry, 6th in yards from scrimmage, and 35th in TD.
In 1993, 15th in rushing yards, 26th in yards from scrimmage, 2nd in TD, 29th in yards per carry.

So, as you can see, 3 of his 6 Pro Bowl seasons, HE DIDN'T EVEN DESERVE TO GO. He was the 5th or 6th best running back on the AFC in most of this (calling into question why there are 5/6 RB on a pro bowl roster).

764 yards a season... that's not even 50 yards a game.

You have fallen into an act of debating whether or not Allen was a good guy. I never was debating that. Again All continualy made personal non football rude comments about Allen not being a decent person. I heard them all. And he had has staff telling people not to interview him. If you don't like a player that much move him.

Allen's stats you also have to look at carries per game. He ran short yardage and goal line also. We didn't use a zach crockett type for that. His numbers were surpressed. He was an older player also. He had a value. In the playoff game against the Bengals in 90 when Bo got hurt they had no choice but to lean on Allen. He dominated the game as he got the carries and didn't have to come in and out of the game.

Tim Brown critisized  Davis continualy while being with the team yet Al never fired back and always matched the offers for him. He did not personaly hate Brown and that was the big difference. At least with Lane Kiffin he documented why he hated him. With Marcus it was always him being imoral and a cancer to any team. But never said in what way. Ever.

Bit of a strange feud either way.