Culture Around Oakland Raiders Finally Changing?

During the Al Davis Era the Oakland Raiders were known as the bad boys of the NFL. Questionable character, but immense talent? Too many run-ins with the law for your last team? Want to be accepted as the bad boy you are? If so the Oakland Raiders were the team for you.

That was what it was like under Al Davis. It appears that Mark Davis is hoping to encourage a different kind of culture; one without the bad boys.

via Twitter

We know this because of how he reacted when he was asked about the team's interest in defensive lineman Greg Hardy. When asked by Tim Kawakami about the rumors he responded quickly with:

“False, falser and falsest,” Davis said before I even got through my whole question about the veracity of those reports. “That is not true.”

Hardy was convicted on assault charges last year, but the case went away when the victim refused to cooperate with the prosecution (following a settlement with Hardy). The Panthers decided they wanted nothing to do with him and let him walk in free agency.

There have been several rumors of teams having interest in Hardy, but so far none have turned into contract offers. When the Raiders rumor surfaced it was not surprising considering the team's past and willingness to sign questionable characters. Davis made it clear that the tea, has no interest in signing Hardy and has not even talked about it.

I’m saying that he’s somebody we are not negotiating with and I don’t believe we would be interested in at this point in time,” Davis said.

“I can tell you this: It has not been brought up to me and it would have to come to me…

“I've said I’d rather be right than be consistent, but in this situation, I’m going to say that consistency is the most important.”

He wouldn't go as far as to say that Hardy's legal issues factored in to the team's lack of interest, but Davis has stated in the past that the Raiders will not tolerate anyone that commits an act of domestic violence.

[MercuryNews]

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