PALM SPRINGS, Calif. -- Los Angeles Raiders general managing partner Al Davis admits he may testify for the U.S. Football League in its $1.32 billion antitrust case against the NFL.
However, if called as a witness in the trial scheduled to start this spring, the controversial Davis may hurt the USFL's case against the NFL because of his outspoken belief the USFL could have survived if it would have continued to play in the spring.
'I'd be inclined right now to testify, if they asked me,' Davis said Thursday at the close of the NFL's winter meetings. 'But I don't really know what kind of a witness I would be. I have publicly said that I thought the league had a chance to survive. I thought the USFL destroyed itself from within with some of its owners going after money players. That's the way I would tell it.'
The Raiders were the only NFL team not included in the USFL's suit that claims the NFL has illegally monopolized fall professional football.
Davis said the NFL had helped Oakland destroy whatever chance the USFL's Oakland Invaders franchise had of succeeding. The Invaders played three years in Oakland and despite being in the championship game once and the Western Conference title game twice, did not draw well.
'I'm convinced the NFL helped the city of Oakland destroy the Invaders,' he said. 'Once they heard a judge ask why can't the Invaders fill the void left by the Raiders, there was no longer any support for the team (the Invaders) by the city. I testified to that in my deposition.'
Davis, a nemesis of NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle, said it was rather strange the Invaders had been televised only once on Sunday by ABC during their last season in existance. The Invaders, the loser last year in the USFL championship game, were televised during the playoffs and a few Monday nights on cable.
Davis also took aim at Oakland city officials, his opponents in a six-year legal struggle over the team's ownership. Oakland unsuccessfully tried to takeover the Raiders through eminent domain.
He said a 'big scandal' was about to bust loose in Oakland over the handling of the case. He added he had information that a federal probe was currently underway looking into the city government's secretly stashing away $30 million in public funds to be used to purchase the Raiders.
However, city councilman Wilson Riles Jr., who brought the $30 million fund to the public's attention, said Davis' statements were made to put pressure on city officials.
On his own successful antitrust action against the NFL, Davis said the damage portion of the suit would amount to about $70 million. That award currently is in front of the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco.
When asked if the $2-3 million assessment per team would hurt the other 27 NFL teams, Davis said: 'They can afford it. I'm not so sure about all this business about the clubs losing money. You have to look at the nepotism and who is getting paid.'
