Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin is in the bulls eye again. This time former Oakland/Los Angeles/Oakland/Las Vegas Raiders CEO Amy Trask is taking aim. Speaking on CBS, Amy Trask took this shot:
I have never been impressed with Mike Tomlin’s ability to diffuse situations like this, and to calm a team down.
The 2018 Pittsburgh Steelers have already logged their share of team drama in an NFL season that is only two years old. And Mike Tomlin does deserve criticism in this regard.
But coming from Amy Trask? Please. All one needs to do is take a quick look at her record and turn around her statement that “During Amy Trask’s time as CEO, I was always impressed by the Raiders exacerbate locker room drama and to rile a team up.”
Amy Trask’s Tenure as Raiders CEO
Amy Trask served as the CEO of the Oakland Raiders from 1997 to 2013. The exact nature of her responsibilities is not known to me, which isn’t a surprise, because Al Davis micromanaged and meddled into everything.
- Still, she held the title CEO and on paper at least bears significant responsibly for what went on in the organization.
The Radiers went 4-12 under Joe Gibbs apprentice Joe Bugle in 1997, when Trask took charge in Oakland. That was followed by Jon Gruden’s first stint as head coach, and Gruden immediately transformed the Raiders into a .500 ball club, and then in his third year took them to the Conference Championship.
Gruden took the Raiders to the playoffs in 2001, but frustrated by Gruden’s inability to win the big game, the Raiders shipped Gruden off to Tampa Bay. Where of course Gruden took the Buccaneers to the Super Bowl, where they decimated the Raiders to the tune of 48 to 21.
- Things went south quickly under Bill Callahan, who saw the Raiders to a 4-12 record in 2003.
By the time timings were over, Callahan was openly trashing both his players and his assistant coaches. Then the Raiders turned to Norv Turner, who had a losing record and only one playoff appearance in 7 years as coach of the Washington Redskins.
- Perhaps the “highlight” of Norv Turner’s time in Oakland was his inability to find a way to use Jerry Rice, the greatest NFL wide receiver every to play, whom he shipped off to Seattle.
That incident also perhaps foreshadowed Randy Moss’ time in Oakland, which marked rock bottom for the talented but mercurial wide receiver, who served as a distraction both on and off the field.
Trask and the Raiders then turned back to Art Shell, who failed miserably in his comeback attempt as a head coach, finishing 2-14. That led Layne Kiffin’s tenure, whom after going 4-12 in 2007 was fired early in 2008 after a highly public and controversial feud with Al Davis, which saw Davis fire Kiffin with cause – a rarity for NFL coaches.
That led to Tom Cable, who during his time as Raiders head coach was accused (but never convicted) of breaking an assistant coach’s jaw. Cable was later accused of domestic violence by multiple women. Tom Cable was also the head coach when Richard Seymour cold cocked Ben Roethlisberger, for those taking notes at home.
During Amy Trask’s time in Oakland, the Raiders only posted 3 winning seasons, cycled through 8 different head coaches, and as demonstrated, drama and disruption were never in short supply.
- It might be a little unfair to hold Amy Trask as the person primarily responsible for all of this chaos.
- It IS fair to criticism the Pittsburgh Steelers as a team whose drama has led to distraction thus far in 2018
But based on her record as Oakland Radiers CEO, Amy Trask has no business leveling any of those criticisms.
