'87 Chronology-Scandalous

Event Date: March 16th, 1987

Event Description: Davis May Testify

Source: UPI 

Los Angeles Raiders general managing partner Al Davis admits he may testify for the U.S. Football League in its 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 support for the spring league and his previous fights with the city of Oakland.

“I'd be inclined right now to testify, if they asked me,” Davis said Thursday at the close of the NFL's winter meetings. 

The Raiders were the only NFL team not included in the USFL's suit that claims the NFL has illegally monopolized professional football.

Davis, a nemesis of NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle, said Oakland city officials, his opponents in a years long 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 assessment 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.”

Story-(UPI-W.Murray Modified)