Al Davis Holds Bizarre Press Conference Announcing Kiffen Firing

On Tuesday, the long-awaited axe hanging over Oakland Raiders Head Coach Lane Kiffen's head finally fell. No big shocker there. The move had been anticipated for weeks now. But the fact that owner Al Davis decided to air the franchise's dirty laundry in detail during his press conference to announce the move -- which included the promotion of offensive line coach Tom Cable to interim head coach -- is a bit of a surprise.

Generally, in a situation like this, NFL teams take the high road and tend to focus on the future rather than dredging up the sordid details that led to making a change. It's usually considered the professional thing to do regardless of what has transpired behind the scenes. But unlike his contemporaries around the league, Davis didn't pull any punches.

Among other things, Davis called Kiffen a liar and said he was removing him for "cause", not because of the team's poor performance on the field. Davis also accused Kiffen of engaging in propaganda to make the Raiders look bad and said that his former head coach cannot be trusted. (Video of Davis' comments can be seen at NFL.com)

If half of what Davis said Tuesday is true, no one could blame him for firing Kiffen. However, keep in mind that we have heard just one side of the story. Something tells me we are going to hear a different version of the events leading up to Kiffen's demise when he talks to the media on Wednesday. (Editor's note: Kiffen's press conference was canceled.)

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