The Las Vegas Raiders landed the guy they wanted all along. They wanted Pete Carroll, the former Seattle Seahawks head coach who won a Super Bowl against the Denver Broncos and went to another Super Bowl against the New England Patriots. Let’s also not forget that he won a National Championship at USC.
They wanted Pete Carroll, a proven winner. The fans wanted Ben Johnson, the former Detroit Lions offensive coordinator. And, that’s fair, he’s the hot name and the guy everyone wanted. I mean, look at the offenses he has coached with the Lions. But, he took the Chicago Bears head coaching job. And, he deserves to have that job.
But, the reports at the time were that the Raiders were close to hiring Johnson as their head coach. Then he signed with the Bears, and we see his agent come out and say that they used the Raiders as leverage. And, that may very well be true, but this was his agent trying to throw the Raiders in the dirt, and the insiders that reported the deal was almost done.
I believe his agent referenced the situation as there was never a chance Johnson went to Las Vegas. Well, now the Raiders owner, Mark Davis, is firing back at that notion. He’s, if you will, sneak-dissing, and throwing subliminals.
“No, we didn’t think we had Ben Johnson. We never made an offer to Ben Johnson,” Mark Davis said after introducing Pete Carroll as head coach and John Spytek as general manager.
The Raiders ended up getting the guy they wanted. The Bears ended up getting the guy they wanted. It’s a win-win for both sides. But, let’s not try to act like the Raiders were being turned down over and over again — according to the owner, the Raiders never even sent an offer.
The Raiders know what they’re doing, and they’re confident they made the right choice.
