Cable accused of past domestic abuse
A former wife and former girlfriend of Oakland Raiders Coach Tom Cable told ESPN that they were hit by him.
The women made the allegations in separate interviews with the network's "Outside the Lines" program.
Former wife Sandy Cable sought a temporary order of protection against Cable in 1989 which said, according to ESPN's report, that "on two occasions, one back in '86 and the other in '88, he hit me. The second time in the face, however on attempts to call law enforcement, my husband would rip the phone out of the wall."
Sandy Cable told ESPN that she called police when she was married to Tom Cable but didn't receive support from law enforcement in Idaho, where they lived at the time.
"I was quite young, didn't understand the system," Sandy Cable said, according to a written account online of the network's report on its Web site. "This was prior to domestic abuse being a big issue... before mandatory arrest laws."
Marie Lutz dated Cable as recently as January, ESPN reported, and told the network that he hit her "three, four times."
The network reported that Lutz was treated at a hospital for back pain and a contusion following a Jan. 6 incident in which she arrived at Cable's house in Alameda, Calif., and found another woman there. According to ESPN, Lutz told police that Cable grabbed her by the arm, causing her to fall to the ground, and later picked her up and pushed her out the door.
Lutz did not press charges, ESPN reported.
Carol Cable, who married Tom Cable in May, said in a statement issued through Tom Cable's attorney that she was the woman at Tom Cable's house that morning and Tom Cable did not "commit any act of violence" toward Lutz. The two had a "verbal exchange" in which Lutz threatened to ruin Tom Cable's career and life, according to Carol Cable's statement.
ESPN reported that another former wife, Glenda Cable, accused Tom Cable in divorce documents of being physically and verbally abusive of her in the past but said in a statement Saturday through her attorney that Tom Cable "has never been violent to me or our children."
According to ESPN, Tom Cable issued a statement Sunday in which he said only once in his life had he touched a woman "inappropriately."
Tom Cable said in the statement, according to ESPN: "More than 20 years ago, during my first marriage... I became very angry [at his first wife, Sandy] and slapped her with an open hand. What I did was wrong and I have regretted and felt sorrow about that moment ever since. Since then, she and I have worked together to raise a successful and happy daughter.
"The incident involving Ms. Lutz, in which she came to my home uninvited, was fully investigated by the Alameda Police Department and I cooperated fully with that investigation. I never battered her in any way. The police concluded, correctly, that I had done nothing wrong and that was the end of the matter. It is most unfortunate that ESPN has given Ms. Lutz this forum to revisit this incident when I did nothing wrong and further chose not to provide me with an appropriate opportunity to respond."
This year, Tom Cable was accused of breaking the jaw of a Raiders assistant coach, Randy Hanson, by knocking Hanson from a chair into a piece of furniture during a training camp incident. But the Napa County, Calif., district attorney announced that Cable would not face criminal charges for the incident, indicating that Hanson's allegations were not verified by other witnesses.
By
Mark Maske
|
November 1, 2009; 12:21 PM ET
| Category:
Raiders
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Posted by: cyberfool | November 3, 2009 10:25 AM
He is obviously an abuser. The divorce papers and his comments are proof. The former wife who recanted may be getting money from him. It's not unusual for police officers to not do anything - especially if the person has some prominence.
Posted by: rlj1 | November 2, 2009 3:40 PM
What is wrong with NFL Commissioner Goodell that he hasn't taken some punitive action with Tom Cable? And where are the good guys? Not everyone in the NFL are like Cable. But people like Tom Cable sure taint the good guys, especially when they don't speak up and say they think such violent behavior is wrong. Why don't they speak up? Ethic Soup has a series of good posts on Cable:
http://www.ethicsoup.com/2009/11/for-tom-cables-love-of-women-hitem-again-harder-harder.html
Posted by: s_mceachern | November 2, 2009 10:58 AM
Am I the only one who remembers the rants of a woman at Duke, the media frenzy, and the aftermath? ESPN is way outside the lines on this.
Posted by: delOH | November 2, 2009 6:32 AM
This guy needs some serous help.
If he doesn't get it, and hits another woman, I hope someone shoots his hillbilly A55 !!!!!
Posted by: dashriprock | November 1, 2009 7:58 PM
Ironically Cable seems to hit his women harder than his players hit the opposition. Seems to fit right in w/ the renegade Raider organization....
Posted by: randysbailin | November 1, 2009 6:51 PM
His ex wife in a divorce statement says she was struck by him yet in a statement thru her lawyer she denies she or the children were ever struck...what gives here???
Now an assault on an employee...regardless of the outcome this guy is bad news...
Posted by: pentagon40 | November 1, 2009 6:38 PM
Having the NFL punish someone for something that happened 20 yrs ago doesn't make much sense. But suspending a domestic abuser would certainly help the league with its marketing push towards women - I try not to be cynical, but the Breast Cancer Awareness stuff, while worthy in its own right, is certainly part of that push by the NFL.
Suspending him for breaking someone's jaw this season is perfectly reasonable. Saying that this is part of a pattern, going back 20+ years makes sense and gives a nod towards the NFL recognizing the unacceptability of domestic violence.