Poll
Should the Raiders fire coach Dennis Allen?
Your vote has been counted, thank you for voting.
In firing a handful of assistants Monday morning, including offensive coordinator Greg Knapp, Dennis Allen in a sense publicly admitted to making bad hires when he became the Raiders' coach last January.
It's too bad Raiders general manager Reggie McKenzie won't admit to his own mistake and fire Allen, too.
It was apparent in 2012 that the jump from Denver Broncos defensive coordinator to Raiders head coach was too big for Allen. There's no shame in that fact. Many successful offensive and defensive coordinators have made bad head coaches.
Ask the 49ers about Mike Singletary and Mike Nolan.
But when McKenzie searched for his coach last January, there were not many candidates with successful years of NFL head-coaching experience on their résumés. McKenzie interviewed guys named Todd Bowles, Winston Moss and Pete Carmichael Jr. before hiring Allen.
If McKenzie searched today for a head coach, the unemployment line includes Lovie Smith, Andy Reid, Norv Turner and others.
McKenzie would be able to hire a coach with a winning background, a coach yearning for a new start after recent struggles.
Tom Cable and Hue Jackson were fired by the Raiders after consecutive 8-8 seasons. So why should Allen get another season after just four wins?
Because McKenzie wants to stay the course he mapped out last January. Firing the captain of his ship could have Raiders owner Mark Davis wondering if he made a mistake in hiring McKenzie.
Another 4-12 season or worse and the dominoes will begin to fall.
What to watch
NBA, Kings at Cavaliers, 4 p.m., CSNCA: It's the second of back-to-back games on a four-game trip.
Today's poll
Should the Raiders fire coach Dennis Allen?
• Yes
• No
Vote above or leave your comments in the comment field; or, go to www.sacbee.com/sports
Tuesday's poll results
Who would you like to see the 49ers play in a divisional playoff game?
• Seattle Seahawks: 29%
• Green Bay Packers: 31%
• Washington Redskins: 39%
Total votes: 431
© Copyright The Sacramento Bee. All rights reserved.
• Read more articles by Victor Contreras
What You Should Know About Comments on Sacbee.com
Sacbee.com is happy to provide a forum for reader interaction, discussion, feedback and reaction to our stories. However, we reserve the right to delete inappropriate comments or ban users who can't play nice. (See our full terms of service here.)
Here are some rules of the road:
• Keep your comments civil. Don't insult one another or the subjects of our articles. If you think a comment violates our guidelines click the "Report Abuse" link to notify the moderators. Responding to the comment will only encourage bad behavior.
• Don't use profanities, vulgarities or hate speech. This is a general interest news site. Sometimes, there are children present. Don't say anything in a way you wouldn't want your own child to hear.
• Do not attack other users; focus your comments on issues, not individuals.
• Stay on topic. Only post comments relevant to the article at hand.
• Do not copy and paste outside material into the comment box.
• Don't repeat the same comment over and over. We heard you the first time.
• Do not use the commenting system for advertising. That's spam and it isn't allowed.
• Don't use all capital letters. That's akin to yelling and not appreciated by the audience.
• Don't flag other users' comments just because you don't agree with their point of view. Please only flag comments that violate these guidelines.
You should also know that The Sacramento Bee does not screen comments before they are posted. You are more likely to see inappropriate comments before our staff does, so we ask that you click the "Report Abuse" link to submit those comments for moderator review. You also may notify us via email at feedback@sacbee.com. Note the headline on which the comment is made and tell us the profile name of the user who made the comment. Remember, comment moderation is subjective. You may find some material objectionable that we won't and vice versa.
If you submit a comment, the user name of your account will appear along with it. Users cannot remove their own comments once they have submitted them.
Order Reprint
About Comments
Reader comments on Sacbee.com are the opinions of the writer, not The Sacramento Bee. If you see an objectionable comment, click the "Report Abuse" link below it. We will delete comments containing inappropriate links, obscenities, hate speech, and personal attacks. Flagrant or repeat violators will be banned. See more about comments here.