"That's a distraction": Jason Whitlock takes aim at Antonio Pierce’s credibility as Raiders HC goes $28,000,000 in debt
Antonio Pierce has enjoyed unrivaled support since his ascension to the top job at the Las Vegas Raiders. However, the recent controversy of his wife Jocelyn Pierce filing for bankruptcy has opened a can of worms for him.
This can of worms, according to sports media personality Jason Whitlock, is too much to handle for the franchise.
As per reports, Pierce is in debt to the tune of $28 million due to an investment in a failed automobile dealership. As the Las Vegas Raiders HC prepares for his first full year in charge, he is under fire from several corners due to the ramifications of this debt issue.
Whitlock has called into question the leadership quality of Antonio Pierce. On his podcast, Whitlock said:
“When you have this types of problems, the kind that Antonio Pierce has. That's a distraction! ‘I got $30 million in debt hanging over my head and I have to lead 53 men and I'm getting paid 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 million dollars to do it but my personal life and my business life are so out of control that I'm $28 million in debt’.”
“And maybe it can all be explained away but again there's other issues as it relates to Antonio Pierce. I love the fact that Antonio Pierce… Marvin Lewis is mentoring him as a coach, I defended that but I'm just sorry, this is a disqualifier for a leadership position. You can't have creditors hanging over your head for a decade that you owe $30 million and then I'm supposed to turn my team over to you. No standards.” [24:08 – 25:17]
Pierce or the Raiders front office have yet to comment on the situation. Since filing for bankruptcy, the matter of paying back the creditors will now be handled by a judge-appointed liquidator.
A troubling time for Antonio Pierce
While the former linebackers coach for the Raiders has immense support from the locker room, players like Maxx Crosby haven't yet commented on the matter. In contrast, NFL analyst Mike Florio opines that Pierce’s first season in the big chair now has clouds of trouble over them.
"It makes you wonder... how big of a distraction will it be to the job that he's trying to do?"
The Raiders are scheduled to start their training camp on July 24. Many players and Antonio Pierce will be under pressure due to this issue, which doesn’t seem to get solved quickly.