Even the Raider Executives Are Fighting : Promotion Director Hits Administrator, and Complaint Is Filed

The Raiders, who average perhaps a fight a day in practice, had their camp further enlivened Tuesday when two of their executives went at it.

The skirmish was a one-punch affair in the team’s hotel dining room, promotion director Mike Ornstein hitting senior administrator John Herrera in the jaw.

Herrera then filed a criminal complaint with the Oxnard police.

“Ornstein walked in yelling,” said Jon Heyman of the Santa Monica Evening Outlook, an eyewitness. “He said something like, ‘I’m tired of your BS, I’m tired of you screwing things up.’

“Then he walked over to Herrera and hit him. Ken Herock (a scout) and a security man pulled them apart.”

Herrera said: “The guy came up and took a cheap shot at me. It was totally uncalled for, totally out of bounds. As a result, he will be prosecuted.”

Had Herrera informed owner Al Davis, who is in residence at the hotel?

“I’ve talked about the incident with our people,” Herrera said. “I said I was considering different things. I was not restricted in doing what I wanted to do.”

Ornstein, asked for his version, said: “Nothing happened that’s of any concern to you guys. It’s between me and John and the organization.”

Raider players, who have been long accustomed to high jinks of all sorts, started singing the theme from “Rocky” at the afternoon practice.

“Why don’t you wait until December?” said kicker Chris Bahr, a law school graduate who recently took the bar exam. “I think I can win this one.”

Ornstein has more colorful history than the average promotion director. Just before the 1984 Super Bowl in Tampa, Fla., he ordered CBS’s Irv Cross off the Raider sideline while Cross was on the air. He has delivered a number of public harangues, including one last week in which he threatened to throw a writer out of practice for not having written enough.

Further suggestion that Marc Wilson is nailing down the No. 1 quarterback spot:

Tom Flores, who had said that Jim Plunkett and Rusty Hilger would divide Saturday’s exhibition against the Cowboys, now says that Wilson will play, too.

“I was pleased with Marc,” Flores said. “I thought he did well Sunday. . . . I’d like to keep some of that going.’

Flores says Wilson will probably play in the second half, so the time he gets will be time that first was allotted to Hilger.

It is looking more and more like 1) Wilson, 2) Plunkett, 3) Hilger.

The Raiders cut safety Odis McKinney, a long-time Raider who was released and re-signed last season, and offensive tackle Randy Van Divier, who was considered a prospect until he broke his right leg in last season’s first exhibition.

The Raiders are now working cornerback Stefon Adams, a No. 3 draft pick last season, at free safety behind Vann McElroy and Stacey Toran. Toran is still listed as a challenger to Mike Davis at strong safety.