PRO FOOTBALL DAILY REPORT : AFC : Raiders Go All Out--Against Media

The Raiders’ battles with the media are sometimes more intriguing than their battles on the field, but what went on Wednesday was unusual even by Raider standards.

First, Coach Mike White opened his weekly meeting with reporters in El Segundo by saying, “I’m just taking a prerogative of making a presentation today with no questions,” and then he talked for about 12 minutes. He also refused to take part in a conference call with reporters in Kansas City, where the Raiders play Sunday.

What White did was effectively cut off any questions about Art Shell, the offensive line coach of the Chiefs and the man White succeeded with the Raiders.

All the Kansas City media got to hear on the phone was a tape of White’s 12-minute conversation with reporters at the Raiders’ headquarters.

Earlier in the week, the Raiders banned a Sports Illustrated writer, Mike Silver, from their training camp. “Players and people inside and outside the organization labeled him a troublemaker with destructive motives,” Raider spokesman Mike Taylor told reporters. “His obvious intentions are to incite and divide this team, which we will not tolerate. We have provided him total access for the last three months and enough is enough.”

Silver said the move was a clear violation of the NFL’s media-relations policy.

Len Pasquarelli of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the president of the Pro Football Writers Assn., said the cumulative actions of Wednesday “may be unprecedented.”

“They represent a long history of breeches in media policy,” Pasquarelli said. “The conference call by definition is a dialogue. The Pro Football Writers Assn. has discussed this matter with the league and will seek in writing substantial financial penalties against the Raiders.”

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The Chicago Bears signed rookie quarterback Steve Stenstrom, a day after the Chiefs signed him and tried to sneak him through waivers. Kansas City signed Stenstrom, a fourth-round pick from Stanford, to a $2.15-million contract Tuesday and then released him. The Chiefs planned to put Stenstrom on their practice squad and hoped the contract would not fit into any other teams’ salary caps. But he was claimed by the Bears, who received a two-week roster exemption.

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Indianapolis quarterbacks Jim Harbaugh and Craig Erickson shared practice time with the first unit Wednesday. Colt Coach Ted Marchibroda said he would announce the starter against Buffalo at game time Sunday.