PRO FOOTBALL DAILY REPORT : AFC : Davis Defends Raiders, Attacks 49ers

Owner Al Davis admitted mistakes were made in the marketing of Oakland Raider tickets and personal seat licenses, vowed he would defeat the NFL in court again, and blasted the San Francisco 49ers as the most unscrupulous team in league history Tuesday during a rare news conference in Oakland.

In a wide ranging 90-minute discussion, Davis also defended fellow maverick, Dallas Cowboy owner Jerry Jones, and accused the league of condoning slipshod management of its marketing arm, NFL Properties.

Davis blamed the 49ers for instigating the NFL’s $300-million suit against the Raiders. The league claims the Raiders are not abiding by revenue sharing rules, a notion the Raiders are fighting in a countersuit.

“I’ll say this and this is going to cause a furor but no team has violated the rules of this league more . . . than the 49ers,” Davis said. Asked to list examples, Davis said the 49ers had paid bonuses to players during a strike as well as formerly owning another professional sports franchise at the same time as the 49ers.

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Cleveland Brown defensive leader Eric Turner--out three to six weeks because of multiple back fractures--was discharged from Christ Hospital in Cincinnati and is resting comfortably, said team spokesman Dino Lucarelli. Dana Hall is expected to replace Turner.

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New England moved to upgrade its shaky punting situation by signing former Patriot Bryan Wagner and cutting Pat O’Neill, who has struggled in his last two games. Wagner, 33, set a Super Bowl record last season with San Diego when he averaged 48.8 yards per punt. . . . Fullback Donnell Bennett, who sustained a serious knee injury in December, was activated by the Kansas City Chiefs. . . . The Cincinnati Bengals promoted Thomas Bailey, a wide receiver and kick returner, from the developmental squad to the team’s 53-man roster. Linebacker James Logan was waived.