Hostetler Stands Behind Shell Amid Turmoil : Pro football: Raider quarterback says confrontation had no racial connotation.

Nine days after engaging in a heated dispute with Art Shell on the sideline during a game against Miami, in full public view, Raider quarterback Jeff Hostetler stood up to defend his beleaguered coach against allegations that Shell had injected racism into that argument.

“Lots of things happened on the field,” Hostetler said at a hastily convened news conference on Tuesday. “There was a long discussion, a heated discussion, but I can honestly say I don’t ever recall hearing anything racist being said to my face by Art, and I don’t feel he would make that kind of comment.”

Later, Hostetler said he couldn’t remember everything said in the confrontation, triggered when Hostetler changed two plays in the huddle late in the first half of a game against the Dolphins in Miami.

“Our discussion, there were a lot of things said,” Hostetler said. “I remember some of them and a lot of them I don’t remember. If there was something, he was talking to me. OK? He wasn’t talking to anybody else. It was in the heat of battle.”

It was reported on ESPN Sunday that Shell had uttered a racial remark in his argument with Hostetler before replacing him with backup Vince Evans for the rest of the half.

On Monday, three independent sources, talking to The Times, said Shell derisively compared Hostetler to former Raider quarterback Jay Schroeder. Versions of Shell’s statements varied slightly, and generally had Shell calling Hostetler “another white quarterback, just like Schroeder.”

Shell vehemently denied the ESPN story Monday. When Hostetler was also given an opportunity to deny it by a Times reporter after practice Monday, he chose not to comment.

“I feel like we, as a team, had put that behind us,” Hostetler said at Tuesday’s news conference. “And I made a comment yesterday that I had no comment about that type of situation and that, in turn, was turned (around) so that it made me look like I wouldn’t say yes or no to what was going on, and that was as far away from the truth, and as far away (from) the response that I wanted to come across.

“I feel extremely angered that Art had to go through this, and that I’m any part of this. I mean, I feel like we as a team have handled a lot of adversity and this doesn’t have any place on our team or in the Raider organization or in the NFL or in L.A. or across the States.”

Hostetler started the second half of that Dolphin game, which the Raiders lost in overtime. But he continued to seethe over the dispute and his brief benching. On the Monday after the dispute, Hostetler considered skipping practice because he still hadn’t cooled down. Instead, he showed up as scheduled.

“We had our meeting on Monday as a team and Art felt that it was over,” Hostetler said. “The situation was over and it was a heat-of-the-moment type situation and you let it go. At that point, I probably had a tougher time leaving it go than he did and that’s why I went in and I met with him (last) Tuesday morning.”

Hostetler and Shell spent several hours talking about the team’s disappointing offense, which had largely contributed to the team’s 2-4 start.

“I felt really good about what was discussed,” Hostetler said. “When I left, I felt as good about our relationship as I have since I’ve been here because I think we both realized we were on the same page, wanting the same thing. We were going ahead in the same direction.”

He said they concluded that there had been communication problems with the offensive staff, which also includes offensive coordinator Tom Walsh.

“As Art and I both found out in our meeting . . . if we would have known certain things beforehand, the situation would never have occurred,” Hostetler said. “Our meeting on Tuesday was probably the most positive thing that’s happened to us in the first four or five weeks of the season because I think there were a lot of things that were revealed to both of us that the other wasn’t aware of.

“I walked out of that meeting feeling really good that a lot of positive things came out of the confrontation in Miami. Now we’re taking that positive meeting, (but the media) is trying to turn it around to drag somebody through lower than the sewer.”

Hostetler was asked how big a distraction the racial allegations have been to the team.

“It’s been huge,” he said. “Ever since Sunday after the game, when I first was made aware that something was reported of that, I’ve been thinking about it the whole time,” he said. “And I know it’s been on Art’s mind the whole time also. How could it not be? And I think it needs to be laid to rest. And that’s the reason that I wanted to get this done. We felt like we had it laid to rest last week and now this pops up. It’s done with. I mean, it’s over. This should not be. It’s a shame that it’s come down to this.”

Hostetler was asked if his respect for Shell had grown because of the incident.

“Definitely, definitely,” Hostetler said, “And I can’t express it enough. . . . I really feel for him right now. He’s the head coach. He takes the majority of the blame for anything that goes on. We’ve had a rough beginning this year and I think he’s handled it well. I think there are times that he does things the way he wants them done and I may not agree with him. I’m allowed to disagree with him. He’s allowed to disagree with me. That’s what makes us all unique and our own person.

“To try to turn a disagreement on the field in the heat of battle, instead of taking that for what it’s worth and exactly what it was, to end up in this situation here, this is bad news. It’s almost on the realm of unbelievable. But, I’ve learned you always expect the unexpected in the NFL. I guess I’m being amazed every day.’