RIP Al Davis (merged discussions)

**DarthCorvax** · 10-08-2011, 12:17 PM

When you think of the Oakland Raiders, there is an aura, a mystique about them and that is entirely due to Al Davis. How many teams outside of the Cowboys (and obviously the Ravens as we are fans of them) can you get as strong an image of as soon as you think of that team?

When you say Raiders, you know who they are. You know who the silver and black are. You know what "Just win, baby" means. (For this reason, I'm happy we have "Play Like a Raven" because we know this team is building an image the same way Al Davis built the Raiders image and once Ray's gone, I hope that mystique stays around with the players because I don't expect it to necessarily come from upstairs). You might not like who they are, but you can't ever say you don't know who them.

We can say he wasn't nearly as effective in his later years as owner and GM, but when you think of a single owner who really wanted to win and made no bones about it, you'll think of Al Davis (Jerry Jones, too).

Steve Jobs died a few days ago and I'd go so far as to say that in terms of football, Al Davis was in the same vein. He had vision, he had ideas, he went against the grain, stood out apart from the crowd, went against it, and was successful doing it.

We can argue about whether that was always good thing, but he was willing to put himself out there and be unpopular and be criticized for who he was and what he believed in with the Raiders, the AFL, the NFL.

I say RIP Al Davis and I think fans of every other team in the league would want their team's owner to have some Al Davis in them. (I think Bisch's total committment to winning and building the Ravens into a great organization are a reflection of that same spirit that made Al Davis into a great owner)

**chicagoravensfan** · 10-08-2011, 12:19 PM

The NFL would be much more boring if Davis hadn't aggressively challenged it as commissioner of the AFL. A true original in an increasingly corporate environment. RIP.

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**BleedPurple92** · 10-08-2011, 12:27 PM

Originally Posted by Tspot-D-Ravenator

and this is turning out to be one of the Raiders best seasons.. Salute to you Mr. Davis!

Wow. What a scum comment

Sad to hear this, i feel like although Al had his rough seasons, the NFL wouldn't be what it is without Mr Davis.

It wouldn't be as big or as good as it is.

Rest in peace, Al.

**ballhawk** · 10-08-2011, 12:34 PM

Originally Posted by BleedPurple92

Wow. What a scum comment

I don't think he meant it like that, bleed.

**DarthCorvax** · 10-08-2011, 12:36 PM

Originally Posted by ballhawk

I don't think he meant it like that, bleed.

Me neither. I think he meant that to say that it sucks that Davis passes away just as the Raiders were turning things around and becoming good again (becoming the Raiders again)

**Strange Bru** · 10-08-2011, 12:53 PM

Originally Posted by RavenScallywag

espn has it.

I shouldn't be, but i'm shocked. The raiders were just starting to turn themselves around.

Maybe this is what the Raiders need, Al Davis to be a martyr for the Raiders for the rest of the season.

**Irish Raven** · 10-08-2011, 01:43 PM

Originally Posted by BleedPurple92

Wow. What a scum comment

Chill
I think you've misread this, no offence was intended

RIP Al
A real innovator of the game

**Ravenous1** · 10-08-2011, 01:55 PM

Al Davis had as much to do with shaping the modern day NFL as any one. From being the AFL commissioner and contributing heavily to the eventual merger to being the first hire a hispanic coach (Tom Flores), African American coach (Art Shell) and female team CEO (Amy Trask) Al was a trailblazer.

Many fans particularly younger ones may only know Davis as the kooky owner that we have all come to know over the past 20yrs or so. If you read about what the man accomplished in his lifetime, what he believed in and how applied those principles to his life and business, its hard to not have a ton of respect for him. He was a guy who right or wrong left it all hanging out there for everyone to see. He will be missed.

RIP Al

**BmoreKrazy** · 10-08-2011, 02:42 PM

R.I.P Al Davis

**wickedsolo** · 10-08-2011, 05:43 PM

It's a shame, but I remember the last big press conference he did he had a band aid on his face and he had this skeleton thing going on with his hands as he was pointing them at the camera. You could kind of tell that he was on his way out. He didn't look well.

**AirFlacco** · 10-09-2011, 02:53 AM

Well, I have mixed emotions about Big Al. The NFL is talking about his
legacy and all but he's the guy who turned it into a nomad league with
all the moving he did leaving Oakland for LA and then returning to OAK.
He also imposed PSLs and a lot more expensive than ours upon returning
to OAK and raised ticket prices.

They went to court and as always Al won. It paved the way for Irsay to
move the Colts. the NFL was powerless to stop Irsay after the Davis case,
so I always disliked him. NFL commish Pete Rozelle called him a friendly
rogue and he countered calling him Nixon's PR man.

He literally and physically made the old AFL into a force to compete with
the NFL for the best college players and later its stars and when guys
like Roman Gabriel flirted with him it was time for the NFL to cave in but
it was Al but the money of two young playboy billionaires - Lamar Hunt,
owner of the Chiefs and Bud Adams owner of the Titans that spent all
the money for those players. Davis just orchestrated things.

While winning 3 SB trophies his organization became a joke the last decade
or so as he grew old but was still a control freak. Colts coach Weeb Ewbank
gave him one of his first jobs in football as an assistant and he drove Weeb
nuts always asking questions and picking his brain. Unitas once said Al
would steal from his own grandmother if given the chace. He went from
being commish of the old AFL to owning the Raiders.

There were also rumors of his mob connections, the same connections Namath
allegidly had with his Bachelors 3 bar. Rozelle suspended Namath until he sold out.
Articles have been written
about them. One reporter did a show about them saying billions were made
by the mob when the Jets won the SB vs the Colts. A few months later
she turned up dead in a ditch when her car crashed but like the reporter said,
nobody made more from that game than Big Al.

Sorry but like with Steinbrenner's and Irsay's deaths, I just cant say RIP because Big Al
was a big prick and hope the old devil is sticking his pitch fork in his ass right now.

His son will take over the franchise.

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/09000d...headline_stack

**myfavoriteboxer** · 10-09-2011, 06:12 AM

There's a weird little half-reported story on Yahoo about how new owner Steve Bisciotti wanted to learn from Al but apparently never did get to talk to him in-depth, or in any case the story abruptly ends and doesn't go there.