Al Davis: July 4, 1929 - October 8, 2011

A true visionary and pioneer of professional football. RIP

 

There's a very interesting question to be explored about just how much of the Raiders he still owned -- he has had to sell off parts in recent years -- and who will own it in the future. He has always said his share will go to his son, but his son has not been involved in running the team and would be much better off selling.

Could put the Raiders back in play for L.A., or a shared Bay Area stadium with 49ers, possibilities that probably wouldn't be on the table if Al and his litigious ways were still around ...

 

From what I've heard, his kid is as bad as he was...

I think all of the good things Davis did are forgotten because of what has happened over the last decade.

 

Jerry Jones looked upon Al as an icon. The problem with that is it appears Jerry admired the Al in his later years most because he's managed like that.

 

And how was his selfishness responsible for growing the league?

 

And the textbook definition of "creep."

 

The fact that he took on the NFL old school was significant in leading the league into its current status.

And don't think that his bidding wars didn't hasten the AFL-NFL merger. It would have happened eventually anyway. It happened quicker because of Al Davis.

His lack of tact doesn't make him any less a visionary.

 

Absolutely, playthrough. An absolute legend. The game is definitely less interesting today.

 

Agreed. Felt in recent years that the Raiders would never return to their previous level of success until Al was no longer running things. In his prime, however, he was certainly unique.

 

An excellent first-person tribute by Jim Plunkett:

http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news;_ylt=AuNctyE48AatVLzeHQfCH2o5nYcB?slug=ys-plunkett_remembering_al_davis_100811

 

My father used to collect those Hall of Fame postcards the Hall of Fame produces, signed by all the Hall of Famers. He never was a football or baseball card kind of guy, but since he grew up near Canton it was something he just did.
All enshrinees sign a bunch of these postcards for the Hall of Fame to sell in its gift shop. Al Davis, throughout his life, was a notorious non-signing prick. The guy just hated to sign autographs. So when his Hall of Fame postcard came out I was wondering how he was going to handle it.
On the card he was wearing a black jacket. He signed the cards in black Sharpie right on his black jacket so you could not see it. My pops didn't pay the money for one, by the way. But this goes to show what a wonderful person Al Davis was.