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

http://espn.go.com/blog/los-angeles/nfl/post/_/id/264/what-was-al-davis-succession-plan

http://www.grantland.com/blog/the-triangle/post/_/id/5951/chuck-klosterman-remembering-oakland-raiders-owner-al-davis

 

New England now has to worry that Oakland won't run all Cover-1 tomorrow.

 

According to the obits by AP and the Oakland Tribune, Al's wife and son are supposed to inherit the team. But I'd anticipate Amy Trask calling a lot of the shots for a while.

 

The Raiders are playing the Texans - figure they will go vertical and Schaub will go down, and go down hard.
It is interesting though - it doesn't sound like there was anyone else who controlled the football ops. They will need a GM.
I may be mistaken, but Davis was the third longest tenured owner in the league after Bud Adams and Ralph Wilson right?

 

It was a ride full of ups and downs, but man it was a hell of a ride, and I wouldnt have had it any other way. Al Davis means so much to the NFL and especially the Raiders. He did things the way that he wanted and there is something to be said for guys like that. Say what you will about Al, but he loved his players past and present, he loved the game of football, and his motivation was always winning. He had a vision and he worked his butt off to get there, its a great story. Just win baby.

RIP Al Davis, we lost an icon and a legend yesterday and Raider football will never be the same. You will be missed.

 

All AFL guys.

 

Ed Werder - "The tragic death of Al Davis"

 

"Here I come for your fucking job Crypt Keeper."

 

did ed really say this? by what definition is the death of an 82-year-old man clearly in failing health in recent years 'tragic'?

 

To a lot of 81-year-olds out there, shock, the death of an 82-year-old may be termed "tragic."

Not everybody looks at that like, "Well, his life was over anyway ..." Some people want to live a little longer. It's all in your perspective.

Dude, when I'm 80-plus, I sure hope I'm looking at the death of my contempories as "tragic."

 

But Davis didn't become an owner until later while Adams and Wilson have been owners from the very start of the AFL. As far as A_QB's question goes, William Clay Ford bought into the Lions in 1963. Davis didn't purchase a part of the Raiders until 1966, so Davis was fourth in tenure when he passed.