Al Davis, RIP

Whether people admired or reviled Al Davis was irrelevant. He was a monumental figure in the history of the National Football League. As much as the Chicago Bears were defined by George Halas, so too were the Oakland Raiders defined by Al Davis. He was arrogant, unapologetic and brash. He feared no one and the Raiders played a style of football that personified his image. He worked his way up the management ladder from scout, assistant coach, coach, GM, AFL Commissioner to Managing General Partner of the Raiders. When the Raiders were in their prime, his football and business acumen were second to none. Davis knew the X’s and O’s of football as good as anyone and his Raider teams were dominant for decades. He was noted for picking up players let go by other teams who turned into stars as Raiders. Although he was maligned by many in the media for being “out of touch” in his later years, he was true to himself and a real football legend. In an age of duplicitous phonies, he was the real deal. He will be missed.