RIP Al Davis....
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PostPosted: Sat Oct 08, 2011 6:28 am    Post subject: RIP Al Davis....

Sad day for Raider Nation....


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An unyielding total commitment to excellence has marked the three-time World Cham- pion Raiders monumental rise during the last 48 years to the very top of the profes- sional sports world.
In these memorable 48 years, the Raiders have had 28 winning seasons, including 16 in a row from 1965 through the 1980 World Championship season. In 34 of those seasons, the Raiders earned a record of  .500 or better.

Al Davis’ six-decade professional football story, from assistant coach of the Chargers, to head coach and general manager of the Raiders, to Commissioner of the American Football League and finally to principal owner and president of the general partner of The Oakland Raiders — is a standard that no one in the history of professional football can match for winning and excellence.

In April 1966, the then 36-year-old Davis, head coach and general manager of the Raid- ers, became Commissioner of the American Football League. This was a post he accepted reluctantly, for first and foremost, Al Davis was a football coach and knew that assuming the Commissionership would in all probability mean an end to his coaching career.

But AFL owners, in their battle with the rival National Football League, prevailed on Davis to accept the position. He was described by AFL President and Buffalo Bills Owner Ralph Wilson as “a coaching genius and astute administrator.”

Just eight weeks later, when pro football’s two major leagues put an end to their six-year war, Davis was acclaimed nationally as the driving force who brought the leagues to merge . In 1969, he was once again a prime force in the dramatic realignment of professional foot- ball when two, 13-team conferences — the AFC and NFC — were formed for 1970.

As a member of the NFL Management Council’s Executive Committee, Davis has been a major factor in achieving collective bargaining agreements with the players.

Al Davis first came to the Raiders in January 1963, dedicated to rescuing the faltering Oakland franchise and building the finest organization in professional sports. Just 33, Davis was the youngest man in pro football to hold the demanding dual positions of head coach and general manager.

But Davis already possessed 14 years coaching experience. He had been tabbed a “young coaching genius” by Sports Illustrated and “the most inventive mind in the country” by Scholastic Coach Magazine.

The Raiders — “picked to finish dead last” — thundered to a 10-4 record and just missed the Division Championship . In 1963, Davis was named Pro Football Coach of the Year.

Perhaps his most singular honor is having made a record nine presentations of inductees to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio . The nine great enshrinees to have selected Al Davis to make the presentation speeches on their behalf are Lance Alworth, Jim Otto, George Blanda, Willie Brown, Gene Upshaw, Fred Biletnikoff, Art Shell, Ted Hendricks and John Madden.

Davis himself became enshrined on Aug . 1, 1992 when he was presented for induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame by Madden. In May of 1991, Al Davis became the very first recipient of the NFL Players Association’s Retired Players Award of Excellence “for his contributions to the men who played the game .” Born July 4, 1929, Al Davis was raised in Brockton, Mass. and moved at an early age to Brooklyn, N .Y . He attended Wittenberg College and Syracuse University, earning a degree in English while participating in football, basketball and baseball. Al Davis received a Letterman of Distinction Award from Syracuse University . In March of 1998, Davis was inducted into the NFL Alumni’s “Order of the Leather Helmet,” presented annually to “Individuals who have made significant contributions to the game of professional football.”

On Dec . 29, 1999, the Oakland Tribune and the Alameda Newspaper Group named Al Davis as the Bay Area’s most significant sports figure of the 20th Century on a list that in- cluded such greats as Joe Montana, Willie Mays, Joe DiMaggio and Bill Russell. The Orange Bowl inducted Davis into its Hall of Fame in 2001.

In 1950, Davis was named line coach at Adelphi College in New York. He then went into the Army, being assigned as head football coach at Ft . Belvoir, Va . There he molded a na- tional power service team and capped one season by defeating the University of Maryland, National Collegiate Champions, in a squad game.

Davis next served on the staff of the NFL’s Baltimore Colts in 1954, at age 24, concen- trating on player personnel work . During 1955-56, he was line coach and chief recruiter at The Citadel . He then spent three years at the University of Southern California as line coach.

In 1960, Head Coach Sid Gillman hired Davis as offensive end coach of the newly formed Los Angeles Chargers . After two Division Championships in just three years there, it was on to meet the challenges with the Raiders of Oakland in 1963.

Based on personal achievement, team achievement and contributions to the game, no one has had a more profound and lasting impact on professional football . In recognition of his status in pro football annals, NFL Films produced a film entitled, “AL DAVIS, NO . 1 FOR ALL TIME .”
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PostPosted: Sat Oct 08, 2011 6:52 am    Post subject:

Sad, though many Raiders' fans blame him for the team's lack of success.
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PostPosted: Sat Oct 08, 2011 7:02 am    Post subject:

encina1 wrote:
Sad, though many Raiders' fans blame him for the team's lack of success.
in recent years...
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PostPosted: Sat Oct 08, 2011 7:09 am    Post subject:

if people truly believe celebrity deaths come in threes, who is next?
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PostPosted: Sat Oct 08, 2011 7:16 am    Post subject:

Pretty good run he had! RIP!
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PostPosted: Sat Oct 08, 2011 7:21 am    Post subject:

encina1 wrote:
if people truly believe celebrity deaths come in threes, who is next?
We already have three... Civil Rights Activist Fred Shuttesworth...
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PostPosted: Sat Oct 08, 2011 7:24 am    Post subject:

TACH wrote:
encina1 wrote:
if people truly believe celebrity deaths come in threes, who is next?
We already have three... Civil Rights Activist Fred Shuttesworth...


Damn, I forgot about him.


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PostPosted: Sat Oct 08, 2011 7:31 am    Post subject:

R.I.P. Al.
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PostPosted: Sat Oct 08, 2011 7:58 am    Post subject:

Love him or hate him, the man was definitely dedicated to the Raiders.

RIP.
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PostPosted: Sat Oct 08, 2011 8:45 am    Post subject:

I don't want to celebrate anyone's death. I'll just say condolences to AD's family and friends. The other thing I'll say is I'm back as a Raider fan. I couldn't stand Davis on many levels that didn't have anything to do with him moving the team to Oakland. I had my own personal boycott because of him. The straw that broke the camel's back was his treatment of Marcus Allen.

All that's over now... it's been 18 years and I'm back.
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PostPosted: Sat Oct 08, 2011 8:48 am    Post subject:

sugi942 wrote:
I don't want to celebrate anyone's death. I'll just say condolences to AD's family and friends. The other thing I'll say is I'm back as a Raider fan. I couldn't stand Davis on many levels that didn't have anything to do with him moving the team to Oakland. I had my own personal boycott because of him. The straw that broke the camel's back was his treatment of Marcus Allen.

All that's over now... it's been 18 years and I'm back.



You couldn't have been that much of a Raiders fan to begin with if you chose not to be a fan because of bad ownership(at least near the end of Al's life for the most part he was good)

I mean I think Irsay is a complete tool(his father was an a-hole) and Bill Polian is a worthless bastard but I still love the Colts despite these people because its about the logo on the helmet and the players on the field.

I guess I just don't understand this.
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PostPosted: Sat Oct 08, 2011 8:55 am    Post subject:

Whoa! All of a sudden.

Gotta say, the man loved his Raiders. Might be a bad owner in recent years but most of all, he cared for the franchise.
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PostPosted: Sat Oct 08, 2011 8:56 am    Post subject:

I'm not a Raider fan, but i love Al Davis because he did things his way. He always voiced his opinion, and wasn't afraid to go against the grain.

RIP
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PostPosted: Sat Oct 08, 2011 9:08 am    Post subject:

Raiders should be the team to move back to LA. The fan base is there and bringing back football to LA would be a perfect transition using a legendary team like the Raiders.
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PostPosted: Sat Oct 08, 2011 9:31 am    Post subject:

sugi942 wrote:
I don't want to celebrate anyone's death. I'll just say condolences to AD's family and friends. The other thing I'll say is I'm back as a Raider fan. I couldn't stand Davis on many levels that didn't have anything to do with him moving the team to Oakland. I had my own personal boycott because of him. The straw that broke the camel's back was his treatment of Marcus Allen.

All that's over now... it's been 18 years and I'm back.


Raider nation didn't miss your fandom, that's for sure
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PostPosted: Sat Oct 08, 2011 9:38 am    Post subject:

Jack ,skip now Al been a rough couple of years on the Radier nation RIP AL
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PostPosted: Sat Oct 08, 2011 9:47 am    Post subject:

Basketball Fan wrote:
sugi942 wrote:
I don't want to celebrate anyone's death. I'll just say condolences to AD's family and friends. The other thing I'll say is I'm back as a Raider fan. I couldn't stand Davis on many levels that didn't have anything to do with him moving the team to Oakland. I had my own personal boycott because of him. The straw that broke the camel's back was his treatment of Marcus Allen.

All that's over now... it's been 18 years and I'm back.



You couldn't have been that much of a Raiders fan to begin with if you chose not to be a fan because of bad ownership(at least near the end of Al's life for the most part he was good)

I mean I think Irsay is a complete tool(his father was an a-hole) and Bill Polian is a worthless bastard but I still love the Colts despite these people because its about the logo on the helmet and the players on the field.

I guess I just don't understand this.


I'm a Chargers fan but I was raised as a Raiders fan. My whole family, all Raiders fans. Sugi is not alone in his feelings. I know MANY people who stepped away because of the way Marcus Allen was treated. It was the last straw for a LOT of people. Bo Jackson and Marcus Allen were my childhood heroes as far as football goes, so I kind of get where they're coming from. Just imagine if Jim Buss benched Kobe for the rest of his career. I think there will be a lot of old-timers hopping back on the bandwagon now. I don't blame them.
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PostPosted: Sat Oct 08, 2011 9:56 am    Post subject:

Ziggy wrote:
Basketball Fan wrote:
sugi942 wrote:
I don't want to celebrate anyone's death. I'll just say condolences to AD's family and friends. The other thing I'll say is I'm back as a Raider fan. I couldn't stand Davis on many levels that didn't have anything to do with him moving the team to Oakland. I had my own personal boycott because of him. The straw that broke the camel's back was his treatment of Marcus Allen.

All that's over now... it's been 18 years and I'm back.



You couldn't have been that much of a Raiders fan to begin with if you chose not to be a fan because of bad ownership(at least near the end of Al's life for the most part he was good)

I mean I think Irsay is a complete tool(his father was an a-hole) and Bill Polian is a worthless bastard but I still love the Colts despite these people because its about the logo on the helmet and the players on the field.

I guess I just don't understand this.


I'm a Chargers fan but I was raised as a Raiders fan. My whole family, all Raiders fans. Sugi is not alone in his feelings. I know MANY people who stepped away because of the way Marcus Allen was treated. It was the last straw for a LOT of people. Bo Jackson and Marcus Allen were my childhood heroes as far as football goes, so I kind of get where they're coming from. Just imagine if Jim Buss benched Kobe for the rest of his career. I think there will be a lot of old-timers hopping back on the bandwagon now. I don't blame them.


Honestly, I don't get this. I'm a fan of the Raiders. Did I agree with some of the things that Al Davis did? Of course not. But I would never turn my back on the players that I root for. And to leave rooting for your favorite team and just coming back? How does one do that?

If Jim Buss benched Kobe, would I be severely mad? Hell yeah! But would I stop being a Lakers fan? Never! I could never root against the purple and gold. I've been a fan for so long that I could never turn my back against them. Same goes for the Raiders.
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PostPosted: Sat Oct 08, 2011 10:00 am    Post subject:

What he did to Marus Allen was terrible but then he revived careers like Jim Plunkett's
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PostPosted: Sat Oct 08, 2011 10:05 am    Post subject:

"just win baby!"

"we don't take what the defense gives us, we take whatever the hell we want!"

love it..

rest in peace Al.

PS. I'm a 49er fan.
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PostPosted: Sat Oct 08, 2011 10:14 am    Post subject:

RIP Al.


Not a Raider fan but always appreciated the passion the guy had as an owner/gm.
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PostPosted: Sat Oct 08, 2011 10:17 am    Post subject:

Drafted the first African-American in the 1st Round.

Drafted a punter in the 1st Round.

Hired the first Hispanic head coach.

Hired the first African-American head coach.
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PostPosted: Sat Oct 08, 2011 10:30 am    Post subject:

RIP Al Davis.


Oakland Raiders - The Autumn Wind Battle Hymn

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PostPosted: Sat Oct 08, 2011 10:39 am    Post subject:

What an interesting guy. The game passed him by somewhere in the nineties, but he wasn't going to change. One of the all time sports iconoclasts.
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PostPosted: Sat Oct 08, 2011 11:13 am    Post subject:

I haven't shed this many tears (due to a non family related death) since Uncle Chicky died in 02.

A HUGE loss for not only Raider Nation, but the entire NFL.

RIP!
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