Al Davis, gone but not forgotten....

[Jester]

Al Davis, the iconic owner of the Oakland Raiders, died Saturday morning.

As many of you know, I am a diehard football fan, and a diehard Raiders fan. And while I have often said in recent years that nothing would change for the better with the Raiders until Davis died, which I believed (and still do), it is still a sad passing. Davis was the ultimate rebel and maverick, and while he was unquestionably difficult to deal with for many people, not the least of which were his coaches, he was often at the forefront of things in the league, such as hiring the first black head coach, the first Hispanic head coach, and the first female CEO, among many other things.

I do not back away from my stance that Davis had mired the Raiders in mediocrity in recent years, and that they are probably better off without him, but for my entire life, there has been one man behind the Raiders, and that man was Al Davis, who has been a part of the Raiders organization in one capacity or another since 1963, three years after their inception.

While Al is gone, hopefully his legacy will live on, and the Raiders will return to their "Commitment to Excellence" and once again "Just Win, Baby."

Thanks for everything, Al.

Go Raiders!

[Shards]

When I heard the news, I didn't really know what to do or say to convey what had happened. I know it's silly and without much meaning, but I jotted down his name and dates of birth and death on my old QB-style play-calling armband, and have been wearing it around for the last few days. Just felt like I should do something.

I may be now and forever a panther fan, but Al Davis is responsible for the league as we see it today, and the authority it carries. Without Al, we'd likely still have two competing football organizations that are both equally valid, and champ-on-champ games would be rare at best. Thanks to him, we have a true national champion every year, and there's a lot to be said for that. Rest In Peace, old man, rest in peace.