What is Al Davis’ Legacy?
“Just Win, Baby.” We have all heard Al Davis and his famous Tag line. We all know him to be the patriarch of the Raider nation, and in the past few years we have all seen him become a sad joke of his former self. Davis has always been a sports owner who thought outside the box, but lately his outside the box moves have been highly questionable. One has to wonder is Davis hurting is overall legacy in pro football?
We must remember that Davis is one of the men largely responsible for the league we have today. He was the commissioner of the old AFL, and that league with little doubt was the most serious challenge to the dominance of the NFL. More than the USFL, World Football League, CFL, XFL, or the Arena League it was the AFL alone who gave the NFL a real run for its money.
Davis has won Super Bowls, and had a lot of success but he has also moved his franchise up and down the Pacific Coast, sued the NFL itself as if it were a sport, and even testified against the NFL in the trial against the USFL and its owners. Davis has been a true firebrand, but his time may have passed by now.
His Raiders are only one of five NFL teams that do not have a GM running things. The other four teams, excluding the New England Patriots, are all in the same sad state as Davis’ Raiders. the truth here is Davis was once a great owner, but now needs to give up the reins and find a suitable heir to manage the Raider Nation.
