Arctic Dawgs
Well-Known Member
Just reported on NFLN
Al Davis has passed away
- Thread starter Arctic Dawgs
- Start date
Arctic Dawgs
Well-Known Member
Can say lots about him, good and bad. But he certainly left a huge mark on what the NFL is today
Rest in Peace Al
Rest in Peace Al
derringer007
"Its An Outrage"
You either loved him or hated him but what he has done for the game of football and the NFL as a founding father of the league and of course owner of the Oakland Raiders will be missed by all who love the game.
"Commitment To Excellence" & "Just Win Baby" are two famous quotes that are familiar to all in association with Al Davis & the Raiders.
Thanks for all the great teams you put on the field, for all the winning seasons, for the 3 Super Bowl victories and all the joy you have brought me for the last 40 plus years either in Oakland or Los Angeles.
Its a sad day for me, the Raider Nation, and the NFL.
I shed a tear in your honor sir.
RIP Big Al Davis you will be missed
"Commitment To Excellence" & "Just Win Baby" are two famous quotes that are familiar to all in association with Al Davis & the Raiders.
Thanks for all the great teams you put on the field, for all the winning seasons, for the 3 Super Bowl victories and all the joy you have brought me for the last 40 plus years either in Oakland or Los Angeles.
Its a sad day for me, the Raider Nation, and the NFL.
I shed a tear in your honor sir.
RIP Big Al Davis you will be missed
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Remote Controller
Well-Known Member
HOUSTON......we've had a problem!
My money is on Da Raiders in Houston Sunday!
My money is on Da Raiders in Houston Sunday!
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Remote Controller
Well-Known Member
I beg to differ. I have always stated that I loved him in that movie "Weekend at Al's".
I had many of the same thoughts Tekie. I think it's just a simple life lesson that we choose to remember the good moments and there were too many to count with Al, and not dwell on the bad decisions made as the man grew much older. Some say that the game had passed Al by but I don't think so... His judge of talent slipped in the end but he was always right in that speed kills.
German CTL
Circle City Outlaw
Davis may have lost his edge in recent years and taken a lot of heat for it but when you look at his entire body of work it is truly great.
Al Davis of recent years was a dinosaur in the modern NFL and should have stepped away some years ago.....HOWEVER, Al Davis in the prime of his life was a great contributor to the game and was the creator of Raider Nation as we know it. You can feel a man has lost it at the end and still remember him in passing for the contributions that he made.
bobbeaux
Member
i was thinking the same thing . . . definitely going to be a tougher match up now . . . RIP Al . . . prayers to family and friends.
jjtweeks
Moderator
He was an exciting owner. He loved his teams to air it up and keep games explosive. He was a great contributor to the NFL. Of course when your great, your loved and hated by many and even those who may have "hated" him most likely held respect for him. i try to limit my trash talking to Grossman:yellowlaugh:. Wow does my "hatred" for Grossman mean i could subconsciously:shake: think he is great? nah
prayers go out to the Davis Family and fans.
prayers go out to the Davis Family and fans.
DearbornDolfan
Active Member
Undead Al is undead no longer! Or is he?
Can probably say without a doubt that he has forgotten more about football than a lot of people will ever know.
I have an idea. First of all, he was still a pivotal figure at the front of an NFL franchise, which can, and should, be held accountable for their successes and failures. Al Davis of all people knew what was important was winning, and I don't think he would have (or much did) criticize people for criticizing him. His Oakland Raiders (and there were very much his) posted seven straight seasons of 11 or more losses from 2003-2009. Not a single player, coach, or general manager would get that much leeway. He only got to ringmaster that sort of circus because he owned it.
There was some concern, I'm sure, that although Davis had won three Super Bowls and had been to one less than a decade ago, the game had changed more than he had. His reliance on a speed and athleticism seemed simplistic and almost silly in a league that's mental because of the roughly even talent pool. Some might have even seen the last Raider resurgence as a Gruden architecture (although it was Davis who picked Gruden to begin with). I remember reading in Sean Payton's post-Super Bowl book about when Payton wanted to be a NFL head coach more than anything, had the Raiders job if he wanted it, and turned it down because all his coach friends told him he'd be crazy to work there.
And even before the miserable seven years, he always had sort of a crotchety, weird sort of persona with a litigious streak. He was also aggressive and contentious. He moved the Raiders not once, but twice from a community that loved them. On Ice Cube's documentary about the L.A. Raiders last year, he all but threatened to move them out of Oakland back to L.A. again! Davis's goal wasn't to be liked; it was to win. I'm sure he wanted to be liked and respected by his close associates, but he also seemed like the sort of person he would write off people who didn't "get" him.
I will say that I'm an NFC guy, who because a serious NFL only around 2000 when I was 13, and whatever Davis had done lately has always seemed a little bit foreign and distant to me. I didn't have strong feelings about him, but I did find him fascinating. And certainly, as much as I am a student of NFL history, I think there were many positive things that Al Davis pioneered in the name of winning. I will say that I doubt Al Davis's reputation on this board was wildly different from the NFL world at large. I think, sad to say, the Raiders can now move forward with Al Davis's spirit and general philosophy without Al Davis almost stifling them, as he could sometimes do.
I will say Al Davis could be many thing but boring was not one of them. I respect Al Davis's contributions to the NFL, and he can rest assured that the NFL is a little less interesting than it was a day ago. My only regret for him is that he didn't go out on a win. He deserved it. Rest in peace, Al.
derringer007
"Its An Outrage"
I may have ripped him a time or too during his latter years for making questionable moves on draft day etc...... but i have also defended him for all he has done in the best interest of the Raiders thru out the years.
Your entitled to your opinion.
storminn0rm
Brewmaster
RIP Al Davis
Remote Controller
Well-Known Member
We RIPped him plenty before he died! Now is the time for toning things down and remembering his accomplishments.
Cerberus
In Dog We Trust
The NFL losing a legend like Al Davis is like Apple and the world losing Steve Jobs. Like them or hate them, neither industry would be the same without either of these to great gentlemen.
RIP AL DAVIS. I'll roll one in your memory and thank you for giving us the football as we know it today. Peace out.
RIP AL DAVIS. I'll roll one in your memory and thank you for giving us the football as we know it today. Peace out.