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I can’t figure out why Al Davis is so intriguing to me. This week’s news should have been just another Coach getting fired. I haven’t heard much about Scott Linehan. But Davis is different. I think it’s his past and how it brought him to now.

Al was a football pioneer. In 1963 at the age of the 33 he became the General Manager of the Oakland Raiders. As soon as he took over he went after the NFL in every way possible, night games, rules favoring offense to up the scoring, sound familiar. He helped AFL teams aggressively go after and sign NFL players. He was good. So good that in summer of 1970 several AFL owners met with NFL and leveraged a merger. Davis had fought the NFL at every turn. He was completely against the merger. He felt the AFL was a better product and would win out over the NFL if given time. Later that summer Davis resigned as AFL Commissioner. He went back to the Raiders as a partner with seven others owners and was named Head of Football Operations. He immediately went after complete control of the team.

Once he rejoined the Raiders organization, Davis immediately started to take power of the club. In 1972, while managing general partner Wayne Valley was at the 1972 Summer Olympics, Davis amended the partnership agreement that gave him near-total control of team operations. Valley got back and sued to overturn the agreement, but was unsuccessful. Valley sold his interest in 1976, and no other partners have had any role in running the club since. Davis ran the Raiders as the owner even though he didn’t gain absolute majority control until 2005. There is no questioning his football acumen. He’s won an AFL and three NFL Championships.

He’s the original Activist Owner. Jerry Jones and Jim Irsay are products of Al Davis fighting the NFL for nearly forty years. The firing of Lane Kiffen pulled the curtain back on a once proud organization. It’s just a mess run by pitiful paranoid old man.

Even the great ones can to stay too long and Al has. Like Kiffen, It’s time for Davis to go. Both will be better off.

Rob Thompson (aka “Mamboking”) is one of EA’s Radio/Television Broadcasters and one of the voices along with his brother of the popular EA Sports World. Rob and Jason were nationally syndicated Sports Radio hosts before coming to EA SPORTS and currently host a Show from 4:00 pm-6:00pm ET on ESPN Radio in San Antonio Texas. (www.1250thezone.com). When Rob’s not talking sports he’s talking politics. He can be seen regularly on FOX News’ “Americas Voices”.

by MrBCut on 10/10/08 4:58 AM

Fool! Every year Al Davis brings top talent, not regular talent, TOP talent to the Raiders. So don't blame him if these All pro/Established/up and coming coaches can't get them them all to play right. When Gruden was there, we went to the Super Bowl - even thought he left early, but the team chemistry was still there. So as an owner he's doing his job. He's a boss whether people like it or not. Some owner's don't give a jack $hit about they're team. They in it for the money. We are all trippin right now, cause the team ain't winning games. It's stressful for him too. You think he wants to have a revolving door organization? Kiffen ain't bad, but during the San Diego game when he let Seabass kick a 75 yarder, I was like get this guy out of here. Feel me? And why everybody think Kiffen is so innocent and a victim? He's a young coach - he's going to make mistakes, but Al don't have time for that. Hell, he put a lot of weapons around Kiffen. I heard Kiffen don't like Russell. So yeah man, if not this year, we'll see next year. I do know this: their is a lot of active and inactive coaches that would love the opportunity to coach the kind of talent the Raiders roster has and that talent wouldn't be there if Al didn't want it.

by TheSteelest on 09/10/08 6:04 PM

Great post, full of information for those who don't know who Al is or was... I agree with the other Raider fan, Mandra24, Al Davis isn't afraid of anyone. However, that could be his downfall. He is senile at this point, in my opinion. I've been a Raider fan since 1983 and have devoted my entire football fanhood to the once mighty Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders. But this firing took its toll on me. I took down all my Raiders' paraphanelia from my walls and put it in a drawer. I want Al Davis out! Lane Kiffin did everything he could to turn the team around. The player bought in to the new program and in my opinion were headed down the right track. Lane reacted like any other red-blooded American would when their boss would interfere with his/her job duties. I want Al Davis out of the front office and in to a retirement home. Then, and only then, will the Raiders succeed. Leave us alone, AL! GO RAIDERS!

by PLusty7 on 08/10/08 8:10 PM

wow. nice post. How is a team supposed to perfect a system when they get a new system every couple of years. How is a team supposed to win when they dont have a leader to lead. Watch Layne Kiffin come back to spank us (raiders) just as mike shannahan has... Should still have john gruden. and a couple more superbowls. I wonder who will take over when Al Dies?
as far as you cbates post your videos else were.

by BossMAN_80 on 08/10/08 3:53 PM

Al davis need to sit down and shut up does he not know that it takes time with a young sorry team to start winning shame on his part

by cbates on 04/10/08 11:35 PM

http://www.easportsworld.com/en_US/video/874464

by Mandra24 on 03/10/08 11:14 PM

Yoo, Im a raiders fan and i think Al Davis is awesome, he aint afraid of no1 and all he cares about is winning, that's what makes him so great.

by raczilla on 03/10/08 7:05 PM

It's kind of like watching a boxer who was great, but is now far past his prime. I don't really want to be mad at Al, but I'm not interested in seeing him get beat up any more either. I agree that it's time to move on.

I can't look away from the Raider car wreck

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I can't look away from the Raider car wreck

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