Al Davis 1929-2011: The Raider Himself

Heartbreak has hit the Raider Nation as it's president has passed away. Al Davis, the majority owner of the Oakland Raiders, died yesterday at the age of 82. Mainly known today as the owner of the team, Al Davis has been involved with the Raiders in every conceivable way from Head Coach to owner. He has done so much for this franchise from orchestrating 3 Super Bowl titles to moving the team to LA and then back to Oakland. He has always been involved with this team and is thought to have been the most involved owner in the league, for better or for worse.

Al Davis is not only an icon to Raiders' fans but also to Pro Football. He was AFL Commissioner for a brief time in the 1960's and was also against the NFL-AFL Merger initially. He had also sought after NFL players aggressively during that time which may have indeed help lead to the merger. As Head Coach, he contributed to the game itself by implementing the "Vertical Game" to his offense. He had done so much for the sport, he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1992.

Al Davis was unique. His appearance was different, the way he handled his team was different, and he always did business his way. He was also unpredictable and hard to read at times. All of these things made him and the team he controlled. Al Davis was a true Oakland Raider.