Happy Al Davis Day!
Al Davis inspires me to be better every day than I was the day before."
~Amy Trask, Raiders Executive
The signed photo accompanying this piece hangs on the wall in my office for the same reason Trask is a part of the Raider organization.
This image of Al, young and full of vision, inspires me to believe that if I have an iota of the single-mindedness and determination Allen Mark Davis has shown in building what is considered by many the greatest organization in professional sports, then I too can achieve things most folks would not think possible of me.
The Al Davis story is unique (as far as I know) amongst owners of major professional sports teams today. Davis parlayed the experience he gained being an offensive backs coach with Sid Gillman's AFL Chargers into a head coach/ general manager position with the Oakland Raiders. But this is not the unique part of the story, for many assistants go on to be head coaches or general mangers elsewhere.
What is unique is the then-owners of the Raiders (in particular, general partner Ed McGah) saw the influence Davis had as a coach and his potential for greatness. Davis almost single-handedly turned around a miserable franchise owning a horrid record of 1-13 prior to Davis' coming on board.
For proper perspective, keep in mind that '62 Raider team with the 1-13 record was only one loss away from preceding the Steve Spurrier '76 Tampa Bay team as the ONLY AFL/NFL team to ever undergo an entire season without winning a single game. That's how bad things were in Oakland. Before Al Davis (B.A.D.), the situation was as terrible as has ever been any where at any time in the history of the AFL/NFL.
The next season, with Allen Davis as captain of the ship, the team executed the biggest turnaround in the history of the AFL/NFL, winning nine more games than they had the previous season by going 10-4. No other AFL/NFL team has ever made a nine win improvement in a single season. Not surprisingly, Davis won AFL Coach of the Year. What is surprising is that he did it with basically the same personnel as had posted the abysmal mark the previous season.
You see, by '63, the Raiders inept beginnings had put the team in a position where they had no draft picks higher than the 6th round. No draft picks and yet nine more wins....you do the math and figure out who was responsible for the turnaround to end all turnarounds.
The uniqueness of the story is Al Davis, 2006, has become the sole general partner of this team and owns a majority of the team's shares (Davis recently settled out-of-court with the family of Ed McGah) after staring out with the team as a coach, without initially investing any real money of his own.
When Davis was originally made a general partner of the team, he "bought" his shares with credit. In essence, the bottom line is the Raiders paid him to become the general manager/partner (translated = owner) as part of his contract because the organization was in disasterously dire straits without his input.
Who else has done this in professional sports?
No one is saying Al is infallible or any thing more than a human being like the rest of us.
Al Davis has made his mistakes in this life; moving the team to LA in search of luxury boxes in '81 and firing Art Shell as head coach when he moved the team back to Oakland in '94 are two of them. Hiring Norv Turner resulting in the last two seasons of utter embarrassment we have all felt in our souls is another Al Davis error.
But please understand, if I seem to be under the influence of some strange hallucinogenic when I say, "I believe Al Davis can do it again!" it is because he has done it before. Yes, the fans are not used to three straight losing seasons, and it hurts. But the reason we are not used to three straight losing seasons is we've never experienced it since B.A.D.
Say I drink the "Al Davis Kool-Aid" if you will. Accuse me of wearing myopic "Silver'nBlack sunglasses" if you feel the urge to purge your bitterness.
But it's not just on the 4th of July - Mr. Davis' birthday - that I believe...
Allen Davis' image inspires me every day to live the way he has. With loyalty, intention, and cojones the size of Machiavelli.
As an ally once advised me, "Nail your colors to the mast."
Well here they are, nailed to the cathedral door like Martin Luther on a mission:
"I'm on Al's side. And my colors don’t run. They are Silver’n’Black, baby!"
Al Davis has done more in his football lifetime than anyone else you can name. If not, name the one who has....
No one is more qualified to own and manage a professional football team than Allen Davis. If they are, give me their name...
I have seen Al Davis make chickensalad out of chicken$hit before, and I expect… no, I know, it can happen again.
*Note: For other celebrations of Al Davis Day (known to non-Raider fanatics as The Fourth of July)
check out Raider Take's Al Davis Birthday Haiku
Here is a haiku I wrote for the occasion, inspired by RT:
A thousand white jump
suits hang in a closet; Al
Davis is Elvis
check out Calico Jack's The American Dream
check out one I wrote for Al's 75th Birthday on Raidernews Born on the Fourth of July
and check out Anthony Carroll's An Ever Momentous Date in Raider Nation
We all have the same message: Happy Birthday, Mr. Davis!
posted by Stick'em at 8:54 PM
10 Comments:
Pour me a glass of that ice-cold Kool Aid Stick'Em. Cheers!
If this were the World Series of Poker, I'd be sliding all of my stacks of chips into the center of the table and betting on Mr. Allen Mark Davis.
My faith, belief, and admiration for Al Davis is not negotiable. It won't be swayed one iota by the naysayers, haters, or mediots.
Some might call it blind faith. Funny. I call it earned faith. When an owner has shed his blood, sweat, and tears for 44 straight years, is the sole architecht of the Raiders proud tradition & history, doesn't that warrant some latitude? You bet it does. "All in"!
CJ: Right you are. Blind faith requires you believing in something even though there is no tangible evidence you should do so.
We have the evidence in this case; 43 years of it.
The most recent history is as nauseating as '63 B.A.D. It is obvious at Al's age and health status, he's not going to coach the team on the field like back in '63... but the man eats, sleeps, and breathes the Raiders.
This is all I can ask of anyone.
This is a whole lot more than most owners who just look at their team as an investment like it was another Super Wal-Mart going up.
Yes, things like the Charles Woodson contract shenanigans make me question Mr. Davis' decisions some times, but who among us doesn't screw up now and then? Gawd knows I have done things I regret...
I say, "Forget about WTF Chuck. Bring in Michael Huff and go back to gettin' it on the Raider Way, baby!"
BTW, nice photo on your site - LOL!
I LOVE OUR OAKLAND RAIDERS & Love it when Fans share their Love for
the Team, the Colors, & most of all AL Davis! I like lots of sports but I Love Raider Football!
If it weren't for hardcore fans like you, Uncle Big Mike, to help me through the last few seasons, I'd probably be One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest lonnng before now...
But together we stay strong, mi amigo!
Right now, Mr. Davis is sprinkling Art Shell with some magic dust that he saved from that 1963 turnaround season!
I have been a Raider fan since 76 when I was eight years old. Either than the Gruden years the last 10 years plus have been miserable, I have actually throw up after pariculary heartbraking losses.
Still my love for all things Al has not diminshed, I pray Al gets at least one more bowl before the end
Stick Em, your articles enforce my love Raiders and beyond the fantastic content your writing style is incredible
My question: Even a die hard like myself is having any hope for the coming season. With the exception of wide receiver and punter every position on the team is either a question mark or just plain bad. Give me some realism do you agree?
Florida Raider
Florida:
Your Raider experience sounds much like my life. The awakening happened in '76 here too...
An analysis of all the positions is probably too large to address off the top of my head, but there are plenty of folks here who can comment further.
Although I'm not Dionne Warwick or one of her psychic friends (as some Pirates claim to be), for the moment let’s focus on the four key positions most analysts agree are the foundation for winning:
CB - Michael Huff is the real deal by all accounts. Huff Daddy's idol is Charles Woodson and he will be Chuck + work ethic + leadership. Huff will remind us more of Willie Brown at #24 than Woodson, IMO.
Yes, I did say “CB”. Al Davis has a well-known fetish for CBs and I would be rather surprised if Huff doesn't see some time on an island in addition to playing safety. Lester was a college S/LB converted to CB...Asomugha is another S--> CB.
Which brings us to the starters. Asomugha has size and can hit, but he has no ballhawk skills and somewhat tight hips.
Washington has great recovery and straight line speed, but is a bit small.
Their respective styles complement each other and they should be able to match up with any type of receiver between the two of them.
Huff/Routt as nickel and dime components will make this a strong unit in '06. No more 5 INT seasons, guaranteed.
LT - Gallery will get his swagger back after being on the Isle of Misfit Toys under Norv. Gallery was the only college tackle I have ever seen consistently getting to the third level on blocks.
Art Shell also had incredible feet and will know how to use Gallery on sweeps to maximize his best attribute, which is mobility. Remember when we were all gawking at Gallery's 4.8 forty time? RT is not the place for your most mobile lineman, Homer, I mean Norv - Dohho!
The question on Gallery at the moment is his pass blocking (he faced the power rushers on the right side and will see more speed on the left), but if Shell/Slater/Eatman and a move back to his natural position can’t get Gallery to a Pro Bowl level, nothing will.
My cabbage is on Gallery becoming the leader the O-line has needed since Big Linc became missing.
QB – It seems obvious Aaron Brooks will be an upgrade over KFC. Where KFC looked uninspired and downright asleep at the wheel at times, Brooks errs on the side of trying to make too much happen. I’ll take trying too hard over comatose every day, and twice on Sundays.
This change in QB attitude will help Moss especially, who missed ‘Pepper. Though I don't see Brooks exactly becoming the next Plunkett or Lamonica, he is of the same style. All three could/can sling it 70 yards like KFC coulda, woulda, shoulda - YIKES!
DE - Teams will now be looking for Burgess like Osama after he posted 16 QB-snacks. Johnstone has some gas left in the tank to keep the O-line honest on Burgess, but is a situational player at best and weak vs. the run to say the least.
Hamilton is underrated as a leader, but the wildcard at DE will be Brayton. Tyler showed a great upfield motor during his rookie season at end, and if he can learn to stay home on running plays, he might actually be a #1 draft pick-type solid player. Tyler is the X-factor.
I also see Kelly switching between end and tackle like Howie used to do to take advantage of matchups with the O-linemen of the week. The question on Kelly seems to be whether he can finally unleash the double-digit pass rush potential we all know he has.
Kelly can, if and only if, Sapp, Burgess, Brayton, and Johnstone get enough QB-snacks of their own to have a presence O-coordinators will have to game plan for. A fierce pass rush is THE key to a successful “D” since the enforcement of the 5-yard chuck rule resumed.
Thanks for indulging me until the real action starts and hope some of our other rabid Raider readers will address the other positions here and now, for my sticky brain is getting gummed up and the football gods aren’t speaking to my crystal ball loud enough for these noise polluted ears to hear through my magic Riddell helmet – LOL!
La-La Stick-Em,
I recommend that you print out a hardcopy of the birthday wish, make sure you show that you wrote it before Gettysburg's birthday, and send it to Al at Harbor Parkway.
There's nothing wrong with gratuitous groveling before the Duke in a walker. I have heard it said that Al Davis will never allow his memoirs to be published, that he wants only the franchise to be his legacy, and that he truly believes the L.A. Memorial Coliseum is one swell place to play football.
But age can do strange things to a mind, as you well know. What if Al Davis decided that he wanted someone to write his memoirs? Who's he gonna call? Dave Newhouse, a sportswriter who lividly castigated Davis when he jumped the Oakland-Alameda playground for the natural beauty of El Segundo?
No. He just might (I put this possibility at a solid 4%) want La-La-La-La-La-La-La to write his biography. So send Al your birthday wish along with a picture of your post office mugshot. More than likely, both will go into the circular file--but not before Mr. Davis reads what you wrote and harrumphs.
For the rest of you Raider fans--the dozen that can write--I ask you this question: living or dead, who is going to write Al Davis's authorized biography?
That's right. I see that every hand was raised.
Including mine.
Tenacious P
Craig: I'll spend a stamp to send Al a birthday card...and see if it lands me in with an ISBN or in File Thirteen...put your cabbage on number 13.
Mark Ribowsky
Glenn Dickey
Ira Simmons
...all unofficial.
And Stick'em baby with the official bio?
That would be priceless...but hey, it's my delusion and I'll believe it as long as the voices keep telling me to!
Always smiling,
~La-La
Hilarious post and thread
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