Oakland Raiders GM Al Davis: How He Helped Shape the NFL into What it is Today
As any football fan knows, there was a rival league to the NFL throughout the 1960s. It always appeared the NFL was superior to the AFL. The truth is in 1966 Al Davis was elected AFL commissioner because the AFL teams knew he would do anything (and everything) it takes to make the AFL succeed. There was one major mistake made by NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle that nearly cost the NFL to fold, and the AFL to prosper.
Back then, the NFL and AFL fought over the right to sign players to contracts to play in their league. There was an unspoken rule between the AFL and NFL that when one league got a player, that player belonged to the representative league. This changed however when AFL placekicker Pete Gogolak was signed by the NFL's New York Giants after his contract was expired. Rather than vetoing the contract (like was typically done), Commissioner Rozelle allowed the contract and the war between the AFL and the NFL was officially on.
Al Davis is not one to back down from a challenge, and Commissioner Rozelle's actions were a direct attempt to force the AFL into submission. Rather than back down and surrender, Commissioner Davis instead formulated a battle plan to attack the NFL. Instead of signing NFL players whose contracts had expired, Davis encouraged AFL owners to go after the heart of the NFL....the quarterbacks.
Davis sought out all the NFL's top quarterbacks, and had them signed to futures contracts. Thus, NFL quarterbacks that had years remaining on their current contracts were signed to contracts that would take place two or three years down the road when the contracts did expire. In doing so, ALL 8 AFL teams had signed an NFL staring quarterback to a futures contract including John Brodie and Roman Gabriel. The gloves were off against the NFL.
NFL owners, fearing (knowing) they were outmatched by a visionary Al Davis, started approaching lower market AFL teams to see if they were interested in a merger. When the AFL agreed to merger agreements set forth by the NFL (unknown to Al Davis), the NFL dodged a huge bullet from an up and coming AFL. While Al Davis was against the merger (he though the AFL had the NFL on the ropes and the NFL should merge with the AFL), Al still had a place in his heart for America's Game, and returned to Oakland as the President of the General Managing Partner.
Battles would continue for the next 40 years between Davis and Rozelle. When the LA Rams decided to move their team to Anaheim, Al Davis saw the dollar signs that LA had to offer him compared to the small market Oakland area. Even though fans were unlike any other in Oakland, Davis had a hard time getting the city to commit to putting luxury boxes in the stadium (NFL owners are not required to share revenues with visiting teams from luxury box suites like they are regular seats). Davis had a verbal agreement in place with the LA Coliseum for a luxury box stadium, as well as seating for 100,000 individuals. In order to move an NFL franchise, it was required to vote at the owners meetings in which Al got one yes vote to allow the move....his own.
In 1980, despite being voted down, Davis tried to move the Raiders to LA anyway but was blocked by a court injunction. In turn, Davis filed an anti-trust lawsuit against the NFL. In 1982 Davis got his wish, and the team officially was relocated to LA. Davis' argument was the NFL was preventing him from becoming a successful businessman and that each team should be treated as a separate component of the NFL. Davis won his argument, and now NFL owners are allowed to move their teams at will.
Despite being a visionary, Davis has also been a proponent from day one on judging individuals based on their abilities to win, rather than race or gender. He was the first to hire a Latino head coach (Tom Flores), the first to have an African-American head coach (Art Shell), and also has placed Amy Trask as the president of the club, a higher position than ANY NFL owner has ever placed a woman.
Most people view Al Davis as a senile old man who has lost his marbles. The truth is, the rest of the NFL is still intimidated by the vision Mr. Davis has. In the 2008 offseason, Mr. Davis went on a spending spree to the tune of over $150 million to help turn his club around. Most called him a lunatic for creating a salary cap hell in future years. But once again, Al Davis was a step ahead of the competition. He knew the NFL owners would opt out of the collective bargaining agreement, which means the potential for uncapped years ahead. If a new agreement can't be reached, the NFL could turn into the same situation Major League Baseball has. If this happens, Al Davis will once again be considered a visionary that was once again a step ahead of the competition.
Love him or hate him (most will pick the latter) Al Davis made the NFL what it is today. Without him, there would still be football to watch every weekend, but viewers quite possibly would be tuning into AFL games instead of NFL games. NFL teams would not be the successful business entities they are today without him as well and teams would be forced to stay put in undesirable marketing venues. The harsh reality is Raider fans love him because he will do what it takes to win. Fans of other teams hate him because they don't have him acting as GM to put their team ahead of the competition. In the end, Al Davis will never be looked at in the light he deserves, even though most fans are to ignorant to understand what football today would be without him.
Published by Derrick Hohbein
I am a 25 year old CPA who is one year away from receiving my MBA. From there, I plan on teaching through a local university while studying for my DBA. I am an accountant at a local utility company (that m... View profile
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11 Comments
Post a CommentGo Raiders! Al your the man. HE has Drafted only 3 RB's in the first Round. Marcus Allen, Napoleon Kaufman, and Darren Mcfadden. RUN DMC all the way.
where is this so-called letter of resignation???????????? in this day of the internet , you tube, and leaks in GRAND JURY testominy, how come this letter of such fame has NEVER surfaced??????????? someone answer me that, PLEASE!?!?!?!!?!!?!?!
chemistry and bad coaching was the downfall off this franchise now they have a good coach that atleast bonds with the team and a relationship with the team comes first a team that fight's for and respects their coach they'll work hard in every phase of the game and the team will improve in time and hopefully this year is the homecoming to the new oakland raiders you can only look to the future baby people criticise's us loyal raider faithfull about speaking of the good times the raiders had in the past and what AL help his team become for almost 5 decades you know what people who say bad things that happen about the raiders the last 5yrs do the same thing that us say good things about the raiders today we preach the good times in the past where that B-itch about the bad times in the past the last 5yrs are now the past I don't care if it is 20, 15, 10, 5 or 1yr ago what's done is done the only way the raiders can look now is up with their heads held high raider nation is on the rise
A lot of people believe what hypacritical BS the media has to say about Al Davis by the way Al happy belated B-day so what the last 5yrs suck but it is in the past I'm looking forward to this upcoming season much much improvement for this team still lacking in different positions for this team but building a team back to prominince's or dominance's takes time and patience which Al is running out of time the lastest article I read was Al Davis second thoughting is off-season spending I think not It might be a gamble But a one worth spending It might look ludicrus to fans, opposer and the media but other owners done the same thing from time to time the raiders had some hard times in the late,late 80's and most of the 90's in the early 2000's was awesome with gannon at QB since SB37 thanks to callahan keeping the same offensive game plan that gruden built it's ironic that 2 former coach and off. cord. would face eachother in the big game and the years following 2b cont.
Raider Cool AL Davis! You are the Raiders! Happy Raider B-Day !
Is football further along because of Al's input? Yes,but it's all in the past...just like his mindset. Al of today has lost it, he'd rather be right and lose than be wrong and win...ask Jon Gruden. Every Davis fan has to defend him by his past accomplishments or call anyone who critisizes Al a hater. Truth is Al has lost it, he has to have his thumb on EVERY decision......All you have to do is look at the results, are any of you truely happy with the state of the Raiders in the last few years? For the first time in years the Raiders have some momentum going into the year, whats Al do, he writes up a letter of resignation for the head coach to sign..genius! Just stay senile baby! ps. Raiders will have a better chance to win when Al is gone.
Al Davis and Bob Marley are my 2 favorite people ever and heros of mine
balance by extremes, the depth of these two giants is so incredible and over looked and unappreciated by mere mortals. Look at who gets the phone call to induct the greats into the hall of fame. And his command of his very own style and dialect of the english, never missing the opprotunity to poke those who need a quick poke. And they just get a comma then then the point. They don't deserve a whole sentence of his golden...Errrr Silver and Black verbage. Marcas Allen is a bitch!!!! I always figured someone intelligent could figure out that -3 mile Lyle, Sisstruck, Lester, Villipiono, The Mad Bomber, Howie, plus everyone he has inducted plus ME and Bill Walsh, The Cowboy Owner Jerry Jones
And many more, all vs. bitchboy marcas, opps his team doesn't even got a starter Benchboy works too. I hate you marcas for feeding all the other people who have reason to hate ammo, people with voices and big L's on their Carree
Ignorant? To the contrary, we're rational observers of a team that has severely lost its way. We hold Davis accountable because his management style is outmoded and no longer effectual. We love the Raiders but want a new owner. We want to win. You want to delude yourselves into thinking he can still bring it on, when all evidence points to the opposite. You live in the past--as does he incidentally. You would rather defend this tired old man than look to the future. This team will never win another Super Bowl under his leadership. Looking at maybe 6-7 wins this year. So go on, buff up his legacy, as if he needs it.
The man is an icon, like Paul Brown, only with a lot more piss and vinegar. It's too bad the media and the fans can't be so small and keep taking shots. I followed the whole thing through with the AFL and the NFL. Two things I remember clearly. The AFL would always give the NFL scores, the NFL never the AFL scores. And the AFL cancelled their games when Kennedy was assassinated; the NFL did not. The arrogance of the NFL turned me off completely (remember Lombardi's sneer?) and I started following the AFL. Al Davis became my guy, who carried the battle and forced a merger, even though he wanted to continue to carry the fight on. Treat the guy right.
God Bless Al Davis..Happy Birthday..