Raiders owner Al Davis dead at 82

[rdmtimp]

Source: Yahoo/AP

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Al Davis, the Hall of Fame owner of the Oakland Raiders known for his rebellious spirit, has died.

The team announced his death at age 82 on Saturday.

It was not immediately clear when and where he died.

It was Davis' willingness to buck the establishment that helped turn the NFL into THE establishment in sports — the most successful sports league in American history.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/raiders-owner-al-davis-dead-82-150850350.html

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RIP from this non-Raiders fan. The man was something else entirely.

[Auggie]

1. About Al Davis

I posted this in sports and I'll post it here:

I've heard it often said that he had a big (and believe it or not, generous) heart and rewarded loyalty with life-long friendships. He would bend over backwards if you needed help.

Rebellious? Yeah. Controversial? Absolutely. But he was great for football.

[On the Road]

2. I Loved the Al Davis Teams of the 80s and 90s

especially the deep passing game, the physical defenses, and the way he would dredge up retreads like Jim Plunket and Lyle Alzado and resurrect their careers.

After the Super Bowl loss to Tampa Bay, he just seemed to lose his judgement and management ability.

[totodeinhere]

3. As a long time Raiders fan, I will miss him. I didn't always agree with his

football decisions, especially these past few years, but nobody can deny that he had spirit and he loved football and his Raiders. RIP.

[melm00se]

4. Raiders owner Al Davis dead at 82

Source: ESPN.com

OAKLAND, Calif. -- Raiders owner Al Davis, whose NFL legend as a pioneering rebel began 60 years ago as an assistant with the Baltimore Colts and was punctuated with a 1992 Pro Football Hall of Fame induction in Canton, has died at 82.

Davis died in his home in Oakland on Saturday morning.

The team's website released the news, posting a simple tribute with his name in large silver letters above "July 4, 1929-October 8, 2011."

Read more: http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/7074380/oakland-raiders-owner-al-davis-dies-82

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an original AFL owner passes on

[Davis_X_Machina]

5. Tragic news on the right.

But also an opportunity, because no living person can feature on US currency....

Ladies and gentlemen, the man the GOP should put on our money somewhere.

Not Reagan.

Al Davis.

Goodbye E pluribus unum, hello, “Just Win, Baby!”

[musiclawyer]

6. Love him or hate him he was a leader

He was one of the keys to the merger. Any town that has a team from somewhere else has Al to thank
We raider fans knew that he had to pass before the team could enter the modern era. But no one is happy today in raider nation
What this means is that LA most likely is not getting the raiders ever again and the team will no longer have long periods of sucking Sorry.

[Mr Deltoid]

7. I could never stand him

But he put up some very tough teams, particularly back in the Madden days.

[AsahinaKimi]

8. NFL Legend Al Davis Dies

Source: SFGATE.COM



Al Davis, whose iron-fisted reign over the Raiders for practically their entire existence led to three Super Bowl titles and made the silver-and-black franchise a symbol of renegade toughness, died Saturday. He was 82.

Brilliant, enigmatic and unapologetically independent, Mr. Davis turned the Raiders into one of the most successful franchises in pro football in the 1960s and '70s. A keen judge of talent, he was willing to accept other team's castoffs and troublemakers and able to get the best out of them.

He defied the National Football League by moving the team to Los Angeles in 1982 without league approval, then brought it back to Oakland in 1995. The Raiders won Super Bowls in 1977 and 1981 and a third while in L.A. in 1984.

They reached the Super Bowl one more time after the 2002 season but lost to Tampa Bay and coach Jon Gruden, whom Mr. Davis had traded to the Buccaneers earlier that year for four high draft choices and $8 million.






Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/10/08/SPS51FBUGF.DTL

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Many people hated him, many liked him. He was always controversial.


The autumn wind is a pirate
Blustering in from sea
With a rollicking song he sweeps along
swaggering boisterously

His face is weather beaten
He wears a hooded sash
With his silver hat about his head
And a bristly black mustache

He growls as he storms the country
A villain big and bold
And the trees all shake and quiver and quake
As he robs them of their gold

The autumn wind is a Raider
Pillaging just for fun
He'll knock you around and upside down
And laugh when he's conquered and won

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_nSKIJvVQI0&feature=rela...

[DeSwiss]

9. RIP coach. - K&R

[AsahinaKimi]

10. NFL Legend Al Davis Dies

This thread has been combined with another thread.

Click here to read this message in its new location.

[MrScorpio]

11. Just Rest In Peace, Baby

Farewell, Al.

[sofa king]

12. In related news....

...Heaven has announced a transition to new ownership, and Jack Tatum has been acquired from Hell in exchange for an undisclosed number of draft picks.