Raiders Owner Al Davis passed away Saturday at age 82, and he "leaves a massive legacy" on the NFL, according to Steve Corkran of the OAKLAND TRIBUNE. Davis joined the Raiders as a coach in '63, and then served as "managing general partner until his passing." He briefly served as AFL commissioner and is credited with "playing a key role in forcing a merger between the upstart AFL and the established NFL" in '66. Davis is the first person to draft an African-American QB (Eldridge Dickey), the first "to hire a Latino coach (Tom Flores), the first to hire an African-American head coach in the modern era (Art Shell), and the first from one of the four major professional sports to hire a woman as a chief executive (Amy Trask)." He helped "broker the previous labor deal between the owners and the players union" in '06, and was "even influential in the realm of early sports marketing, as several of his catchphrases became part of the sporting lexicon -- 'Just Win, Baby!,' 'Commitment to Excellence' and 'Pride and Poise'" (OAKLAND TRIBUNE, 10/9). NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said Davis "contributed so much to the league and his passion for the game will always stand out to me." Davis' legacy "is going to be his great passion for the game and what he did to influence it." Goodell said the Raiders teams "always represented his image and his brand and I think they'll always continue to do that" ("Sunday NFL Countdown," ESPN, 10/9).
OPENING DOORS: FOXSPORTS.com's John Czarnecki wrote one of "his greatest attributes was that Davis was color blind." He opened the "doors for others like Tony Dungy, Marvin Lewis, Lovie Smith and Mike Tomlin." There are eight minority head coaches in the NFL currently, compared to zero 25 years ago (FOXSPORTS.com, 10/8). In S.F., Scott Ostler wrote Davis' "greatest achievement was hiring Art Shell in 1990 as coach," when the league "had not had a black head coach since 1925." Ostler: "I am absolutely convinced that Davis hired Shell because Davis was appalled and offended by the color barrier. He knew if he didn't hire a black coach, nobody would" (S.F. CHRONICLE, 10/9). Also in S.F., Gwen Knapp noted Davis' "hiring practices may have been the most creative in sports history" (S.F. CHRONICLE, 10/9). Goodell said “one of the other real legacies of Al Davis is what he did to promote diversity in the league." ESPN’s Chris Mortensen said Davis “wasn’t afraid to do the unpopular." Mortensen: "He didn’t need the Rooney Rule to do the right thing when it comes to hiring minorities and others" ("Sunday NFL Countdown," ESPN, 10/9). ESPN’s Jemele Hill noted Davis “had an impact from a diversity standpoint," and he has "done a lot on that end that he doesn’t get credit for because people look at what has happened to the Raiders since 2002" ("The Sports Reporters," ESPN, 10/9). Goodell: "He’s made such a difference in the league in promoting people and promoting their contributions to the game. That’s something that probably isn’t talked enough about, but it’s something that I will always be grateful for Al Davis for” ("NFL Gameday Morning," NFL Network, 10/9).
PASSION FOR THE GAME: In DC, Mark Maske noted when the "long-standing labor peace crafted by" former NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue and late NFLPA Exec Dir Gene Upshaw "was in danger of crumbling in 2006, Davis stood up at an owners' meeting in Dallas and urged fellow owners to heed Tagliabue's advice and approve the prospective deal with the players that was in front of them" (WASHINGTON POST, 10/9). But in S.F., FitzGerald, Kroner & Chapin noted while Davis' "teams were winning, he developed a propensity for getting involved in lawsuits," which proved to be a "pattern that continued for decades" (S.F. CHRONICLE, 10/9). In California, Gary Peterson noted Davis' "crowning moment came in early 1981," when the Raiders won the Super Bowl, and he "accepted the trophy from NFL commissioner, and personal rival, Pete Rozelle." Peterson: "Davis wore a leering smile. Rozelle looked sick to his stomach" (CONTRA COSTA TIMES, 10/9).
LEAVING AN IMPACT ON LEAGUE: THE SPORTS XCHANGE's Len Pasquarelli wrote under the header, "Regardless Of Characterization, Davis' Imprint On NFL Indelible." The NFL "almost certainly would not have risen to its stature of unchallenged professional sports preeminence without him." Davis "essentially forced the AFL-NFL merger." While most of "his work was accomplished in the shadows ... Davis had a profound effect on the history of the league." Pasquarelli: "The term 'visionary' is thrown around far too haphazardly anymore. But it more than fits Davis" (CBSSPORTS.com, 10/8). The AP's Tim Dahlberg wrote Davis "was an icon of the sport who did a lot more for the NFL than just put together three Super Bowl winning teams" (AP, 10/8). In Dallas, Brandon George wrote Davis' "contributions and expertise were inspiring at every level -- coach, general manager, owner and commissioner." There was "no element of the game of professional football for which Al did not enjoy a thorough and complete level of knowledge and passion" (DALLASNEWS.com, 10/8).
OWNERS PAY RESPECTS: Jets Owner Woody Johnson said, "Al was a pioneer whose passion was deeply rooted in the game of professional football that he helped to shape at every level" (NEWSDAY, 10/9). Titans Owner Bud Adams said, "Al was a football man -- his entire life revolved around the game he loved. He worked his way up through the ranks and had a knowledge of all phases of the game. That experience aided him as an owner. He was quite different from every other owner in that way. As an AFL guy, he was in that group of people who pushed our league forward" (TENNESSEAN.com, 10/8). Patriots Owner Robert Kraft said Davis' "presence will be missed, but his legacy will live forever" (PROJO.com, 10/9).
