Raiders Owner Al Davis Passes Away At 82

Oakland Raiders owner Al Davis has passed away at the age of 82, the team's official website announced on Saturday.

An official statement from the Raiders is expected to be released later on Saturday, but NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has already issued a statement of his own:

"Al Davis's passion for football and his influence on the game were extraordinary. He defined the Raiders and contributed to pro football at every level," Goodell said. "The respect he commanded was evident in the way that people listened carefully every time he spoke. He is a true legend of the game."

After coaching for the Los Angeles/San Diego Chargers, Mr. Davis was hired as head coach and general manager of the Oakland Raiders in 1963, earning AFL Coach of the Year honors that season. Three years later, Davis became Commissioner of the AFL for four months, signing several players away from the rival National Football League.

Later in 1966, Davis took an ownership stake in the Raiders and ran their football operations, hiring John Madden, who guided the team to Silver & Black to a 103-32-7 record, winning six division titles and a Super Bowl over a 10-year span, during which, Davis became the managing partner of the club.

Under Davis' watch, the Raiders won three Super Bowl titles (XI, XV, XVIII) and he was inducted to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1992.

In 1989, Davis hired Art Shell, the league's first African-American head coach in the modern era. Davis had previously hired Tom Flores, the first Hispanic head coach in league history and the first minority head coach to win a Super Bowl. In 1997, Davis also hired Amy Trask to be team's CEO in 1997. Trask was the first and remains the only female CEO in the National Football League.

Davis was one of the NFL's most controversial and confrontational owners, battling the NFL to move the Raiders to Los Angeles in 1982 and again when he moved the Raiders back to Oakland in 1995, claiming the NFL didn't do enough to help them secure a new stadium in the Los Angeles market. Davis lost that suit, along with another suit claiming his team had exclusive rights to the Los Angeles market.

Davis' son, Mark Davis, is expected to inherit control of the Raiders.

source:  Mac's Football Blog
author:  Brian McIntyre