Before Al Davis was the Owner of the Oakland Raiders (and the Los Angeles Raiders), he was the coach of another former Los Angeles team.
Al Davis Goes From Coach to Owner of the Oakland Raiders
In 1960, Al Davis was the coach of the Los Angeles Chargers. In 1963, at the young age of 33, he became the head coach, as well as the general manager, of Oakland Raiders. Davis turned the team around and they went 10-4 that season. He won Coach of the Year. Davis then moved the team from Oakland down to Los Angeles and back up to Oakland again. Davis sued the city of Los Angeles for not helping him build a nicer stadium than the Coliseum, where they had been previously playing. He eventually lost the suit. Despite the moving around, Davis was able to manage the team well and successfully won three Superbowls and 13 division Championships.
In addition to this, as owner of the Oakland Raiders (and the Los Angeles Raiders), Al Davis proved his good management by hiring some of the best coaches the game of football has ever known. Men like John Madden, Art Shell, Mike Shanahan, and Jon Gruden. However, in recent years Davis has been known to fire coaches after only a few games if they are unable to produce results. Such was the problem with former head coach Lane Kiffen. Kiffen was then replaced with Tom Cable, the current coach of the Oakland Raiders.
Al Davis's Appointment of Tom Cable as Head Coach
In recent years, the Oakland Raiders have not enjoyed the success they once did, and the Raider Nation has begun to turn their backs on him. Al Davis's once impeccable guidance has faltered. They have struggled to win a quarter of their games. Many fans have turned on Davis during these hard times. NFL player Dominic Rhodes was quoted saying it was a “circus” and that he was thankful to be out of there. But has Al Davis been making bad choices or just trying to get the Oakland Raiders back to the team they once were? Has he been making bad coaching decisions or looking for a coach that is exactly what he wants and the team needs?
Current coach, Tom Cable, has not been able to produce many wins yet, but the team is looking fiercer and better than they have in recent years. Could it be that Tom Cable, who allegedly punched his assistant, is the kind of man Al Davis has been looking for all these years? Maybe he has just been looking for someone who can be tough as nails and have the intimidation factor Davis was known for having. Or could it be that Davis, who is known and criticized for coaching through his ownership, sees a bit of himself in Cable? The men both appear rugged and gruff; men you would not want to mess with. If Cable is a young Davis then the Raider Nation should applaud Al Davis because of the immense success they experienced in Davis's early days.
The Future of The Oakland Raiders
Al Davis plans to remain owner of the Oakland Raiders for awhile and oversee his Raider Nation. He has said he will not sell the team until they win two more Super Bowls or he dies, and many fans, sadly, hope for the latter to come quickly. But, it is important to remember the good things Al Davis has done in his life and what an influential person he has been. Not only did he appoint the first Latino head coach and the second Black head coach, he has also put women in high positions of power within his organization. He was also the commissioner of the AFL and helped create what is now the NFL. He also worked alongside Gene Upshaw for players' rights.
While many of Al Davis's moves are questionable to say the least, it may be he just adheres to the high level of achievement the Oakland Raiders have experienced in the past. His questionable ways seem to cast a shadow over the hero he once was and hopes to be again. No matter what happens in the future though, Al Davis will always be one of the most notorious NFL owners the league has seen.
