His resume
Davis was head coach for the U.S. Army team, line coach at the Citadel, line coach at USC for 2 years, offensive end coach of AFL's LA Chargers, and named head coach of AFL's struggling Oakland Raiders at 33. Davis was voted AFL coach of the year during his first year as Raiders coach. After 4 seasons as a head coach, he was named the AFL commissioner. After the NFL merger, Davis returned to the Raiders as a managing general partner of the Raiders. Under Davis's tutelage, the Raiders became one of the top teams in pro football winning 13 divisional championships, one AFL title, and three super bowls from 67 to 85. In 1992, Al Davis was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of fame as a team and league administrator. Davis is also known as a pioneer for providing opportunity to minority players, coaches, and executives. He was the first to hire a Hispanic American coach (Tom Flores) and an African American head coach (Art Shell)
The Mystique
Mr. Davis defined what it is to be a Raider. He changed the Raiders color scheme from the black, white, and gold to the now infamous Silver and Black. Davis didn't care when the team went to the bars and got a little nuts after practice because it built comradery . Davis slogans "Pride and Poise," "Commitment to Excellence," and "Just Win, Baby" have shaped the raider image. From the beginning (with AFL vs NFL disputes) Davis has lived by and spearheaded an "us against the world" mentality. When people think of the Raiders, they think of an evil empire lead by a ravenous emperor in a white jump suit. The man BLEEDS Silver and Black. Davis continues to rule with and iron fist and handle team disputes "in house".
You may not like the empire, but must respect it.
