“I’m in pro football to win, to have the Raiders dominate, to have the Raiders global, and we’re not going to be able to do that with a half-filled stadium.”
This quote, in my eyes, describes Al Davis in a nutshell. He showed an undying commitment to winning, put his heart into his franchise, but was also not afraid to say and do things that fans didn’t want to hear.
Perhaps his two biggest moves in the history of the franchise was trading Ken Stabler, who had led the Raiders to their only championship, in 1980. Fans hated the move but Davis was vindicated when Jim Plunkett led the Raiders to titles in 1980 and 1983.
The second was releasing Hall of Famer Marcus Allen, whom Davis did not like. The only comment he ever had was to say that Allen was a “cancer” on the team.
But that was Davis. He didn’t care what anyone thought, including and especially the fans. He did whatever he felt was best for his franchise.
R.I.P.