Al Davis

I have always been a fan of the Oakland Raiders going back to the 1970's with Head Coach John Madden, QB's Daryl Lamonica and Ken Stabler, Art Schell, Gene Upshaw, Lester Hayes, Cliff Branch, Lyle Alzado and a cast of characters that would take forever to list.

Al Davis was behind all of this after joining the team in 1963 as the general manager and head coach. He later became the owner. When he died the other day at the age of 82, he left a legacy that can never truly be measured. He left a huge imprint on the NFL and it's financial success.

He certainly had critics who felt that he stayed around too long. Many questioned his personnel moves. Pats fans saw it with the acquisition of Richard Seymour and paying exorbitant salaries for free agents.

He was the most colorful character on a team with colorful players. I wish they played better in recent years. Davis was criticized for recent losing seasons. I'm not sure what happened or who is to blame.

I enjoyed following the career of Al Davis and his team. They are a great NFL Franchise.