Whether you loved or hated him, his death made you realize he was one in a million, the last of dying breed. Everyone should mourn the loss of Raiders Majority Partner Al Davis.

That is because Davis is the epitome of the American dream.

Al Davis, while serving a majorit partner of the Raiders led them to three Super Bowl championships and becomming one of the nations most recognizable sports franchises.

Think about it for a minute. Davis was a man that started in the National Football League as an assistant coach for the Los Angels Rams and from there rose through the ranks holding every position in the NFL ultimately becoming Majority Partner of the Raiders, a position he held until his death.

However, his most impactfull position he held was that of AFL commissioner. While serving that post he began to take the premier players from the National Football League, thus forcing them to merge and become the NFL we know today.
It was the shrewd businessman attitude that triggered many controversies surrounding Davis. He sued the NFL for not letting him move his team (he won), sued other teams (those cases never saw the courtroom) and was known to hold a grudge against anyone that crossed him or his “Rah-durs.”

Al Davis with his first of three Super Bowl championship. He enjoyed winning these and saw them as a way to defiy the NFL hierarchy

But, through all of the controversies Davis was a progressive man. He was the first owner to hire minorities as head coaches (he hired the second Latino coach in the history of the league and hired the first African-American coach) and was the first owner to hire a female for a front office position. He also believed in second chances often picking players that teams had cut for various reasons and giving them chances to play. More often than not these moves were successful.

What truly made Davis great was side that no one saw or knew until after his death. Davis always said “Once a Raider always a Raider” and he lived that quote. Whenever a former player, coach, front-office staff and even janitors needed help Davis was always there.

He coined the terms “Just Win Baby” and “Commitment to Excellence” and he held his team to those standards. Many will remember Davis for his disaster drafts of recent years and hiring and firing coaches at an accelerated rate. But I will remember his contributions to the game and the way he ran his team.

That is why owners like Davis are a dying breed. With the passing of Yankees owner George Steinbrenner there are only a few of these loud, ever present and successful owners. Now a day’s owners are content to be out of the spotlight and that is sad. So I implore those fans of sports remember Davis in a respectful way. Because his journey and his life is what the American dream is all about.