I Love Al Davis

As a diehard Raiders fan, I am a regular recipient of “I hate Al Davis” remarks. Usually, these come from people who root for the 49ers or some other lame team or those who have just blindly bought into the media's “Raiders = Evil” equation. When asked to back it up, they usually give me one of three reasons:

1. Al Davis moved the Raiders to Los Angeles.

My take: The L.A. move was indeed a bummer. But they’ve been back in Oakland for 10 years. Last I checked, the Colts weren’t back in Baltimore, the Ravens weren’t back in Cleveland, and the Cardinals weren’t back in St. Louis, to name a few. It’s not like Mr. Davis is alone in looking out for number one, and at least he returned to Oakland. So get over it.

2. Al Davis is a dinosaur and the game has passed him by, and he should hang it up.

My take: Last I checked, the Raiders have gone to Super Bowls in four of the past five decades, including one just a few years ago. Looks to me like Mr. Davis has kept damned good pace with the game of football. When I hand over my $80 to catch a game at the Coliseum, I’m glad it’s going to someone smart enough, and willing enough, to reinvest it in playmakers like Randy Moss and LaMont Jordan.

3. Al Davis is the ringleader of a pack of thugs known as the Raiders fan base.

My take: If you want to sit near a cappuccino-sipping grandmother in the temperature-controlled Edward Jones Dome while the Rams run around a piece of carpet, go right ahead. Just don’t call it football. Yes, Raiders fans are vocal and colorful, which is ultimately a reflection of the authenticity, passion and staying power that Mr. Davis represents when it comes to football. But Raiders fans are not thugs (although there are bad apples in any crowd), and if you’d actually come to one of the games instead of talking ignorant smack, you’d discover this for yourself.