Raiders owner Al Davis dead at 82

Associated Press

OAKLAND, Calif. - Al Davis was a rebel with a cause - "Just win, baby," he exhorted his beloved Oakland Raiders.

And as the NFL well knows, he was also a rebel with a subpoena.

Davis, who bucked league authority time and again and won three Super Bowl titles during his half-century in professional football, died Saturday. He was 82.

The Hall of Famer died at his home in Oakland, the team said. The cause of death was not immediately disclosed.

Davis was one of the most important figures in pro football history, from his role in the development of the AFL, the merger with the NFL and the success he built on the field with the Raiders.

"Al Davis's passion for football and his influence on the game were extraordinary," Commissioner Roger Goodell said. "He defined the Raiders and contributed to pro football at every level. The respect he commanded was evident in the way that people listened carefully every time he spoke. He is a true legend of the game whose impact and legacy will forever be part of the NFL."

Added Jaguars owner Wayne Weaver:

"Al Davis was truly a pioneer of the football world who made tremendous contributions to the league. It was a pleasure to serve with him. He leaves an indelible mark on professional football from his many years as a coach, general manager and owner."

Davis was also a litigious gadfly. That was most evident during the 1980s when he went to court - and won - for the right to move his team from Oakland to Los Angeles. Even after he moved the Raiders back to the Bay Area in 1995, he sued for $1.2 billion to establish that he still owned the rights to the L.A. market.

Before that, he was a pivotal figure in hastening the merger between the AFL - where he served as commissioner - and the more established NFL. Davis was not initially in favor of a merger, but his aggressive pursuit of NFL players for his fledgling league and team helped bring about the 1970 combination of the two leagues into what is now the most the nation's most popular sport.

But Davis was hardly an NFL company man.

Not in the way he dressed - usually satin running suits, one white, one black, and the occasional black suit, black shirt and silver tie. Not in the way he wore his hair - slicked back with a '50s duck-tail. Not in the way he talked - Brooklynese with Southern inflection. Not in the way he did business - on his own terms.

Elected in 1992 to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Davis was a trailblazer during his half-century in pro football. He hired the first black head coach of the modern era - Art Shell in 1988. He hired the first Latino coach, Tom Flores, and the first woman CEO, Amy Trask. And he was loyal to his players: To be a Raider was to be a Raider for life.

Coach Hue Jackson told the team of Davis' death at a meeting in Houston on Saturday morning. A black flag with the team logo flew at half-staff and a makeshift memorial formed at the base of the flag pole.

Davis is survived by his wife, Carol, and son Mark, who Davis had said would run the team after his death.