Al Davis is your Crazy Old Grandpa!

I've been a Raiders fan since 1977. At the young age of six, I witnessed their SuperBowl victory over the Minnesota Vikings. The magic of Stabler, Branch, Biletnikoff and Casper, and especially the rough hits of Tatum and Atkinson showed a young boy a rough game played not just by atheletes, but by MEN who played to win. I was sold- and now I can't get my soul back.

I look over the last six years I have watched with sadness and disbelief at what has become of the organization that I used to believe in and never question. Everyone knew Al Davis was a little unorthodox; moving the team; testifying at the USFL vs. NFL trial in 1986. As a Raiders fan, you knew Mr. Davis would do things his way, but you always knew that the ultimate goal was to have the best product, the best team, and the best performance.

I've now come to realize that Al Davis is someone's crazy old grandpa. Everybody has one, or knows someone who does; the old man who "Spent two years in Korea so that you kids can buy your walkmans and fancy cars". He's the grandpa at Thanksgiving that no one wants to rile out of his afternoon nap for fear of hearing his stories of how he helped to make this country what it is today and now that no one needs him anymore we just ignore him. Think about it, Mr. Davis did great things for the league and his team MANY years ago, but holds the reigns of the team like a retired Floridian holds a steering wheel driving through a parking lot. Like every other crazy grandpa out there he wants to do things "the way we've always done it" even if that was 40 years ago. He buys things that have no usefull purpose just because he likes them (like singing plastic fish, or fast, unproven players and expensive ones that no longer have value), and worse yet, he keeps things long after they have no value (like a 1972 Oldsmobile or JaMarcus Russell), or throws away things he doesn't like even though they are extremely valuable (like a computer or Gruden/Garcia). This is proof that he isn't that different from many other 70 or 80 + year old men.

The problem is that just like your crazy old grandpa, no one can get him to leave and go to the old folks home until he's damn good and ready, so lets plan on suffering through yet another Holiday season with Grandpa Al and hope that maybe something or someone will get him to that old folks home before next season.