Respect for Raiders Owner Mark Davis continues to grow

Mark Davis is an interesting man. He may be nearing 60 years of age, but he has not been in the public eye for many of those years. Now that the shadow of his father has been vanquished and he has become the object of attention for the Oakland Raiders franchise we are starting to really get an idea of the type of man he is.

The more we hear from Mark the more we get to know him. The more I hear from him, the more I like him. This man bleeds Silver and Black just like every one of us, it is not just a show. This comment to Vic Tafur speaks of the love he has for this team more than anything heard previously from Mr. Davis:

"It hits me in the heart. Everybody, wherever you go, everybody loves the Raiders, the mystique. It's amazing. ... My real goal is to perpetuate the legacy of my father. I am not here to do anything for me. The Raiders are a way of life for a lot of people, and it's my responsibility to get that back, that pride, that poise, that commitment to excellence. Those things are things that people live by, and we have to get it back for them."

This was in response to a question about how much harder it has been dealing with the fans over these past 12 years of losing. It was a softball question, but he absolutely crushed it.

It is not just that he cares about the team, it is beyond that. Mark Davis lives for the Raiders, he always has and he always will. Every single time he does an interview his love for the team jumps off the page. We as fans of this team are lucky to have an owner that cares as much as Mark Davis does.

With the lack of knowledge on Mark before Al's passing we really had no idea what to expect from the man. Would he be good for the team or would he be an albatross? Would he continue bringing the Raiders down farther into this abyss or would he be the bouyant force needed to return this drowning entity back to the surface for air?

The wins have not come, and that is frustrating. There are reasons for the lack of wins but there are no excuses. There never was and there never will be, losing is not acceptable. Every year of losing wears on us but it does not change what this franchise always was and always will be. This franchise is proud and it's history is full of glory, these past 12 years of losing will never erase that and the winning days will return with a vengence.

Mark Davis understands this better than anybody because it was ingrained in him more than anybody. Al raised him for this and Mark is showing that he was watching and listening. If somewhere there is a place for the souls of the passed then Al is looking down smiling on his son. Though knowing how Al was he probably still is waiting with his projector near by just in case, after all it is still Al Davis we are talking about.