Happy 4th of July: Al Davis would have been 90 today

On this day in 1929, Alen Davis was born in Brockton Mass. He later went on to Syracuse for college ball, got his first NFL coaching gig with the Chargers before becoming the head coach and General Manager of the the 3-year-old Raiders franchise in 1963. He was 34 years old at the time. From that point on, he became synonymous with the team.

So, it comes to pass that in the season we celebrate the Raiders 60th year in existence, we note what would have been Al Davis’s 90th birthday.

Davis passed away in 2011 at the age of 82. During his tenure as Raiders owner — first a minority owner and later Managing General Partner — the Raiders won three Super Bowls and four AFC Championships, and one AFL Championship.

Al Davis was the Raiders. The most independent franchise in all of sports. It was always perfectly fitting that the man who was the face and personality of the team came into this world on Independence day.

Happy Birthday, Al. And Happy 4th of July to Raider Nation. Have a happy and safe holiday, everyone.