Former Raiders coach John Madden wasn't ready to talk about team ownerAl Davis, who died at 82 Saturday morning, last weekend. However he did share his feelings with XX Sports Radio in San Diego on Monday.
"It was one of those calls that you get in the middle of the night when you're sleeping and it coulda been five or six o'clock. (CEO) Amy Trask of the Raiders called and said 'Al Davis passed away' and I was in shock," said Madden. (MORE>>>)
This one's for you, Al.
The Oakland Raiders won the day after their maverick owner died, beating the Houston Texans 25-20 on Sunday behind Jason Campbell's two touchdown passes.
Michael Huff intercepted Matt Schaub's pass in the end zone on the final play to secure the win. Coach Hue Jackson dropped to his knees on the sideline, covered his face with his hands and cried as his team celebrated the bittersweet victory. (MORE>>>)
Whether those watching loved him or hated him, Raiders managing general partner Al Davis was always must-see TV. There was no gray area in the emotions that he evoked, especially with those whose lives he touched.
"When you hear Al Davis' name mentioned, people want to take sides," former Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Terry Bradshaw said. "Right or wrong, good or bad, if you look at the history of the league and you look at how the league has changed, when you look at who the personalities that are involved in that change, you're going to find Al Davis."
Few have ever been as reviled by some and revered by others as was Davis, who died Saturday at age 82. But the ever-polarizing Davis always kept his gaze on the football field, not what others were saying about him.
"I don't know what my legacy is," Davis once said. "That's not for me to say. You'll have to ask others about that. I care more about winning than my legacy." (MORE>>>)
The NFL stopped for a moment Saturday.
Oakland Raiders owner Al Davis has died. He was 82 years old.
There is going to be a lot said and even more written about the Raiders' owner as we prepare to kick off another NFL weekend.
Soak it all in. Use any word you want to describe Davis: legend,
pioneer, outlaw, renegade. Each applies. He will never be duplicated or
forgotten.
Davis did it all his way. He didn’t always make friends in the NFL over
the years, but he earned a lot of respect. Expect the tributes to fly in
faster than a classic Raiders wide receiver.
He fought wars with the league, other owners and even some of his
coaches and players. He was a difficult man to deal with for a lot of
people over the years. (MORE>>>)
