Michael Silver of Yahoo! Sports is unveiling his NFL owners rankings this week and Al Davis of the Oakland Raiders finishes dead last, No. 32 out of 32. Silver explains the ranking thoroughly...
Remember when you could hear Davis state the Raiders' motto, "Commitment To Excellence," without activating your gag reflex? Now Davis, at 81, is committed to, what, arriving at the office before the sun goes down (something he can't always accomplish these days)? Granted, the man's age and health issues should not be causes for mockery; the real issue is the decayed, distrustful state in which Davis allows his franchise to toil as he becomes an increasingly absentee owner.
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In reality Davis, whose team had the league's lowest attendance in '09, spends more time thinking about money than winning. In 2007 he managed to convince three venture capitalists to pay him $150 million for 20 percent of the team - and zero say in its management. Now, after blowing the dough on busts like Russell, Javon Walker and Gibril Wilson, Davis is looking for more: Sources say he tried to get the same venture capitalists to bite on another 20-percent chunk, with no success. Fortunately, he and his lackeys have their priorities in order, as evidenced by the franchise's decision Wednesday to run a headline on the team's website attacking an ESPN personality for reporting that the team had discussed trading for Cardinals quarterback Matt Leinart. Says an AFC owner: "He's running a lunatic asylum. It's a mess. No one has any idea what's going on out there. I think it's safe to say he wouldn't be employed by 31 other teams." Other than that, Davis is doing a bang-up job.
Agree or disagree? Low blow or right on the money?
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