Saturday, October 8, 2011

The Silver & Black

Team: Raiders owner Al Davis dead at 82

Published - Oct 08 2011 07:17AM PST

FILE - In this Aug. 1, 2006 file photo, Oakland Raiders owner Al Davis listens to questions during a news conference at an NFL football training...

(AP Photo/Jeff Chiu, File)

FILE - In this Aug. 1, 2006 file photo, Oakland Raiders owner Al Davis listens to questions during a news conference at an NFL football training camp in Napa, Calif. Davis has died, the Oakland Raiders announced Saturday, Oct. 8, 2011.

OAKLAND, Calif. — The Oakland Raiders say longtime owner and Hall of Famer Al Davis has died. He was 82.

It was not immediately clear when and where he died.

Davis was one of the most important figures in NFL history. He is best known as a rebel who established a team whose silver-and-black colors and pirate logo symbolized his attitude toward authority, both on the field and off.

It was Davis' rebellious spirit, that willingness to buck the establishment, that helped turn the NFL into the establishment in sports _ the most successful sports league in American history.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) _ The Oakland Raiders say longtime owner and Hall of Famer Al Davis has died. He was 82.

Davis, one of the most important figures in NFL history, is best known as a rebel, a man who established a team whose silver-and-black colors and pirate logo symbolized his attitude toward authority, both on the field and off.

It was Davis' rebellious spirit, that willingness to buck the establishment, that helped turn the NFL into the establishment in sports _ the most successful sports league in American history.