The sports world has been rocked by the passing of longtime Los Angeles Lakers owner Jerry Buss. One of the most successful men in the history of sports is no longer with us. Raider Nation knows the pain all too well as we are still coming to terms of life without Al Davis.

Though Davis and Buss were decidedly different men their goals, passions and ultimate successes were similar.

Both were American originals the likes of which will never be seen again. Both were exclusively engaged in the business of running their teams, unlike other owners who are more tied into their other business ventures. Both men sought out the top minds and talent in their respective sports. Both sought to entertain. Most important of all both were winners on the highest level.

The life of Al Davis is indeed the history of pro football. The life of Dr. Jerry Buss rings true as the blueprint for the modern owner in sports.

Both men revolutionized their games though Davis was more hands on having been everything from a coach on up to a commissioner. Buss, like Davis, was in the business of winning though.

Ironically Buss and Davis could have been neighbors had the plans for a football stadium near Hollywood Park been finalized allowing for the Raiders to play in close proximity to the Lakers during their time in Inglewood. That never came to pass but the amount of revenue Buss and Davis generated for the city of Los Angeles is impossible to ignore.

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These two men are titans of their sport having gained a level of success so few could ever hope to achieve. Buss, like Davis, was a highly visible owner. The two were front and center as the face of their respective franchises willing to do whatever it took to win.

In an era when NFL owners sought to increase profit margins Davis spent money on his team like there was no tomorrow. Buss also had the same spending habits sparing no expense when it came to acquiring the best available talent.

While their approaches were vastly different there was no denying where the buck stopped. Davis, due to his football background, was highly involved in most every decision. Buss on the other hand had the final word yet trusted the men he hired to make the right decisions.

Buss was the architect of a franchise that is most always in contention for the title rarely missing the postseason. Davis, whose ownership career spans well beyond that of Buss, had his ups and downs but at one point presided over the winningest franchise in professional sports. Winning with consistency in football is much more difficult making Davis’ accomplishments in various eras a true marvel however the model of consistency established by Buss is unrivaled in sports.

Most amazing of all is that both men found the perfect balance of entertainment and success. Davis found and developed some of the most remarkable talent and unique personalities in football. Buss did the same for basketball. Yet it was the winning, above all, that made these two men the icons of sports that they are.

Now both men have left their franchises in the hands of their offspring. No matter what comes of the Raiders and Lakers in the years to come the family traditions will live on as both Mark Davis and Jim Buss have clearly inherited the independent spirit of their fathers.

We’re without two of the greatest visionaries the sports world has ever known yet their impact will remain with us forever. Jerry Buss and Al Davis were not the same man yet they were driven by the same desires. Their lasting legacies forever a part of American history and sports lore.

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Last night the football universe bore witness to one of the best and most bizarre editions of the greatest championship game on the planet. Super Bowl XLVII had everything except overtime and a wardrobe malfunction (come on Beyoncé, we were all counting on you). At the center of this football classic was a duel between two quarterbacks that could have easily been Raiders if it were up to Al Davis.

For decades Davis preached the philosophy of production over percentages. In stark contrast to the ever popular West Coast offense that calls for high percentage short to intermediate throws that act as extended running plays, Davis always wanted throwers willing to wing it down field in hopes of gaining huge chunks of yards as quickly as possible.

For years Joe Flacco struggled to find his rhythm as an NFL thrower cut right from the Davis cloth. Given his size, arm strength and desire to put the ball 15+ yards downfield seemingly every time he drops back Flacco is a QB Davis surely admired. In keeping with Davis’ philosophy, Flacco isn’t likely to ever be among the NFL’s top tier in completion percentage. But in yards per attempt you’ll find Flacco in the top 15 of that category almost every year.

2012 will go down as the year in which it all clicked for Flacco. In the postseason he revealed himself to be a big game quarterback with the knack for throwing the ball over the heads of hapless defenders en route to hoisting a Lombardi and earning a Super Bowl MVP.

Of course Flacco’s QB counterpart in that memorable game in New Orleans was a man Davis most definitely had designs on prior to his passing.

There was plenty of speculation that during the 2011 NFL Draft Davis had designs on moving up to take an intriguing QB prospect from Nevada with California roots named Colin Kaepernick. Perhaps sensing Davis was going to get his man Jim Harbaugh and the 49ers beat Al at his own game by getting a higher pick in round 2 in order to grab Kaepernick.

After spending his rookie season seeing minimal action in specialty packages Kaepernick inherited the 9ers’ QB gig once Alex Smith went down with a concussion. Harbuagh’s controversial decision paid dividends as Kaepernick had his team mere yards away from the greatest comeback in Super Bowl history.

Like Flacco, Kaepernick is a big kid with a big arm. However what made Davis so enamored with Kaepernick is his uncanny athletic ability. Not only can he toss the rock deep with accuracy but Kaepernick is equally adept at running right by defenders, making plays in the open field few who have ever played the position are capable of.

No doubt Mr. Davis had to be smiling last night as he watched many of his ideals on display on football’s biggest stage. Of course Davis likely would have taken no solace in the fact that his beloved Raiders are without anyone matching that talent profile at the quarterback position…then again…

What we saw from Terrelle Pryor – perhaps Davis’ final gift to the football world – could indicate the Silver and Black have just such a dynamic talent on the team just waiting to burst onto the scene. Only time will tell. For now just know that the Al Davis way is alive and well in the NFL and somewhere he was smiling ear to ear watching Super Bowl XLVII unfold.

Today Roger Goodell took the podium for his annual state of the NFL address that featured the commish touching on everything from the league’s growing global presence on down to the price of Super Bow tickets. Naturally one of the unavoidable topics was the Rooney Rule and the NFL’s continued lack of minority hires in positions of influence.

The rule in question calls for teams to include minority candidates in the job searches for head coaches and various front office positions. As we all know the rule is largely a failure as it has yet to deliver the desired results.

Of course long before it was mandated that teams actually interview all qualified candidates Al Davis was doing just that.

Without a nudge from the commissioner Davis hired the first African-American and Latino head coaches in league history. He also appointed various coaches, front office personnel and scouts that fit the Rooney mandate before such a thing existed.

Even in his absence the Raiders continued the proud Davis tradition when Reggie McKenzie was hired as general manager last year. Of course McKenzie’s first order of business as an African-American GM was to fire Hue Jackson, an African-American head coach, but let’s not go down that path at the moment.

Instead let’s examine all the reasons why the Rooney Rule so badly needs the Al Davis touch.

For Davis it was never about doing things differently. His decisions were labeled as “maverick” in relation to what others were doing. They weren’t inherently “maverick” in their nature for the sake of being maverick. In other words Davis did what he felt was right and not what was groundbreaking. It just so happened hiring the likes of Amy Trask as pro football’s first woman CEO was a groundbreaking event. However the decision wasn’t made to shock the world so much as it was to hire the best candidate possible.

As we’ve learned more often than not teams simply find a minority candidate to interview by looking down the hall in their own offices. Rarely do teams go outside of their own organization to seek out minority candidates. So long as they sit down with someone that fits the bill then the rule is satisfied.

That is not the spirit of the rule nor will it do anything to change the good old boys network that dominates the NFL landscape.

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For football to carry the social significance it does in this country yet to still be decades behind leagues such as the NBA in minority hiring is a sad reminder of how much more progress must be made.

What the rest of the league can learn from Al Davis is that when it comes to hiring the goal should be to cast a wide enough net to find the best candidates there are. Instead what we find is that teams already have their pecking order long before their searches begin. Thus the Rooney candidate is nothing more than a check on the list.

Davis was a pioneer unlike any other. As we move further way from the death of Davis we realize how far ahead of his time he was and still is. Simply put, the rest of the football world is still chasing and hopefully learning from Al Davis. Until the best candidates are given equal chance, including both minorities and non-minorities alike, nothing will change. Until the suits that comprise the NFL’s secret society are forced outside of their comfort zone nothing will change. Until the rest of the football world finally takes on the ways of Al Davis nothing will change.

The Rooney Rule is a good start but it is not nearly enough. It’s an ideal lacking the vision of Davis and it so desperately needs that special touch only Davis had.