Raiders: Comparing Mark Davis’ first decade as owner vs Al Davis
By Keith Ricci
Looking back at Mark Davis’ first decade as owner of the Raiders franchise against the first decade under his legendary father, Al.
In September 2021, Mark Davis told HBO’s Andrea Kremer that the difference between his Raiders and his father’s Raiders is that “they won”. In the weeks following that interview, there were derogatory emails exposed, a fatal car accident, and a death threat – and just like that, three pieces of what he was building were suddenly gone.
At 67 years old and now a decade into ownership, Mark Davis knows that now is the time to cement his legacy as a successful NFL owner. Should Father Time allow, he might have another two decades as an active owner.
He doesn’t have any kids to inherit the team, so the Davis era with the Raiders could conclude two decades from now.
About two-thirds of all NFL owners are older than Mark Davis, so he’s young in that sense. But with his aging, plus the third-longest playoff win drought in the league and a shiny new stadium, he’s openly displayed urgency to succeed now.
So how was his first decade as owner of the Raiders? You can’t answer this without looking at his predecessor.