Raiders: Comparing Mark Davis’ first decade as owner vs Al Davis
By Keith Ricci
Raiders: Comparing Mark Davis’ first decade as owner vs Al Davis
Mark enters Decade No. 2
So now Davis enters his second decade as owner with some new faces leading the football operations – who he’s very much invested in and who certainly weren’t expected to have a 1-4 record right now. The McDaniels and Ziegler era isn’t his last chance to win. But it’s certainly his best chance since taking over the team. And it’s perhaps his most important hiring following failed experiments throughout his reign.
While I don’t think McDaniels and Ziegler could ruin Davis’ legacy, I do think this regime is his best opportunity to propel away from his father’s shadow and into his own status as a winning owner. When I say “best opportunity”, I’m specifically speaking about the minimal amount of head coaches and general managers who become available to hire and have high potential like McDaniels and Ziegler.
Teams often shoot for this kind of duo but often must settle. So far this season, that “high potential” is unfortunately only that. Again, if Davis has 20 years left as an active owner, how many more times will he be able to land a highly sought out head coach and general manager pairing?
All three Raiders Super Bowl titles came during Al Davis’ second decade as an owner. As Mark Davis begins his second decade as Raiders owner, this will be the most revealing time of whether he’s a champion or not.