Drooz: Scouting Report

SCOUJIN6 REPORT Games we play

Success the AI Davis Way

BY ALAN DROOZ once dubbed "Darth Raider"). years, edging the Boston Celtics in a star athlete but to build "the finest Yes, AI Davis raises eyebrows in basketball and the Montreal Cana­ organization in professional some circles. His us-against-the­ dians in hockey. Davis's teams have sports-one that would be the stan­ HETHER world, take-no-prisoners attitude appeared in four Super Bowls, win­ dard bearer by which all others they love and his aggressive methods-exten­ ning three. would be measured." He told one him or sive scouting of little-known Davis has immersed himself ful­ interviewer a few years ago, "No loathe him, schools and prospects, gambling on ly in a culture whose pot of gold is one dreamed the dreams I nobody in­ players thought to be washed up or the higher number on the score­ dreamed." volved with or interested in profes­ troublesome, and blending savage board, and his only crime is The son of a manufacturer and sional football has neutral feelings defense and blitzkrieg offense on preeminent success. real estate investor, the 58-year-old about AI Davis. the field-have earned Davis tags Davis has been fascinated by the The managing general partner ranging from genius to renegade, VEN WHEN HE WAS technical aspects of sports since his and principal owner of the Los maverick to marauder. Ea little-used football , Syracuse days. He began scouting Angeles Raiders is certainly the But in Davis's world- the world basketball, and baseball and drawing plays during his most controversial team owner west of professional sports- you can't playe r at Syracuse, before undergraduate days at SU. of George Steinbrenner, and men­ argue with success. In a business in graduating in 1950 with a degree in Even then his vision of his future tion of his name produces an im­ which the bottom line is victories, English, Davis was a student of and his persuasive talents- talents mediate rush of images and the Raiders have the best winning strategy and administration. He has that would later convince the Navy moments in time: percentage in sports in the last 25 often said his dream was not to be to let him play Ensign Napoleon • An intense, pom­ McCallum and entice Bo padoured figure on the Jackson to try two sports­ sidelines decked out in some were working. Instead of combination of his team's joining the family business, colors, silver and black; he secured an assistant • A series of knockdown coaching job at Adelphi Col­ courtroom battles with the lege. He also doubled as National Football League baseball coach; at age 21, he and Commissioner Pete was reportedly the youngest Rozelle; head coach ever hired by a • A bombs-away, ag­ U.S. college. gressive style that When Davis was drafted characterizes Davis's per­ in 1952, he became head sonality as well as his teams; coach ofa n Army post foot­ • A line of famous, last­ ball team that lost only two gasp endings (not always games in two years, and it's victorious, but always in­ said that he developed a teresting), from the "Heidi" talent for securing college game against the Jets to and professional players Pittsburgh's "immaculate who had been drafted. reception" in the playoffs When he was discharged in to the three-man fumble 1954, he became a scout for against the Chargers; and Weeb Ewbank and the • A team logo- the Baltimore Colts, and a year familiar one-eyed buccaneer later he became the line with crossed swords-that coach and chief recruiter for many feel is the perfect sym­ the Citadel. bol for the league's most Davis came to California swashbuckling figure (a man to stay in 1957 when he was hired as line coach for the ALAN DROOZ is a sports­ writer with the Los Angeles Unive rsity of Southe rn Times. He graduated from California, where some of SU in 1973, majoring in his newfangled blocking journalism and English. techniques and his re- AI Davis is no one's Mr. Congeniality, but he is arguably the most successful owner/ma nager in all of professional sports.

28 SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY MA6AZINE Published by SURFACE, 1987 1 Syracuse University Magazine, Vol. 4, Iss. 1 [1987], Art. 9

cruiting ability helped put plenty of friends. In fact, USC on the road to the 1962 Davis has been asked by five national championship. But former players to introduce when fellow assistant John them at Football Hall of McKay was named head Fame inductions- mo re coach in 1960, Davis left than any other individual in USC for an assistant's job professional football. with the Los Angeles Earlier this summer Davis Chargers, of the fledgling was one of the pallbearers American Football League and eulogists at the funeral (AFL). With the Chargers, of Dodgers coach Don who soon moved to San McMahon, a former high Diego, Davis got to develop school teammate at Erasmus his offensive schemes under Hall in Brooklyn. Sid Gillman, a noted offen­ When the Carrier Dome sive innovator. was being built, Davis con­ In 1962, as the Chargers tributed (the home locker were atop the young league, room is named in his honor), Gillman made a prophetic and he was honored as an statement: "There isn't a Orange Letterman of Dis­ doubt in AI Davis's mind tinction in 1985. right now he's the smartest Friends say that behind guy in the game. He isn't, the scenes he is a humani­ but he will be pretty damn tarian who has gone to great soon." lengths for sick friends, John Johnson, a former players, and family. When scout for Davis with the Chargers, partner; he has since acquired prin­ good." his wife, Carolee, fell into a coma said recently, "He was very knowl­ cipal ownership of the team. He Durslag explains, "It started out a few years ago, he stayed by her edgeable, and he really worked at maintains a hands-on approach as as a simple case of AI vs. Rozelle. bedside and talked coaxingly to her, his job. He doesn't have hours. He an owner. Los Angeles Herald­ AI isn't a guy you put in a corner like nearly nonstop, for three weeks. works night and day. The way he EXaminercoiumnist Mel Durslag, a child and tell him to stay. He's She has since recovered. was as a coach is the way he is as perhaps Davis's best friend in the more excited by the combat than the Durslag says that side of Davis an owner. I think he's the most southern California media, says court stuff." has always been there, but on knowledgeable man in football. He that to this day Davis watches game Indeed, Davis himself has long Davis's terms. "AI g ives to always seems to know something films every night. He has won enjoyed playing up the street-fighter charities," he says, " but not the nobody else knows." Super Bowls by taking chances on image that both he and his team charities the NFL pushes. He's par­ supposedly over-the-hill veterans maintain. He has often told inter­ tial to health issues. He gives to EFORE THE 1963 like Jim Plunkett and Lyle Alzado, viewers, ''I'd rather be feared than hospitals and clinics." B season Davis was named and his evaluation of unknown col­ respected." His most often used Most recently, Davis, angered by head coach of the Oakland lege talent is legendary. His is the verb is dominate, and he refers to the Los Angeles Coliseum commis­ Raiders, who had lost 33 ofthe first only team that doesn't take part in football as a "paramilitary environ­ sioner's refusal to provide promised 42 games of their existence. He the NFL scouting combine. ment." improvements, struck a sudden deal revamped the roster. He introduced But for most of this decade In 1981 he told 7he New llirk with the tiny suburban hamlet oflr­ a long-bomb offense and bump­ Davis's image has been that of the Times, "The primary thing is win­ windale to build a stadium and prac­ and-run defense. He made more ex­ man who faced down Pete Rozelle. ning. Outside of birth, life, and tice complex for the Raiders. The tensive use of the game film than Having failed to get improvements death, I would rank power in a Coliseum Commission threatened any other coach. He changed the for Oakland Coliseum, Dav is classificatio n second to win­ to sue, and the Raiders threatened team colors to silver and black and sought greene r pastures and ning .... I don't deny that I want to countersue, with a claim of $18 added the team's pirate logo and its looked toward Los Angeles, which to dominate my environment. I ad­ million. "Brooklyn AI" had struck motto, "Pride and Poise." His the Rams had vacated for nearby mit it, but I just think that's part of again, unexpectedly and at the players found him obsessive but Anaheim. The league said he America. I have a right to control jugular. completely loyal , a man who would couldn't move. The city of Oakland my destiny as long as I don't hurt Despite all the legal hassles, all get his team whatever it needed to filed an eminent-domain claim on anybody else." the headlines, all the stories, Davis win. The Raiders went 10- 4 in his the team. has maintained his focus on win­ first season; Davis was named So Davis took on the NFL, and HE LAWSUITS, COU­ ning football games. He remains Coach of the Year. a series of lawsuits followed. Tpled with Davis's natural the only individual in professional When the AFL began a skirmish Oakland fans took to calling his public reticence, have made football to serve as assistant coach, with the established National Foot­ team the Traitors. Undaunted as him nearly unapproachable by the head coach, commissioner, general ball League for college talent, Davis usual , Davis won this fight as well media in Los Angeles, augmenting manager, and principal owner. was selected the AFL's commis­ and, after a long series of!eg a! bat­ Davis's pub! ic image as something When he moved to Los Angeles, he sioner. His aggressive tactics in ties, moved the team to Los Angeles of a curmudgeon. added "Commitment to Excel­ escalating the price war for talent in 1982. But those close to him say that lence" to the team's mottoes. But his he! ped force the merger of the two Davis told an interviewer then, "I image is far from the reality. He is most familiar watchwords were, leagues in a matter of months. just decided that someone had to admittedly not a socializer- the and remain, "Just win, baby." After the merger, Davis returned take them on, that they were just a Raiders may have gone Hollywood, Through it all , Davis has done to the Raiders as managing general little too powerful for their own but nottheir owner. Still, Davis has just that.

NOVEMIIH 1987 29 https://surface.syr.edu/sumagazine/vol4/iss1/9 2