Al Davis Passes: Will I Still Be an Oakland Raiders Fan?

No one likes to give much thought on how they would feel if someone was to pass away.

Unfortunately, that was not the case with Oakland Raider’s owner Al Davis. 

“The Raiders will never win anything until Al Davis dies.”

“Al Davis looks like he is already dead.”

These are just a few examples of some of the ignorant and visceral comments I have endured for 20-plus years.

Now that the time has come and I am forced to deal with the reality of his passing, I’m shaken. That’s the only way I can explain it.

Some may think it’s silly to feel this way about a man that I have never met. This may be true, but I could care less. 

I consider myself different from a lot of Raiders fans, due to the fact that I have always defended Al Davis when others have scrutinized almost every move he ever made. You could say I'm a fan of Al Davis more than a fan of the Raiders.

The point of this piece is not to relive the career of Al Davis, or to give quotes on his impact on the game. Raider fans already know this and have heard all the great things that various people have said about the man throughout the day.

This is about my loyalty to Al Davis and what he meant to me and the Raider organization.

Will I continue to be an Oakland Raiders fan? 

Honestly, I don’t know. Right now I’m confused and sad. 

I will have to wait and see how the organization will be managed in the future. Part of me says that I should stand by them out of respect for past and present players that have represented the silver and black with honor and dignity. Time will tell.

To me, Al Davis was the Oakland Raiders.

I have said many times in my life that if Al Davis were not the owner of the Raiders, I most likely wouldn’t be a fan. 

For example, if the Raiders had gone through a Cleveland Browns-type situation and the team was relocated and changed their name and then received a replacement team in return, I would not embrace the replacement team.  

The uniforms and name would be the same, but the essence of the team would not.

If the thought of me questioning whether I will remain a fan sounds absurd, I understand completely.

This is how I feel, though, and I will not apologize for that.