Al Davis: Is the End Finally Near?

Anyone who goes to a Raiders game and has a chance to see the old sage, I recommend doing so before eating anything...because it's hard to stomach what's happened to a once great man.

Al's condition, from outsiders and onlookers, is one of a man going through the final stages. Often he appears confused, lost, and befuddled. Sometimes, he also gets angry, and some have to wonder, if this is because he can't remember what he wants to, or because he simply can't "pick 'em like he used to."

One of the topics I've studied dealt with the five stages of dying. Back in 1969, a book was published, On Death and Dying, and mentioned the following stages:

Anger, Denial, Bargaining, Depression, and Acceptance.

Now, go back about a year. How many of these conditions presented themselves, via Al?

Anger: Anger came from different sources, primarily because Kiffin didn't pan out the way he thought. Anyone can catch Al's diatribe at the press conference...and if he can't get angry, he'll send his bulldog at you, a la Tim K.

Denial: He spent money like water, or better, like a kid in a card shop, thinking that these players had great years...Throw some money, and they should be able to perform well again, right?

Hall is gone, Walker's season ended a few weeks ago, and injuries have decimated the team. For denial, it wasn't his fault...blame Kiffin, blame Cable for not inspiring the club.

Bargaining: Here is Al's specialty. He'll go out, cut some of the dead weight, keep some favorites, and utter the mantra...One more year. I can win in one more year. Anyone who even mentions rebuilding, suffers from lesson one—Anger leads to unemployment. To that degree, Oakland's fans are devoted...But one has to ask...What if Al does something really, really outlandish?

Depression: Al let it slip, that he was unhappy with some of the free agents he'd signed up. He was also unhappy that Kiffin was taking his time with Russell, that Kiffin wasn't on board with Russell, and probably wasn't happy with McFadden.

And I can't imagine the last six years have been easy, considering all he has to do is look at the picture of Jon Gruden and think of what he missed out on.

Acceptance: This is the stage Al has yet to arrive at. Either Anger overrides his mind, or something else pushes him back to bargaining...the hope for another ring, worries that someone will take the team from him....Acceptance is what Al needs to reach.

Accept that there is nothing good, that can come from his staying, nothing positive that can be achieved by remaining in his present situation...and that for the good of the team, he needs to turn the reins over to someone younger with better knowledge of today's NFL.

Al, we've enjoyed some great seasons, three Super Bowls, and almost 50 years of football.

Al, it's time.