Mark Davis: Badass
You know what I like most of what I've heard from Mark Davis? Nothing.
That is, I like that I've heard nothing from Mark Davis. Well played, Mark Davis. Well played.
This isn't some guy who was born on third base and, at the first chance, is going to strut to the podium like he just hit a triple. Google "said Mark Davis" and you come up empty. The dude lives in the shadows. Sound familiar?
Certainly, his father cast an intimidating shadow. But with every day that goes by without a peep from Mark Davis, it seems that intimidation isn't what has kept him silent for so long. His silence is being revealed as something more noble.
In his own way, Mark Davis is adding a new chapter to the classic Raiders mystique. According to this column by Scott Ostler, Mark Davis is, in many ways, the polar opposite of his father: laid back, easygoing, not quick to hold grudges. And yet here we are, guessing about his next move, and wondering about how involved he is, and trying to figure out what he is thinking...Just like we were with Al Davis.
In this era of nonstop noise and glory seeking, it's downright refreshing to know so little about Mark Davis.
In the best-case scenario, Mark Davis keeps the team in Oakland, understands his strengths and limitations, delegates appropriately, and leads the Raiders in a modernized direction that nevertheless maintains the Raiders' organizational spirit and cultural legacy. It can be done. It can be done.
Of course, when the only thing on your resume as operating owner is a stirring last-minute victory that honors your Hall of Fame father, you're going to look golden.
Technically, Mark Davis hasn't done anything yet to advance the organizational ball downfield, at least as far as we know.
But then again, what do we really know? And that, my friends, is my point. Mark Davis, like his father, but in a different way, is a badass. His competence has yet to be determined, but his silence bodes well.
We've lost Al Davis, but so far, the ownership mystique is alive and well.
That is, I like that I've heard nothing from Mark Davis. Well played, Mark Davis. Well played.
This isn't some guy who was born on third base and, at the first chance, is going to strut to the podium like he just hit a triple. Google "said Mark Davis" and you come up empty. The dude lives in the shadows. Sound familiar?
Certainly, his father cast an intimidating shadow. But with every day that goes by without a peep from Mark Davis, it seems that intimidation isn't what has kept him silent for so long. His silence is being revealed as something more noble.
In his own way, Mark Davis is adding a new chapter to the classic Raiders mystique. According to this column by Scott Ostler, Mark Davis is, in many ways, the polar opposite of his father: laid back, easygoing, not quick to hold grudges. And yet here we are, guessing about his next move, and wondering about how involved he is, and trying to figure out what he is thinking...Just like we were with Al Davis.
In this era of nonstop noise and glory seeking, it's downright refreshing to know so little about Mark Davis.
In the best-case scenario, Mark Davis keeps the team in Oakland, understands his strengths and limitations, delegates appropriately, and leads the Raiders in a modernized direction that nevertheless maintains the Raiders' organizational spirit and cultural legacy. It can be done. It can be done.
Of course, when the only thing on your resume as operating owner is a stirring last-minute victory that honors your Hall of Fame father, you're going to look golden.
Technically, Mark Davis hasn't done anything yet to advance the organizational ball downfield, at least as far as we know.
But then again, what do we really know? And that, my friends, is my point. Mark Davis, like his father, but in a different way, is a badass. His competence has yet to be determined, but his silence bodes well.
We've lost Al Davis, but so far, the ownership mystique is alive and well.
posted by Raider Take at 9:41 PM
21 Comments:
I just hope Mark Davis does not sell the team. The Raiders I know are looking for a GM and do not be surprised to hear the name Matt Millen come up. I think he learned a lot in Detroit and I think he did the best with what he was given. Just my opinion. Right now Hue Jackson is pretty much serving as coach/GM which I think is pretty cool.
This comment has been removed by the author.
"My brother Eric Barton played here for five years so I’m just getting a shot to carry his legacy on. I’m excited about that."
This post about Curry is good...Well worth reading and I think he will show us something this week...
http://www.ibabuzz.com/oaklandraiders/2011/10/14/aaron-curry-qa/
Interesting take. So Mark is doing his best Chauncey the Gardener immitation.
Abe Lincoln once said, "it's better to remain silent and thought to be a fool than to speak up and remove all doubt."
Certainly, I don't think that applies to Mark but, like you said, we don't know.
His one game resume is tremendous and I am rooting for him to keep that string going.
Seems as though Jackson has earned the trust of the entire organization and likely will be instrumental in selecting a GM.
I wouldn't put much stock into names being thrown around by the media, like Matt Millen. But even if Millen were to come on board, I believe the keys to this car belong to Hue Jackson, at least for now.
I called the guy a badass, praised him for demonstrating grace instead of glory hogging, and noted that he, while different from his father, has created his own mystique that bodes well. I'm surprised it's not seen as a very positive take?
"RT"...
As I was reading I questioned where it was going sense of late most of your references to Al Davis' non communication have been very adverse....I didn't come to the conclusion that it was negative but I didn't know till the end....Quite frankly I find it interesting that you would publish something in favor of silence after all the past "BS" on this board regarding that "Cone-o-Silence" and why it should be lifted...
So kinda like when you are familiar with an author and start to read his new work expecting it to go down the same parallels as his prior works and get surprised that it appears to be leading in a different direction while waiting for that Negative Punch at the end...
It didn't come!!!...But your surprised that I may have looked for it???...
Just to refer back to Mark's father while pimping him as well:
Have you taken a serious look at this all star roster that the Raiders are now fielding???...WoW!!...Talk about being talented on paper!!...Than with the Curry addition it's even better...Not sure if that was already in the works while Al was in charge but I suspect it was...But it was his son who ultimately followed threw with it so that goes down as his very 1st deal...At least 1st known to us...
Mark was at Camp and seen in the front office so it's really unknown how active he really was but I just can't imagine a sleeping Al Davis either...
Marks inheritance includes that roster and coaching staff...We may never know how much input he had towards it's construction...But as time moves forward we will have his accounting so would it surprise you to find next year's draft just as promising as the past few???
PantyRaider...I'm Starting To Expect It!!!/_
I didn't see it as negative at all. It's simply that we don't know. There is something badass about that... with a touch of class.
Hue did say some interesting things during his post game interview last week. I believe Hue will bring in someone who he has ties with from the Ravens etc. He has to be ultimately comfortable with this person along with the organizations blessing. It will be very interesting to see what takes place in the near future. Hue without a doubt is the most power HC in the Raiders 51 year history. It's going to be done correctly because Hue knows what's been passed onto him.
What else will change procedurally without Al Davis?
"I’m not. Honestly nothing has hit me that way. That things that need to be done, I’m being very honest with you guys, we already had a plan in place. I know the trade deadline is coming up. I know there’s decisions that we have to make based on who’s going to be on our 46 as we move through the week. But coach already taught me how to do those things. When I tell you that there were so many countless hours spent having conversations and talking about the things you need to do and why you do them. I’m very well versed in how to do those things. I feel very comfortable doing those things. I’ve done them every week with his approval and I’ll continue to do them with the approval of Mark and whoever else I need to talk to."
Are you the sole decision-maker in terms of personnel and such now or is there a plan for a general manager to come aboard?
"Right, and that could be true. That could be true. But if something needs to be done right now between Mark Davis and myself and the rest of the people in the organization, that’s who will make that decision. And if that’s the best way to go as we continue to move forward to the future, that’s what we’ll do. If we need to bring somebody in from the outside and have them fill that void, we’ll do that, too. That’s why I said, we’re in a really good place right now, that we have people who have been here, who know. I’ve sat at this man’s knee for two years and I’ve been involved in that draft. I’ve helped shape this team over the last couple of years as far as draft picks are concerned on this football team. So, I know what they look like, run like, act like, sound like, the whole nine yards. Now, it’s just a matter of making sure that all the t’s are crossed and the I’s are dotted as we move forward, if that’s the direction we want to go. And that’s what we’ll do.”
Two first round picks at LB can't hurt. If memory serves, before the Raiders surprised us with DHB that year, I was arguing in favor of Curry because of our lack at depth in the LB corps. It's good to know that he was also in the Raider sights, and they might have picked him if Seattle hadn't beaten them to Curry.
Curry was always an attacking LB, going straight to the ball. I can see why he didn't work out in a read and react defense. To my mind, all read and react does is slow the offense down, it doesn't prevent the offense from moving the ball. Read and react attempts to minimize the big play. It heavily banks on offenses that are mistake prone, and you need an excellent ball control offense of your own to make it work.
But don't worry about Groves. I expect we'll find him back in the DE rotation.
RE Mark Davis...
Mark's skill is supposed to be business oriented and not football (although he's obviously watched football all his life and is a major fan).
I remember when both the Rams and the Raiders were still in LA. Folks talked about Davis' football knowledge and referred to him as an owner who was a complete expert on the game and players. That used to piss off Georgia Frontiere (a former show girl who was married to then owner Rosenbloom - also interesting that Georgia was said to have had Mafia connections and Rosenbloom, an Olympic swimmer, drowned in 3 ft of water). When she took over the team, the first thing she did was bring in one hot stud Italian QB after another. That was the criteria - they had to be hot and Italian. She held a news conference to tell the media that she was as big of an expert as Al Davis. (After all, what does size and speed have over hot and Italian)
In that light, Mark could have easily gone before the press and said that as Al's son, he knows as much as anybody. From all that I've heard, Marc is looking for a football executive who knows at least a fraction of what his father knew.
I think it will be somebody who has been viewed as a rising young (no older than 45) GM talent, agreed to by Davis, Trask, Madden, Flores, a few other insiders and especially Hue Jackson. Frankly, I think they plan for Hue Jackson to be the biggest influence on who runs football operations, and it may be somebody identified by Hue himself.
I think it is appropriate for Mark Davis to be a behind the scenes caretaker of the Raiders franchise ... supportive yet not looking to exert his individual influence on the team.
Although he has been exposed to Raiders football since birth, he really has next to no experience in any non-business related aspect of the franchise.
I would applaud his efforts to keep the Raiders identity and legacy in tact while helping to facilitate and delegate to the staff in place and future additions.
I tend to agree with RT's Take.
I've watched damn near every Raiders game (including attending every game in LA) since the late 60's, and last Sunday was the first time I ever remember seeing Mark Davis.
I'm so glad he did not come off like Hank Steinbrenner when his dad George died.
So, I'm waiting and hoping for a playoff season and a GM that can return us to consistent winning ways.
Seattle had to absorb the majority of Curry's contract in order to move him.
The Seahawks absorbed $3.2 million of Curry's 2011 salary as part of a signing bonus prior to the trade. So from Oakland's perspective, Curry has a prorated 2011 salary of $525,000, which is a bargain for them. In 2012, Curry has a hefty $5.8 million base salary, but only $757,000 is guaranteed. The Raiders could conceivably release him following this season if need be, having paid him about $1 million.
Man, I wish I could be at the Coliseum tomorrow. First home game since Al Davis's death. Maybe not as much emotion as last week for the players and coaches but I expect the fans to be supportive and loud.
It will be an important time in Raiders' history to honor and remember a man that practically invented the wheel.
My prediction is that the Browns will wish Al could have hung on for a couple more weeks.
I'm with you NYR. Last week's game was truly emotional and surreal with the passing of Davis the day before the game.
This game in front of 61,000+ loyal Raider fans paying tribute to Davis will be special on many levels.
I expect the team to get a turbo boost of adrenaline and be inspired. I also expect McFadden to put his mark & stamp on the game early and often.
Go Raiders!
Just To Recap:
08/03/2011 Signed LB Darryl Blackstock
08/05/2011* Signed TE Kevin Boss
08/06/2011 Signed WR Derek Hagan
08/15/2011 Signed safety Matt Giordano
08/25/2011* Signed QB Terrelle Pryor SD3-11
09/04/2011 Signed LB Ricky Brown
10/01/2011 Signed DB Ron Parker to active roster
10/13/2011* Acquired LB Aaron Curry via trade with Seattle
Hmmmm!!...
3 big name players* -w one as a rookie!!!
2 regular contributors!!!
1 back-up..
1 loss to the "IR"...
Looks rather active in free agency to me!!!...
PantyRaider...Hmmmmm!!!/_
Forgot:
08/02/2011 Signed offensive linemen Stephon Heyer.
Than there were several others who never made the roster...
Tom Jackson showing the Raiders some love on ESPN this morning.
"The Raiders are for real."
...from a long-time Raider hater.
CorkOnTheNFL Steve Corkran
Beat writer Jerry McDonald spotted former #Raiders employee Ken Herock at the Coliseum a bit ago. He is rumored to be helping fill GM void.
VittorioTafur Vittorio Tafur
Mark Davis chatting on field with Ken Herock, former NFL personnel director and Raiders employee
CorkOnTheNFL Steve Corkran
Former #Raiders employee Ken Herock spotted chatting with CEO Amy Trask on the field. Hmmm.
VittorioTafur Vittorio Tafur
Herock, by the way, is very high on Terrelle Pryor
VittorioTafur Vittorio Tafur
List of names of players here for halftime tribute for Al Davis
http://blog.sfgate.com/raiders/2011/10/16/list-of-names-of-players-here-for-halftime-tribute-for-al-davis/
George Atkinson, Greg Biekert, Morris Bradshaw, Cliff Branch, Willie Brown, Dave Casper, Raymond Chester, Clem Daniels, Anthony Dorsett, Mervyn Fernandez, Rich Gannon, Ted Hendricks, Ricky Hunley, Napolean Kaufman, Rod Martin, Jim Otto, Jim Plunkett, Jerry Robinson, Bill Romanowski, Greg Townsend, Howie Williams, Steve Wisniewski and Rod Woodson
Radio Broadcast Via Net:
http://player.streamtheworld.com/liveplayer.php?callsign=CMNRAIDERS
Net Game Vids:
http://www.firstrowsports.tv/sport/american-football.html?game=american-football
Here is a way to stop those very annoying pop-up adds that block your view: Free too...
http://adblockplus.org/en/
PantyRaider...Enjoy!!!/_
KLongworthCSN Kate Longworth
by PGutierrezCSN
Almost more pple on field than in seats right now for the #AlDavis tribute @PGutierrezCSN setting the scene on a Live #Raiders chat now!
Does anybody know if there is anyway that I can watch the Al Davis stadium celebration....I either did not catch it or they didnt show most of it.....
Thanks
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