Why should you care about Al Davis, the maverick Oakland Raiders owner who passed away October 8 at the age of 82? Because not only did Al Davis create one of the greatest badass brands of all time with the Oakland Raiders of the National Football League, he was a badass. The ethos of the Raiders silver and black has had an enormous cross-over appeal in American culture, informing the tastes of a diverse demographic ranging from urban rap artists to middle-class suburbanites.

Through his actions and his style of marketing, Al Davis epitomized brand authenticity.

Al Davis is best remembered for his take-no-prisoners “Just win, baby” style of running the Oakland Raiders in the 1970s and for the slicked-backed hair and dark sunglasses that made him look like a cross between a greaser and Darth Vader. But he had been part of professional football since 1960 (at one point being head coach and general manager of Continue reading →