http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Samuel+15:23&version=NIV
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans+13:2&version=NIV
Al Davis, the owner of the Oakland Raiders, died today. He was 82. It was in 1963 when Davis joined the Raiders. First he was coach/general manager. Then he bought into the team, becoming partial owner, managing partner and finally the owner. Over the years, the Raiders became one of the NFL’s most successful teams under Davis, winning 3 Super Bowls. Davis who was known for his saying , “Just win, baby!”, wanted his team to be the best. To that end he developed the slogan that would become the Raider’s philosophy for decades, “Commitment To Excellence”. To say that Davis was not your ordinary owner is an understatement. In short, he was the ‘Frank Sinatra’ of his day. In other words, Davis did things ‘his way’. As such, he was known as a rebel. A renegade. An outlaw. He sued the NFL several times. And won. His team colors, silver and black, as well as the pirate logo, symbolized Davis’s attitude toward authority. He didn’t like it. And he refused to follow or respect it when he didn’t agree with it.
I suppose that this is one of the reasons why I was never an Oakland Raiders fan. Beside the fact that I already had my favorite teams (the Buffalo Bills & Dallas Cowboys) I didn’t like the persona of the Raiders. Davis was always so out-spoken. And controversial. And their fans were among the most rabid and obnoxious in the league. Decades ago Raiders fans were among the first to dress up for games in their familiar silver-and-black face paint and their Raiders jerseys. Many of them looked like bikers who wanted nothing more than to rip your guts out and stomp on your face. They seemed to thrive on evil. Not exactly the kind of fans you warm up to.
As one can imagine, as an owner, Davis was very controlling. Over the years he felt free to overrule his coach’s decisions - from making personnel changes, to benching or starting players, to calling plays. Ultimately, what Al Davis wanted, Al Davis got. As a result I found it very interesting that in an article about him this morning, that he had the following to say: "I can control most things, but I don't seem to be able to control death. Everybody seems to be going on me." Death was one thing that Davis discovered that he could not control.
In a way, Davis is a symbol of our age. Black clothing and black jerseys. Pirate logo. Loud. Obnoxious. Controlling. Arrogant. Defiant. Rebel. This is why he was looked up to in our culture. I suppose that there is a time to stand up for what one believes in. The Bible is full of both men and women who stood against the crowd - making themselves very unpopular in the process. But there is a vast difference between these men and women and Al Davis. The men and women in the Bible stood for God. For righteousness. For truth. Unlike Al Davis, they were rebels with a cause.
Over the next few days tributes to Al Davis are going to come in from all over the world. There is no doubt that he loved the game. And his players. And his family. And there is no denying that he had a huge impact on the game as well. In addition, Davis was very loyal and compassionate. Very good traits to be sure. But at what point does being selfish, cantankerous, and a rebel, outweigh one’s good points? I didn’t know Al Davis personally so I don’t want to be too critical. But I will say this. When a person lacks humility, grace, and respect for authority, they certainly are not God’s man. And ultimately that is all that really matters.
Lord, in Your divine wisdom You have decreed that all people respect Your authority. And those You have placed in authority. Help me not to be a rebel. To rebel against authority and thereby to rebel against You. Help me to walk in humility and grace. In Jesus' name, Amen.
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