The Las Vegas Raiders have gone through many things in recent years. Some of them have been good, but most of them have made some fans want to punch their television sets. However, Raider Nation should feel comfortable knowing the team is in the hands of owner Mark Davis.
Mark Davis’ early tenure as the Raiders owner wasn’t up to a good start
I recently wrote about Davis and how plenty of fans didn’t approve of the job he was doing as an owner. Boy, did it escalate quickly. Some took offense in the fact Davis hasn’t been a good owner and I understand why someone would disagree with the original assessment. Nevertheless, most people that disapproved of the job he’s done likely took into account his early years as an owner. When taking those into consideration, his whole body of work doesn’t look as good. The fact he let then head coach Hue Jackson play the role of general manager and ship away a couple first-round picks for a not-happy Carson Palmer looks atrocious in retrospect. His pick of Reggie McKenzie to become the Silver and Black’s top evaluator and not being able to secure a stadium deal in Oakland didn’t help him change the fortunes of the franchise.
That was then, now I see a complete different owner and not just because of a couple relatively successful drafts in the last two years. Rather, I really like the way he’s conducting himself in spite of getting one of the best stadiums in the NFL. Based on interactions with others, it seems like he’s the most down-to-earth person more often than not and it’s delightful to be in the same room with him. In the same manner, he tries to downplay how well-known he’s in Sin City.
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So what exactly makes Mark Davis a good/great owner moving forward?
In a recent conversation with Vic Tafur of The Athletic, Davis opened up about moving to Las Vegas among other things. In the article, the talks about how much fans have embraced him and the Raiders. Not only that, he points how grateful he is for the warm welcome the franchise has received.
The buzz has been unbelievable,” Davis said in an hour-long sitdown interview on Saturday. “The fans here have just been so welcoming. They are stopping me and thanking us for coming, while I’m trying to thank them for bringing us.
Nevada’s governor, Steve Sisolak, praised Davis at the same time he pointed out how good a boss the Raiders owner is and how he takes the time to develop interpersonal bonds with his employees.
Mark is an unusual character, I have gotten to know a lot of wealthy and very powerful individuals, and Mark is the most unique of all of them. He is at his best, his comfort zone is with regular people. When he is on-site, he is always in the back talking to kitchen workers. And he will sign autographs until there is no one left. And you can tell he enjoys taking the selfies and chatting with these guys. He really gets close with people.
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Likewise, take into account Davis isn’t the one bragging on how generous he is. Rather, it’s those around him that see his kindness and leadership. If you ask Davis about the Raiders and Allegiant Stadium, you won’t hear about how he got a great deal. Instead, he will make sure to thank and appreciate the hard work of those that partook in the construction of the Silver and Black’s new home.
It’s a phenomenal feeling. To get through the trials and tribulations and actually get it done on time. The pride that the workers showed in this building, man, they really did … they loved working on it. Every three months before the pandemic hit, we would serve them a big-ass lunch and go through and thank every one of them. They just had so much pride in building this thing.Â
If you ask anyone who is legitimately successful, they will organically share the credit and downplay whatever role they had in the groups’ good fortunes. And it isn’t just a facade either, they are sincerely thankful of those that made it all possible. That’s how Davis comes across in that interview he had with Tafur.
Success isn’t sudden, nor is it linear. There will be ups and downs on the road. That’s the way Davis tenure currently looks, and Raiders fans should be excited about the team’s fortunes moving forwards. They’re in good hands.
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Top Photo: David Becker/Las Vegas Review-Journal