Raiders say 'So long'

They came from near and far, fans and former players, all to pay tribute to the Oakland Raiders legendary owner, Al Davis, who passed away October 8.

Young supporters of the Oakland Raiders show their affection for the late owner, Al Davis.

Every facet of the silver and black stood together one last time to honour "Raider Nation's" deceased king, Al Davis.

Fans decked out in spikes, war paint and bandannas. Former players and coaches gathered in suits and sweats. The rappers Ice Cube and MC Hammer stood along the sideline in traditional Raiders garb.

All stood united at the Oakland Coliseum again to pay tribute to the late owner with a simple two-letter message supplanted on the Raiders shield, spreading across helmets, shirts, posters, pins and programmes: "AL".

"We're just delighted at the way everybody has come together to honour him. Whether to say he was a great man or wasn't a great man, the turnout says it all," Davis's brother, Jerry, said.

A video presentation of Davis's life began playing 20 minutes before kick off and continued throughout the game against the Cleveland Browns, the first at home since Davis died on October 8 of an undisclosed illness.

A moment of silence was held before the former Raiders offensive lineman, Henry Lawrence, sang the national anthem.

As former Raiders gathered around the symbol of the shield painted at midfield during the half-time celebration, John Madden, the Hall of Fame coach, lit a cauldron in an upper corner of the stadium.

The public-address announcer said the fire will "burn forever" for fans to remember Davis.

Coaches, players and team employees wore T-shirts with "AL" inside the Raiders shield. Fans came with signs that read "R.I.P. AL" and "King AL". Most carried simple, hand-made posters and ironed out shirts with the owner's most famous phrase, "Just Win, Baby". And they did, 24-17.

"It's like losing a family member," said a fan with six-inch spikes attached to his pads who wanted only to be identified by the name "Violator", which was taped to the back of his black No 57 jersey.

Davis turned the Raiders into one of the league's premier franchises with what he preferred to be called a "commitment to excellence". The franchise won Super Bowls after the 1976, 1980 and 1983 seasons - the last one in Los Angeles, where the franchise moved in 1982 after protracted court fights before returning to Oakland in 1995.

Past and present Raiders took flights from all over the US to stand along the sidelines.

They told stories and recounted memories of the renegade owner, who became one of the most important figures in pro football history - from his role in the development of the American Football League, the merger with the NFL and his success with the Raiders.

"A lot of people knew him as an antagonist. But if you were a Raider, you were a Raider for life," said Jim Plunkett, a championship quarterback, who played with the Raiders for nine seasons.

While some remain bitter about the club's move to Los Angeles, and then back, others never lost their love for the Raiders because of what they and Davis stood for.

"I don't know if he would condone this, but to me, he's the original gangster," said Ice Cube, a native of Los Angeles, whose rap group NWA embraced the Raiders' attitude and colours in the early 1990s. "He did it his way. I call him the 'Frank Sinatra' of football. He really showed that you could be yourself and you still could be the best.

"You don't have to conform to be the best."