Al Davis Rails at NFL, 49ers, Raider Opponents All Over

Looking like a middle-aged Elvis Presley and sounding like a capitalist Fidel Castro, Al Davis on Thursday recalled the Raiders’ storied history to explain his team’s proposed return to Oakland.

Combative at times and effusive at others, Davis used a crowded news conference to attack his perceived enemies, cajole his fans and justify his status as the NFL’s resident maverick.

He got in swipes at the NFL, which will meet in Chicago next week to discuss the proposed move, and at the San Francisco 49ers, who Davis implied are trying to block his return from Los Angeles.

Davis’ speech had the touch of an American politician and the flavor of a Castro diatribe, as he recounted his career with the Raiders and twice read a 1990 newspaper account in which 49er owner Eddie DeBartolo declared, “Al Davis is a very brilliant man.”

Though the Raiders closely followed the Rams out of Los Angeles, Davis said a team could thrive in L.A.--given the proper stadium.

“Los Angeles has an excellent fan base,” Davis said. “But they have to reinvest in a modern, state-of-the-art stadium. Though I have great respect for the fans in Los Angeles, I have great respect for the roar of the crowd in the Oakland Coliseum.”