By Anthony Holden
CBS SportsLine Historian

Al Davis may have once been the NFL's archenemy, but he is also one of the main reasons why the league today is the strongest entity in the world of professional sports.

Davis was the driving force behind the resurrection of the faltering Oakland franchise in the early days of the AFL. Davis' first role was the team's coach and later as its owner. He served as the AFL's commissioner in 1966; and it was his hard-line approach to dealing with the rival NFL that helped lay the groundwork and speed up the process for the monumental decision in 1966 to merge the two leagues.

Al Davis has been a major player in pro football for nearly four decades. (AP)

Life has always been black and white -- or, more appropriately, silver and black -- for Davis. The only thing that matters to Davis is the scoreboard on a Sunday afternoon. If his Raiders win, all is well with the world. If they lose, watch out.

"I don't care anything about that," Davis once told linebacker Dan Conners during a contract negotiation when Conners was making the point that he was an upstanding citizen off the field and deserved monetary recognition for that. "It's what you do on Sunday."

In other words, "Just Win Baby."

The Raiders lost 33 of the 42 games they played between 1960-62 and owner Wayne Valley was desperate for help. Davis was an assistant coach of Sid Gillman's in San Diego, but it was obvious he deserved a chance as a head coach. He knew the game like few coaches, proof of which were the numerous articles he wrote for coaching magazines that detailed particular strategies. He also had an eye for talent, having signed some of the Chargers biggest stars including Ernie Ladd, Paul Lowe, Keith Lincoln, Ron Mix and Lance Alworth.

Valley hired Davis to be his coach in January of 1963 and that first year the Raiders won almost as many games (10) as they had in their history. They beat the West-division champion Chargers twice and finished just a game behind San Diego in the final standings.

Davis brought instant credibility to the franchise, and his positive and confident attitude was infectious. That first year, he repeatedly instilled a pride factor that the franchise maintains to this day. "No matter what the scoreboard says, keep your poise," Davis would tell his players. "Remember, you're the Raiders of Oakland."

"We wanted to be the most feared team in the game," Davis said. "We wanted other teams to come into dark, gray Oakland, see those black shirts on the other side and feel something frightening."

Hall of Fame center Jim Otto, an original member of the Raiders, said Davis knew how to win, something none of the Raiders understood before he arrived. "He brought some older athletes in who still had some football left in them and mixed them with younger guys. And through hard work -- a lot of hard work -- we started building a team."

The Raiders dipped in 1964 and '65, but they were now a solid team that soon would become a powerhouse. In '66, Davis left the team to become commissioner of the AFL, but after the merger was announced, Davis resigned his post and returned to the team.

He was angered by the backdoor deal to merge the AFL and NFL that was cut by Lamar Hunt and Tex Schramm, and felt snubbed when it was decided that NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle would remain at the helm of the new enhanced league.

So began his tumultuous relationship with Rozelle as Davis went back to Oakland not as coach and general manager, but as its managing general partner. Davis and Rozelle would spend the next 15 years feuding, and they squared off in a landmark court duel over whether Davis could move his Raiders to Los Angeles in 1982. Davis won, something he had done all his life.

Upon Davis' return, Oakland won the 1967 AFL title and lost to Green Bay in Super Bowl II, and then the Raiders won the West in the final two years of the AFL's existence only to lose the championship games to New York and Kansas City.

Throughout the 70s and early 80s, with Davis as the franchise's guiding force, the Raiders were one of football's most dominant teams. They finally won a Super Bowl in 1976, routing Minnesota. They added a second and third championship in 1980 and 1983, respectively. During that time they moved from Oakland to Los Angeles then back to Oakland.

Through it all, Davis remains the lifeblood of the franchise.