Frail Al Davis Faces the Cameras

He wanted the focus on the coach, but attention was pulled to his appearance.

Raider's owner Al Davis came in front of the cameras for the first in more than a year to announce his newly anointed head coach Hue Jackson, but many will tell you his appearance, and not the hire, stole the show.  

Davis is 81 years old, and his emaciated face and forehead showed every day of those eight decades.  It would be hard to find someone who watched Davis today and didn't comment on his health.

He had two band-aids on his forehead that did little to hide a weeping wound. A second cut or abrasion was just above the band-aids.  His voice was also shaky, and he didn't seem to have the full use of his hands.

Davis hasn't held a press conference since September 30, 2008 when he announced he was firing Lane Kiffin, so this is the first time in a long time the media and therefore the public has had a chance to get up close and personal.

The question and answer time by reporters stuck to the subject of the day. No one asked about his health. 

Davis has said in the past that his health is deteriorating.

On top of his appearance, Davis' performance is also getting attention.  He spent much of the press conference talking about the Raiders of the past.   He also threw his former coach Tom Cable under the bus with several allegations of sexual impropriety. Not to mention the f-bomb he threw at the Raider's marketing guy for ending the press conference before Al was finished talking.

It was a classic Al Davis day on the island of Alameda. 

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