The Raider and their fans have always embraced the role of the villain. They both love to be hated, and as national media goes, no one has welcomed more Raider wrath than NFL Network’s Michael Silver.
The strained relationship between Silver and the Raiders goes back nearly two decades. He was denied access to the Raiders in the 1990’s and the late Al Davis tried to block him from attending a game as recently as 2009.
Davis, of course, had a long list of adversaries, but few were lower on Al’s list than the “Silver Snake” as Raider fans have so affectionately labeled him.
When Davis passed in 2011, Silver was back in the saddle in no time – this time targeting the younger Davis. After just three months on the job, Silver painted Mark Davis as the “Tommy Boy’ of the Raiders football operation, both “over his head” and “threatened” by people in the building – presumably a reference (and retaliation) to the firing of Silver’s good friend, Hue Jackson.
In the years since, Mark and general manager Reggie McKenzie have been under steady fire from Silver, but as the Raiders continue to improve, Silver continues to dig in.
Barely acknowledging McKenzie’s contract extension over the weekend, Silver seems prepared to go down with the ship – he has simply dedicated too much time battling men, women, and little children on social media to be wrong on the Raiders.
A) thanks for revisiting; they are 18-46 since. b) a Yahoo link of mine actually works? Sweet!!! @YahooSports woohoo https://t.co/zUidu80jfV
— Michael Silver (@MikeSilver) July 31, 2016
It’s all fine and well that Silver is willing double down and die on that hill, but Mark Davis, what in the world are you doing taking selfies with this dude (no, not talking about you, Rickey Henderson)?
A Hall of Famer, a boss and a guy very happy to be in Napa… Thanks @RAIDERS pic.twitter.com/CCZ0dABeIZ
— Michael Silver (@MikeSilver) July 30, 2016
Let him cover the team, sure. But stand tall and smile for a selfie? Even Rickey seems to understand something isn’t kosher about what’s going on. After all, isn’t this the owner who once fired his PR Director after Sports Illustrated wrote an unflattering story about his father?
By all means, Mark, change what was wrong with the team, but a Raiders owner buddying up with Mike Silver? That’s the kind of story that should get someone fired.
twitter: @raidersbeat
I get it and most people are going to be pissed off but, with what he and Reggie has built and the season/seasons that are on the horizon Mark should frame this picture and call it “Silver eating crow”.