Opinion

Chad’s Throwback Slant: Vince McMahon & Al Davis

We compare the career of legendary Raiders’ owner Al Davis to WWE boss Vince McMahon. Just how similar are they?

Published

5 years ago

May 14, 2020

Chad D. Aaron makes a strong comparison between Vince McMahon and legendary NFL Raiders owner Al Davis in his latest Throwback Slant!

When modern wrestling fans think about Vince McMahon, they tend to think of the out-of-touch, behind-the-times tyrant who is seemingly holding his own company down. They don’t remember the times when he was considered a maverick, a visionary, an outside-the box thinker. They laugh at his failures, The World Bodybuilding Federation, The XFL, The Invasion Angle, The XFL again… and that last one, well it gets me thinking. Vince reminds me of another sports figure that I am all-too familiar with.

I am a lifelong Raiders fan. From Oakland to Los Angeles to Oakland again and now Las Vegas, I bleed silver and black. As a kid, I was fascinated by the bad boy image of Lyle Alzado, the grace of Marcus Allen diving over the pile to score touchdowns, and the phenomenal exploits of Bo Jackson. My fandom stuck, even during the era of Todd Marinovich, Lane Kiffin, and Jamarcus Russell. But the one man leading the way every Sunday, in his white track suit was the original Raider.

Al Davis was a maverick, a visionary, an outside-the-box thinker as well. As an assistant coach in the AFL, he once signed a player on the field minutes after his final college game rather than have him play for the NFL team that would draft him. A few years later, he was originally offered just a one-year contract to become the Raiders next coach, yet he walked away from the negotiations with a multi-year contract to be both Head Coach and General Manager. His bold on-field style led the hapless franchise to winning records immediately. People in the game took notice.

When Vince assumed control of the WWF, he began his national expansion, despite the misgivings of those around him, including his own father. He had his vision for the company and was ruthless at times in his pursuit of that dream. And it worked for him. The WWF grew exponentially. The fans noticed. And so did his competition.

As the AFL became an actual competitor to the NFL, Davis was made league commissioner. He spearheaded efforts to have AFL teams sign away NFL stars, particularly the quarterbacks. His actions helped bring the NFL to the bargaining table, and although Davis was himself against a merger, the NFL agreed to take in all 10 AFL franchises as members, a concession no prior rival had achieved.

McMahon too would sign away countless stars from other places, even if he had no real plans to use them in a top spot. If a promoter was unwilling to work with Vince, he would simply bring them to their knees financially, by purchasing their TV time slot or by running shows directly against them and wearing them down.

Denied the chance to be NFL Commissioner, Davis returned to the helm of the Raiders. He now had a minority ownership stake in the team. Under his leadership and shrewd decision-making, the team won three Super Bowls in 8 years. He would sign players other teams had given up on. He thrived rebellious players, players no one else would touch. The Raiders were simply different than any other team. They had an attitude, a swagger, and that came directly from Al. He spearheaded the teams move them to Los Angeles. When the NFL blocked the move, he sued the league, won, and moved the team anyway.

Legendary NFL Raiders owner Al Davis (credit: Raiders/YouTube)

Vince led the WWF to unprecedented success. WrestleMania became a household phrase. WWF stars became actual celebrities, and the company drew in musicians and actors into their realm. When a competitor would rise up, he was the master of counterprogramming. And he did not fear a legal fight either, beating the Federal Government in court in his steroid trial and battling WCW in court on a number of occasions.

Of course, in his later years, Davis’ eccentricities became more of a burden than a boon for his team. He traded away popular coach Jon Gruden and had a habit of spending high draft picks on unproven talent simply because they were fast or possessed uncanny arm strength. This would often leave future stars on the board for his rivals to pluck away. Then he would sign recent Super Bowl MVPs, players who never before or after displayed the abilities they had in that one single game. The team went over a decade-plus without a winning season and did not return to the playoffs until years after his death in 2011.

That of course, brings us to more recent times for Vince. Ratings are faltering, fan interest seems to be at an all-time low. Long gone are the glory years of the 1980’s or Attitude Era. The WWE hits on a winner now and then, but nothing that can rise to the level of the glory years in the past. He makes moves that fans question openly and seem to make less and less sense as the years go by.

It is easy to see why I put Vince McMahon in the same category as Al Davis. In his early years, he was a visionary. He sought to expand the WWF beyond its northeast footprint. He spearheaded a war with other promoters, signing their top stars and buying up TV time slots right from under their noses. He led his company to new heights. He made WrestleMania a household term. He ushered in the pay-per-view era and made his top stars into legitimate celebrities. He did things other promoters disagreed with. He took on the Federal Government in court and won. He took a weekend television property and succeeded in prime time.

Davis was just as bold in his early years. He strong-armed his negotiations to become head coach and GM. Younger Vince displayed a similar ability to talk people into doing things they had no intention of doing, be it leaving one promotion to work for him, or writing a check to a TV station to air his shows instead of the local promotion. Vince was equally bold. He took his weekend shows and turned them into prime-time juggernauts. He also took on the Federal Government in court and won. Davis was equally as daring, convincing teams to sign away NFL quarterbacks and successfully suing the NFL to move his team where he wanted.

Vince gets quickly enamored with guys of a certain size or physique, even to the point of letting more talented wrestlers go unrecognized. Davis became known for wasting his top draft picks on one skill set over better players, to the detriment of the development of the team. Davis wanted to bring the NFL to its knees as a competitor and was firmly against the AFL/NFL merger. McMahon basically bought all of his competition, either outright or by stripping them of all their star-power until they just withered away until only the WWF was left standing.

Both men deserve every bit of praise for their successes, and have earned the negative reputations they are sometimes known by. Sadly, Al never got to see his team succeed again. As a wrestling fan, I want to see Vince bring the WWE back to its former glory. I just hope it happens in time.

Until next time, watch some wrestling this week, stay safe, and never forget to #UseYourHead.

About Chairshot Radio Network

Launched in 2017, the Chairshot Radio Network presents you with the best in sports, entertainment, and sports entertainment. Wrestling and wrestling crossover podcasts + the most interesting content + the most engaging hosts = the most entertaining podcasts you’ll find!

MONDAY - Bandwagon Nerds (entertainment & popular culture)

TUESDAY - Musical Chairs (music) / Hockey Talk (NHL)

WEDNESDAY - The Greg DeMarco Show (wrestling)

THURSDAY - Keeping the news ridiculous... The Oddity / Chairshot NFL (NFL)

FRIDAY - DWI Podcast (Drunk Wrestling Intellect)

SATURDAY - The Mindless Wrestling Podcast

SUNDAY - The Front and Center Sports Podcast

CHAIRSHOT RADIO NETWORK PODCAST SPECIALS

Attitude Of Aggression Podcast & The Big Five Project (chronologically exploring WWE's PPV/PLE history)

TheChairshot.com PRESENTS...IMMEDIATE POST WWE PLE REACTIONS w/ DJ(Mindless), Tunney(DWI) & Friends

Patrick O'Dowd's 5X5

Classic POD is WAR

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Let us know what you think on social media @ChairshotMedia and always remember to use the hashtag #UseYourHead!

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Opinion

Chairshot Staff Picks: Money In The Bank

Extra, extra read all about it… Chairshot Staff picks are in!!!

Published

2 weeks ago

June 6, 2025

PC Tunney

Sing it with me… money money money money moneeeeeeeeeyeeeeee… everybody’s got a price! MONEY IN THE BANK is here!!! How money will our staff picks be?!?

AJ – Roxanne Perez
Andrew – Stephanie Vaquer – *Bubba Sparxxx Impression* I don’t tell stories, I let them tell theyself.
Dave – Guilia – A stacked field but I just like her here.
DJ – Naomi
DPP – Roxanne Perez
Jason – Alexa Bliss
Patrick – Roxanne Perez
Rey – Naomi – If Naomi loses, we riot!
Rob – Naomi
Greg – Alexa Bliss – Bliss has had huge reactions since returning and is moving a ton of merch. While I can see them wanting to build Roxanne Perez, Giulia, or Stephanie Vaquer, I think Alexa Bliss.

Tunney’s Take: Rhea Ripley – I’ll make my case short and sweet… Mami in the Bank! You can’t leave that money on the table.

Chairshot Pick – Tie – Naomi 3 & Roxanne Perez 3 (Alexa Bliss 2, Giulia 1, Rhea Ripley 1, Stephanie Vaquer 1)

AJ – LA Knight
Andrew – El Grande Americano – Feels correct given his push and the fact he’s over.
Dave – Seth Rollins – Got to push that new faction.
DJ – LA Knight
DPP – El Grande Americano
Jason – LA Knight
Patrick – Solo Sikoa
Rey – LA Knight – Looks like another push, and he does have history with Cena.
Rob – Solo Sikoa
Greg – Seth Rollins – This company is extremely high in the El Grande Americano gimmick, but this match comes down to Seth Rollins or LA Knight. Given the Rollins storyline, it’s his briefcase to win.

Tunney’s Take: El Grande Americano – Picture this: Chad Gable wins the AAA Mega Championship and El Grande Americano wins MITB! WHAT A SATURDAY in LA!!!

Chairshot Pick – LA Knight 4 (El Grande Americano 3, Seth Rollins 2, Solo Sikoa 2)

AJ – Becky Lynch – Sadly
Andrew – Becky Lynch – I still don’t care about Lyra.
Dave – Lyra Valkyria – Starting to warm up to her and Becky has a lot to do with that.
DJ – Lyra Valkyria
DPP – Becky Lynch
Jason – Becky Lynch
Patrick – Lyra Valkyria
Rey – Becky Lynch – Put some fire on the Irish Beef.
Rob – Becky Lynch
Greg – Becky Lynch – I don’t think you do a rematch here just to have Becky lose again. Unless Bayley shows up to help Lyra.

Tunney’s Take: Becky Lynch – A big part of me feels that winning this title checks off a major box for Becks in her HOF career.

Chairshot Pick – Becky Lynch 8-3

AJ – Cena & Paul
Andrew – Rhodes & Uso – Easy way for Cena to lose without eating the pinfall.
Dave – Rhodes & Uso – Get the QB back on the winning track.
DJ – Rhodes & Uso
DPP – Rhodes & Uso
Jason – Cena & Paul
Patrick – Cena & Paul
Rey – Rhodes & Uso – Heels usually lose these kinds of matches. Logan takes the pin.
Rob – Cena & Paul
Greg – Rhodes & Uso – I hope Jey isn’t an afterthought here like Cody was last fall when he was paired up with Roman. I think Cody pins Cena to set up Cody-Cena 2 at SummerSlam.

Tunney’s Take: Cena & Paul – I don’t think Cena is involved in another loss until he loses the WWE Championship. I also think Logan Paul is NOT done trying to capture Jey Uso’s World Heavyweight Championship. …Travis Scott in the house?

Chairshot Pick – 6-5 Rhodes & Uso

In closing I want to thank everyone on the panel for participating with their picks! You can follow each prognosticator/podcaster on X @ the handles below. We all enjoy Pro Wrestling so remember three things… be respectful of others, comparison is the thief of joy and HAVE FUN!

AJ – @PhenomenalAJB
Andrew – @IWCWarChief
Dave – @AttitudeAgg
DJ – @TheMindlessPod
DPP – @itsmeDPP
Jason – @JediFett
Patrick – @WrestlngRealist
Rey – @itsreycash
Rob – @rbonne1
Greg – @gregdemarco44
PC – @PCTunney
TheChairshot.com – @ChairshotMedia

prowrestlingtees.com/TheChairshot – a PLETHORA of GREAT designs…MAKES A GREAT GIFT!

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SUNDAY – Keeping the news ridiculous… The Oddity / The Front and Center Sports Podcast

CHAIRSHOT RADIO NETWORK PODCAST SPECIALS

Attitude Of Aggression Podcast & The Big Five Project (chronologically exploring WWE’s PPV/PLE history)

TheChairshot.com PRESENTS…IMMEDIATE POST WWE PLE REACTIONS w/ DJ(Mindless), Tunney(DWI) & Friends

Patrick O’Dowd’s 5X5

Classic POD is WAR

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About Chairshot Radio Network

MONDAY - Bandwagon Nerds (entertainment & popular culture)

TUESDAY - Musical Chairs (music) / Hockey Talk (NHL)

WEDNESDAY - The Greg DeMarco Show (wrestling)

THURSDAY - Keeping the news ridiculous... The Oddity / Chairshot NFL (NFL)

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SUNDAY - The Front and Center Sports Podcast

CHAIRSHOT RADIO NETWORK PODCAST SPECIALS

Attitude Of Aggression Podcast & The Big Five Project (chronologically exploring WWE's PPV/PLE history)

TheChairshot.com PRESENTS...IMMEDIATE POST WWE PLE REACTIONS w/ DJ(Mindless), Tunney(DWI) & Friends

Patrick O'Dowd's 5X5

Classic POD is WAR

Chairshot Radio Network Your home for the hardest hitting podcasts... Sports, Entertainment and Sports Entertainment!

All Shows On Demand

Let us know what you think on social media @ChairshotMedia and always remember to use the hashtag #UseYourHead!

Opinion

Chairshot Staff Picks: Backlash St. Louis

Chairshot Staff picks!!!

Published

1 month ago

May 9, 2025

PC Tunney

May is upon us and with that, so is Backlash from St. Louis! What does the first PLE after WrestleMania have in store for the WWE Universe? Let’s see if the Chairshot Staff can properly interpret the crystal ball of rasslin’ future.

AJ – Pat MacAfee – Gunther has to start losing control and who better than an announcer.
Andrew – Pat MacAfee – Goldberg getting involved does seem correct here.
Dave – Gunther – He’s not losing to a broadcaster.
DJ – Gunther – Pat is sent to the shadow realm until football season is over.
DPP – Gunther – Post match beat down leads to Pat time off.
Jason – Gunther – One massive spot and or bump from Pat.
Patrick – Gunther
Rey – Gunther – RIP MacAfee, t’was a good life.
Rob – Gunther
Greg – Pat MacAfee – Why? Goooooldbeeerrrrrgggggg!

Tunney’s Take: Gunther – Seems like the right pick here. Pat may be getting some time off and Gunther needs more heat.

Chairshot Pick – GUNTHER 8-3

AJ – Lyra Valkyria – Becky’s hopefully putting her over, still mad about Dakota.
Andrew – Becky Lynch – I have no real interest in Lyra currently.
Dave – Becky Lynch – Lyra is boring AF!
DJ – Lyra Valkyria – Bayley interferes.
DPP – Becky Lynch – Becky cheats and steals the title.
Jason – Lyra Valkyria – Bayley costs Becks.
Patrick – Becky Lynch
Rey – Becky Lynch – Story needs to jump up a bit, Becky Charlotte’s Lyra.
Rob – Lyra Valkyria
Greg – Becky Lynch – It’s been fun, Lyra. (It kinda hasn’t)

Tunney’s Take: Lyra Valkyria – Bayley’s interference should set up some type of program with Becky as we head towards Summer(Slam).

Chairshot Pick – BECKY LYNCH 6-5

AJ – Jacob Fatu – Great way to put him over w/ two former WHCs and LA Knight.
Andrew – Jacob Fatu – He’s Jacob Fatu!
Dave – Jacob Fatu – Too soon to pull the belt off him.
DJ – Jacob Fatu – Priest and LA can’t decide who’s is bigger.
DPP – Jacob Fatu – Your hardcore match, tables and chairs involved.
Jason – Jacob Fatu – The Champ retains due to or in spite of Solo.
Patrick – Jacob Fatu
Rey – Jacob Fatu – All gas. No brakes. Ain’t losing.
Rob – Jacob Fatu
Greg – Jacob Fatu – Someone from The Samoan Dynasty ain’t winning a title just to drop it.

Tunney’s Take: Jacob Fatu – Uncle Mo is on Fatu’s side and other than Knight, I don’t see Drew or Priest holding the US title in the current circumstances of this title’s landscape.

Chairshot Pick – JACOB FATU 11-0

AJ – Dominic Mysterio – Judgement Day shenanigans just leading up to Finn turning on Dom later.
Andrew – Penta – Dom’s fine having a short reign, could also work for pushing AAA.
Dave – Dominic Mysterio – He’s probably more over than Penta.
DJ – Dominic Mysterio – Dirty Dom takes home the gold and the girl.
DPP – Dominic Mysterio – Big Head helps Dom pull out the win.
Jason – Dominic Mysterio – By hook and crook.
Patrick – Dominic Mysterio
Rey – Dominic Mysterio – Latino Heat keeps burning. Finn gets closer to the edge.
Rob – Dominic Mysterio
Greg – Dominic Mysterio – Someone from The Guerrero Dynasty ain’t winning a title just to drop it.

Tunney’s Take: Dominic Mysterio – That belt looks good with the king of chicken tendys. I can see Penta and Rey reforming as a tag team sooner than later.

Chairshot Pick – DOMINIC MYSTERIO 10-1

AJ – John Cena – Why? Cena wins, lol.
Andrew – John Cena – Shenanigans ensue so it’s not a clean win.
Dave – John Cena – The last time is now.
DJ – John Cena – Randy hears voices telling him he needs an Attitude Adjustment.
DPP – John Cena – Cena tries to cheat but the ref doesn’t call for a DQ.
Jason – John Cena – Nefarious means, Randy not ready for Evil John Cena.
Patrick – John Cena
Rey – John Cena – Cena just counting down the dates. Should be fun though.
Rob – John Cena
Greg – John Cena – You know they want Cody to be the hero in the end.

Tunney’s Take: Randy Orton – Once upon a time Randy got himself intentionally disqualified and it cost John. Saturday, history repeats itself with a 180-degree twist. Cena retains via Orton DQ victory. This time, Travis Scott’s appearance takes care of that task.

Chairshot Pick – JOHN CENA 10-1