By DAN BICKLEY
The Arizona Republic

SAN DIEGO - In the NFL, you are one of two things. You are a Raider. Or you are a hater.

This is the fractious, black-and-silver universe created by one man.

"Al Davis doesn't do things like other owners," Raiders cornerback Rod Woodson said. "He's kind of the black sheep of the NFL."

Kind of? It has been 19 long years since NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle put on his best fake smile, bit the bullet and handed the championship trophy to Davis. Come Sunday, that displeasure may belong to current commissioner Paul Tagliabue, who might as well be wearing a Warren Sapp jersey at Super Bowl XXXVII.

See, Davis is 73 and hasn't mellowed a bit. He is still rebellious, litigious and confrontational. And he is still reviled by his court-weary peers - Pittsburgh Steelers owner Dan Rooney once called him "a lying creep" - many of whom want Dr. Evil defeated at all costs.

But here's the rub: While Davis may be a thorn in the garden of fellow owners, his football team is great for the NFL.

After all, you love the Raiders. Or you hate them. Either way, your passions are stirred by their mere mention.

"You put on the silver and black and there's a lot to it," Raiders tackle Barry Sims said. "It's not just a uniform, it's a way of life."

It's not lost on anyone that the last time Davis won a Super Bowl, there was venom in the air. Then, it was over his controversial move to Los Angeles. This time, it's over a coach who was kicked off the island and now stands between Davis and his coveted trophy.

Some claim Tampa coach Jon Gruden wanted more power in Oakland. Some say he'd simply grown tired of Davis and was planning to leave when his contract expired. Others claim that Davis was not going to let an immensely popular coach, one quickly becoming a cult figure, grow larger than the team's patriarch.

This much is certain: When Davis traded Gruden for four draft picks and $8 million, a great risk was taken on both sides. And the winner of Sunday's game is the winner of that gamble.

"I don't know if there's ever been a time when a coach has left one program, gone to another program and then both programs met in the Super Bowl," Raiders tackle Lincoln Kennedy said. "If there was, it didn't happen with a guy who was as vocal as Gruden is."

It is also a bit ironic that, while it's been 19 years since the Raiders won a Super Bowl, it's been 22 years since they did so in Oakland. This is Davis at his worst. His court victory over the NFL in 1981 gave birth to free agent franchises, teams that were able to relocate to greener pastures. More than anyone else, he is the reason for the Arizona Cardinals.

And while Davis bemoans his diminished fan base in Oakland, he has created much of his own misery. After all, fans there just can't trust that Davis will never leave again. And they shouldn't because, in the autumn of life, Davis is still fighting and suing to the bitter end.

That said, there is much good about this owner. He has taken chances on young coaches: Gruden was 35, John Madden was 32 and Bill Callahan had never been a head coach anywhere else. Davis was among the first to hire minority coaches, whether Hispanic (Tom Flores) or African-American (Art Shell).

And he's notorious for offering second chances to players no longer wanted or scarred by bad publicity, often reaping wondrous results in the process. This year's team is loaded with those guys.

"I have the reputation of what a Raider player is all about," linebacker Bill Romanowski said. "Not only am I one of the most hated players, I'm on one of the most hated teams. So it seems to be a great fit."

Along the way, Davis has hatched a commercial phenomenon. The Raiders have an image that appeals to football fans everywhere. They are pillagers and plunderers, the blackest of sheep playing in the blackest of holes. They are hell raisers and curfew breakers. They are the team that conformity conspires against, the target of revenge-seeking commissioners and officials.

Has the man kept you down? Don't quite fit in at a tea party? Don't feel comfortable in a crisp, collared shirt? Boy, have we the football team for you.

This carefully orchestrated image has spawned the Raider Nation, one of the most loyal, voracious and far-spread audiences in all of sports.

"We get tons of support, and it's just not the Black Hole," Sims said. "The Raider Nation is all over the country. It's wherever we go. I've seen groups of people where an opposing jersey just comes flying out of the middle of it. We have a huge fan base."

So, as much as it would pain Tagliabue and other owners to hand Davis a fourth trophy, they must understand that Davis' doings have brought benefits to all.

And those that don't appreciate this mysterious, mercurial owner must also recognize one other thing: Just Win, Baby is far more admirable than the popular ownership stance known as Losing, Schmoozing: Just Make Me Rich.

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