One of the most unique and entertaining rivalries in the history of the National Football League featured former NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle and late Raiders owner Al Davis.
Detailing the relationship and rivalry, ESPN recently announced the newest addition to their 30 for 30 catalogue Al Davis vs. The NFL, set to premiere Feb. 4.
“No rivalry, on or off the field, helped shape the modern NFL as much as the decades-long struggle between Al Davis and Pete Rozelle,” director Ken Rodgers said in the press release. “With the 2020 Raiders and the NFL collaborating to fulfill Al’s dream of a state-of-the-art stadium for his team, now is the perfect time to look back on two men who differed on many issues, but shared a mutual love of the NFL.”
The newly released trailer from ESPN depicts the intensity of the long-running feud between Davis and Rozelle, which featured an antitrust lawsuit filed by the late Raiders owner against the NFL and the franchise’s relocation attempts to Los Angeles.
In addition to Al Davis vs. The NFL, Ken Rodgers served as the director for a variety of other 30 for 30 documentaries including Deion’s Double Play (2019), The Two Bills (2018), The Four Falls of Buffalo (2015), and Elway to Marino (2013). Rodgers is also the VP & Senior Coordinating Producer at NFL Films.
Brandon Contes is a former reporter for BSM, now working for Awful Announcing. You can find him on Twitter @BrandonContes or reach him by email at Brandon.Contes@gmail.com.
