'Al Davis vs. The NFL': Release date, plot, trailer, and all you need to know about ESPN's '30 for 30' documentary
While a in-the-works Tom Brady documentary was set to release in 2021, it seems like this ESPN documentary will pip the feature that would focus on Brady for the moment. Titled 'AL Davis vs The NFL', the documentary recounts Davis's long-standing feud with NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle as he searched for a permanent stadium for his team. It also takes a look at the impact the principal owner and general manager of the Oakland Raiders for 39 years had on the present NFL landscape. This was a civil war that almost ripped the NFL in half, and while at it, also led to the financial dominance and state-of-the-art stadiums of today’s NFL.
Davis was also known for his civil rights activism. He refused to allow the Raiders to play in any city where there was discrimination and Black and White players had to stay at different hotels. He was also the first NFL owner to hire a Black head coach in Art Shell and a female chief executive in Amy Trask.
Release date
'AL Davis vs. The NFL' premieres on February 4 at 9 pm ET on ESPN. It will be available on ESPN+ soon after the premiere.
Plot
The official synopsis reads: "The film traces the relationship from their early clashes in the AFL/NFL wars of the 1960s through their tacit reconciliation upon Rozelle’s retirement in 1989, with a special emphasis on the antitrust lawsuit Al Davis filed against the NFL in 1980."
"Davis wanted to relocate his legendary team from Oakland to Los Angeles, in pursuit of a state-of-the-art stadium, but the league would not approve. Today, with the Raiders recently completing their inaugural season in Las Vegas in a brand–new stadium, something Davis always dreamed of building himself, the film presents the adversarial relationship between the two visionaries."
The upcoming feature also provides in-depth and unseen footage of both men and uses "deepfake" tech to tell their own stories. Although the recreations aren't true, the ESPN press site says the stories told are real.
Director
Ken Rodgers helms the documentary. His previous works include 'The Two Bills' and 'Elway to Marino.' Rodgers is a sports documentary filmmaker with NFL Films, the production wing of the National Football League. He also served as the showrunner and lead creative producer for HBO's 'Hard Knocks' since 2007. He also directed the HBO documentary 'Belichick & Saban: The Art of Coaching.'
Trailer
You can catch these '30 for 30' docu's while waiting for 'AL Davis vs. The NFL'
'Be Water'
'Rodman'
'Long Gone Summer'
'Lance'
'Muhammad and Larry'