Mark Davis Spins Web Of Raiders, Aces, Tom Brady; Raiders Squeeze Out Another Close Win As Davis Watches Aces Lose In New York To Liberty Sunday
By Alan Snel, LVSportsBiz.com Publisher-Writer
Mark Davis had that good problem again.
His Raiders were hosting the New England Patriots in Las Vegas at 1 PM, while his Las Vegas Aces were looking to win a second straight WNBA championship in Brooklyn at 12 Noon Las Vegas time.
Where to go?
The schedule conflict between a Raiders game and an Aces playoff games cropped up a year ago, so Davis’ dilemma about where to be on Sunday has been dealt with before by the down-to-earth, fan-friendly owner.
With the Aces potentially repeating as WNBA title holders, Davis sat courtside at Barclays Center, sitting next to Allie Quigley, who is married to New York Liberty guard Courtney Vandersloot.
They watched the Liberty stay alive and force a Game 4 in Brooklyn on Wednesday as the Liberty defeated the Aces, 87-73. Not only did the Aces lose, they also lost their point guard, Chelsea Gray, who was seen collapsing in a hallway near the lockerroom at the arena late in the game.
Tough scene with Aces guard Chelsea Gray hobbling and collapsing in the back. #WNBAFinals @LVSportsBiz pic.twitter.com/jxirbclgZb
— The Sportsnista (@TheSportsnista) October 15, 2023
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A common denominator in Raiders/Aces ownership is not only Davis but also retired NFL quarterback Tom Brady.
There was a time when UFC bossman Dana White said he had arranged for Brady to go to the Raiders to play in Las Vegas.
But the only time Brady showed up for a game in Las Vegas was to attend an Aces game.
Brady then became a part-owner of the Aces when the WNBA recently approved the deal.
And Davis also tried selling a share of the Raiders to Brady.
But that part-ownership sale didn’t go as well in the NFL.
The NFL’s finance committee did not like Davis selling a share of the Raiders (in the 5 percent to 10 percent range) at a deep discounted rate believed to be at 70 percent, according to a newspaper report. The NFL owners meet later this month, so Davis’ sale of a piece of the Raiders to Brady is no sure bet.
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Davis also seems to have a fascination with the “Patriots’ Way,” which led the Raiders owner to hire former Patriots player personnel director Dave Ziegler as the Raiders general manager and former Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels as the Raiders coach in a package deal for the 2022 season after the Raiders made the playoffs with a 10-7 record in 2021.
The Patriots West has not worked well in the win-loss column with McDaniels, who won six of 17 games in 2022 and three of six games in 2023 after Sunday’s gritty 21-17 win over Bill Belichick’s New England Patriots. The Raiders roster also includes former Patriots players like Brian Hoyer, Jakobi Meyers, Brandon Bolden and Jakob Johnson.
Hoyer, postgame:
The Patriots and Raiders played a preseason game in 2022. And as the regular season schedule would have it, the two teams played each other in 2022 and on Sunday.
The Raiders led, 13-3, at halftime and, 19-17, late in the fourth quarter.
Then the Raiders hit the 20-point mark for the first time this season in the most unusual way when defensive star Maxx Crosby sacked Pats quarterback Mac Jones in the end zone for a safety, extending the Raiders’ 19-17 lead to 21-17.
Both of Davis’ team quarterbacks — Gray on the Aces and Jimmy Garoppolo on the Raiders — were injured Sunday.
Hoyer, the former Patriots player, filled in for Garoppolo at the start of the second half.
He mentioned he just wanted to play within his abilities and let the defense do their job.
The Raiders are off to Chicago next Sunday for a showdown with the 1-5 Bears.
