Al Davis vs. The NFL

When people spoke of the moral problem of deep fakes, this "doc" is exactly what they were hoping to prevent. There's no way Al Davis would be adopting current PC language, "I spoke truth to power. " AWFUL.

This isn't just a documentary - it's a chess match played in courtrooms, on football fields, and in the press. Al Davis vs. The NFL is a bold, stylish, and surprisingly emotional entry in ESPN's 30 for 30 series, chronicling the decades-long blood feud between Al Davis, the rebellious owner of the Raiders, and Pete Rozelle, the polished, corporate face of the NFL.

10 out of 10, and here's why.

The Story: Renegade vs. Empire

Al Davis wasn't just a team owner - he was a visionary, a maverick, a pain in the league's neck. He dressed in silver and black because that's how he saw the world - bold and unforgiving. He didn't bow to power; he fought it. And Rozelle, for all his intelligence and influence, was the perfect foil - the commissioner who believed the NFL needed order, control, and consistency.

The documentary captures their contrast perfectly: Davis, fiery and defiant, a man who believed football should be ruthless. Rozelle, cool and calculated, the bureaucrat who wanted to tame the chaos. Their battles weren't just about business - they were ideological. Every lawsuit, every relocation, every press conference became another round in their war.

The Visuals: Risky But Rewarding

One thing this documentary does that no other 30 for 30 has attempted is the use of deepfake-style recreations of Al Davis and Pete Rozelle. And while some may be put off by the CGI versions of these men narrating from beyond the grave, there's something uniquely haunting and theatrical about it. It turns the film into a kind of ghost story - two legends, locked in eternal combat.

It's a gamble - but it works. It elevates the tone, turning a sports documentary into something mythic.

Why It Matters: The Raiders Changed the Game

The film reminds us just how much Al Davis changed the game - literally. He moved the Raiders not once, but twice, challenging the NFL's monopoly over team relocation. He fought for diversity in coaching long before it was popular. And whether you loved him or hated him, he forced the NFL to reckon with its own hypocrisy.

The Raiders became more than a team - they were a brand, a culture, an attitude. They were punk rock in a league of businessmen. And it was all because of Davis.

Final Verdict

10 out of 10.

This is more than a story about football. It's about power, rebellion, legacy, and the cost of refusing to compromise.

Al Davis vs. The NFL shows what happens when a league that wants total control runs into a man who refuses to be controlled. And it doesn't blink.

If you love football, watch it.

If you love great stories about stubborn icons and the institutions they battle, watch it twice.

Even if the deep fake effects were good and convincing (they were not); I do not think there will be a viable market for it (just as 3d tv will never take off). This show not only put shoddy visualizations on screen - it put words in the mouths of Rozell and Davis that came from copywriters - not Rozell and Davis. Even at their best; deep fakes are not a proper vehicle for storytelling. The effort poses some interesting moral questions though and this failed effort hopefully helps answer them. Outside of the deep fake material - the documentary did teach me some things I didn't know.

Within this Deep Fake is a lot of good video on Al Davis vs Pete Rozelle and the NFL but the Deep Fake technology was an overwhelmingly bad idea. I shouldn't have to say this but Al or Rozelle cannot tell their own story. Please don't give me someone doing their voices with their computer generated faces. This would have been much better with the same videos and a true narrator (Brent Musberger?).

The 30 for 30 has an unusual set up on UK Disney Plus at the moment. Instead of appearing as a series, episodes are appearing in the documentary movies section under their subtitles. For background, I watch American Football every so often, and I actually went to see Raiders in L. A during a holiday many years ago, and I knew that they'd moved from Oakland, then back and now that they are in Vegas. I couldn't have told you who Al Davis was though - or anything about the story of the move.

Young, abrasive coach Al Davis joins AFL team the Oakland Raiders in 1963. He becomes AFL Commissioner in 1966 which sees him come to odds with NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle for the first time. The AFL and NFL merged, and Davis returned to the Raiders. In 1980, disillusioned with the support of the Oakland legislative, Davis decides to move the team to Los Angeles. Rozelle, and the NFL oppose the move though and their internal rules require a successful vote from the owners ahead of relocation, which Davis does not have. Instead he takes the NFL to court, and (eventually) argues successfully that their rules break antitrust laws.

I found this documentary really interesting, and it told its story in a mostly compelling way. I can't speak to any biases that anyone else might have felt was present as, again, this is literally the only version of this story I know. But it's a crazy one, with some aspects, such as the collapse of the first trial being truly bizarre.

The only bit that lets the documentary down is the CGI element. Some people have used the term "deep fakes" but honestly, that is to give them too much credit. The are Playstation 3 era "Call of Duty" looking characters, without any genuine life to them. I am supposed to be thinking that Rozelle and Davis are back, and I'm hearing directly from them, but instead I'm thinking "Press X to pay my respects".

It's a shame, as these bits don't really add anything but leave a sour taste in the mouth of what is otherwise an interesting story, told in clear manner.