Mike Shanahan is an X's-and-O's freak who will talk football freely but keeps his thoughts and emotions private - except when it comes to a certain former employer.
Ask the Denver Broncos coach about Al Davis and he drops his guard, becoming candid, insightful, effusive.Nothing gets Shanahan loose-lipped faster than mention of Davis. The Oakland Raiders' hands-on owner-operator lured then-Denver assistant Shanahan away from the Broncos and hired him as head coach in 1988.
The union didn't take. Shanahan was the first outsider to coach the Raiders, and the team's insular structure and distrust of non-Raiders doomed his tenure. He lasted 20 games in 1988-89 before being fired with an 8-12 record.
Monday night, they meet again, as Shanahan leads the Broncos against Davis' Raiders at Mile High Stadium.
The two have hardly spoken since their parting.
"I've bumped into him a couple of times," Shanahan said. "But I haven't had him over for dinner yet.
"Obviously, Al and I aren't tight. It would be extra special to come away with a win against the Raiders, I will not deny that."
Shanahan was 35 when he was hired by Davis and said "it was a totally different situation from what I was used to. I mean, Al Davis runs everything. Any time you don't get a chance to fulfill your contract, you feel like you've been shortchanged."
He was shortchanged in another way, too. Davis still hasn't paid him the $250,000-$300,000 he owes Shanahan from a three-year contract that was signed in 1988. Shanahan won't discuss details of the situation but confirmed that "he never paid me."
Davis told Shanahan he would pay him his full salary if he didn't return to the Broncos. Shanahan defied Davis by rejoining the Broncos' staff in 1989. The dispute went to the NFL office, where commissioner Paul Tagliabue ruled Davis had to pay Shanahan. But Davis has refused.
"I did learn a lot, though, from Al Davis," Shanahan admitted. "He leaves no stone unturned when it comes to preparation. He's very well read and he'll do anything to get the job done."
Shanahan said Davis "doesn't really get into the X's and O's any more. I'm sure he did at one time, but he's so busy with so many different endeavors now, with lawsuits and whatever."
Asked if the general public understands Davis, Shanahan said, "No, and they never will."
"A football team is like any business, it's run a certain way." Shanahan explained. "Al has been successful.
"He does things his way, and you've got to take your hat off to him because he's obviously got a good football team right now and he's won a few Super Bowls. I'll leave it at that."
While Shanahan clearly has revenge in mind, he knows the Broncos have much to overcome against a team playing as well as any in the NFL.
The Raiders (5-1) rank first in the AFC in total offense and rushing, sixth in passing and fifth in total defense. They lead the AFC in turnover differential (plus-9) and are first in the NFL in scoring (30.5 points per game).
In addition, the Raiders have owned the Broncos in recent years, having won 11 of the last 12 meetings including six in a row. In his five games against Denver, Raider quarterback Jeff Hostetler has thrown for 13 touchdowns with no interceptions. Jeff Jaeger has converted 14 straight field goals against Denver.
The Broncos (3-3) are coming off a rejuvenating 37-3 romp over New England last week. In their two previous games, Denver had scored a total of only 16 points.
Making extensive use of the shotgun formation against the Patriots, John Elway threw for 287 yards and two touchdowns as the Broncos generated 403 total yards. They also occasionally used a no-huddle offense, which the Raiders also have embraced.