Steve Jobs & Al Davis Come Together in Cyberspace!
DATELINE: EULOGIES REDUX
The United States of America has lost two people this week who are seemingly about as different as symbols of the national political schism.
Steve Jobs died at 56, the man who invented many daily necessities of the 21st century.
Al Davis died at 82, the man who spurred the NFL into a business that Americans rely on for their primary entertainment.
Davis seemed to prefer the world of athletes, jocks, and those who like physical combat in their sports. Jobs seemed to prefer the world of the wonk, the nerd, and the techie.
Two disparate worlds came together more than you might think.
The men were more than phenomena who lived and worked in the Bay area of California. Their reach went national, and even went worldwide.
Both were American success stories of the Horatio Alger sort, which has not become as extinct as some Americans think.
Ingenuity, pluck and luck remain there for the takers.
Both men were innovators, always looking for a new route to shape society. If Jobs allowed you to communicate with other football fans, Davis allowed you to see the first black coach in the NFL.
Some have called both men rebels with a cause who became the established center of American culture.
Both men became rich off their creative approaches to life, but the money was merely an adjunct to their desire to work till the end of life took them.
Both men became the distinguishing face of their professions, for better or for worse.
Steve Jobs may not have been an NFL or Raider fan, and Al Davis may not have used an iPod or iPad, but they created a world in which everyone else tied the two worlds together.
The Pirates of Silicone Valley and the Raiders of Oakland may be forever linked in the Twitterverse.
William Russo's newest book is now out, ready for your tablet, your smartphone, your Kindle or Nook. Read RED SOX 2011: A WHIMSICAL AUTOPSY to find a month-by-month examination of the team, showing all the signs of trouble that most sports media missed.
