Nielsen's Raider

For reasons which I did not premeditate, I have wound up on death or its derivatives as subject matter over the past few Saturdays. As I prepared to write this, I recalled all of the important hints life has thrown at me, which I completely ignored. A lot of you guys are currently at the age when intellectual arrogance runs amok. Being young, having money and prestige can really screw up your perspective on life and make you arrogant to the point where no good advice will suffice. I am not here to preach, however, just to make an allusion via comparison.

They say that death comes in threes. This October, it has. Three great American businessmen died in a short span, but here on WSO we have only mentioned one. It is completely understandable. Steve Jobs grew his empire as many of you grew out of diapers, its normal to identify with someone who evolved during your time. It also doesn't hurt that he built (arguably) the most profitable company on the planet. I would argue, however, that the two men nobody has mentioned have done just as much if not more than Jobs to change the world we live in.

I don't intend this to be a debate. Far from it. What I intend to illustrate by mentioning A.C. Nielsen Jr. and the incomparable, illustrious and (to many of you) decrepit, Al Davis, is that glory is short lived and quickly forgotten.

A.C. Nielsen Jr. took over the company his father founded in 1923 into a global behemoth. Nielsen more than anyone, is the man responsible for stupendous television revenue. In fact, back when Steve Jobs was not yet a twinkle in his father's eye, Mr. Nielsen was behind the building of the first general purpose computer. The year was 1948. Fast forwarding decades, we all knew him without ever thinking about him. The Nielsen ratings are still the benchmark for valuation of television ad revenue, per episode actor salaries and just about any television related monetization strategy. I won't write a book report about the man, I will just suggest you do your homework on who he was. Gone. Forgotten. Great.

Al Davis was a Brooklyn boy after my own heart. Didn't give a fuck about anyone or thing. Just win, baby. The words that shaped a generation. An icon who single handedly built the National Football League as it exists today. Responsible for so many innovations to the game and especially, to the business side of things. Al Davis made more people rich than anyone we know. I am not only talking about money. The next time you sit down for a Sunday of beer, nachos and the NFL, realize it never would have been like this if it weren't for Davis. Yet, most of you don't think of him as a legend. It is likely that most of you don't think of him, at all. Those who do, likely see a frail and stubborn old man refusing to abandon his worn out welcome. In his day, however, the bitch's bastard.

The point I would like to make is one that we all hear over and over. Leave it on the field, guys. Once you're gone, you're gone and you stay gone. Even the greatest of the greats who left an indelible mark go quietly into that good night. I would like it if you all thought about that a little today in gearing up for next week or winding down from this one. Also, if you're stuck in the cubicle today as many of you are...think about what you would like your legacy to be.

How will the world remember you? If at all...