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The importance of sports in society reaches far beyond TV ratings and beer sales. Never forget that many of life’s lessons are taught through sports. More importantly sports have been instrumental in affecting change in society. Perhaps no one has done more to affect radical change in the sports world than Al Davis.

Say what you will of the maverick but his philosophies, hiring practices and equal opportunity ideals helped to turn the tide not only in the sports world but in society as well.

Proving that his legacy will be long reaching well beyond his years on this planet, Al Davis is set to receive the Paul “Tank” Younger Award this Friday in Indianapolis. Accepting the award on Al’s behalf will be his son and current owner of the Oakland Raiders Mark Davis.

The Younger Award recognizes Mr. Davis’ commitment to racial and gender diversity. Tank Younger was the NFL’s first African-American executive so it is only fitting for Davis, who has done so much for the advancement of underrepresented groups, is still seen as an icon for diversity.

In the weeks following the sudden passing of Davis there was no shortage of stories shared regarding interactions with the iconic owner. Most telling of all was how often you heard tales of his deeds done off the field. Never mind that Davis found success at all levels of football, the majority of the Davis tales were centered on his willingness to give opportunities to those that would have otherwise never had the chance. Even more telling was that more often than not those individuals he gave chances to were more than qualified and delivered on the opportunity Davis presented.

Beyond race, sex and ethnicity, Davis also had no issues with age. Age was nothing but a number to Al. From John Madden to Jon Gruden, Davis saw talent first and foremost. Same for Tom Flores and Art Shell. Even in this modern era Davis was still at the forefront of advancement. Davis elevated Amy Trask to the highest ranking position held by a woman in all of football as one of his last acts of advancement.

For Mark Davis the last 10 months have been a whirlwind. In addition to all that comes with the death of parent, Mark is also trying to reshape the Raiders. While we’re sure to hear plenty of speculation regarding the relationship between Mark and his father in the coming years this award represents a lasting legacy that transcends the sports world. Mark Davis might be out to do things much differently than his father but I’m willing to bet this award symbolizes a tradition that will forever remain the foundation of the Oakland Raiders.

Mark Davis To Accept Award On Behalf of Al Davis - Just Blog Baby - Just Blog Baby - An Oakland Raiders Fan Site - News, Blogs, Opinion and more.

According to La Canfora, fans could expect to see Alex Smith brought back in a deal somewhere along the lines of Kevin Kolb, with a possibility of five or six years at $60 million. That is certainly a huge chunk of change, but it is also my understanding that the deal would include out clauses early on in case Smith busted out. If anybody caught his comments yesterday, please clarify if I am incorrect.

If these numbers end up accurate as a potential framework for a deal in the coming weeks, the out clause portion of any deal is going to be the most important aspect. And it will be important to keep that in mind when considering the dollars involved, rather than simply overreacting to a large number put in front of us. NFL contracts provide for guaranteed money, but the overall contracts are not guaranteed. We see teams cut players all the team with limited implications on the salary cap. Any deal with Alex could get particularly creative in these options.

The interviews can still be of some value as they give us an idea of who the 49ers might be interested in to a certain extent. The 49ers will interview numerous players at the Combine, at Pro Days and in other scenarios, so we can only take so much from it. Nonetheless, I'll try and keep an eye on who the 49ers are chatting with throughout the Combine.

The 49ers will have plenty of folks in attendance with Coach Harbaugh likely joining Trent Baalke at the annual festivities. I would imagine Coach Harbaugh would like to be a part of any interviews he can so he can really assess what some of these players bring to the table. Coach Harbaugh talks often about his "mighty men" and I would imagine interviews with players can help him get a better sense of potential prospects.

The physical stuff will get going later in the week, but in the meantime, I've posted some Combine-related prop bets courtesy of Bovada. NFL Network will be on hand throughout the coming week, so feel free to use this thread to post any rumors, news or other discussion on Total Access at the NFL Combine.

49ers acquire competition for long-snapper Jennings (CSNBayArea.com)

Donte Whitner talks trusting Alex Smith, consoling Kyle Williams on NFL Network (Examiner.com)

Should the 49ers go after WR Mike Wallace? (SacBee.com)

Game of tag begins. Who's 'it' for the 49ers? (SacBee.com)

Wide Receiver Primer: What to watch at next week's NFL Combine (BayAreaSportsGuy.com)

How Routt's signing impacts 49ers (CSNBayArea.com)

Combine Conversation: Charley Casserly (49ers.com)

49ers Will Weigh Ginn's Worth as Return Man (NBCBayArea.com)

Scouting combine kicks off this week (CSNBayArea.com)

Being a Sheep

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A win is a win to the Trail Blazers. Portland faced the San Antonio Spurs, playing without resting stars Tim Duncan and Tony Parker, and led by as many as 48 points on the way to a 137-97 victory. "It still counts, right?" said LaMarcus Aldridge, among six Blazers who had with 16 points or more.