00:00You know, Amy, working for Al Davis, for you, I want you to tell the people, because the people, I
00:08think, publicly have a different impression and they have a different narrative of what it was like working with Al.
00:14What was that journey like going through that with him?
00:18Well, I think you're very spot on on that, Dan.
00:24The biggest misconception about Al is that he wouldn't tolerate disagreement or he wouldn't tolerate those who disagreed with him.
00:32And if that was the case, I would have been fired roughly two weeks into my job.
00:37Been there two weeks, maybe two and a half weeks, but I think probably closer to two.
00:43I was sitting in a colleague's office and Al walks in and he ripped into this guy.
00:49The analogy I always use is he ripped into him in a manner I can only imagine a velociraptor would
00:56rip into flesh.
00:58And as I was listening to him, I realized he was wrong.
01:01So I said in a pretty loud voice, not because I was screaming, not because I was yelling at him,
01:07but he was speaking loudly.
01:08I wanted to be heard. I tend to speak loudly.
01:11So I said, excuse me, you're wrong.
01:14And I'm smiling now as I remember the look on his face when his head turned and looked and he
01:20looked at me.
01:21I guess I can best describe it as it was like Linda Blair in The Exorcist.
01:26The only difference being there was no green stuff coming out of his mouth.
01:30But I said, excuse me, you're wrong.
01:32And he looked at me and I went on to explain if you were basing your conclusion on accurate information,
01:39accurate data, it would be a fair conclusion.
01:41But you are basing your conclusion on inaccurate information.
01:46Well, he went on to respond and I respond and he respond and we were both talking loudly.
01:51Again, not yelling at one another, but yelling or I guess speaking loudly is the best way to say it.
01:57I learned quite a bit sometime later that we were so loud.
02:02People had gathered in the hallway outside the office in which we were sitting or meeting.
02:06He was standing. I was sitting.
02:07One woman even brought a box because she was absolutely convinced, OK, this girl is getting fired today.
02:14Well, after about 20 minutes of a back and forth, he looked at me and said, oh, OK, I got
02:20it.
02:20I got it. I gotcha.
02:22And we went on to have a terrific conversation.
02:24And Dan, I believe that set the tone for our working relationship for almost 30 years.
02:30I knew that the commentary that he wouldn't tolerate disagreement or those who disagreed with him was absolutely inaccurate.
02:37But I knew this when I disagreed with him.
02:40And by the way, I believe this is a general rule when you disagree with anyone.
02:44Disagree for the right reasons.
02:46Don't disagree just to be disagreeable.
02:49Have a point.
02:50Have an opinion.
02:51Back your opinion up and have a disagreement.
02:54And they can be healthy and they can be productive.
02:56And they can be productive.
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