Las Vegas Raiders owner Mark Davis has been one of the most scrutinized owners in the NFL over the years – and his haircut hasn’t helped.
Davis’ hair, which can be described as a loosely-stitched together combination of a bowl cut and the male version of bangs, has been a punchline on social media and NFL circles.
But Davis’ unique style is no accident, and Raiders head coach Jon Gruden expressed his resentment for any criticism directed at his owner’s hairdo during an appearance on HBO’s “Real Sports With Bryant Gumbel.”
“I think that’s a bunch of bulls–t,” Gruden said when asked about other owners joking about Davis’ hair. “If you know Mark Davis then you like Mark Davis. If you don’t know Mark Davis then you can have your own opinion.”
Not only is Gruden a staunch defender of his owner’s hairstyle, but he is also a follower.
Davis shared the technique, or lack thereof, he uses to get his hair in shape during the HBO segment, and even deferred blame from his barber.
“I just blow dry it and it ends up like this. I don’t really have to comb it,” Davis said. “It’s not [my barber’s] fault with the hair. I force her to do it.”
And Gruden said that he shares a similar hair-care technique.
“We have the same hairstyle, so we got that going for us,” Gruden said. “We just get it dry and let it fly.”
Gruden’s staunch defense aside, Davis admitted during the segment that he is able to take the jokes about his hair lightly and is often able to make fun of himself.
“People ask me where I grew up, and I say, ‘I haven’t,’” Davis said.
Davis and Gruden are leading the Raiders through their second season in Las Vegas, and the first in which fans are allowed to attend games at the newly constructed Allegiant Stadium.
The team is off to a 2-0 start for the second consecutive year in its new city. It’s the first time the franchise has started 2-0 in back-to-back years since 1984.
If the Raiders can keep having success in their new home, then Davis’ hair might start getting a lot more screen time.