Early on during his tenure as owner of the Oakland Raiders, Al Davis coined the phrase “Just win, baby.” Now, Lightning coach Jon Cooper has resurrected the motto.
A lifelong Raiders fan, Cooper had black T-shirts with the motto written in white made up for his players before the first-round playoff series against Detroit. He also writes the phrase on the grease board in the Lightning locker room before each playoff game.
Given Cooper’s passion for the Raiders, no one should be surprised.
As a kid growing up in Prince George, British Columbia, he had a choice between following a then-struggling Seattle Seahawks team and the Raiders.