Truth_hurts 1,785 Posted March 27, 2017 Share Posted March 27, 2017 Click here to view the Tweet BREAKING: NFL team owners approve Raiders' move to Las Vegas The Raiders are leaving Oakland again, this time for the neon lights of Las Vegas. In a decision that would have been hard to fathom not so long ago, NFL owners voted 31-1 on Monday at the Annual League Meeting to approve the Raiders' proposal to relocate to Las Vegas. The decision comes after years of fruitless efforts by Raiders owner Mark Davis to build a viable stadium in Oakland. The failure to do so, which goes back to Davis' late father Al Davis' stewardship of the team, led to exploring stadium options in Los Angeles and eventually Las Vegas, where Nevada lawmakers approved $750 million in public funding for a new stadium. The Autumn Wind will no longer blow through Raiders games as the team is expected to move into a planned $1.7 billion domed stadium in Las Vegas. In what is sure to be an awkward process, the Raiders won't be moving immediately. The new stadium in Las Vegas is not expected to be ready until 2020. The Raiders plan to play at the Oakland Coliseum in 2017 and 2018, Davis said in a statement. Davis also expressed openness to staying in Oakland in 2019, although NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said the league would look into potential venues for 2019. In the meantime, the Raiders will remain the Oakland Raiders. "My father always said, 'the greatness of the Raiders is in its future,' and the opportunity to build a world-class stadium in the entertainment capital of the world is a significant step toward achieving that greatness," Davis said. This is a surreal moment involving one of the NFL's most iconic franchises, although NFL teams changing cities is sadly becoming routine. The news caps a frenetic 14-month stretch during which three teams announced plans for relocation. The Rams moved from St. Louis back to Los Angeles last year and the Chargers announced their decision to move from San Diego to L.A. in January. Goodell said last week on MMQB Peter King's podcast that leaving Oakland would be "painful." The pain of not maximizing stadium revenues is perhaps a bigger issue within league circles. The Chargers left San Diego after 57 years because they couldn't solve their stadium dilemma. The Raiders are deserting Oakland for the desert for the same reason. "The Raiders were born in Oakland and Oakland will always be part of our DNA," Davis said Monday. "We know that some fans will be disappointed and even angry, but we hope that they do not direct that frustration to the players, coaches and staff. We plan to play at the Coliseum in 2017 and 2018, and hope to stay there as the Oakland Raiders until the new stadium opens. We would love nothing more than to bring a championship back to the Bay Area." On Friday, Oakland and Alameda County officials made an 11th-hour effort to persuade NFL owners that they indeed had a feasible stadium plan for the Raiders. In a letter to the league, Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf outlined a proposal for a $1.3 billion stadium plan in Oakland that would include public financing. Raiders fans and the San Francisco Chronicle editorial board also made last-ditch pleas to the NFL, citing the Raiders' tradition and growing Oakland market. Responding to Schaaf, Goodell wrote in a letter that the plan "does not present a proposal that is clear and specific, actionable in a reasonable time frame, and free of major contingencies." He added: "All of these efforts, ours and yours, have not yet identified a viable solution" toward keeping the Raiders in Oakland. After no stadium solutions could be negotiated in Oakland, Las Vegas emerged as the Raiders' strongest potential destination after Nevada lawmakers approved $750 million in public funding for a new stadium. The Raiders and the NFL will provide $500 million toward stadium construction and Bank of America will contribute additional funding. The move to Vegas comes after the NFL rejected a plan in January 2016 by the Raiders and Chargers to share a stadium in the L.A. suburb of Carson, voting in favor of the Rams' Inglewood stadium project. By the time Monday's vote arrived, the idea of the Las Vegas Raiders didn't seem so strange. Only the Dolphins voting against the measure. Owner Stephen Ross expressed publc disappointment about the move Sunday to the Bay Area News Group, comparing an NFL team to a utility and cautioning the NFL to consider its legacy in local markets. "My position today was that we as owners and as a League owe it to the fans to do everything we can to stay in the communities that have supported us until all options have been exhausted," Ross explained Monday, per Rapoport. "I want to wish Mark Davis and the Raiders organization the best in Las Vegas." That message went unheeded, so this promising Raiders squad heads into the great unknown. The announcement of the Raiders departure, after all, comes at a particularly juicy time in recent Raiders history. Twenty-two years after the team moved back to Oakland following 13 seasons in Los Angeles, the team has finally found a young franchise quarterback to build around. After more than a decade without a winning record, Derek Carr led the Raiders to a 12-4 record in 2016. Buoyed by a strong supporting cast, including pass rusher Khalil Mack and a stout offensive line, the Raiders have a young nucleus that looks ready to compete for a title. The Raiders franchise has won three Super Bowls and an AFL title in its wandering 57-year history, creating a Raider Nation that goes far beyond the Bay Area's borders. In essence, that's what Davis and the NFL is counting on. That this fan base will continue to travel. Still, Raiders fans in Oakland have patiently waited a long time for another winner. Now the team has a chance to accomplish something unprecedented in NFL history: Win a Super Bowl for a city just before leaving it. http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000795413/article/nfl-team-owners-approve-raiders-move-to-las-vegas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foo 3,048 Posted March 27, 2017 Share Posted March 27, 2017 Why couldn't they come to LA again? We don't want the Chargers or the Rams Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Truth_hurts 1,785 Posted March 27, 2017 Author Share Posted March 27, 2017 Owners vote 31-1 to OK Raiders move; Dolphins vote against PHOENIX -- The Oakland Raiders will move to Las Vegas after garnering enough votes from NFL owners on Monday to relocate to Southern Nevada. The Raiders received 31 of 32 votes to approve the move. Twenty-four votes were needed. The Miami Dolphins were the only team to vote against the move. "My position today was that we as owners and as a League owe it to the fans to do everything we can to stay in the communities that have supported us. I want to wish Mark Davis and the Raiders organization the best in Las Vegas," Dolphins owner Stephen Ross told the Palm Beach Post. The Raiders will still play in Oakland in 2017, and possibly longer. With a 65,000-seat domed stadium that will cost $1.9 billion to be shared with UNLV not expected to open until 2020, Raiders owner Mark Davis has told ESPN he plans on staying in Oakland the next two seasons. The team holds a pair of one-year options at the Oakland Coliseum. "My father always said, 'the greatness of the Raiders is in its future,' and the opportunity to build a world-class stadium in the entertainment capital of the world is a significant step toward achieving that greatness," Davis said in a statement. "I would like to thank Commissioner [Roger] Goodell, the National Football League and my 31 partners. I would also like to thank Governor Brian Sandoval and the Nevada Legislature for their commitment. Finally, I would like to thank Sheldon Adelson for his vision and leadership, without which this project never would have become a reality." "The Raiders were born in Oakland and Oakland will always be part of our DNA. We know that some fans will be disappointed and even angry, but we hope that they do not direct that frustration to the players, coaches and staff." Raiders owner Mark Davis Davis continued: "The Raiders were born in Oakland and Oakland will always be part of our DNA. We know that some fans will be disappointed and even angry, but we hope that they do not direct that frustration to the players, coaches and staff. We plan to play at the Coliseum in 2017 and 2018, and hope to stay there as the Oakland Raiders until the new stadium opens. We would love nothing more than to bring a championship back to the Bay Area." The Raiders would presumably then have to find a place to play in 2019. Davis has all but ruled out using UNLV's current home, 35,500-seat Sam Boyd Stadium, about 9 miles southeast of campus, due to outdated locker rooms and the lack of a proper security border around the facility. The Raiders could conceivably play one preseason game a year at Sam Boyd Stadium before moving to Las Vegas permanently. Raiders quarterback Derek Carr tweeted that the news leaves him with mixed emotions. Click here to view the Tweet Oakland mayor Libby Schaaf made a last-ditch effort to retain the Raiders on Monday, after being told by Goodell in a letter on Friday that the city's proposal was not a "viable solution." In another letter delivered to owners Monday morning, she asked them to delay the vote in order to give Oakland a chance to negotiate with a small group of owners to complete a stadium deal at the Coliseum site. She also requested a secret ballot on the vote. "I am disappointed that the Raiders and the NFL chose Las Vegas over Oakland when we had a fully-financed, shovel-ready stadium project that would have kept the Raiders in Oakland where they were born and raised," Schaaf said in a statement following the NFL owners' vote. "I am proud that we stood firm in refusing to use public money to subsidize stadium construction and that we did not capitulate to their unreasonable and unnecessary demand that we choose between our football and baseball franchises. "As a lifelong Oaklander, my heart aches today for the Raider Nation. These are the most committed and passionate fans any city or team could hope to have. They deserved better." The Raiders are the only NFL team to share a stadium with a Major League Baseball franchise (the Athletics). "We understand the Raiders' need for a new stadium. Oakland is an incredible sports town and we would be sorry to see them leave," the A's said in a statement. "We commend the city's and county's efforts to keep the Raiders in Oakland. The Mayor and her team have worked incredibly hard to save the franchise. We are focused on, and excited about, our efforts to build a new ballpark in Oakland and look forward to announcing a location this year." Davis had turned his focus to Las Vegas in April 2016, telling ESPN at the time he had tried for eight years to get a deal done in Oakland. "Individually, they're great people," Davis said of Oakland city, Alameda County and Joint Powers Authority legislators. "But you get two or more of them in a room, total dysfunction." The Raiders have committed $500 million toward the project, with another $750 million coming in the form of a hotel tax passed by the Nevada Legislature in October. The team has informed the NFL that Bank of America is also helping to finance the deal after casino magnate Sheldon Adelson withdrew his $650 million pledge in late January, essentially saying the Raiders dealt with him in bad faith. It will be the third time in franchise history the Raiders will move. In 1982 the team relocated to Los Angeles before returning to Oakland in 1995. The Raiders received congratulations from the NHL's Golden Knights, the expansion franchise that begins play in Las Vegas starting in 2017-18. "On behalf of the entire Vegas Golden Knights family, I would like to welcome and congratulate Mark Davis and the Oakland Raiders on their relocation to the great city of Las Vegas," Golden Knights chairman and CEO Bill Foley said in a statement. "It truly is an exciting time to be from Las Vegas. There is only a select group of cities in North America that are home to both an NHL and an NFL franchise and Vegas is now one of them. This alone should be a great source of pride for our community and our fans. Las Vegas has always been one of the most popular destination cities in the world and it is now emerging as a premier location for major league professional sports." The Raiders become the third team in the past two years to be granted approval to relocate. Previously, both the Rams and Chargers were allowed to relocate to Los Angeles from St. Louis and San Diego, respectively. http://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/19016323/raiders-move-las-vegas-approved-31-1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Truth_hurts 1,785 Posted March 27, 2017 Author Share Posted March 27, 2017 Here’s why one team voted no on the Raiders’ move to Las Vegas The Oakland Raiders will soon be no more as NFL owners voted 31-1 to approve the team’s move to Las Vegas. The lone dissenting vote was submitted by the Miami Dolphins. So why did Dolphins owner Stephen Ross give the relocation a thumbs down? Continuity. “My position today was that we as owners and as a league owe it to the fans to do everything we can to stay in the communities that have supported us until all options have been exhausted,†Ross said, via the Boston Globe. “I want to wish Mark Davis and the Raiders organization the best in Las Vegas.†The NFL has seen a rash of relocations recently, with the Rams moving from St. Louis to Los Angeles in 2016 and the Chargers going from San Diego to Los Angeles beginning in 2017. The Raiders likely will play two or three more years in Oakland before their $1.7 billion stadium near the Vegas strip is ready. http://www.foxsports.com/nfl/story/heres-why-one-team-voted-no-on-the-raiders-move-to-las-vegas-032717 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mei Matsumoto-removed 2,041 Posted March 27, 2017 Share Posted March 27, 2017 Oakland is a ghetto ass city. Las Vegas is better but some players will probably take the opportunity to get laid there on a daily basis cuz you know, Las Vegas = Adult Playground. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Truth_hurts 1,785 Posted March 27, 2017 Author Share Posted March 27, 2017 Click here to view the Tweet Click here to view the Tweet Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Truth_hurts 1,785 Posted March 27, 2017 Author Share Posted March 27, 2017 RAIDERS' MOVE TO LAS VEGAS: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW NFL owners approved their third franchise relocation in less than two years Monday, with the Raiders getting the green light to move from Oakland to Las Vegas. It's the second time the franchise has departed Oakland, so longtime fans in the Bay Area unfortunately are all too familiar with losing their home team. Putting a franchise in Las Vegas, however, is entirely uncharted territory. Here's what you need to know about the details surrounding the Raiders' move to the desert. WHY ARE THE RAIDERS LEAVING OAKLAND? Despite years of trying, the team has been unable to secure a deal for a new stadium in the Bay Area. Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum is one of the NFL's oldest, having opened in 1966. It doesn't generate the high-end revenue streams NFL teams demand these days, and the opening of the 49ers' state-of-the-art Levi's Stadium in 2014 has only exacerbated the divide between the local rivals. WHY ARE THE RAIDERS MOVING TO LAS VEGAS? Las Vegas has become increasingly aggressive in pursuing major sports franchises and finally landed an NHL expansion team, the Golden Knights, which will begin play next season at the year-old T-Mobile Arena. State and local government officials have mostly been fervent backers of a bid to lure an NFL team, agreeing to $750 million in bonds for stadium construction that will be financed by a room tax in Clark County. Those types of deals are difficult to come by these days, and Raiders owner Mark Davis jumped at the offer. WHEN WILL THE RAIDERS MOVE? The team's lease in Oakland runs through the 2018 season, and a statement released by the team after Monday's vote says the Raiders plan to stay in the Colseum until then, but there is a possibility they could leave earlier. When the Oilers relocated to Tennessee in the mid-1990s, they were also supposed to play two more years in Houston while waiting for their stadium in Nashville to be ready. They ended up playing in Memphis for a year after Houston fans understandably abandoned the team, leaving it to play home games in a mostly empty Astrodome throughout the 1996 season. The Raiders could in theory play at UNLV's Sam Boyd Stadium while they wait for their custom-built stadium to be done in time for the 2020 season. WHERE WILL THE RAIDERS PLAY IN LAS VEGAS? Click here to view the Tweet The team is set to move into a $1.9 billion domed stadium that will be built just across Interstate 15 from the Las Vegas Strip, not far from the Mandalay Bay casino. UNLV football also would play its home games there. http://www.sportingnews.com/nfl/news/raiders-las-vegas-move-nfl-owners-vote-stadium-timeline-cost/35yvda4azwdp14e79tibfr614 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Truth_hurts 1,785 Posted March 27, 2017 Author Share Posted March 27, 2017 It's official now Las Vegas has two new sports teams Click here to view the Tweet NHL Vegas Golden Knights and NFL Vegas Raiders Last year Las Vegas welcomed Vegas Golden Knights Introducing the Vegas Golden Knights Golden Knights majority owner Bill Foley made the announcement on Toshiba Plaza https://www.nhl.com/goldenknights/news/introducing-the-vegas-golden-knights---newest-nhl-franchise/c-283997132 Vegas Golden Knights, N.H.L.’s New Team, Take Their Place on the Strip https://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/22/sports/hockey/las-vegas-nhl-expansion-franchise.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Truth_hurts 1,785 Posted March 27, 2017 Author Share Posted March 27, 2017 OAKLAND RAIDERS GET NFL’S APPROVAL TO MOVE TO LAS VEGAS PHOENIX — Welcome, Las Vegas Raiders! Thirty-two NFL owners huddled Monday at the posh Arizona Biltmore and decided that one of football’s iconic franchises can pack its silver-and-black bags and move to Las Vegas. The owners voted 31-1 to approve the Raiders’ departure from Oakland for the second time in their tradition-rich history. The only no vote came from the Miami Dolphins. The vote ended a whirlwind 14-month courtship by business, county and state leaders. In a major coup for Las Vegas, the Raiders will join the NHL’s expansion Golden Knights as the city’s second major league sports franchise. The Raiders will debut in Las Vegas no later than the 2020 season, when a 65,000-seat domed stadium, to be constructed at an estimated cost of $1.9 billion, is expected to be ready. The site of the new stadium has not been finalized, although the leading location is an empty lot on the west side of Interstate 15, between Russell Road and Hacienda Avenue, across from Mandalay Bay. The Raiders might very well play regular and preseason games at UNLV’s Sam Boyd Stadium in 2018 and 2019, possibly playing fulltime at the site during that time frame. “Wow! Our football dreams have come true,†Clark County Commission Chairman Steve Sisolak said. “First, I would like to thank Dr. Miriam and Sheldon Adelson for their initiative and leadership, which ultimately made today possible. “I would also like to thank Gov. Brian Sandoval, the Nevada Legislature, Laborers Local 872, Mark Davis and all the NFL owners who have delivered generations of excitement to every fan of the NFL and Raiders in Nevada. But today’s decision means even more to us here as it will elevate the UNLV football program to never-before-seen heights, create thousands of construction and permanent jobs, and draw tens-of-thousands of new tourists to Southern Nevada. “On behalf of all the citizens of Clark County, it is my pleasure to say to the Raiders, Raider Nation and the entire NFL – Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas, Nevada!†“My father always said, ‘the greatness of the Raiders is in its future,’ and the opportunity to build a world-class stadium in the entertainment capital of the world is a significant step toward achieving that greatness,†Davis said. “I would like to thank Commissioner Goodell, the National Football League and my 31 partners. I would also like to thank Governor Brian Sandoval and the Nevada Legislature for their commitment. Finally, I would like to thank Sheldon Adelson for his vision and leadership, without which this project never would have become a reality. “The Raiders were born in Oakland and Oakland will always be part of our DNA. We know that some fans will be disappointed and even angry, but we hope that they do not direct that frustration to the players, coaches and staff. We plan to play at the Coliseum in 2017 and 2018, and hope to stay there as the Oakland Raiders until the new stadium opens. We would love nothing more than to bring a championship back to the Bay Area.†FINANCING The owners’ vote Monday climaxed more than a year of sometimes difficult negotiations that two months ago led Las Vegas Sands Corp. Chairman and CEO Sheldon Adelson to withdraw his family’s $650 million pledge to help construct the stadium. But three weeks ago, during the league’s stadium and finance committee meetings in Florida, Bank of America filled the financial void by offering to loan the necessary funds. The Raiders, headed by general managing partner Mark Davis — considered the least-wealthy NFL owner — will anchor a public-private partnership by contributing $500 million to the stadium’s construction costs. A $750 million public contribution — tax-exempt bonds — completes the project’s funding. Forbes ranks the Raiders as the second-least-valuable NFL franchise at $1.43 billion. Some owners were skeptical about swapping the nation’s No. 6 TV market, in the Bay Area, for No. 40 in Las Vegas. A major public endorsement by Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones last autumn was an early sign post that Davis and Raiders executives, chiefly team President Marc Badain, might be able to sway any undecided owners. Jones, who sits tall in the saddle as perhaps the NFL’s most influential power broker, worked overtime to convince fellow owners of the economic viability of the Raiders moving to Las Vegas, a growing metro area with a global profile. Legal sports wagering was cited in the past as the reason the NFL never would put a team in Las Vegas, but that argument turned out to be a mirage. Jones said the Raiders’ proposed move was “pretty definitive’’ when the Nevada Legislature in October approved a $750 million public contribution for the stadium via an increased Clark County hotel room tax. Jones and the owners were buoyed, if not downright flabbergasted, by the record amount of tax money the state was willing to put on the table. CLOSING THE DEAL In the hour leading up to the vote, Sisolak phoned reporters and finalized his prepared statement on the relocation from inside his sixth-floor office in the Clark County Government Center. The room’s TV was turned to ESPN, and a black-and-silver Raider’s cap was on his desk. “Hopefully an hour from now the sun will be shining even brighter in Las Vegas,†he told a reporter from the San Francisco Chronicle. The text confirming the move came from Raiders’ president Marc Badain at 11:05 a.m. Sisolak’s phone rang less than a minute after. “Las Vegas Raiders,†he answered. A flood of more phone calls came next. “I couldn’t be happier. It’s a great day for Las Vegas and Clark County,†Sisolak said. “It’s going to change UNLV football forever. Its going to create a lot of jobs.†Behind the scenes in Las Vegas, business leaders such as Jim Murren, Chairman and CEO of MGM Resorts International, and then-Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., helped smooth the relocation efforts. After Davis and Las Vegas began earnest discussions, Raiders supporters in the Bay Area began applying pressure to retain the franchise. For the most part, Alameda County politicians and Oakland officials seemed almost indifferent to losing the Raiders. There was no groundswell among their constituencies to pony up tax dollars to build a new stadium to replace the outdated Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, who publicly supported a stadium resolution in Oakland, eventually met with Mayor Libby Schaaf. The Fortress Investment group, in this case fronted by Hall of Fame player Ronnie Lott, twice submitted a stadium plan that the NFL deemed inadequate. Throughout the back-and-forth process, Davis repeated his mantra: “I am focused on Las Vegas.’’ Few doubted him. After all, this was a man who, since the late 1990s, has used a cellphone number with a 702 area code. The eighth franchise to join the now-defunct American Football League in 1960, the Raiders initially played in San Francisco at old Kezar Stadium. They also played at Candlestick Park before moving to Oakland in 1962. Twenty years later, the Raiders packed up the moving trucks and headed down the coast to Los Angeles, where they played 13 seasons before moving back to Oakland. The franchise has won three Super Bowls — XI, XV and XVIII. Last season, the Raiders went 12-4 and made their first playoff appearance since losing Super Bowl XXXVII in January 2003. The Review-Journal is owned by the family of Las Vegas Sands Corp. Chairman and CEO Sheldon Adelson. Follow all of our Oakland Raiders to Las Vegas coverage online at reviewjournal.com/Raiders and @NFLinVegas on Twitter. Jon Mark Saraceno can be reached at [email protected]. Follow @jonnysaraceno on Twitter. http://www.reviewjournal.com/sports/nfl-vegas/oakland-raiders-get-nfl-s-approval-move-las-vegas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Truth_hurts 1,785 Posted March 27, 2017 Author Share Posted March 27, 2017 These articles were posted earlier today If Raiders go to Vegas, Oakland could win financially If the Oakland Raiders get the green light this week to move to Las Vegas, the publicly owned Coliseum will lose about $7 million a year in revenue from the NFL team’s lease, food concessions and other moneymakers. But it won’t leave the city and county in a bind. In fact, the loss of the Raiders would probably give the Coliseum Authority a little extra dough. That’s because game days cost money. Millions. “We’re barely breaking even now,†said Scott McKibben, executive director of the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Authority, a public arm of the city and county that owns and manages the Coliseum and Oracle Arena properties. “Put simply, it’s a bigger loss if they stay and a bigger gain if they go.†That projection is based on tallies of the revenues and expenses that come from Raiders games. On the revenue side, the Coliseum Authority is expected to collect about $7 million this coming season from game-day concession stands, parking, any naming rights, club dues, and the team’s rent to use the stadium, which jumped from $900,000 to $3.5 million last year, McKibben said. “Our goal was to get to break-even after many years of running in the hole,†he said about the lease change. On the expense side, the Coliseum Authority incurs game-day costs that include police officers, sheriff’s deputies, private security guards and all the other facility employees. Field conversion alone — the three or four times a year when the Raiders and A’s share the stadium — costs the Authority a whopping $450,000 for every back-and-forth switch. It’s a 20-hour process that involves uprooting goal posts, repainting yard lines and moving whole sections of seats. This coming season, total expenses are projected at $8 million. Taken together, the Coliseum would be looking at an extra $1 million this next season should the Raiders leave, McKibben said. But any extra funds will quickly evaporate with facility maintenance in the coming years, said Roger Noll, a professor emeritus of economics at Stanford University. “It’s not true they’re going to have a net saving ... unless they want a collapsing stadium that can’t be used for anything,†Noll said. “The costs can’t go to zero unless they want to have a complete disaster.†Proponents of keeping the Raiders in town say any savings estimates don’t factor in income taxes paid to the state, impacts on the local economy or intangible values — like the happiness fans feel by the Raiders playing in their hometown. “I don’t know that you could put a price on civic pride,†said Alameda County Supervisor Scott Haggerty, who sits on the Coliseum Authority board. “The Raiders give an identity to the city of Oakland that is priceless.†Still, Haggerty conceded, Alameda County itself would be better off by about $500,000 next season if the team departed. “I don’t want the Raiders to leave,†he said. “When the Raiders are doing good and Derek Carr is throwing touchdown passes and they’re beating the Baltimore Ravens, the community feels good.†Whether the Raiders bid adieu or stay put, Oakland and Alameda County will continue to be on the hook for millions of dollars in stadium bonds that financed the Coliseum face-lift to coax the Raiders back to Oakland from Los Angeles in 1995. The shared debt payments between the two jurisdictions is more than $20 million a year, and the total debt owed stands just shy of $83 million, set to be paid off by 2025. Mayor Libby Schaaf said the outstanding debt is why she’s taken a hard line on not using public funds for a new facility. “In the past, the city of Oakland has been subsidizing Raiders games,†she said. “Obviously part of why we’re in the predicament that we’re in as far as the public’s sentiment around contributing to a new stadium is because of the debt that we’re continuing to pay on the last deal.†The phenomenon of professional sports teams walking away from publicly financed stadiums, leaving taxpayers with burdensome debt, isn’t uncommon. Taxpayers in St. Louis, for instance, are responsible for more than $100 million in debt and maintenance costs after the Rams left for Los Angeles last year. While a select number of Oakland businesses might feel the team’s absence, the Raiders leaving wouldn’t have a measurable effect on the local economy, experts say. “The city of Oakland and county of Alameda, economically, won’t even notice that the Raiders have left,†said Rodney Fort, a sports management professor at the University of Michigan. “The history of teams leaving has been no noticeable blip whatsoever in the region’s economic activity.†Oakland doesn’t benefit much from the current revenue generated by the Coliseum because much of it goes to the players — many of whom don’t live in the city year-round or spend their money in the city, said Victor Matheson, a professor at the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Mass., who studies the economics of stadiums, sports and major events. Fans, on the other hand, are mostly local and would use their dollars elsewhere in the city if the Raiders were to leave, he said. As it stands, Matheson said, the Coliseum is not generating much local economic activity — and there’s little incentive for doing so. “You’ve had this stadium there for 40 years, and yet all you have is basically this gigantic walled fortress and a moat of parking lots around it. It’s got to be the worst use of real estate in the Bay Area,†he said. “They want the money spent inside the stadium, not at nearby restaurants or bars.†http://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/If-Raiders-go-to-Vegas-Oakland-could-win-11029278.php Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Truth_hurts 1,785 Posted March 27, 2017 Author Share Posted March 27, 2017 Keeping A’s in the Coliseum may have cost Oakland the Raiders There’s one big reason Oakland’s hopes of keeping the Raiders were doomed almost from the start — the city’s refusal to give the A’s the heave-ho from the Coliseum. There was never any chance Oakland and Alameda County would match the $750 million in hotel taxes that Las Vegas is offering to help build a football palace in the desert for the Raiders — not with taxpayers still forking over $20 million a year to pay off the infamous Mount Davis makeover of the Coliseum in the 1990s. But even if the public money were forthcoming, the Raiders made it clear that there was no way they’d continue to share the Coliseum site with the A’s — even during construction of a new football stadium. Raiders owner Mark Davis wanted the A’s out of the Coliseum the minute there was a stadium deal, those involved in the East Bay’s efforts to keep the team tell us, so he could tear it down and clear the way for his new home. Mayor Libby Schaaf refused. Even in her last-minute pitch to the NFL on Friday, hoping to forestall the league’s expected approval of the Raiders’ move to Las Vegas, she said booting out the A’s was “problematic.†“It became what the league called a ‘threshold issue’ in the last couple of months, even bigger than the public money,†said one source close to the talks involving the city, Alameda County and NFL. The A’s are open to moving somewhere else in Oakland, but the team has yet to settle on a new site. Local politicians, meanwhile, are leery of forcing a move. In part, that’s out of fear that the A’s would use the eviction as a reason for Major League Baseball to support the team’s long-standing goal of leaving Oakland — an idea the A’s shelved because of MLB’s opposition. http://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/matier-ross/article/Keeping-A-s-in-the-Coliseum-may-have-cost-11029015.php Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Truth_hurts 1,785 Posted March 27, 2017 Author Share Posted March 27, 2017 New articles A’s reaction to news Raiders to leave Oakland MESA, Ariz. - The only team now officially scheduled to remain in Oakland was judicious in responding to the news that the Raiders’ request to move to Las Vegas was approved by the NFL. “We understand the Raiders’ need for a new stadium,†A’s team president Dave Kaval said. “Oakland is an incredible sports town and we would be sorry to see them leave. We commend the city’s and county’s efforts to keep the Raiders in Oakland. The Mayor and her team have worked incredibly hard to save the franchise. We are focused on, and excited about, our efforts to build a new ballpark in Oakland and look forward to announcing a location this year.†The Raiders’ lease at the Coliseum runs through the next two seasons, however there are strong rumblings that they will look to get out of the lease in 2018, potentially opening up the way for the A’s to build a new stadium at the Coliseum site next year should they select that site. Kaval has said repeatedly that the A’s are looking at four potential stadium sites. In addition to the Coliseum, the team is compiling data about locations at Howard Terminal and two spots near Lake Merritt. http://www.sfgate.com/athletics/article/A-s-reaction-to-news-Raiders-to-leave-Oakland-11031082.php Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Phoenix 105 Posted March 27, 2017 Share Posted March 27, 2017 If Oakland is such a "great sports city" then why are all of its teams desperately trying to move away? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Truth_hurts 1,785 Posted March 27, 2017 Author Share Posted March 27, 2017 Read: Open letter from Oakland Raiders fan groups to Mark Davis, all NFL owners To the National Football League owners: Thank you for considering this letter whose purpose is to: 1. Convince you that the Raiders and the NFL are better off economically with the team in Oakland and reject its proposed move to Las Vegas. 2. Request that the NFL follow its own relocation guidelines – which we consider to be a de facto contract with fans -and 3. Document our concern that false perceptions/narratives may have unduly influenced a decision that will once again devastate legendarily loyal fans who have helped the Raiders thrive in Oakland for generations. Please uphold your primary advertising slogan– “Football is Familyâ€- and make a major statement to fans across the country that they indeed matter by rejecting the Raiders move to Las Vegas. The ‘Parade of Relocations’– including the iconic Chargers and Rams in the last year — must end. We believe that moving the Raiders will be a negative “tipping point†for the NFL. Thousands of fans may very well be turned-off forever by what they perceive is the NFL’s lack of loyalty to its most important constituents – the fans! Fans generally believe that Oakland has indeed presented a workable option that could work long-term for the Raiders and A’s. But, it appears that Oakland was eliminated as an option long ago. Fans have been whipsawed for years. They’ve been alternately buoyed, confused and now jolted after hearing Mr. Davis say for years that he wanted to stay in the city where his team greatly benefitted for more than four decades while at the same time the franchise eyed Los Angeles, Carson, San Antonio and now Las Vegas as its new ‘home.’ Alameda County/City of Oakland officials, fans and economists have reached the same conclusion: keeping the Raiders in Oakland is in the NFL’s best interest. Indeed, nationally-known economist Roger Knoll was quoted as saying that the probability that the “numbers†will work in Las Vegas are “pretty close to zero.†A recent San Francisco Chronicle editorial also noted: “The NFL owes it to Oakland fans – and to its long-term interest – to reject the Raiders’ move†(to Las Vegas).†In addition, the editorial noted, “it’s not just a matter of sentiment. As a place for investment, there is no comparison between the size, wealth and economic diversity of the Bay Area and the roller-coaster of the gambling- dependent Las Vegas Market.†Read more here: http://www.mercurynews.com/2017/03/26/read-open-letter-from-oakland-raiders-fan-groups-to-mark-davis-all-nfl-owners/?utm_term=Autofeed&utm_campaign=Echobox&utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Twitter#link_time=1490578369 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Truth_hurts 1,785 Posted March 27, 2017 Author Share Posted March 27, 2017 I feel bad for the Raider fans/Raider Nation They even have fan clubs https://en.www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raider_Nation https://theblackholefans.com http://www.sandiegoraiders.com http://www.raiders.com/fans/booster-clubs.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Truth_hurts 1,785 Posted March 27, 2017 Author Share Posted March 27, 2017 Edit: Click here to view the Tweet Sad but true Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Truth_hurts 1,785 Posted March 27, 2017 Author Share Posted March 27, 2017 Click here to view the Tweet The new Raiders stadium looks nice Cr: twitter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Truth_hurts 1,785 Posted March 27, 2017 Author Share Posted March 27, 2017 Click here to view the Tweet Click here to view the Tweet Click here to view the Tweet Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Truth_hurts 1,785 Posted March 27, 2017 Author Share Posted March 27, 2017 Click here to view the Tweet Click here to view the Tweet Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coward 1,968 Posted March 27, 2017 Share Posted March 27, 2017 they've been talking about putting a team in vegas since I was in high school, and I graduated in '03. not surprising at all. also not surprising that it's oakland giving the stadium situation, the close proximity to the 49ers (splitting up the potential fan base), and the fact that Al Davis is dead the raiders culture is just different now to when the crypt keeper he was running things. the thing that concerns me is you have 3 teams relocating in what, 18 months? I'm a Bears fan, the last time they relocated was 1921, so longevity means a lot to me. of course, you do have a team like the Cardinals who started off in Chicago, then went to St Louis and are now in Arizona doing quite well, so there is something to be said for it. I just don't like to see it happening so much so soon to one another. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Truth_hurts 1,785 Posted March 28, 2017 Author Share Posted March 28, 2017 When will the Raiders actually move to Las Vegas? Here are the scenarios The Raiders aren't bolting Oakland immediately with their swanky new stadium years from completion The Oakland Raiders are no more, eventually. With 31 NFL owners approving the move to Las Vegas -- only Stephen Ross of the Dolphins voted against it -- the Raiders are bound for Sin City, abandoning one of the most passionate fanbases in football . But when will the Raiders actually move to Las Vegas? That’s not quite as clear as the actual location itself. There is only one absolute certainty, and that’s that the Raiders will be playing in Oakland in 2017. Mark Davis declined to describe the Raiders as a “lame duck†team and said the team will be there next year and 2018 thanks to two one-year leases. Additionally, Davis said the Raiders would absolutely consider staying in Oakland through 2019 as well. “First off, I wouldn’t use the term ‘lame duck,’†he said. “We’re still the Oakland Raiders, and we are the Raiders, we represent the Raider Nation. As I said earlier, there’s going to be some disappointed fans and angry fans, and it’s going to be up to me to talk to them and let them know why, how and what has happened, and hopefully we can work things out and work together for the future. “We have two one-year lease options for Oakland right now. I intend, if the fans would like us to stay there, we’d love to be there for that, and possibly talk to them about extending it for maybe ‘19 as well, and try to bring a championship back to Oakland.†Here’s the problem for Davis. Raiders fans might not like the idea of having the team in Oakland in 2017. Davis offered on Monday to refund Raiders fanswho didn’t want to keep their season tickets for next year after the team decided to move. Roger Goodell said he expects the team to be called the “Oakland Raiders†as long as they’re in Oakland, but the actual timeline for the name is wide open. 2017 is a lock at this point because there’s no other answer. 2018 is probably a good bet regardless of fan support because, again, there’s no where else to play. 2019, though? If the Raiders aren’t winning a ton of games or aren’t bringing in a ton of fans to O.Co, there’s a really good bet they decide to make a move. Maybe that’s to UNLV’s stadium, which isn’t ready for usage yet but could be ready by 2019. Maybe the Raiders share Levi’s Stadium with the 49ers ( Jerry Jones is the puppetmaster in all of this and he’s got pull in San Francisco, so this is a realistic possibility). So the target date for Las Vegas is probably 2020 -- that’s the expected date for when the Raiders new stadium will be ready and when the Raiders will move. It’s the earliest possible year for them to be the actual Las Vegas Raiders playing in their new stadium, although 2019 for the Las Vegas Raiders to exist also remains a possibility. http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/when-will-the-raiders-actually-move-to-las-vegas-here-are-the-scenarios/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Truth_hurts 1,785 Posted March 28, 2017 Author Share Posted March 28, 2017 With new stadium, Las Vegas will enter race for major events The Raiders are officially coming to Las Vegas, and that means the palace they’ll play in will soon go under construction. With the Raiders, Southern Nevada is guaranteed at least eight NFL games per year, and that also could come with Super Bowls, Pro Bowls, NFL Drafts and many other pro football events. But what other big-time events can the new 65,000-seat, $1.9 billion domed stadium attract once it’s completed in 2020? Look no further than the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, as the perfect example for what to expect in Las Vegas with a state-of-the-art venue. The home of the Arizona Cardinals has hosted a Super Bowl, a college football national title game and this weekend’s college basketball Final Four all in the past three years. “Getting a new stadium is absolutely the reason why we’re hosting these events,†said Tom Sadler, the president and CEO of the Arizona Sports and Tourism Authority. “Without a domed stadium, you’re for sure not getting a Final Four. “When we were first pushing for this stadium, those are the type events that we said if we build it, they will come.†Numerous sporting events have taken place in Arizona since the University of Phoenix Stadium opened in 2006. But Sadler said it’s no guarantee Las Vegas will get the major events just because it has a new stadium. “They are not automatic awards just because a stadium is built,†he said. “It doesn’t mean that it’s going to be in the rotation. You have to compete with other cities and other states that are very formidable. “Geographically, Los Angeles will also be competing now with their stadium. All three cities (Las Vegas, Los Angeles and Phoenix) have the nice weather, but it still comes down to which city puts up the best bid.†Las Vegas isn’t a shoo-in for the major events, but the stadium at least puts the city in the race. The UNLV football team could benefit by being able to leverage more home-and-home contracts with top programs such as Ohio State and Michigan. UNLV will play Ohio State on the road in September, and it traveled to Michigan in 2015. “I think we already do a good job of getting those type of programs to Las Vegas,†UNLV coach Tony Sanchez said. “UCLA has been here. Wisconsin has been here. BYU is coming this year. Click here to view the Tweet “Not sure it will boost the scheduling, but there are so many advantages with having a new stadium. A world-class facility in the right location can impact your student body. It will increase attendance, but part of it is winning. And we have to do that consistently.†College football neutral-site games could be in play for Las Vegas. The University of Phoenix Stadium recently hosted a game between Arizona and BYU that drew more than 50,000. “We’ve been trying to get into the neutral-site games, and our first one was wildly successful,†Sadler said. “It was a great game, and it really set the table up for us to do that again in the future. “The Arizona sporting scene has changed so much, and now Las Vegas is going through it.†Follow all of our Oakland Raiders to Las Vegas coverage online at reviewjournal.com/NFLinVegas and @NFLinVegas on Twitter. http://www.reviewjournal.com/sports/raidersnfl/new-stadium-las-vegas-will-enter-race-major-events Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Truth_hurts 1,785 Posted March 28, 2017 Author Share Posted March 28, 2017 Still many hurdles to clear before work can begin on Raiders Vegas stadium One of the main points the detractors to the Las Vegas stadium proposal made in recent weeks and months was that there were still many things were still yet to be settled. Being approved by the owners doesn’t mean those concerns were alleviated. There are still some unresolved details one would have thought would need to have been figured out by this point. Those yet to be worked out details were well laid out by Rick Velota the Las Vegas Review Journal, who cites Las Vegas Stadium Authority analyst Jeremy Aguaro who said among other things that there’s “a ton of work to do†which could take months to be in compliance. Here are the main things that need to happen according to the report: The authority board has to verify with the NFL that relocation officially has been approved and that the team formally elects to move. ■ The board has to sign off on a development agreement with a qualified partner. The Raiders drive that process, but the board must verify that the developers have the financial wherewithal and expertise to build the stadium. That’s why the announcement about Bank of America being part of the financing was so important for the Raiders. ■ The board also must approve a lease agreement with a stadium events company. That also could be the Raiders, but it also might be a third party that has expertise in managing stadiums and arenas. The Anschutz Entertainment Group’s AEG Live, which in a joint venture with MGM Resorts International operates T-Mobile Arena and also manages the Colosseum at Caesars Palace; Los Angeles-based Live Nation Entertainment; MSG Entertainment, operators of Madison Square Garden and a partner for a future entertainment venue with Las Vegas Sands; and Legends, which operates Yankee Stadium and Jerry Jones’ AT&T Stadium in Dallas are among the big players in event management. Then there’s the matter of the actual stadium site and details. That means: Site selectionStadium capacityDome or retractable roofLease agreement Even with all the renderings put out with the stadium, most details on the stadium itself are yet to be determined. What we have now are renderings and cost projections which could change based on many factors. The Raiders prefer the 63-acre Russell Road site, which is where you see the stadium placed in renderings. But it’s still not for certain that’s where the stadium will ultimately end up. Other sites still being discussed include Cashman Center complex downtown, and the 67-acre plot north of Blue Diamond Road between Las Vegas Boulevard and I-15. Then there’s the matter of the stadium specific details including capacity and whether it will simply be a dome or a retractable roof. Up to this point the projection was 65K seats and renderings appear to show a non-retractable roof, with doors that open and close on the north side of the stadium where the Al Davis torch sits. You can see those renderings here. And the lease agreement is still being negotiated. That’s kind of important. You can read about all of this in greater detail in the Velotta’s LVRJ piece. http://www.silverandblackpride.com/2017/3/28/15092946/still-many-hurdles-to-clear-before-work-can-begin-on-raiders-vegas-stadium Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Truth_hurts 1,785 Posted March 28, 2017 Author Share Posted March 28, 2017 these articles were posted yesterday on March 27 Oakland Mayor has letter hand delivered to owners ahead of today’s relocation vote It’s past the 11th hour now. But Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf is still doing everything in her power to plant a doubting seed in the owners’ minds before they vote on whether to approve the Raiders for relocation to Las Vegas. Last week she sent a letter to NFL commissioner Roger Goodell pleading Oakland’s case and even met with the Commissioner on Friday to discuss it. He shot down her claims in a response letter, but on Saturday she still stood at the podium at the Oakland coliseum with local business leaders and Oakland government officials to put forth the details she and others in Oakland believe should make them the preferred choice over Vegas. She had a new letter written up and today, in advance of the expected owners vote, had it hand delivered to all 32 owners. Mick Akers of the Las Vegas Sun Time posted the letter. You can read the entire letter below. Click here to view the Tweet In the letter Schaaf asks for three main things from the owners: That they compare the two proposals instead of simply looking at whether they thing Las Vegas is viable Think of how this looks from a league perspective and how it affects fan loyalty to have three teams relocate in a year’s time. Make the ballot confidential just as was done for the Los Angeles move That third one is crucial to ensure an honest vote. Otherwise some owners will vote under pressure. Here is that full letter: http://www.silverandblackpride.com/2017/3/27/15073918/oakland-mayor-has-letter-hand-delivered-to-owners-ahead-of-todays-relocation-vote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Truth_hurts 1,785 Posted March 28, 2017 Author Share Posted March 28, 2017 Mark Davis hopes to remain Oakland Raiders next 2-3 years, will refund season ticket deposits by request The Raiders will eventually be called the Las Vegas Raiders. But so long as they are still in Oakland, they will be known as the Oakland Raiders, Roger Goodell confirmed Monday. How long that will be is still undecided. Though the Raiders have yet to officially sign a lease extension for 2017 to play in Oakland, Mark Davis still intends to play at the Oakland Coliseum the next two years, and perhaps even through 2019 depending on how things go. “We plan to play at the Coliseum in 2017 and 2018, and hope to stay there as the Oakland Raiders until the new stadium opens,†said Davis. “We would love nothing more than to bring a championship back to the Bay Area.†That last statement has a very bittersweet feel to it considering the Raiders are finally good again after 14 years without a winning season and watching a team win a Super Bowl would have some serious mixed emotions knowing they would be leaving soon thereafter. The key word in Davis’s statement is ‘plan’ which suggests it is dependent upon the reaction of the fans to the idea. It’s unusual to play in a city that knows you are leaving, so it’s still unknown how well that will work. One indication would be if fans begin dumping their tickets, including those who have already made season ticket deposits, on which Mark Davis said today he would honor refunds, telling Raiders fans in Oakland “If any fans have any deposits for season tickets you’d like to refund we’d be happy to do that. Not happy, but...†It will be interesting to see how fans in Oakland react to this news with regard to their season tickets and attendance at games. This was always a strange part of Davis’s plans, almost as if he expects the support for the Raiders to exist no matter where they are located -- even in a city form which he is about to take the team away for a second time in it’s history. http://www.silverandblackpride.com/2017/3/27/15077374/mark-davis-hopes-remain-oakland-raiders-next-2-3-years-will-refund-season-ticket-deposits-by-request Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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