Oakland Raiders Need to Move Back to Los Angeles

Aug 15, 2014; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Raiders owner Mark Davis watches the game against the Detroit Lions from a suite at O.co Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

I remember being a little kid growing up in the Bay Area and hating Oakland Raiders owner Al Davis for moving to Los Angeles. Now older and wiser, I understand the situation that owner Mark Davis is in opposed to my not understanding his father as a kid. So this time, I won’t be mad if he takes the Raiders out of Oakland as he is trying his best to stay but doesn’t need to.

Davis talked to city officials in San Antonio about taking his team from the No. 6-rated media market to the No. 37-rated media market in San Antonio. But to me, that was a desperate act as he was simply looking to peak the interest of another city so he can have options. And it worked because the city of Los Angeles, a city that needs the NFL as much as the NFL needs it, is now interested.

Friend of deceased owner Al Davis, Jerry Jones then comes through for Davis’ son Mark and the NFL. Say whatever you like about Jones but he is a brilliant business man and one-man hype machine. His selling and promotional skills are right up there with boxing promoter Don King’s.

How else do you keep a team that hasn’t won a Super Bowl or playoff game in almost 20 years relevant?

Anyway, we already know L.A. is starving for NFL football as they haven’t had it in 20 years. But most NFL higher-ups didn’t think the Raiders were still welcome in L.A. because of the way Al Davis left. So after Mark Davis met with city officials in San Antonio, Jones hypes the Raiders and Cowboys upcoming joint practices.

Sure, they did that all the time back in the day but this time, Jones had plenty of methods to his madness. He wants to help Davis with his stadium situation and the NFL capitalize on the No. 2 media market in America. Jones also wants to keep San Antonio as a part of his Cowboys’ market so a he made it a win-win situation for everyone.

Then of course, when there’s a buzz like that in L.A., please believe Jones wants his Cowboys involved. So the hype of the joint practices draw over 8,000 people and one point, they chant, “Bring them [the Raiders] back!” They don’t usually make sure everybody in the world knows about a joint practice in advance but that’s Jones for you.

Isn’t that more people than the Raiders have at their regular season games?

Okay, maybe not, but they are welcome back.

Turn the page to see why the Raiders need to go.