Oakland Raiders, Chargers Alliance Answers Problems but Expansion Makes Fans Winners

Dec 21, 2014; Oakland, CA, USA; A fan of the Oakland Raiders holds a “Stay in Oakland” sign against the Buffalo Bills at O.co Coliseum. The Raiders defeated the Bills 26-24. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Sometimes enemies can join forces and make a great team like the Miami Heat when Eastern Conference rivals Dwayne Wade and LeBron James joined forces. However, when it is arch rivals like the Raiders and Chargers join forces it is never good, and the new Los Angeles stadium is the latest example.

Even if it is a play for leverage in their home markets, arch enemies do not form alliances for no reason. The threat should be taken serious as the two teams would not play their best card if they were not planning to use it.

More from Las Vegas Raiders News

Both teams have struggled trying to get stadiums done with public funds and have chosen year to year leases at their current venues. The proposed stadium means no burden on tax payers and that alone is enough to make it a serious threat to San Diego and Oakland as California continues to battle debt.

First and foremost, the NFL is a business. It is clear the stadium serves as the alternative to St. Louis Ram’s owner Stan Kroeke’s plan to build a stadium in Inglewood. No one in the league wants him to have the LA market all to himself, nor do either AFC West teams want Kroeke as a landlord.

Therefore, the Carson partnership serves as the defense to allowing the Rams to step on their California toes. The Raiders won a Superbowl in Los Angeles, and the Chargers have a huge following in Los Angeles and Orange county.

Before Angelinos get excited about three teams in the market. is Los Angeles worth of even one of the storied franchises?

People forget the Raiders and Rams left Los Angeles for a reason. There is a reason no team has come back despite many promises of a new stadium. People forget there are two basketball teams, two baseball teams, and two hockey teams vying for sports fans’ disposable income. People forget the problems of an urban area with no center. Plus the traffic. Not to mention, the college teams and minor league teams in the area.

As much as I would love to watch my Raiders on local television and drive only a few miles to see them, Los Angeles does not need a brand like the Raiders. The thousands of people rallying in Los Angeles to bring the Raiders back would disagree, but those people are not the problem.

Raider Nation are some of the most passionate and knowledgeable fans around the NFL (even if they call me a bum sometimes), and I would hate to have that more diluted with the bandwagon culture of Los Angeles fans.

I wasn’t even around for the Coliseum games, but I’ve seen enough empty seats on game highlights to know the team’s attendance won’t rise that much even if they are already towards the bottom.

Even if the proposal makes sense for Los Angeles, the NFL, and the two teams, what about the die hard fans in San Diego and Oakland?

Forget the fact that the NFL will probably lose one of its most heated AFC rivalries. Forget the fact both are in the bottom of attendance.

More from Just Blog Baby

The Oakland Raider fans deserve to see their team succeed after suffering through more than a decade of losing. Not to mention, the grit of the Oakland area are embodied with the vary swagger, logos, and colors of the Oakland Raiders. Plus they mean a lot to the community for outreach purposes. The same could be said for the Chargers

As a recent study showed, stadiums don’t always generate revenue. Therefore, Oakland and San Diego have the love in place to keep their teams home.

So what is the answer for Los Angles’ football fans? It is simple, one of the largest markets in America needs its own team and brand to attach itself to. Los Angeles needs to support one football team before it jumps into the NFL with two or three franchises. The league continues to profit and expansion is the answer for the NFL’s issues in Los Angeles not relocation.

That won’t solve the Raiders or Chargers problems in gettting a new arena. However, the Carson Stadium threat should be enough to help them net a new stadium. Either way, as Mark Davis has said the proposal does not change anything, Oakland is still the number one plan for the Raiders’ new stadium. We will just have to see if the City of Oakland makes a move to prevent Carson from becoming a reality.

Home/Las Vegas Raiders News