Oakland Raiders Not on the Way Out of Town Just Yet

Apr 6, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Athletics and Oakland Raiders flags fly in the parking lot before the game between the Oakland Athletics and the Texas Rangers at O.co Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

Ugly in Oakland

Those that want the Raiders in L.A. have plenty to go on and they don’t have to go far to find it. Lately the momentum, especially in the media, has shifted to the Raiders not being able to stay. As of right now, the situation doesn’t look good and the media is taking and running with it.

Last week, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said the league has received no response from either Oakland or Alameda County about whether they would provide $400 million to keep the team in Oakland. O.co Coliseum is jointly owned and managed by the city and county so decisions over the stadium and whether to build a new one at that location require approvals from both.

But Oakland mayor Libby Schaaf has higher priorities, elected last year on promises to address public safety. Her current budget proposal for fiscal 2015-17 emphasizes hiring more police, while mending an $18 million shortfall this year. Oakland eliminated 80 police officer jobs in 2010 during the recession, and crime surged.

She is willing to use public dollars to improve transportation or upgrade the Coliseum land. But the stadium itself should be privately financed just like the planned Golden State Warriors arena in San Francisco’s Mission Bay was. Private investors have helped other nearby sports venues like AT&T Park as well.

Then, along with the cost of a new stadium and the land for it, the Oakland A’s are also in the way. Davis is saying he wants to stay but the proposed stadium in L.A is picking up momentum now. No plan by the city and county to keep the Raiders being shown to the NFL during the owners meetings makes it look even worse.

Next: Not Over