JBB Staff Roundtable: Oakland Raiders 2016 Season

Oakland or Las Vegas? Are the Raiders staying or going?

Brazy

The only way the Raiders stay is if the city sells the land outright. They should sell it outright for below market value cause everything below it is garbage — literally.

It’s going to take tons of money just to get the infrastructure sound for any new development. Then the city walks away and stays out of the way. If that happens, Ronnie’s group, the Raiders, and the NFL will gladly pay for a fresh new facility and all that entails. But that’s not happening, so I’ll be buying Las Vegas Raiders gear this summer.

Daniel Carrigy

It kills me to say it…but I’d say odds are 65-70% that the Raiders move to Vegas. Rumor has it that Lott’s group proposal left much to be desired in regards to financing and who was to pay for what.

Evan Ball

The Raiders aren’t going anywhere. The only reason Mark Davis wants to go is because he wants to get a fancy new stadium like the big boy franchises in the league while maintaining his percentage of ownership of the team. The NFL, and large percentage of owners it represents, doesn’t really want Davis to remain controlling owner of the franchise because he doesn’t have enough money to take it to that luxury premiere level.

While some casino bosses in Vegas might be able to help with that problem, Vegas as a whole lacks a few other key ingredients. The mean income of Vegas is much lower than that of the East Bay, and it doesn’t have a large metropolitan area to help support it. While tourists might help a little with this problem, getting a solid consumer base in a city whose consumers are mostly made of of out-of-towners is a tough process.

Meanwhile, the East Bay is growing in population and wealth. The Golden State Warriors became good and now have the highest priced tickets in the NBA. Has anyone tried to go to one of those games? It’s standing room only. The NFL knows this and wants in on the action, especially with the Warriors breaking ground on their new stadium in San Francisco.

For Vegas to happen, the NFL owners would have to agree that Las Vegas is a better financial situation than the home of blossoming tech money and gentrifying young professionals. Good luck.

Gagan Aujla

I still don’t see the Raiders moving to Vegas, which has the 42nd largest media market in the United States. As opposed to the Bay Area, which has the 6th ranked media market. Along with that, there’s no way the NFL lets three teams move within a year.

Vegas is way too close to the L.A. market. You can’t expect people making 40-50k a year in Vegas to buy PSL’s for a stadium.

You have to also take into account that Adelson is not just going to give $650 million in free money to Mark Davis. The guys clearly wants ownership or a large stake in the team. The NFL will not allow someone with casino ties to own an NFL team. Davis does not want to give up any ownership…something is not adding up here.

Oakland/Bay Area is the fastest growing real estate market in the country, there’s real money that can be made here. The NFL will NOT turn their backs on this market.

Justin Smith

Unfortunately I feel their days in Oakland are done within the next few years. The city doesn’t seem to want them, and haven’t fought very hard for them. Its former players like Ronnie Lott, business folks and the Raider Nation who is pushing to keep the Raiders in Oakland. Oakland itself seems indifferent.

Vegas wants the Raiders, for whatever reason. They’re about to get an NHL team as well, so Vegas is suddenly going to be a major player in the actual playing of the games, not just setting lines and raking in cash. The world is all about flash and less about tradition, which kind of dooms any situation where sentiment is up against pragmatism.

That’s how I see it here – the Raiders in Oakland is a sentimental idea that many of us want to see continue. But the money, politics, and major players lie in Vegas and Mark Davis is ready to roll out and get his team up to the value it can be worth. At the moment, though, there’s still a matter of about $650M in missing funding for the Vegas move to happen, and Sheldon Adelson is no guarantee. But the instant that money becomes available or new investors step up — if Adelson’s involvement doesn’t spook them off — they’re ghosts.

Maliik Obee

I believe ultimately the Raiders will stay. I don’t think the owners will vote to allow the Las Vegas move — it’s just not smart. It’s really amazing that Oakland fans have stuck around this long, especially losing for so long. Just goes to show how dedicated fans are.

Now that team is winning, the least they can do is stay. Figure out a solution to build in Oakland, one of the fastest-changing cities in the country.

Mario Tovar

Going outside the box here — San Diego Raiders?

Nick Hjeltness

I was on record saying the Raiders wouldn’t get approved to move to Carson, and I’m on record saying they won’t relocate to Las Vegas. Until a shovel is in the dirt, I’m sticking with that.

Look, I completely understand that Oakland has yet to present anything close to a viable solution. But I just can’t see how NFL Owners would vote to remove a team from one of its largest media markets in favor of moving them into what would be one of its smallest media markets.

Not to mention the involvement of Sheldon Adelson, who in my opinion, I don’t see NFL Owners wanting anything to do with him.

Here is what I think happens: The NFL keeps its word and throws in the first $300M. The Raiders are asked to pony up $500M. Then the city of Oakland and the Ronnie Lott group both add in $250M — boom, $1.3B stadium.

Robert Pfeifer

Las Vegas.

RYNE

As interesting as it can get sometimes, I try to stay an arm-and-a-half’s length away from stadium/relocation talk. There are a lot of moving parts and issues that only the people directly involved know and are aware of. The rest is just incessant speculation, which has taken its toll on the fan base over the course of the past three years.

With that said, there are two significant things that stick out to me. First, the city of Oakland does not seem the slightest bit interested in allocating public funds toward a billion-dollar football stadium, to which I say, good on them. There are much bigger and more important issues and societal needs in that town (which I’ve only been to a couple of times, but I absolutely love, and probably would even if the Raiders had never been there) that those resources could go toward solving. For all his magnaminity, Marshawn Lynch can’t (and shouldn’t have to) do it by himself.

The other thing — and again, this is more speculation — part of me thinks this relocation project is more personal for Mark Davis than anything else. Since Al passed, all he’s heard from fans, pundits and fellow owners alike is how broke and dumb he is; that he needs to cash out and sell the team and let somebody that “knows what they’re doing” take over. And I think that lit a fire under his ass. And now, he’s about to hit the biggest lick of ‘em all — building an entertainment mecca in the tourist capital of the nation with other people’s money. Who would’ve loved that more than Al Davis?

So as much as it pains me to admit, I think they wind up in Vegas. I really hope I’m wrong, but that’s how I see it.

Segun Giwa

Maybe I’m in denial but I’m holding on to the slim hope of Raiders staying.

Seth Murphy

I think that they will leave. Being in Denver showed me that the people of Oakland deserve the Raiders. Great fans, great environment and true passion, but ultimately money talks and Mark Davis doesn’t have the cash to keep them there and the city of Oakland isn’t trying either. That’s tough to get past.

Tyler Dickson

I’m hoping Oakland gets it sorted out but things are pulling towards Vegas.