Who To Blame, Who To Credit
The aftermath of the Raiders being approved to move to Las Vegas was certainly something. For many fans, fingers were being pointed every which direction, while emotions spilled out through social media. While others were ushering praise and issuing credit for the team striking a deal.
So the question of who deserves blame and who deserves credit can yield varying answers, depending on who you ask.
Starting with the blame, Mark Davis was quick to put that on his shoulders in the press conference following the news.
Ran into @Raiders owner #MarkDavis Asked if he had message for @Oakland fans if team moves: "Don't blame players or coaches, blame me." pic.twitter.com/sdwAAlMMzK
— Laura Anthony (@LauraAnthony7) March 27, 2017
And for many Bay Area fans, that’s who much of the blame will fall on. Davis’ unwillingness to come to the table when it came to negotiating for a new stadium in Oakland is well-known and well-documented. Time and time again, he showed little to no interest in trying to stay in the city that the Raiders have called home for a total of 44 seasons, and that is going to irk a healthy percentage of the local fan base.
Mark admitted to feeling betrayed by the city when his rent was raised, and he surely did not feel wanted or welcomed when the city refused to use public taxpayer money to help him build a new stadium. So warranted or not, Mark (and the league) believe he had his reasons to pack up and leave, and the approval supports that.
But if Raider Nation wants to give Davis a pass or point their fingers elsewhere, Libby Schaaf is the next target. But she shouldn’t be. For the most part.
Schaaf refused to cave in and put taxpayer money at stake, and for that, she deserves credit. But if she truly wanted to keep the Raiders in Oakland, better efforts could have been made. And they could have been made sooner. Such as the last ditch effort of the Fortress Investment Group to offer $650 million in the form of a traditional loan — that would have been a welcomed proposal months prior.
For a large percentage of the fan base (mostly the fans outside of the Bay Area), Mark Davis does actually deserve plenty of credit here.
Long considered the Tommy Boy of NFL Owners, Mark has rebuilt many relationships his father destroyed, and he slowly has earned respect in league circles. When the Vegas deal all but fell apart, Mark quickly worked to secure another investor, and found one in Bank of America who was willing to match the withdrawn contribution of Sheldon Adelson.
So depending on who you ask, Mark deserves credit or blame, as does Libby Schaaf or the NFL. It’s all about perspective, and that’s the beauty of sports.