Vegas is red hot right now. The population is exploding and the market is growing like crazy. The Raiders are also already the most popular team in town, even before talk of the move. Hell, I'll go on record and say the Las Vegas Raiders will be the most popular team in Los Angeles as well. There has probably never been a franchise move in league history that made more sense than this one does. I hate it for Oakland, but it's the best possible move for the Raiders and the NFL. Metro Las Vegas has nearly two million people already, and that number is growing daily with a vast exodus of people from California. They will sell out every game.
Crime, crappy roads, need for housing since all the 6 figure salary people moving to Oakland cause the 7 figure salary people are taking over San Fran. Then peace out to the warriors too when they move to their billion dollar basketball stadium in San Fran. They need to tear down that stadium and build something good for community.
Done deal. Final vote was 31 to 1 for the Raiders to move to Las Vegas. Rumor I am hearing is the Dolphins were the only team to vote against the move (not confirmed).
Best thing for the franchise. Oakland never gave them what needed. This is the New Age NFL, you can't keep playing in that beaten down stadium sharing it with the A's when pretty much every other franchise has a dedicated stadium. Sad day for the city of Oakland, but this is the right move.
Not really. Miami pushes "No state tax" to FAs as one of their biggest selling points so them voting nay isn't surprising.
Cities like St. Louis and San Diego give up trying to keep NFL teams, because the cost is too much, meanwhile both cities are trying to expand into the MLS, for cheap
True. I think the big thing is future Super Bowls though. Miami hosts more than just about anyone, and that will no doubt change now.
Moe, brother as of today, I am a Las Vegas Raider fan. Silver and Black for my NFL team and my chips at the MGM.
Really excited about this. Fantastic for the people in Vegas. It sucks for the people in Oakland, but the NFL still has a team in the Bay Area. Football games in Vegas are going to be super popular. It's going to be interesting to see the mix of fans on game days. I think the demand for tickets is going to be very very strong. Who wouldn't want to go to an NFL game in Vegas? And just imagine a Super Bowl in Vegas.
Oakland screwed themselves. When the Raiders didn't get LA last year, they TRIPLED the Raiders' rent because they thought the team had no choice to stay in Oakland and work something out. Well, that made Davis look to a Las Vegas option.
This seems like one of the very few (if not only instance I can think of) cases when relocation isn't a terrible thing. It's been reported that Mark Davis has no assets outside of the Raiders, so he cannot independently fund a stadium (which I think every owner who can should do) against the team's value. The city of Oakland is not in great shape and should not be diverting public funds from schools, infrastructure, police, etc. to fund a new stadium. Las Vegas, on the other hand, is throwing money at them. Basically, Davis' lack of assets makes me not hate this as much as other relocations. Anybody who has ever seen the Coliseum (I've only been to Oracle a few times) knows it is a decrepit dump. This isn't Bud Adams demanding a new stadium a few years after Astrodome renovations. The Coliseum looks like a Mad Max storyboard and shouldn't be hosting professional events.
I don't know what Dean Spanos' assets are like outside of the Chargers. I just know that Davis' wealth is entirely derived from the Raiders' value.
So what happens if the Raiders win the Super Bowl over the next two season as lame ducks in Oakland? Before Carr's late season injury, the Raiders were already legit contenders and the 2nd best team in the AFC behind the Patriots. They should be challenging New England again next season for the crown. The Raiders are stacked with talent on both offense and defense. It will be interesting to see a contender relocate with such a 2-year dead period between the move. So far, only the Oilers comes to mind with a similar relocation and that was a disaster in the lame duck seasons in Houston.