The Warriors and Raiders have one big thing in common: Both want to get the hell out of Oakland.
On the same day the Nevada Legislature approved a $750 million stadium proposal, the Raiders released an audacious statement, calling Las Vegas their new home. The NFL owners have not yet agreed on the relocation of an iconic franchise, but if Sin City represents the end zone, it’s 1st and goal for owner Mark Davis.
First things first: Politics came into play with this decision. California is a traditionally liberal landscape, where securing public stadium financing is nowhere near the top of the priority list. Nevada, on the other hand, is typically a conservative state. They’ll put a big business like the NFL way ahead of other issues, just like they did on Friday. Davis didn’t necessarily want to flee Oakland, but when your community does not support at least partially funding a badly-needed new stadium, you have no other choice but to explore other options. Here’s a detailed look at why the city of Oakland was against paying to keep the Raiders.
Secondly: Las Vegas could not be a better landing spot for an up-and-coming NFL team. Those who have created a stigma that an NFL team won’t succeed amongst casinos and hotels have absolutely no idea what they are talking about. The Raiders (4-1) play an exciting brand of football and will instantaneously become one of the hottest attractions in a city sprawling with fun. Fantasy football has helped the sport transcend pockets of localized fan bases. People who don’t even like the Raiders will empty their wallets for tickets in Las Vegas, especially for a state-of-the art fan experience. Expect to see pools and casinos inside the stadium.
And for the first time in 15 years, the Raiders legitimately look like they could be a top 10 NFL team for many years to come. They have a franchise quarterback in Derek Carr, one of the best defensive players in the league in Khalil Mack and an experienced head coach with a big pair of stones in Jack Del Rio. NFL fans across the country can now line up their annual trips to The Bellagio when their favorite NFL team visits the Raiders. As soon as they arrive in Las Vegas, the Raiders go from fun-to-watch, to must-watch.
That’s why the timing is absolutely brutal for hardcore Raiders fans, who have stuck with this team through absolute hell. Oakland — let’s call them that while we can — hasn’t made the playoffs since 2002, when a Rich Gannon led squad lost the Buccaneers in the Super Bowl. A few seasons from now, they could be back in Super Bowl contention. GM Reggie McKenzie’s rebuild of the roster is going over swimmingly.
An interesting side note to be aware of: Las Vegas expert and Fox Sports radio host Colin Cowherd says influential owner Jerry Jones wants the Raiders to stay in Oakland. On a recent episode of his program, Cowherd stated that Jones and a few other NFL bigwigs want Los Angeles to remain as the league’s crown jewel city, especially once the Rams’ new stadium is built. If the Raiders move to Las Vegas, it’ll take much of the allure away from Los Angeles. Jones is as powerful as any owner, so this move definitely cannot be written in stone.
If the owners somehow do strike down this stadium deal, Davis should force the group of billionaires to come up with a new plan on their own. The stigma of sports gambling has quelled considerably in the last decade thanks to betting websites like Draft Kings and the empire that is fantasy football. If the Chargers somehow secure new financing for a stadium in San Diego, the Raiders could end up landing back in Los Angeles alongside the Rams.
The next question becomes how many Raiders fans will make the jump with the team to Las Vegas? The citizens of Oakland should feel abused by both their favorite football team and the city they call home. Years of organizational incompetency made the Raiders a laughingstock of the league, perhaps something that contributed to the city’s unwillingness to give the franchise money. The luscious history from the 1970’s has been faded for quite awhile. There’s a lot of blame to spread around.
Oakland was originally a landing spot for teams because it’s grouped in with San Francisco’s television market reach — ranked No. 6 compared to No. 42 for Las Vegas.
Still — and this is coming from an east coast kid with nothing against the town — there are much more attractive cities in the country to relaunch your football team with than Oakland. Las Vegas falls into that category and will certainly host Super Bowls moving forward. The Warriors have opted to leave Oakland as well and will relocate to the Chase Center in San Francisco by the start of the 2019 season.
One thing is for certain: Raiders fans won’t be hopping on the 49ers’ bandwagon. Let’s hope they can make a deep playoff run in 2016 in what could be their final season across the Bay Bridge.
