Oakland, I’m not going to sit here and pretend I understand your hurt right now. If my hometown Redskins fled for Atlantic City, I’d be distraught, reactionary, looking for someone to blame. A boycott of Dan Snyder would see real protesters in the streets of Virginia and Maryland.
Monday’s 31-1 vote in Phoenix was a legendary chapter in the NFL’s story that’ll be known as relocation greed. This was about the city of Oakland having a political backbone in standing up to NFL pressure for government dollars. This was about a gullible Mark Davis believing backroom conversations with power brokers that he can further his family legacy by expanding the Raiders brand throughout the entire West Coast. A Super Bowl in Las Vegas? Al Davis would be beaming from hell.
Understand this: The word “fans” is not real in the dictionary of Roger Goodell, Jerry Jones and the other wealthy elite. Fans are warm bodies who fill stadiums, they don’t have emotions that carry weight. Understand that no high-level decision outside of a marketing department is ever about fans. These vampires are about cold hard cash and if an iconic NFL city like Oakland has to be thrown under the train tracks to fatten bank accounts, so be it.
Goodell, Jones — and now pumpkin-pied-haircutted-freak Mark Davis — are allowed such preposterous greed because they have control of a drug. The NFL is the longest running TV show, it owns a day of the week and the rabid fan base spreads across every race, religion and socioeconomic status. Owners can uproot franchises from premiere markets like the Bay Area because some corporation in a fresh market will throw $750 million their way and cut education funds in the process. Less boys are playing pee-wee, but just as many are watching the drug on Sunday.
This relocation trick is now a never ending game for the NFL to leverage local governments against professional football teams. Jacksonville will be next, Cincinnati could follow after Mike Brown passes away. You can never say never with Snyder.
This is where I’ll try and help with the healing process, Oakland. All the time in the locker room, you’ll hear cliche sound clips of players saying “the NFL is business.” Take it to heart this time. It’s true in every form.
Like the players, can you as a fan separate the anger you feel at the league, your owner and your local government for the love you have for the football team? You should. Sports are emotional, but don’t let them own your emotions. The move to Las Vegas had nothing to do with punishing one of the most frenzied fan bases American sports has ever seen. Of course, you’ll miss the smell of gas grills in a smoky Oakland Coliseum parking lot. Of course, the community will never be the same and holding a grudge would be the natural play when feeling scorned. But if you can compartmentalize that the NFL really doesn’t care about your feelings, this shouldn’t be that hard.
By the way, the Raiders are betting that you’ll stick around. Moments after the announcement, star quarterback Derek Carr released a uniting statement. Interesting timing.
“Oakland, our team loves you, and my family and I love you!” Carr posted in part on Twitter. “WE will be resilient and WE will stay together because that’s what true Raiders do. WE are loyal, even when it’s hard. WE stick together, especially when it’s tough.”
The sales pitch has already begun. Leveraging Carr as the face of the franchise is going to make it impossible for some people to quit on this team. Tim Brown and Rich Gannon were both repeating how Raider Nation spans the globe. The fact that the Raiders are coming off of a 12-4 season and boast one of the most compelling rosters in the league makes this move nearly impeccably timed. They have pieces in place — Khalil Mack, Amari Cooper — that you need to compete for Super Bowls. They have vocal leaders like Carr and Jack Del Rio who understand how to tap into the emotion of a reeling fan base so Davis will never have to face the music. This organization is betting on the prospect that Oaklanders will have no other choice than continue on a journey.
And, really, what other option do you have as an NFL fan in the East Bay? Despite John Lynch’s playful recruiting pitch, you certainly aren’t rooting for the San Francisco 49ers and Jed York doesn’t expect you to — although when Kyle Shanahan lands his quarterback, the bait will be tempting. Rooting for the Rams or the Chargers is not feasible. Solely relying on your fantasy football team to give you a high the Raiders provided won’t work. If Carr gets out to a 6-1 start and another MVP campaign, are you going to be those Indians fans with inside-out caps in the film Major League II rooting against the silver and black? Stop being silly.
Jones and Goodell understand this: There’s little chance Oakland will be able to completely abandon the NFL. Then Sunday becomes another day you have to spend with your nagging wife, or snotty-nosed kids. Having an NFL team gives you the excuse to indulge from September to January and not feel guilty. The Raiders give you the ability to bond with random strangers.
They’ll never go through with this idea, but out of a sign of good faith, the Las Vegas Raiders games should be aired in the Oakland market just as if the team never left. York may not be pleased with that idea, but it would certainly keep a giant chunk of people hooked on the drug.
Oakland will in all likelihood be the next benefactor of the relocation game. That could take five years, that could take 20 like we saw for Los Angeles. The Bay Area is too affluent of an area, and there will be an advantageous billionaire willing to finance his own stadium.
When Carr and company officially move in to Las Vegas 2020, the NFL and Davis are betting big that Raiders fans in Oakland will be watching and just as invested.
