If Financing Isn’t An Issue, Why Are The Raiders Trying To Leave Oakland?

As the Raiders scramble to re-organize their relocation efforts, team president Marc Badain continues to insist that money won’t be an issue.

After suffering the embarrassment of losing casino-mogul Sheldon Adelson and Goldman Sachs as financial partners, the Raiders continue to campaign from a position of strength – at least in their own eyes.

The message from the team is steadfast as ever. Essentially, “who wouldn’t want to finance us?”

But the question many are asking is this – if financing is so easy to come by, why doesn’t the organization simply use a loan to build in Oakland?

At this point, it’s unlikely a move to Las Vegas would be any less costly than building in Oakland.

Why pay a relocation fee that could be as much as $500 million to leave the loyal Bay Area fan base and enter an untested market in Las Vegas?

In short, the answer is Mark Davis.

It’s no secret how frustrated Davis has become with the city of Oakland.  It seems he’s willing to try anything to stick it to the city and has become increasingly more comfortable accepting the fans and even the team as collateral damage.

Why else would Davis give away home-field advantage to the Patriots in 2017?

A decision that not only hurts season ticket holders, but also compromises the team’s chances on the field.

What NFL owner would consider such an idea?

Just one, baby.

twitter: @raidersbeat

 

 

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12 thoughts on “If Financing Isn’t An Issue, Why Are The Raiders Trying To Leave Oakland?

  1. Man I really want to agree with your article but seriously I can’t! The Raiders have been trying to get a new stadium from the city of Oakland since 1980. The hell with this current marry go round with them. Mark witnessed the city playing hard ball with his Family more than 35 years ago and then again once his dad moved back after the city of Los Angeles/ Coliseum Commission lied to him again in 1995. So he owes the city of Oakland nothing. Then to top that off he had to deal with the fact that Oakland gave real power for that site to the A’s and they hadn’t been relevant since the 1988 season when they loss to my Dodgers. That mayor is a Jackass period. Now that the Raiders are pointed in the right direction, the mayor wants to make us a priority. Forget that. I am 45 yrs old and been a true fan for 40 of those years. I am from Los Angeles and I just want them to have a stadium of there own. The league has screwed us for years. Last year with the Carson deal. And the worst when back in 1993 AL set it up to build his own stadium at Hollywood park (Current site for the Rams/Chargers) and Pat Bowlen(Late owner of Broncos) got some of his friends along with the commissioner to block the deal. They stated that the only way to approve the deal is to let another team move in the stadium. AL said no and the rest is history! Again Mark and the Davis family owes Oakland nothing. Fight On Mark!

  2. The rest of the owners and the League need to force this poor amateur to sell the team to someone like Lacob and Gruber, who will build a new stadium and make the Raiders one of the crown jewels of the NFL once again.

  3. Because Vegas is offering $750 million more than Oakland, which far exceeds any reliable fee, and the value of the franchise is expected to increase significantly in Vegas. It is an international destination that will further expand the Raiders brand beyond the US. The increased franchise value was also a factor in moving to LA. With that said, I’d still like them to stay in Oakland.

    1. A stadium in Vegas will cost a lot more than one in Oakland ($1.9 billion and counting vs $1.3 billion, respectively) and Davis will have to pay the estimated $500 million relocation fee. Even the $750 million the State is chipping in won’t cover the difference. Meanwhile, no matter how quickly Vegas is growing, it is still the 44th largest TV market (where all the REAL money is made) vs the SF Bay Area which is 6th.

      The author of the piece is correct- he only explanation for why Davis is refusing to reconsider Oakland at this point is his pettiness. I believe the owners, as well as the League, are getting tired of this poor amateur and will try to force him out of the picture, i.e. sell the team to someone, or some group, wealthy and capable enough to build a new stadium on their own and manage the organization in a way that’s consistent with the other successful organizations in the League. Lacob and Gruber may be waiting in the wings.

    1. BTW, Oakland is contributing $150 million in land and $200 million in infrastructure improvements. That’s not ‘nothing’, and it’s the reason why i’s cheaper to build in Oakland than in Vegas.

      Please do your homework!

  4. Davis seems to have no heart and soul, or a commitment to long time loyal fans. I can’t believe that because he hasn’t been able to work with Oakland and the mayor, he just feels like giving the middle finger to the fans that made his franchise what it is today. I wish he could grow a pair and publicly address the fans on his thoughts. He’s been hiding like a coward, and if he doesn’t care about us, don’t let the door hit ya in the ***

    1. Totally with you on this. I’ve been vacillating between: calling for Raider fans en mass to tell Davis he’s welcome here, despite the Vegas fiasco, so he would come out of hiding, sit down and try to work things out here, and ; telling him, en mass again, to sell the team and get lost if he doesn’t want to be here after all.

      Instead of acting like a whiny child who hasn’t gotten what he wanted out of Oakland, Davis needs to act like smart businessman and look for a way to make it work here. After all, there is no ‘there’ there anymore!

  5. The fans and citizens of Oakland want them to stay, but political regimes, one after another have done nothing but crap on the Raiders for decades. Apparently the Raiders were third in line behind the Warriors and the “A’s”. Now that they have lost the Warriors, the politicians wnat to change up. They offer to donate the land the Warriors arena is on.. Too little too late, remember this has been going on since 1980!

  6. There is a reason why Al Davis put Mark Davis on the short bus all these years. Is there a reason the “new” owner of the Raiders always wears white. Black and Silver Baby!!! WTF!?!? If you thought Al was bad, Rain Man is the worst! There is no loyalty to our “live or die by the Raiders” culture.My dad took me to games and I would like to take my baby boy to games. **** MARK DAVIS! You will never understand Raider fans or our colture.

  7. I’m a huge Raiders fan and don’t want to see them leave – again! However, I’m also a huge supporter of my home, Oakland, and don’t want to see the community go deeper in debt and not take care of much more important social and safety programs here.

    I choose to believe that a privately-financed stadium can be built in Oakland and succeed. Mark Davis, a poor amateur, just isn’t the person to do it.

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