According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Raiders will ultimately move to Las Vegas and it’s only a question of “when” it will happen.
In an appearance on ESPN’s Mike and Mike Show, Schefter said of a possible Raiders move to Las Vegas, “I think it’s not a question of if, it’s a question of when.”
Such a strong statement from the ever-calculated Schefter is the surest sign to date that the Raiders days in Oakland are coming to an end. With that in mind, if the Los Angeles proposals a year ago taught nothing else, it’s that until the owners cast their vote, no one really knows what will happen.
And to that point, is the NFL really ready to risk the Rams, Chargers, and Raiders in unproven markets all at the same time?
twitter: @raidersbeat
I can’t wait for them to move. I already have taken a survey about the move, tickets, etc.. I plan on getting on the list to buy season tickets as soon as they start requesting commitments from fans. RN4L over 40 years…
I’m with you on that
I live in Vegas, put me down for 4 season tickets!! If Oakland doesn’t want the Raiders we will take them.
Why all of a sudden is it on Mark Davis to magically find a way for the Raiders to stay in Oakland. The mayor in the last two years has made it known that the city wanted to keep Golden State. Now they are moving across the bay. The city has had 20+ yrs to find a way to negotiate with the Raiders, instead it was clear that the “A’s” and Warriors came first. The Raiders are the only NFL team that shares a stadium with a baseball team, ( a very small and delapidated stadium at that). They have to leave the infield skin open in the center of the football field until the baseball season is over. (God knows how many injuries both major and minor that has caused). THe city still owes money and upgrades to the stadium promised to bring the Raiders back 2 decades ago. Taking that into consideration, why should the Raiders bend over backwards to stay? They have already bent over…….
Oh and by the way, I will get 4 season tickets, as soon as the Vegas move is finalized. I have purchased a site for my RV and will gladly make the trip up for Home Games, catch them when they play the LA Chargers in LA, and make the trip to Denver as long as it is not snowing. (RV’s and snow are not friends). Let’s get rid of all the politics and make this move….
oakland is a ghetto sh*thole. NFL teams are billion dollar investments owned by very very rich white men.
Oakland never had a chance to keep them.
that’s the truth
I don’t know how that comment got under my name, but I didn’t call Oakland a shithole…
somebody want to make a statement and they don’t have the balls to put their name on it…
For those who live or have been to Vegas 40-50 times need something more entertaining then slots, drinks, and shows. So what’s the next best thing, especially for Raiders fans, professional football!!! I’m down with the Vegas Raiders!! There are Raider fans everywhere, you think that they would love to take over Vegas for a 8 weekends a year!! I live 2 hours from Oakland and I will make trip to Vegas and know many more who will too
I am not for paying for billionaires and millionaires to make money off the average person. I live in the Levi stadium footprint , I will pay taxes for this stadium for the next 30 years or so . The NFL is a non profit, the owners do t pay taxes . It should not be up to the public to finance these hige stadiums for the ultra rich. They have the connections and friends to makes this happen . If the raiders move , it’s cool, there many other things to do in the bay. I understand many others don’t feel the same . I do t think its okay to keep paying g for playthings for the ultra rich . Mark Davis is unwilling to give up a small piece of the team to do the right thing . He wants a handout , so he can join the billionaires club, **** off ! If it really matters, there are many companies and wealthy individuals in this area , he has his hand out like a poor person. I have no respect for this , I have been on the street myself . No one came to my rescue, only a few friends that helped me get on my feet . If the raider leave , it’s cool, I have many options here .
Viva Las Vegas… Here comes Mad Max…
Go RAIDERS! Silver and Black till I DIE!
R M Roberts, you are Soooo full of crap! And Mark Davis can kiss my Silver&Black A$$!! Call this what it is. All about the MONEY!! The NFL and Mark Davis couldn’t care less about us the fans, the true RAIDER NATION!! Is Oakland a shithole around the stadium? Sure it is. Although I personally have NEVER had a problem when there in 21 years! But have you checked out Vegas a few blocks from the strip? It’s a **** hole too! Drugs, Whores and gang bangers! And I also have 5 seats. Section 225 row 2,16 to 20! And after 1 winning season in 14 years Mark Davis raised the price on my tickets $300 apiece! I’ll always be in the Raider Nation but I’ll be damned if I’ll be extorted after all my loyalty to this team. I didn’t just talk about it. I lived it bought my season tickets EVERY year while this team was miss managed and a bunch of losers! And this is the thanks I get. And don’t give me that BULLSHIT about there’s no money in Oakland!! Mark Davis is SELLING PART OF THE TEAM TO ADELSON SO HE CAN MOVE!! Yet he refuses to even consider SELLING PART of it to stay in Oakland where the Raiders belong!! Why, MONEY!!! He knows he won’t get that big beautiful fancy stadium in Oakland! We as taxpayers in Cali can’t be shook down by the NFL like other states. But it can get done. Look at Sacramento. I hate to say it but. Bye bye Raiders! I love you and always will. But your not going to get anymore of my money! Why should I have to help pay for you to leave! Mark Davis is an ASSHOLE!!!
The Vegas deal is NOT happening now with Sheldon Adelson. That deal is, basically, dead, although Davis wants desperately for the NFL and the owners to think that an agreement is imminent. Adelson, an 83-year-old multi billionaire with an ego the size of Vegas, wants his own team at this stage of his life, i.e. controlling interest in the Raiders in return for his $650 million to build the stadium. He’s not at all interested in staying on the sidelines and just collecting rent. The deal, for him, is already a lot less potentially lucrative than simply building another casino, say in some place like Bahrain.
That leaves Davis, As Scott Ostler says, wandering in the desert in search of persons, or groups, with $650 to invest in a questionable enterprise (NFL’s falling revenues, long-term viability of a team in Vegas with the 44th largest TV market, etc.) with no control. We all have a better chance of winning the lottery than Davis finding such a well-healed fool, or fools! BTW, the Lott deal for keeping the team in Oakland won’t work for much the same reasons.
So, all that’s left, other than Davis selling the team to someone like Kroenke, who has the ego and money to do it himself, is to take the $500 million that Davis and the NFL can afford, without outside funds, and do the best you can in upgrading and renovating the existing structure. This, at least, should be seriously looked at as part of a preliminary study. Potentially, it could be a win-win-win for the owners, Davis and the City of Oakland with its rabid fans.
I didn’t call Oakland a shithole, that was a reply , but Oakland like I said has had 20+ years to sort this out and didn’t because they thought the Raiders didn’t move, and as far as the tax dollars, that is an investment, money that is paid back to the city. Let’s face it, the city didn’t try,because they felt they had a captive team…..asta la vista babeee…
There are fans all over the Country besides Oakland. Many who never had the opportunity to go to games on a regular basis due to the expenses of flying to Oakland, getting a hotel, tickets, etc. Besides, Oakland has really nothing else to offer if one goes there for vacation and to see a game. Vegas has sooooooo many other options for things to do in addition to seeing the Raiders play. Oakland residents seem to think they are the only ones in Raider Nation. What a shame they want to discount the tons of fans who live across the country.
I think the notion of people from around the country regularly filling a 55,000 to 60,000 seat stadium for 10 games a year in Vegas is suspect. Most people that fly in for the weekend are gone by the time the games would be played in the afternoon
Anyway, there is no $650 million available right now for Mark Davis to build a stadium in Vegas, unless he relinquishes control. That will never happen. He would sell the team first. And Adelson will likely make sure that, if he doesn’t do it, no one else will step in to take his place.
Beyond this, there’s the question of where the additional $300 -$400 million estimated relocation fee money will come as well.
The $650 mil is coming from either Adelson or Goldman Sachs. It’s done.
http://www.reviewjournal.com/business/stadium/raiders-las-vegas-stadium-financing-secure-or-without-adelson-investment
Not 100% yet. Let’s see what Adelson says about this. Also, how is Davis going to service $1 billion in debt (including relocation fees)???
Whole thing sounds a bit fishy to me.
Have some faith. You’d be surprised what the power of prayer can do. RN4L… over 40 years
I’m RN4L 43 years, but am a born again agnostic. So, prayer doesn’t work so well for me 🙁
Gene, I’m sorry, but you’re in denial. I’ve been a Raider fan 30+ years, and a season ticket holder for 14. I fly up from LA every home game, and I’m ok with flying to Vegas every home game in the near future. It’s gonna happen.
That’s ok, things will work out and the true fans will continue to follow even if they don’t go to Vegas to watch them play just like I have watched them play almost all their games in Oakland and on the road from a far. As one of my sweatshirts says, “You can take the girl out of California, but she’ll always be a Raider girl”
The City of Oakland has offered to kick in $350 million, $200 million in infrastructure improvements and $150 million for the land. So, don’t say the City has done nothing. It’s just not enough, apparently, for Davis. Or, as I suspect, he’s just so pissed off at the City for not giving him what he wants in total that he’s decided to pick up his toys and go elsewhere. Meanwhile, Davis will be borrowing over a billion dollars to make this work in Vegas, MORE than it would have cost him to build a stadium here. And he could just as well have borrowed money from Goldman Sachs to do it in Oakland. THAT’S why I say it doesn’t make sense, economically. I’d like to hear a verification from Goldman Sachs itself before I’m totally convinced it’s a done deal.
Meanwhile, I’LL be too pissed off at him to ever support the Vegas Raiders. Last time they left for LA in 1980, I turned to the 49ers and enjoyed the Montana era. Eventually, LA fell apart and they returned. I wouldn’t be surprised if the same happens in Vegas, once Davis goes bankrupt from this!
Too bad you feel that way. As I have previously posted, a true RAIDER fan or true fan of any sports team will root and follow their team from near or far. In Vegas, maybe some of us far away fans will finally have an opportunity to be near fans and even get season tickets. As for Davis making a bad decision or going bankrupt, only time ⌚ will tell, but I support a Vegas move. RN4L…. over 40 years
Oakland still has outstanding promises from 21 yrs ago and someone, anyone is supposed to believe them? That is too little too late, especially after they lost the Warriors, they are scrambling and back stepping trying not to lose all the sports franchises. But that is what happens when you play favorites…….
If a team abandons me, I no longer feel any loyalty to it. Simple as that!
To me, sports should be an enjoyable diversion, not a sacrifice-at-any-cost sort of thing. Sure, true fans need to be loyal to their team through hard times. But, my criteria for showing loyalty is that the entire organization, from the front office down to the coaches and players, has to show a commitment to the fans. Once that commitment is broken anywhere along the line (i.e. the team stops trying, the ownership stops investing what’s needed to field a competitive team or, in this case, the team abandons us for another city) I stop supporting the team unless, and until, everything is righted. When the Raiders left in 1980, some of my rabid Raider friends followed them and refused to support the remaining local team, the 49ers. I did switch and got to enjoy some of the best football, along with all of the 49er success, I’ve ever experienced. I don’t regret that one bit.
Teams are not family nor nations. They are businesses. They don’t deserve any more support than they are willing to give to their fan base. That’s how I, and many other Raider fans, see it.
Then you are and the other “fans” you speak of are casual fans, not Raiders fans 4 life…..
Call me what you like. I had a PSL for 12 years, only three of which were winning years. I’m not a ‘casual fan’, but I m not the type that puts the Raiders ahead of everyrhing, no matter what either.
I did not make the statement about having a PSL for 12 yrs, WTF is happening here