Sunday felt like the appropriate time for Raiders owner Mark Davis to speak and he did. Credit to him for answering tough questions, including a statement on where he hopes the Raiders will play in 2019.
“I personally want to play in Oakland,” Davis told ESPN’s Paul Gutierrez on Sunday night. “I absolutely want to play in Oakland. We have a completed lease sitting with the city council, that all they have to do is agree to it and we’re here next year.”
As for the lawsuit the city of Oakland might be filing against the Raiders, Davis said the fans in Oakland mean too much to him to punish them by leaving a year early.
“Emotionally, I would say, Why would I give them $3, $4, $5 million in rent that they’re going to turn around and use to sue me?” Davis said. “But, at the same time, if they’ll have us, I can’t turn on the fans. I can’t do it. And this is terrible negotiating I’m doing now. I’m going to get killed. But that’s just the way I am. But, if in fact it does get ugly, and can’t be bridged, we do have options.”
If the Raiders end up leaving Oakland a year early, it will be interesting to see where they settle. The NFL is reportedly not interested in them spending a season in San Diego and Las Vegas is apparently not an early option, either. Maybe things are actually bad enough that the Raiders would consider renting from the 49ers for a year?
twitter: @raidersbeat
