Here we go again. Another relocation in the NFL.
The battle isn't just on the gridiron, it's on plots of land that are available for multi-billion dollar stadiums. The latest is in Las Vegas, and it belongs to the Raiders.
At least we know where they're headed. For a few years we've heard Los Angeles and even San Antonio as possible landing spots. And of course the option of staying put in Oakland. Too bad the city didn't want them.
Let me rephrase: The people running the city didn't want the Raiders. The fans in and around the city never wanted to watch their team once again flee for bigger and brighter pastures.
Their new home will certainly be bright, next to the Vegas Strip.
Here's what I've taken from the move so far:
Raider fans are somewhat split as far as being fine with the move or disapprove it. The Raiders are a brand that reaches football fans far and wide. Some locals will show their displeasure by avoiding the Colosseum while the Raiders wait for their new stadium to be built in the next few years. Some will soak in all they can before the team is gone by attending every game.
As for the fans across the U.S. and Mexico, and the rest of Raider Nation, will continue to support the team since relocating doesn't change their ability to attend games.
Mark Davis does feel for Raider fans who are angry about the move. "And if they have anybody to talk to about it, it should be me," Davis said after the NFL approved the move last week. "And I will, in the coming days, try to explain to them what went into making this difficult decision."
Davis would have kept the team in Oakland if the city would have presented a plan to build a stadium the NFL approved of, but there was no such plan.
That leads me to this: Oakland mayor Libby Schaaf let the Raiders walk. This was her statement: "I am disappointed that the Raiders and the NFL chose Las Vegas over Oakland when we had a fully-financed, shovel-ready stadium project that would have kept the Raiders in Oakland where they were born and raised."
If it was shovel-ready then Roger Goodell would have OK'd the deal and the Raiders would be staying put.
Los Angeles has two teams and now Las Vegas. Is London next in line? And what team is desperate enough for that adventure?
Stay tuned.