OT: Oakland Raiders will file papers to relocate to Las Vegas
The NFL owners will have to vote approval, but it is in motion. There use to be a concern of casinos and gambling have an influence over a pro-sports team in Las Vegas, but it seems like any of those potential influences have a reach outside of Las Vegas.
January 14th, 2017 at 9:32 AM ^
Sucks for Oakland but this will be a cash cow.
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January 14th, 2017 at 9:53 AM ^
Players and staff will be paid in poker chips and buffet coupons.
January 14th, 2017 at 10:43 AM ^
Some smart business person will open up a store focusing on Road Warrior-themed Las Vegas Raiders attire NOW...
January 14th, 2017 at 11:18 AM ^
Lane Kiffin And Rick Petino have been hired on as "concierge specialists" to leverage their experience with how to use the, ah, local talent.
January 14th, 2017 at 12:13 PM ^
Lap dances.
January 14th, 2017 at 9:35 AM ^
I hear Oakland is still in play though.
January 14th, 2017 at 9:36 AM ^
Well at least the Bay area still has the niners - hahaha.
January 14th, 2017 at 9:36 AM ^
The NFL sees that improper financial influence on players is a great thing, as the SEC and Clem[p]son have shown them.
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January 14th, 2017 at 9:38 AM ^
Omg, that's where Sarah Harbaugh is from! Oh well, it was fun while it lasted.
January 14th, 2017 at 9:41 AM ^
She's from Missouri.
January 14th, 2017 at 9:52 AM ^
Now, it's inevitable.
/NFL logic
January 14th, 2017 at 10:10 AM ^
Does that mean we're going to see a resurgence of "Oakland is still in play" jokes, or worse, does it mean Adam Schefter will write an article with a headline like "SEE, YOU PEOPLE DIDN'T LISTEN, BUT I TOLD YOU THAT LAS VEGAS IS STILL IN PLAY"?
January 14th, 2017 at 10:22 AM ^
There, I just got the ball rolling for you.
January 14th, 2017 at 1:44 PM ^
I think it officially mean Oakland is
January 14th, 2017 at 9:40 AM ^
I don't understand why the Raiders aren't in Portland. That's where getting Shanghai'd came from. Would be so fitting.
January 14th, 2017 at 9:50 AM ^
Since a "raider" is technically a pirate, shouldn't they relocate to the coast of Somalia then? The NFL wants to increase its international presence.
January 14th, 2017 at 9:50 AM ^
The market for NFL fans is pretty limited along the Barbary Coast these days.
January 14th, 2017 at 1:52 PM ^
Get your geography right man.
January 14th, 2017 at 11:57 PM ^
So, I evidently didn't get the joke across.
Barbary Coast was along the Mediterranean coast of Africa. Somalia is obviously part of the Horn of Africa.
January 14th, 2017 at 1:10 PM ^
Think of the security required for such a game.
January 14th, 2017 at 4:09 PM ^
their stadium will adjoin to Teeasure Island casino
January 14th, 2017 at 9:46 AM ^
Is there any real reason for this? What's the benefit?
January 14th, 2017 at 9:47 AM ^
$$$$
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January 14th, 2017 at 10:05 AM ^
In what way though? Isn't Oakland a better market than Las Vegas for a football team? Or is it just money for a new stadium?
January 14th, 2017 at 10:31 AM ^
rest assured someone is going to get significantly richer off of this. I don't know how, but I'm sure it's the why
January 14th, 2017 at 11:01 AM ^
I think the money is in seat licensing revenue.
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January 14th, 2017 at 9:48 AM ^
This move actually makes sense. Two teams in LA is a disaster waiting to happen.
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January 14th, 2017 at 10:06 AM ^
I think one team to LA was okay and you're right that two is a disaster, but I don't get how this one makes sense.
I just can't picture Las Vegas caring about a football team.
January 14th, 2017 at 10:48 AM ^
Las Vegas cares about football, this is a transient town with bars sprinkled throughout the valley that are "team specific". As in, let's go to the Lions bar and watch the game. There are a ton of Raider fans in Vegas, probably the 3rd biggest fan base there, behind the Cowboys and Steelers. The proposal in Oakland required Davis to give up something like 40 percent ownership to Ronnie Lotts group in order to fund the stadium, in Vegas, it's not that much. The taxes are coming from a new hotel tax, so the taxpayers aren't paying it unless they stay at one of the hotels.
It's going to be a pretty good situation for the Raiders, every game will be sold out, from tourists, the corporations, and the locals.
Don't underestimate the locals hunger for sports and Vegas is very much a "pro" sports town, like the east coast. It's going to be extremely popular. Also, the gambling aspect. It's going to be awesome. I just wish I still lived in Vegas for it.
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January 14th, 2017 at 11:34 AM ^
Exactly. It will be plenty enough draw from the home crowd, but it would be a comparatively huge draw for fans of other teams to see their team in a different, really fun town. Not to mention, picking up an NFL game if you're already in town would be about the same price range, if not quite a bit cheaper than 90% of the shows in Vegas.
January 14th, 2017 at 11:53 AM ^
Thread idea: Michigan friendly bars in vegas
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January 14th, 2017 at 12:11 PM ^
If you spend the green, all Vegas bars are Michigan friendly.
January 14th, 2017 at 12:44 PM ^
The Inn Zone on Rainbow is the Michigan bar
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January 14th, 2017 at 12:38 PM ^
The Raiders are the NFL version of the semi-attractive adulterous ex-wife that'll promise you things until the cash starts running low.
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January 14th, 2017 at 2:21 PM ^
More taxes for pro sports. Great idea.
January 14th, 2017 at 1:56 PM ^
If it wasn't a gigantic moneymaker they wouldn't be frothing at the mouth to want to make it happen. Vegas will produce so much more revenue and interest from casual fans it will become a de facto casual fan's America's Team. Those foorball weekends will be pretty crazy because you can mix in a normal trip with a little in-game sports gambling that only that atmosphere will really provide.
January 14th, 2017 at 12:53 PM ^
It has now happened. Chargers to LA will fail. Raiders are better off in Vegas
January 14th, 2017 at 10:02 AM ^
...is that the A's can now privately finance a new, baseball-only stadium at the Coliseum site! Good riddance to the Raiders!
January 14th, 2017 at 2:23 PM ^
A city financed stadium deal that makes the team worth more.
That's all NFL owners really care about. I guess at least Vegas is excited about this, unlike LA and the Chargers.
January 14th, 2017 at 3:31 PM ^
And i think the old one was condemned
January 14th, 2017 at 9:59 AM ^
Visiting fans will outnumber home fans on some/most/all games....what fan wouldn't want to go to Vegas for a weekend? That's going to be "the" road trip game of every year. Especially for teams that due to rotation will only play in Vegas once every 3-4 years.
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January 14th, 2017 at 10:34 AM ^
Do fans even make road trips for pro games? I have no idea how the NFL works.
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January 14th, 2017 at 11:13 AM ^
Depends on the team. Steelers fans travel in huge numbers. Its sort of a tradition for their fans to take warm-weather vacations in December to away games like Miami, Phoenix or San Diego. When they play in DC, half the stadium is their fans.
Dallas and Grren Bay travel well too, but Dallas might be more the result of just having more fans throughout the country.
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January 14th, 2017 at 11:52 AM ^
I've always believed that the Steelers don't travel as well the NFL likes to advertise. There just happen to be a lot of Steeler bandwagon fans sprinkled through NFL cities.
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January 14th, 2017 at 1:23 PM ^
Steelers (and Cowboys, and Bears, and Packers) fans don't travel to road games, they just have a ton of fans living across the country.
January 14th, 2017 at 2:31 PM ^
Yes, particularly to destination cities where they may visit anyway. I have family that does an away game once a year and I join if it's NOLA or something.
Generally more expensive than college road games but it's easier for the most part because every NFL city has major airports (which you really need if you don't want to take Monday off).
January 14th, 2017 at 10:08 AM ^
Another reason I'm not a big Pro football guy. You spend your whole life as a loyal fan of a team and then they just up and move it away so some rich guys can get richer.
Michigan may have some bad seasons here and there, but they are never moving to New Jersey.
January 14th, 2017 at 10:09 AM ^
So they're pledging $500M of the $1.4B required to build the stadium. Hope the taxpayers don't get stuck with a huge bill...as usual.
January 14th, 2017 at 11:54 AM ^
The tax payers always get hosed in these stadium deals. The owner and local politicians will make all kinds of unsubstantiated claims of how these stadiums will help boost the local economy. I'm sure this means that hotel rooms and rental cars will be more expensive for those traveling to Vegas in the future.
January 14th, 2017 at 3:25 PM ^
Are already on the hook for $750 million towards the stadium.