City Of Las Vegas News & Rumors

Latest On Mark Davis, Raiders’ Future

October 15th, 2016 at 9:01am CST by Connor J. Byrne

Although Raiders owner Mark Davis’ plan to move the team to Las Vegas took a significant step Friday, there are conflicting reports about his status in the NFL. Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link) says some powerful owners are wondering if the league will force Davis out. Conversely, a source told Vincent Bonsignore of the Los Angeles Daily News that the prospect of the league booting Davis is “nonsense” (Twitter link).

The Raiders have been under the control of the Davis family for most of their 56-year existence. Mark Davis’ father, Al Davis, took the helm of the franchise in 1972 and didn’t get let go until his death in 2011. That paved the way for Mark Davis to grab the reins, and with the Raiders and the city of Oakland not progressing toward a new stadium, a departure to Las Vegas looks likelier than ever for the organization.

In a key development, the Nevada Assembly signed off Friday on $750MM in contributions from the state toward a proposed $1.9 billion stadium for the Raiders. Dan Graziano of ESPN.com then reported that the league’s owners wants to extend the current collective bargaining agreement as a way to help fund a stadium in Las Vegas. Davis has vowed to contribute $500MM, 40 percent of which ($200MM) would come from an NFL loan.

While Davis wants to head to Las Vegas, a return to Los Angeles remains an option for the Raiders, according to Bonsignore, though the Chargers have the option of joining the Rams there by Jan. 15. Davis’ Nevada plan likely has the league’s support, per Bonsignore, which would ultimately rule out LA for the Raiders. Unsurprisingly, the league “will take a very hard and thorough” look at Davis’ relocation proposal before it gives him the green light (Twitter links). Davis will need approval from 23 of the league’s other 31 owners to move his franchise.

Since their inception in 1960, the Raiders have played only in California – either Oakland or LA – but it appears that run is on the verge of ending.

NFL Owners Pushing For CBA Extension

October 14th, 2016 at 8:02pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The NFL’s collective bargaining agreement doesn’t expire until 2020, but the league’s owners are already seeking an extension. They have approached the NFL Players Association about lengthening the deal several times in recent months, sources told ESPN’s Dan Graziano. While nothing has come of those attempts yet, the owners plan to initiate discussions again soon.

Potential stadiums in Las Vegas and San Diego are among the reasons the league is pushing for a CBA extension, per Graziano, who writes that the owners want to secure funding for new facilities in those cities.

CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora reported in late September that the league wanted the Raiders to avoid moving to Las Vegas, but owner Mark Davis’ relocation dreams have continued inching closer to reality since. In the latest development, the Nevada Assembly signed off Friday on $750MM in contributions from the state toward a proposed $1.9 billion stadium for the Raiders.

The Chargers, meanwhile, will have to decide by Jan. 15 whether to head to Los Angeles, though a new stadium in San Diego would keep that from happening. There hasn’t been much progress in San Diego, and La Canfora reported last month that the Chargers appear likely to join the Rams in LA.

Based on Graziano’s report, NFL owners are seemingly on board with Vegas, whose stadium project would include $500MM in funding from Davis. Nearly half of that ($200MM) would come from an NFL loan. One problem for the league is that it has already exhausted the stadium credits in the current CBA, which the owners and players agreed to in July 2011 after a four-month lockout. Now, in order for an extension to happen, the players might require the owners to make “significant concessions,” according to Graziano. It’s unclear which issues would lead the players back to the negotiating table early, however.

Extra Points: Jets, Kubiak, Broncos, Las Vegas

October 12th, 2016 at 9:31pm CST by Ben Levine

Some assorted notes from around the league…

Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com sees similarities between this year’s Jets team and the 2007 squad, with Todd Bowles and Mike Maccagnan playing the roles of Eric Mangini and Mike Tannenbaum. Both squads were tentative about going all-in as they looked towards the future, although Fitzgerald believes that 2007 squad did a better job of evaluating prospects. The big X-factor is quarterback Christian Hackenberg, who the writer compares to 2006 draftee Kellen Clemens.
Fortunately for the Jets, Muhammad Wilkerson is the only player whose “roster status is “relatively firm.” The team is still a “massive rebuilding project,” according to Fitzgerald, and the writer believes the team could ultimately look to deal some of their veteran talent for future assets.
The Broncos are serious about Gary Kubiak‘s recovery. How serious? ESPN’s Jeff Darlington reports (via Twitter) that the team doesn’t want anyone to talk to their head coach about football while he’s recuperating. Meanwhile, Cameron Wolfe of The Denver Post wonders if interim coach Joe DeCamillis could become a “viable” head coach.
On Tuesday, the Nevada State senate approved a bill that would “potentially pave the way for an expanded convention center and an NFL-ready stadium” in Las Vegas, writes Jeff Gillan of News3LV.com. The bill will now head to the general assembly, who could deny the plan to fit a new stadium under the boosted “room tax.”

NFL Pushing To Keep Raiders In Oakland

September 25th, 2016 at 6:09pm CST by Sam Robinson

The financial trail continues to connect Mark Davis and the Raiders to Las Vegas, with the Southern Nevada Tourism and Infrastructure Committee having approved the $750MM in public money for a stadium. However, the NFL and many of its owners may not be on board with this venture that’s been a key 2016 storyline.

Following Roger Goodell‘s seemingly pro-Oakland comments and NFL executive Eric Grubman’s visit to the city last week to meet with local municipalities, sources informed Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com the sentiment of the league to keep the Raiders in Oakland is “stronger than ever.”

Shifting to the owners’ side, “numerous” ownership sources told La Canfora the view among them is to keep the Raiders where they’ve played for the past 22 seasons, even if Davis can secure funding for the Las Vegas stadium. Nevada governor Brian Sandoval and the state legislature must approve the funds for the SNTIC’s determined amount to be finalized for this project.

The Bay Area market’s advantage over Las Vegas serves as a distinctive factor here, with the former being viewed as superior based on its size, population, location and per capita income. The sources who spoke with La Canfora also have considerable reservations as to whether Davis can secure the additional 23 votes he’d need from the owners to relocate if this reaches that stage. And they doubt he would move without permission and bring about a lengthy legal battle like his father did when he initially uprooted the Raiders to Los Angeles in 1982.

While the NFL apparently is bullish on the Raiders’ prospects of staying in Oakland — despite Davis’ repeated proclamations he will move to Vegas if the money is approved — nothing much has transpired for the long-term Bay Area stadium that many parties now are trying to secure. Mayor Libby Schaaf has remained steadfast on her lack of desire to make much of a public-money commitment for a new Raiders venue.

But Grubman, who serves as the league’s primary stadium point man, will make a return trip to Oakland to continue discussions with a financial adviser who is coordinating Oakland’s end of these stadium talks. La Canfora adds there’s an expectation the “highest reaches” of the league office will remain in close contact with Oakland-area politicians throughout this season.

So, the momentum the Raiders-to-Vegas venture gained this year — with Jerry Jones and Robert Kraft weighing in on the potential intrigue of an expansion into Nevada — appears to have hit a significant stumbling block.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Latest On Raiders’ Potential Relocation

September 21st, 2016 at 8:22pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The relationship between Las Vegas-based businessman Sheldon Adelson and Raiders owner Mark Davis hit a snag when Adelson expressed a desire to buy a piece of the team last week, according to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link). Davis subsequently called Adelson’s office in anger, per Cole, who adds that other NFL owners are wary of Adelson. Commissioner Roger Goodell, who works for the owners, expressed doubt Sunday that casino-filled Las Vegas would be a proper market for the league.

Alienating Adelson could cost the Raiders a chance to relocate to Vegas, as the 83-year-old casino owner is willing to contribute $650MM to a proposed $1.9 billion football stadium in the city. Previously, Adelson threatened to withdraw financial support without the approval of a record $750MM in public money going toward the venture. The Southern Nevada Tourism and Infrastructure Committee did approve that total last Thursday, thereby clearing one major hurdle. The next step is for the $1.9 billion plan to receive a thumbs up from Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval and state Legislature.

Sandoval said Wednesday that he intends to begin a special session of the Legislature no earlier than Oct. 7 and no later than Oct. 13, reports Michelle Rindels of the Associated Press (Twitter link). Sandoval also revealed that he has recently spoken with Davis, who is eager to go forward with the plan.

“Just as I have met with the top leaders prior to those announcements, this week I met with the owner of the Raiders, Mark Davis. He was committed and resolute in the team’s interest in relocating to our state,” said Sandoval (via KTVN).

Given that Davis is still on board with Las Vegas, it seems his relationship with Adelson isn’t ruined. Assuming the Legislature signs off on the high-priced stadium, Davis would still need 23 approval votes from the league’s other 31 owners to move his franchise. If they’re not comfortable with Adelson, it could dash Davis’ hopes.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Roger Goodell On Raiders’ Future, Las Vegas

September 18th, 2016 at 8:22pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The Raiders are seemingly progressing toward a move to Las Vegas by next season, but NFL commissioner Roger Goodell wants the franchise to remain in Oakland, its longtime home.

“No market should lose their team once let alone twice. I believe there’s a solution in Oakland,” Goodell told reporters Sunday (Twitter link via Brian Murphy of the Pioneer Press).

The Raiders first played in Oakland from 1960-1981 before relocating to Los Angeles through the 1994 campaign. The club then returned to Oakland, though it now appears in danger of heading elsewhere again.

The Raiders haven’t made progress toward the construction of a new stadium in Oakland, but earlier this week, the Southern Nevada Tourism and Infrastructure Committee approved the use of a record $750MM in public money for a facility that would house the team in Las Vegas. The next step is for the $1.9MM billion stadium proposal to receive a thumbs up from Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval and state Legislature, which appears likely, Jason Cole of Bleacher Report said Friday.

It helps Vegas’ cause that Raiders owner Mark Davis is eager to move the team there. After the SNTIC’s decision, Davis told USA Today via text message, “We are excited and thanks to the committee.”

While Goodell would like for Davis to keep the Raiders where they are, he didn’t close the door on relocation Sunday.

“We recognize the power and strength of the Raiders’ brand and understand their desire to explore all possible options for the team’s future,” said Goodell (via CSNBayArea.com).

Goodell added that there’s “still a lot of work to be done” for Las Vegas to become part of the NFL (via the Associated Press). While Goodell acknowledged that it’s up to the league’s 32 owners whether a franchise will end up there, he’s unsure if placing a team in a casino-filled city would be a good idea.

To this point, the city of Oakland, led by Mayor Libby Schaaf, hasn’t shown a willingness to commit nearly as much in public money to a new stadium as Vegas could.

“As Mayor of Oakland, it’s my job to remain fully focused on what I can do to responsibly keep the team where they belong, here in Oakland,” Schaaf said Thursday. “While Nevada lawmakers consider making the largest public investment in a private stadium deal in history by approving a $750 million public subsidy for a facility in Las Vegas, I will continue to work with the NFL and the Raiders’ designee Larry McNeil to iron out a deal that works for the team, the league, the fans and the taxpayers in Oakland.”

If the Raiders’ Vegas plans fall through, their only choice might be Oakland. In theory, a return to Los Angeles could happen if the Chargers don’t join the Rams there, but CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora reported on Sunday that the Bolts look likely to move there. He added that the league doesn’t want the Raiders to go back to LA.

For now, the Raiders are on a one-year lease to play at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum, which opened in 1966. In what could have been the team’s final home opener in Oakland, the Raiders dropped a 35-28 decision to the Falcons on Sunday.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Raiders’ Relocation Odds Increasing

September 16th, 2016 at 8:02pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The odds of the Raiders relocating to Las Vegas are increasing, according to Bleacher Report’s Jason Cole, who hears that both Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval and state Legislature will likely approve businessman Sheldon Adelson’s $1.9 billion stadium plan (video link). Adelson’s proposal calls for a record $750MM in public money, which would come from a hotel tax increase, as well as $650MM from him and another $500MM courtesy of the Raiders.

Cole’s report comes a day after the Southern Nevada Tourism and Infrastructure Committee approved the use of $750MM in public money toward a stadium. That decision, which came after months of negotiations and a threat from Adelson’s company to withdraw financial support, left Raiders owner Mark Davis optimistic about relocation.

“We are excited and thanks to the committee,” Davis told USA Today in a text message.

One potential hurdle is whether the stadium vote comes before or after the Nov. 8 elections in Nevada, notes Cole, though he adds that it would take a “miracle” for the Raiders’ relocation plans to fall through.

Andy Abboud, who’s the vice president of government relations and community development of Adelson’s company, Las Vegas Sands, said Thursday that the Raiders could have difficulty moving by next season if the Nevada Legislature doesn’t hold a special session to vote on the stadium proposal before Nov. 8 (via Art Marroquin and Tom Spousta of the Las Vegas Review-Journal). Abboud’s reasoning: The Raiders’ relocation package would also require approval from the NFL in January, when they’d need 24 of the league’s 32 owners to sign off on a move. Ray Ratto of CSNBayArea.com wrote Thursday that Davis isn’t a lock to receive the necessary amount of support to shift his franchise to Las Vegas.

For its part, Oakland – where the Raiders launched in 1960 – is not “giving up,” Mayor Libby Schaaf told Ratto on Thursday. The city isn’t ready to commit nearly as much in public money to a new stadium as Vegas could, though.

“While Nevada lawmakers consider making the largest public investment in a private stadium deal in history by approving a $750MM public subsidy for a facility in Las Vegas, I will continue to work with the NFL and the Raiders’ designee Larry McNeil to iron out a deal that works for the team, the league, the fans and the taxpayers in Oakland,” Schaaf stated.

The Raiders’ current facility, Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum, opened in 1966. The franchise called it home until 1981 and, after spending over a decade in Los Angeles, has played there since 1995.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Raiders’ Vegas Stadium Takes Step Forward

September 15th, 2016 at 4:57pm CST by Sam Robinson

A Thursday decision from the Southern Nevada Tourism and Infrastructure Committee represents another step toward the Raiders moving to Las Vegas. The committee tasked with presenting a funding plan for a prospective $1.9 billion stadium approved $750MM in public money to be used for this project, doing so after months of negotiations, according to an Associated Press report.

This proposal will still need to see approval from Nevada governor Brian Sandoval and the state legislature, but after the figure above brought some dispute within the SNTIC, today’s decision represents a hurdle cleared in this process.

“We are excited and thanks to the committee,” Mark Davis said via text to USA Today Sports (via ESPN.com).

Sheldon Adelson and Las Vegas Sands threatened to withdraw financial support if the $750MM threshold was not met; the committee needed to do so this month to meet a predetermined deadline, one that was already extended. We’d also previously heard the Raiders and Vegas were going to move on if the SNTIC didn’t approve these funds, but the sides are clearly serious about this venture.

The plan for collecting public money stems from a hotel tax raise, similar to the Chargers’ downtown stadium proposal in San Diego, and the Raiders are slated to contribute $500MM. Adelson is planning to put $650MM toward the venture, one that proponents of today’s ruling hope to accelerate in order for Sandoval and the legislature to green-light it in time for an NFL vote in January.

The Raiders, who haven’t been shy about relocating sans-sufficient NFL support, would still need to receive the customary 24 votes from the owners to move. Once thought to be against this proposal due to the gambling component, the NFL likely won’t stand in the way of this project if it makes it through the state hurdles, Vincent Bonsignore of the Los Angeles Daily News tweets.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

AFC Notes: Watt, Maxwell, Raiders, Jaguars

September 7th, 2016 at 7:05pm CST by Sam Robinson

J.J. Watt worried whether or not he’d be healthy enough to return to football in the days following his groin surgery this winter, per Deepi Sidhu of HoustonTexans.com. The Texans‘ defensive end dynamo, however, said the rehab from his July back surgery didn’t faze him nearly as much.

“After the first surgery, there were some days there where I really, really questioned whether or not I would ever be able to play again,” Watt said. “Just some of the stuff we were dealing with from a rehab standpoint, just the way recovery was going early on…way back in January and February, there was a very low point there.

“[After the groin surgery] I was in a hotel room in Philadelphia for 10 days straight not being able to really walk or anything. With this this back surgery, after going through the first one…it was almost like, ‘screw it, let’s get it over with, let’s get through it.’ This one has almost been a fun challenge to overcome.”

Houston activated Watt from the Active/PUP list last week and is expected to deploy him for the Week 1 Bears matchup. Counting five playoff games, Watt has started 85 consecutive contests going into his sixth season.

Here’s more from around the league on the eve of Week 1.

Dolphins cornerback Byron Maxwell was blunt when asked about why he left the Seahawks in free agency in 2015 to join up with the Eagles, as James Walker of ESPN.com writes. “Cash flow, all day,” Maxwell said. “They were close. But I can’t make that back in my lifetime. So I had to go.” Philadelphia gave Maxwell a six-year, $63MM contract with a whopping $25MM guaranteed. However, after he struggled in his first season with Philly, he was shipped to the Dolphins and had his contract restructured. After being in the shadow of Richard Sherman with Seattle, Maxwell is now the No. 1 CB for the Dolphins.
If the Southern Nevada Tourism and Infrastructure Committee doesn’t vote to green-light sufficient funds for a Raiders stadium, the sides will move on, Bleacher Report’s Jason Cole tweets. This is viewed by Las Vegas and the Raiders as a one-shot deal, per Cole. The SNTIC has until Sept. 30 to come up with a financing plan, but the issue over how much public money will be contributed remains the sticking point. Developers are seeking $750MM in public contributions for the $1.9 billion stadium. With Oakland having made next to no progress on plans for a Raiders long-term site, the team could pivot back to Los Angeles, which may again have both the Chargers and Raiders interested after both had previously moved to other projects.
Dave Caldwell viewed his first three Jaguars teams as flawed to the point the team needed “perfect” efforts to be in a game late, Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union writes. “Now we can overcome a bad play, a fumble, a backed-up situation, a deficit,” the fourth-year Jags GM said. “Offensively, we can score quickly and defensively, I think we can hold that fort down.” Jacksonville’s accumulated a 12-36 record during the first three seasons of the Caldwell/Gus Bradley regime.
After matching C.J. Anderson‘s offer sheet, extending Brandon Marshall through 2020 and avoiding a franchise tag season for Von Miller, the Broncos reached an agreement to extend Emmanuel Sanders through 2019.

Zach Links contributed to this report

Latest on Raiders, Las Vegas

August 25th, 2016 at 7:42pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

In preparing for potential relocation, the Raiders filed for three trademarks to the phrase “Las Vegas Raiders” earlier this week, reports Darren Rovell of ESPN. The trademarks would give the Raiders the exclusive right to use the name for sporting events and sell it on merchandise.

The Raiders aren’t the first to seek the “Las Vegas Raiders” trademark, according to Rovell, who writes that six filings have previously been made for it. Further, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office reviews each filing from oldest to newest, so the Raiders will have to wait in line. Those who filed before the Raiders would likely have to make a case that their filing isn’t related to the team, adds Rovell.

Of course, in order for the trademark to matter, the Raiders will have to find a place to play in Las Vegas. Representatives from two proposed stadium backers – Majestic Realty and the Las Vegas Sands casino company – are zeroing in on a pair of potential sites just west of the Las Vegas Strip, per the Associated Press. However, the representatives declared Thursday that they won’t accept any less than a record $750MM in public funding toward a new stadium. Their insistence comes as a result of the increase in cost to build the facility. The proposal for a 65,000-seat domed stadium was initially estimated at $1.45 billion, but it’s now up to $1.9 billion. The Raiders previously expressed a willingness to contribute $500MM to the cause.

“If we can’t get 750, we respectfully thank you but we’re going to move on,” stated Sands president Rob Goldstein.

Public funding toward the stadium would come primarily from an increase in a Las Vegas-area hotel room tax, and Goldstein said it would be a “negligible” cost for those staying in hotels. However, Steve Hill – chair of the oversight committee and head of the Nevada Governor’s Office of Economic Development – isn’t open to the idea.

“The public is not making a contribution to a privately owned stadium,” Hill commented.

For his part, Nevada Sen. Harry Reid has been quiet about whether taxpayers should help fund a stadium, but he does think “it would be great” if the Raiders relocated to Las Vegas (via the San Francisco Chronicle). In order for that to happen, they’ll need a stadium to call home and three-fourths approval from NFL owners.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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