City Of Oakland News & Rumors

Latest On Raiders, Las Vegas

March 23rd, 2017 at 10:51am CST by Zachary Links

It’s not a done deal just yet, but all (neon) signs are pointing towards the Raiders moving to Las Vegas. The NFL has set a range for the Raiders’ Las Vegas relocation fee that is far less than what the Rams and Chargers each paid to move to Los Angeles, sources tell Albert Breer of The MMQB. The Raiders would pay between $325MM and $375MM for the right to move to Sin City instead of the $650MM paid by the L.A. teams. That’s one hurdle down for owner Mark Davis, who has less cash at his disposal than most owners.

Now, the proposed move will likely be put to a vote at next week’s annual league meeting, which is probably a sign that the league feels it has the necessary 24 votes for approval. Specifically, the vote is expected to take place on Monday, NFL.com’s Judy Battista tweets. NFL owners aren’t crazy about the idea of leaving the Bay Area, particularly after the 49ers have left the Raiders an opportunity to add fans in the North and East Bay, but there are no viable proposals to keep the team in Oakland, Breer writes.

Even assuming that the vote passes early next week, there are still some issues that the NFL will want clarity on. Namely, the league will want to see the exact terms of the lease given that the city of Las Vegas will be contributing a record amount of public money. NFL owners want to ensure that the Raiders are getting the appropriate amount of revenue out of the building before OKing the proposal, which is why their approval could be conditional, according to Breer.

There’s also the matter of Sheldon Adelson and his business ties in the city of Las Vegas. Now that he is no longer a partner in the deal, there is some concern in NFL circles that he could use his connections to make life difficult for the Raiders. However, word is that Adelson privately told folks during the Super Bowl in Houston that he wouldn’t stand in the way of the team moving forward without him, Breer hears.

In the longer term, Breer gets the sense that another team could eventually wind up in Oakland, given the area’s potential. The Raiders are not leaving Oakland for lack of fan support or dollars in the region, but rather because of the city’s unwillingness to make a deal that it feels would be heavily tilted against taxpayers. However, things can always change and a new regime in the municipality could help pave the way for the NFL to someday return.

Mark Davis “Dead Set” On Las Vegas

March 19th, 2017 at 9:42am CST by Rory Parks

This will not come as much of a surprise to anyone who has been paying attention, but Raiders owner Mark Davis is reportedly “dead set” on moving his club to Las Vegas and has abandoned all pretense of hearing out plans to keep the Raiders in Oakland. Elliott Almond of The Mercury News writes that Davis has not met with Oakland officials in over a year, and he did not speak with Assistant City Administrator Claudia Cappio two weeks ago, when Davis listened to Cappio and other officials make a pitch in Florida to other NFL owners.

Indeed, Davis has not so much as commented on the stadium plan put forth by Hall-of-Famer Ronnie Lott, though as Almond reports, sources familiar with both plans say Oakland could still have a chance to win over enough owners to keep the team where it is. Some owners, apparently, still have concerns about “funding infrastructure” in Las Vegas.

We learned last week that the Raiders will likely not have a lease agreement for a proposed Las Vegas stadium in place before the league owners meet later this month. Nonetheless, the absence of a finalized lease agreement does not mean the league owners will be precluded from voting on the relocation proposal. Instead, they could conditionally approve the relocation as long as the lease adequately addresses issues that are important to the league.

While Davis’ apparent reluctance to even consider Oakland’s overtures will surely anger and frustrate Bay Area fans, Almond reports that Lott’s plan has a fair share of flaws and has been met with skepticism by key league executives. Plus, the city’s proposal is still six to eight months away from being fully complete, which means that Oakland’s fading hopes are contingent upon league owners either postponing the relocation vote or voting against the move altogether, the latter of which seems highly unlikely.

Raiders Secure Additional Las Vegas Funding

March 6th, 2017 at 6:02pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Raiders’ Las Vegas project received what could be a critical boost on Monday. Bank of America agreed to help fund the proposed $1.9 billion stadium. According to the team, via Vincent Bonsignore of the Los Angeles Daily News (on Twitter), this latest development stands to complete the financing on this venture.

The extra backing became essential to the Raiders moving forward with their long-planned Vegas relocation because of Sheldon Adelson and Goldman Sachs’ withdrawals earlier this year.

Bank of America being now involved with the franchise’s push to move strengthens the Raiders’ potential proposal. One insider said the Raiders showed a “very strong” Las Vegas plan at today’s presentation to the NFL’s stadium and finance committees, Sam Farmer of the Los Angeles Times tweets. The Raiders were seeking an additional partner to aid this effort after Adelson’s exit deprived the team of the $650MM he promised to deliver. While the Raiders still secured the record $750MM in public money from Nevada, a sizable gap existed prior to Bank of America agreeing to fill the void.

Conversely, the Oakland made a 45-minute presentation at today’s summit in Florida. An NFL source informed Bonsignore (Twitter link) no new revelations emerged from the Oakland proposal. The Fortress Investment Group that’s backing the Ronnie Lott-led Oakland operation was not on hand at today’s meetings, Bosignore tweets. This continues the stagnant nature of the Oakland push to retain the Raiders, one that has yet to produce a viable plan in the eyes of the league.

The Vegas venture that as recently as five weeks ago was categorized as being “all but dead” appears to have new life. Today’s development gels with Raiders president Mark Badain saying last month two banks had agreed to loan them money for the move.

While the Raiders still need to convince 23 owners to approve this relocation when it’s put up for a vote, the lack of an Oakland solution may deliver more momentum to Vegas. (And one of the most influential owners seems to be on board.) However, there are still complications regarding this move, and after key Raiders backers pulled out recently, the project being on firm footing can’t be assumed just yet. Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk notes Adelson could still try to keep the team out, as he reportedly plans to lure another team. But nothing of any substance has emerged on that front.

AFC Notes: Broncos, Browns, Raiders, Fins

March 1st, 2017 at 7:42pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Broncos general manager John Elway issued an update Wednesday regarding the status of impending free agent linebacker DeMarcus Ware, per Nicki Jhabvala of the Denver Post. “I haven’t talked to DeMarcus,” Elway said “He’s been around, but I haven’t had a chance to sit down with DeMarcus, so as we get through this and get back to Denver, I’m sure I’ll sit down with DeMarcus and we’ll talk about it.”

On the other hand, rookie head coach Vance Joseph has talked to the future Hall of Fame pass rusher “four or five” times over the past couple months. The soon-to-be 35-year-old Ware has made it no secret that he’d like to return to Denver for a fourth season, but his previous employer, the Cowboys, could pursue him if he reaches free agency. Between Dallas and Denver, Ware has amassed 138.5 sacks in 12 years. Four of those sacks came last season for Ware, who appeared in a career-low 10 games on account of back and forearm injuries.

Elway, meanwhile, could become a free agent executive after next season. It doesn’t look as if that will happen, however, as contract extension talks between Elway and the Broncos “going fine,” the Hall of Fame quarterback said (via Cameron Wolfe of the Denver Post). “I don’t anticipate any problems,” he added. The 56-year-old Elway has been resoundingly successful as an executive, having helped the Broncos to a 67-29 record, five playoff berths, two AFC championships and a Super Bowl in six seasons in their front office.

Latest On Potential Cities For Raiders

February 3rd, 2017 at 8:43pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Contrary to a report that the Raiders’ hopes of relocating to Las Vegas are “all but dead,” multiple sources have told Vincent Bonsignore of the Los Angeles Daily News that the plan is “absolutely salvageable.” Bosnignore adds that Las Vegas-based businessman Sheldon Adelson, who on Monday backed out of putting $650MM toward a new stadium for the Raiders, will attend the Super Bowl in Houston on Sunday. There’s no word as to whether he’ll meet with Raiders owner Mark Davis and restart negotiations, however (Twitter link).

The loss of potential financial support from both Adelson and Goldman Sachs has led to optimism that the Raiders could end up staying in Oakland, but Davis still doesn’t seem eager to keep the franchise there. In fact, the Raiders haven’t even contacted Oakland officials since Adelson bailed, according to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link). Three sources indicated to Cole that the Vegas dream is indeed “dead,” though, which conflicts with what Bonsignore has heard. If it is off the table and the Raiders aren’t open to remaining in Oakland, Cole names San Antonio – a city with which the Raiders have had past flirtations – as a possible destination.

Having lost the Chargers to LA last month, the city of San Diego has also come up as a suitor for the Raiders. Mayor Kevin Faulconer has already contacted the league to let it know of San Diego’s interest, and Don Banks of SI.com and NFL.com reports that the Raiders could head there and play in the Chargers’ longtime home, Qualcomm Stadium.

While the Chargers were unwilling to continue in the 50-year-old facility, the notion of it undergoing a significant facelift and then housing the Raiders “will gain support in league circles,” writes Banks. Should that come to fruition, the NFL would regain the San Diego market, which it didn’t want to lose in the first place; further, the Raiders would land a stadium upgrade over the Oakland Coliseum, notes Banks, who adds that the league wouldn’t be opposed to having three Southern California-based franchises.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Raiders Move To Las Vegas “All But Dead”?

February 1st, 2017 at 1:09pm CST by Zachary Links

First casino magnate Sheldon Adelson dropped out of the Raiders’ Las Vegas stadium plan, then investment firm Goldman Sachs bailed. Now, the proposed move to Vegas is “all but dead,” Daniel Kaplan of Sports Business Journal (on Twitter) hears.

This week’s events took both the Raiders and the NFL by surprise. Despite some public bickering, the Raiders were hoping that they could take their deal with Adelson to the finish line. But, if that failed, they were under the impression that Goldman Sachs would help finance the stadium instead and that’s what they told the league just a couple of weeks ago. Now, it seems that the two parties are a package deal. Adelson and the firm have a long business history together and it appears that they will stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the Sands billionaire.

If the Vegas move is truly dead, this could theoretically help the team stay in Oakland. So far, owner Mark Davis hasn’t been keen on the proposal put forth by Ronnie Lott’s group, but he might not have a ton of options at this juncture. The Lott deal would call for Oakland to contribute 130 acres of land and absorb all related taxes. Meanwhile, the NFL would chip in $300MM with $300-$400MM from Lott’s Fortress Group. The Fortress Group could be looking for a piece of the team as a part of the transaction, but Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports hears there could be other ways to make it all work.

Meanwhile, in Houston on Wednesday, Goodell told reporters that the league still “hasn’t made a determination yet about Las Vegas as an NFL market.” The league, he adds, continues to review the Raiders’ application.

Latest On Raiders’ Future: Vegas, Oakland, SD

January 31st, 2017 at 5:39pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

After casino magnate Sheldon Adelson scrapped his plan to commit $650MM toward a $1.9 billion stadium in Las Vegas for the Raiders on Monday, there was a report that Goldman Sachs might also bail because of its relationship with Adelson. It turns out that will be the case. The investment firm will not help the Raiders finance a stadium without the 83-year-old Adelson’s involvement, a source told Nathan Fenno of the Los Angeles Times (Twitter link).

Goldman Sachs was supposed to be the Raiders’ fallback option in the event of Adelson’s withdrawal. Not having either could be a death blow to the franchise’s hopes of relocating to Las Vegas. With neither around to aid the Raiders, staying in Oakland for the long haul could become a more realistic scenario than it was was previously.

Raiders owner Mark Davis hasn’t been amenable to the joint stadium proposal that the city of Oakland and the Ronnie Lott-fronted Fortress Group have put forth, but the deal isn’t without merit, as CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora writes. The city would set aside 130 acres of land for a stadium and handle all the taxes associated with it, per La Canfora, who adds that the NFL would chip in $300MM. Another $300MM to $400MM would come from Fortress (plus whatever else is necessary to complete construction) toward a stadium to replace the outdated Oakland Coliseum. Fortress would also perhaps want an ownership stake in the Raiders – something Davis is not open to giving out – but there could be other ways for him to “make them whole,” according to La Canfora.

Lott’s group issued a hopeful statement Tuesday in the wake of the Adelson news, saying (via Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk): “We stand ready to work with the team and NFL to keep the Raiders here at home. We have the land available at the existing Coliseum site following the actions of the City of Oakland and Alameda County last December. We have a strong financing partner in Fortress Investment Group. We have an additional $100 million due to the NFL incentive to keep the Raiders in Oakland. And of course, we have the best fans in the world right here in the heart of Raider Nation. Add to all that a diverse and fast growing community, a top 10 television market, and more Fortune 500 companies than any region in the western United States. Bottom line, if the Raiders want to stay in Oakland, we are more than ready to be a partner in making that happen.”

If Davis can’t make things work in either Vegas or Oakland, the suddenly Chargers-less city of San Diego could quickly regain entry into the league. Mayor Kevin Faulconer reached out to the NFL on Tuesday to let the league know it’s interested in the Oakland franchise, while another San Diego official at least made an attempt to contact the Raiders, but it’s unknown if the two sides spoke, reports Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune.

San Diego’s plan to erect a stadium for a Major League Soccer franchise could help its cause in landing the Raiders, relays Acee, who notes that the proposal “sets aside a 16-acre parcel specifically for an NFL stadium” to replace Qualcomm Stadium. Further, Davis “loves” the city and might be more flexible in negotiations to build a facility there than Chargers owner Dean Spanos was. It’s also worth noting that the league didn’t want to lose the San Diego market, as the Chargers’ relocation left commissioner Roger Goodell “disappointed” and owners “very upset.” Those same parties haven’t been overly enthusiastic regarding the prospect of the Raiders playing in Las Vegas, the gambling capital of the United States.

Raiders File Relocation Papers

January 19th, 2017 at 2:25pm CST by Ben Levine

As Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reported over the weekend, the Raiders have filed relocation papers to move from Oakland to Las Vegas. The Mark Davis-led Raiders will now need to receive approval from 24 NFL owners to relocate, and that vote will likely take place in March.

The city of Oakland made “no progress” in retaining the team, Rapoport noted, and few believe that their proposal for a new stadium is “credible.” The Raiders have been looking to move out of Oakland Alameda Coliseum, their home from 1966-1981 and again since 1995, but they’ll spend the next two seasons there even if the league approves their move, according to Paul Gutierrez of ESPN.com.

As the Raiders continue in Oakland for a couple more years, construction will preumsably get underway on a Las Vegas stadium sometime soon. The Raiders have a $1.9 billion proposed facility in the works, but $650MM of that is supposed to come from casino magnate Sheldon Adelson. There have been bumps in the road in negotiations between him and the Raiders, so it’s unclear whether Adelson will be part of the plan. The rest of the money will come from the the Raiders ($500MM) and a record in public money ($750MM) via hotel room tax revenue. The Raiders have also suggested a plan that would allow the team to finance a new stadium via Goldman Sachs advisors.

For what it’s worth, Rapoport noted previously that the league’s owners aren’t as opposed to the idea of the Raiders going from Oakland to Vegas as originally anticipated. The plan is “making progress and gathering momentum,” which should be good news to Davis.

The Chargers announced their move from San Diego to Los Angeles last week, which came a year after the Rams relocated from St. Louis to LA. The Raiders departing their longstanding home would further shake up the league.

West Notes: Raiders, Fisher, Rams, Broncos

December 16th, 2016 at 7:39pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Suspended Raiders linebacker Aldon Smith is “mad and frustrated” about the way his reinstatement bid has stalled, Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle writes. Smith applied for a return in October, just under a year after the league handed him a one-year ban for a substance abuse violation. That year has since passed, but there’s still no word on Smith’s future. “He is losing hope,” Smith’s personal trainer, Steve Fotion, told Tafur. “They are jerking him around, telling him they’ll have an answer for him on Monday. And then nothing. It seems unprofessional.” Smith has “been randomly drug-tested and they have all come back clean,” Fotion added. The 27-year-old pass rusher met with commissioner Roger Goodell last Friday. Goodell acknowledged that meeting earlier this week, though he didn’t offer details on when he’ll decide Smith’s fate.

More on the Silver and Black and a couple other franchises:

There was a report earlier this week pointing to disharmony between Raiders owner Mark Davis and Las Vegas casino mogul Sheldon Adelson, but team officials had a productive meeting with Adelson at his office Thursday. “Both are working very hard to finalize a deal,” tweeted Clark County (Nev.) Commission Chairman Steve Sisolak, who was also in attendance. Further, Sisolak dismissed the idea that Davis and Adelson don’t get along, writes Richard N. Velotta of the Las Vegas Review-Journal. The Raiders remain focused on Vegas relocation, which the league could vote on in March, and don’t regard the city of Oakland’s $1.3 billion stadium plan as economically viable.
Former Rams head coach Jeff Fisher doesn’t believe the team ever intended to keep him in place for its 2019 move to a new stadium in Inglewood, he told FOX Sports’ Charissa Thompson (via Marc Sessler of NFL.com). “He didn’t win enough games, and the organization has a much bigger picture,” Fisher said on why the Rams fired him Monday. “And I don’t think I was ever part of seeing the new stadium.” Had the Rams experienced more success under Fisher, perhaps he could have been at the helm when they shifted to their new facility. The club went just 31-45-1 with Fisher, though, and its 4-8 start this year was enough for owner Stan Kroenke to go in another direction.
The Broncos worked out punter A.J. Hughes on Thursday, Troy Renck of Denver7 tweets. Notably, the team already has a capable option in Riley Dixon, who ranks seventh in the league in net yards per punt (41.2) and 11th in punts inside the 20 (twenty-two). As of earlier this month, his net average was the highest ever for a rookie, per Broncos vice president of public relations Patrick Smyth (Twitter link).

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Latest On Oakland, Las Vegas Stadium Efforts

December 12th, 2016 at 6:42pm CST by Sam Robinson

Mark Davis has yet to publicly acknowledge the recent efforts the city of Oakland has made to keep the Raiders in the Bay Area, but some progress between the team and its current city came to light on Monday.

Raiders officials were to meet today with Bay Area stadium proponents from the NFL and the city of Oakland, according to an NFL Network report (via CSNBayArea.com). This comes a day before Oakland and Alameda County are slated to vote on a stadium proposal term sheet — a $1.3 billion project with a substantial financial pledge from the Ronnie Lott-fronted Fortress Investment Group.

The first known meeting between the Raiders and integral players behind this proposal represents a step, and it comes when the farther-along Las Vegas venture has hit a snag.

Davis and Las Vegas Sands owner Sheldon Adelson, who has helped spearhead this prospective Vegas site for the Raiders, have encountered difficulties making a deal, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reports. While Nevada governor Brian Sandoval and the state legislature have already approved the $750MM in public money to be put toward this new stadium, additional funding for the $1.9 billion domed venue would come from the Raiders, the NFL and Adelson’s group. That hasn’t proved to be a smooth process, and Florio notes Davis not yet denouncing the Oakland stadium effort could be a calculated move to maintain some leverage in the Vegas talks.

Florio reports the past two weeks have been difficult between Davis and Adelson as they negotiate. One of the potential sticking points could be the casino mogul being expected to push for partial ownership of the Raiders and a path to control of the team. That could also be an issue for the NFL, with its past (and potentially present) hesitancy regarding placing a team in Sin City. This also isn’t the first time word of contention between Adelson and the Raiders has surfaced.

“I negotiated to bring in the Oakland Raiders, an NFL football team from Oakland, because they don’t have a stadium there, that I would build a stadium and rent it out to the Oakland Raiders,” Adelson said in October. “They want so much. So I told my people, ‘Tell them I could live with the deal, I could live without the deal. Here’s the way it’s gonna go down. If they don’t want it, bye-bye.”

Davis and Adelson are still expected to strike a deal, per Florio, who notes that won’t occur because Adelson suddenly gives in. This will be a key topic of conversation at this week’s owners meetings, with a December summit again featuring relocation as a major issue.

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