Today was the last day of the autumn NFL Owners meetings in Houston. On Monday Governor Brian Sandoval signed SB-1, which included 750 million in public funding for a new stadium in Las Vegas. Mark Davis presented his Las Vegas relocation plan, which included that 750 million in public funding, to the other 31 owners.
Mark Davis began a scorched Oakland campaign, that began today in Houston. Like a pirate, blustering in the from the sea. More on that below.
After today’s meeting NFL Owners weighed in, one by one, on the Mark Davis proposal. Jerry Jones and Robert Kraft openly supported Mark’s proposal. While Bob McNair and others, were open to the idea. Most owners wanted to see the Las Vegas market data that should be ready in December.
Mark Davis Puts Oakland in the Rear View Mirror
Another things most owners were asking was,
“Where is Oakland’s proposal”
“We would be open to hearing a plan from Oakland if, or when, they are ready”
Many owners voiced concern that Oakland did not have anyone at the meeting.
Roger Goodell then weighed in with his comments on the proposal and Oakland’s progress.
“to a large extent there has not been a solution in Oakland.”
“There’s still a great deal of information that we need to gather with respect to the circumstances we see in Las Vegas in the opportunities and also the challenges. Those are the things we’ll look at through the committee and report back to them maybe as early as December, but more likely later than that.”
“We would love to have the Raiders stay in Oakland. We think that that’s a positive thing. We’ve been also very clear over the last couple of years that it requires getting long-term resolution to their stadium. We still don’t have that solution. Our staff is working with the mayor and the officials in the Oakland area to see if there are alternatives out there. But, we don’t have one yet.”
Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf Believes a Serious Plan Can Be Offered in the Coming Weeks.
Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf released a statement after the NFL Owners meeting yesterday.
“I cannot afford for us to be thrown off our game because Nevada lawmakers have deemed it appropriate to put $750 million in public money towards a private sports facility. While I’m committed to keeping the Raiders, I will not enter into a bidding war with Nevada using public funds.”
She went on to say that she believes that a plan to keep the Oakland Raiders in Oakland will be coming in a few weeks. However she reiterated her stance on public funds in her prepared statement.
“fair to the Raiders, the league, the fans and the Oakland taxpayers to whom I am most responsible.”
Mark Davis has other ideas however.
“It’s unfair for people to keep bringing up, what if Oakland does this, what if Oakland does that? Las Vegas has already done what they are supposed to do.”
“I made a commitment to the governor. I told him if they come through with the funding that they were talking about, that I would do everything possible to get there. I was not using it as leverage. I told him. I looked him right in the eye and said: ‘That’s not the way I do business.’”
“Oakland was in the driver’s seat if they could’ve put together anything. They came up with nothing.”
Additionally, per ESPN, Mark Davis plans to file for relocation as soon as the league allows, in January 2017.
Roger Goodell share one other thing when directly asked if Mark Davis had met the relocation criteria.
“I think Mark has given his best effort to try to do that.”
The Earliest Mark can file for relocation is January 15th, 2017, unless the league decides to move up the date in December. Generally though, the NFL would rather wait until after the season, to vote on relocation. With that in mind a relocation vote could be pushed out to the March meetings in in Phoenix, Arizona on the 22nd thru the 25th.
More to follow in the coming weeks.
