The Black Hole

[shiznit]

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/r...ation-after-las-vegas-approves-stadium-funds/

Nevada State Legislators approve the stadium funding model which was the probably the biggest hurdle for them to overcome.

Now it all comes down to the NFL Owners.

 

[pennywisealfie]

Massive news. Pretty much looks like they're moving.

 

[Sans Souci Sainter]

Just move Baby!

 

[shiznit]

Aldon Smith applies for reinstatement...

No guarantee that he's going to be allowed back... but if he's given the green light he should be due back in mid november...

with Mario Edwards Jr due back from IR in a fortnight also our historically poor defence might be able to start contributing positively...

 

[pennywisealfie]

I thought for sure we would improve this year, but we have really gone backwards on D.

 

[shiznit]

Yeah we should be much, much better than what we are.... considering the $$$ Reggie Mac spent in FA on that defence.

I know that Ken Norton Jr is definitely under the gun at the moment...

 

[shiznit]

Back to the playoffs for the first time in 13 years...

And to make things even better we got 7 named to the pro bowl.

DC, Coop, Penn, Hudson, KO, Reggie Nelson & Khalil Mack of course...

Thats the most in the league from 1 team...

Here's hoping they won't be able to make it as they are occupied with another game...

 

[Tom155]

 

[shiznit]

It's been on the cards for awhile....

Personally as I'm an international fan it doesn't affect me in the slightest...

But I feel for the Oakland fans. They have been turning up for the past decade when we have been nothing but utter trash... so to be moving away just as the franchise looks like it's turned the corner is really sad.

But you gotta be honest here... We are in the worst stadium not just in the league... but in the entire country across all the major leagues. And it's seriously embarrassing...

And Mark Davis has tried really hard to get something done in Oakland but the City and County aren't going to play ball. And fair enough too, I think spending public funds on a stadium for a private franchise is quite frankly ridiculous.

So it is, what it is... Las Vegas are able to come up with $750M by raising a hotel room tax so in essence visitors are paying for it.

Whether they have the votes will be interesting.... you would think they SHOULD as I'm pretty sure Mark Davis will do like his old man and take the league to court if they deny him. Because they have blocked him from LA and now blocking him from LV they would be forcing them to stay in a terrible situation in the coliseum.

 

[pennywisealfie]

Las Vegas was my favourite city in America when I went there. So, to have my team there is awesome.

Still, I would have preferred they stay in Oakland. They tried and tried and couldn't get the deal done.

 

[Sans Souci Sainter]

Seems like a sound relocation for many reasons.

With a half decent team, you'd think attendances would be pretty good with the amount of tourists wanting to see their first game (good for the NFL), and good for the traveling raider nation.

 

[pennywisealfie]

Goldman Sachs out.

Now, we're back to square one. I've seen a lot of optimism that Ronnie Lott can get a deal done to stay in Oakland, but I can't see it.

 

[shiznit]

Yup.... I don't know what to make of it.

I just hope whatever they do doesn't start to effect the actual team.

 

[Tom155]

 

[shiznit]

With free agency going on I barely noticed this...

Cut his ass IMO.... It's not like he can complain that we have stuck by him.

 

[shiznit]

It's looking like this time 2moro we are going to be the Las Vegas Raiders.

 

[Haffa]

It's looking like this time 2moro we are going to be the Las Vegas Raiders.

With that amount of public funds being kicked in I'm not surprised.

 

[shiznit]

With that amount of public funds being kicked in I'm not surprised.

Yup that's for sure... $750M + another $200M for infrastructure around the site...

Oakland and Alameda County just couldn't and really shouldn't try to match them. They have far more important issues to handle than to subsidise a new home for a billion dollar company.

It's sad for the fans in Oakland... but Mark Davis just doesn't have the money to fund a stadium on his own like Kronke and he won't give up any stake in the team.

Vegas can access a billion dollars in hotel tax on visitors just by charging them an average of under 2cents extra per visit... quite astounding really...

I'm now going to have to make the trek to the Coliseum in the next 2 seasons before they move... and then hopefully I'd like to go to the first game in the new stadium in Vegas.

Hopefully the team can win one more title for Oakland in the next couple of seasons.

 

[pennywisealfie]

It's gonna be cool having the Raiders play in my favourite US city. I could totally live there.

However, I really feel sad for the people of Oakland.

 

[nick87]

It's always funny to see all the pundits talk about how the LV population isnt a viable NFL market but as stated above, they could tax 1c for every merkin who walks through their state and pay for a team every week. The trouble will be cultivating a weekly, passionate fan base but maybe they dont care
maybe they think they'll fill 50k 8 times a year with tourists who get a easy NFL experience and that's fine. And they are probably right.

I dont for one second doubt this will be a money making, and ultimately successful move. And it sucks for Oakland fans. It would have been much better to see the Raiders get back to LA. But so be it