Insiders are reporting that most of the NFL team owners are against the Raider’s moving to Las Vegas. Among other things, they don’t want their players playing in Sin City, possibly being tempted by “gambling, drugs and lose women.”
Additionally, several people have expressed that they are not terribly thrilled with the partner in the deal being billionaire casino magnet Sheldon Adelson who will undoubtedly use the Stadium to promote his gambling empire around the world and loosen restrictions on NFL players and gambling.
Evan Weiner of SportsTalk Radio claims that it’s much more: “Like many others, the Oakland Raiders frontman Davis might have a problem with Sheldon Adelson. It seems that Adelson wants Davis to rent his Las Vegas stadium, which will be partially funded by the largest stadium subsidy, three quarters of a billion dollars from taxpayers, ever approved by a government in America history, the Nevada state legislature and the state governor. That three quarters of a billion-dollar handout alone should be enough to disqualify Adelson from calling the proposed Las Vegas facility his stadium. But this is Sheldon Adelson and he has an awful lot of sway or his money does. Adelson is not a charitable sort when it comes to sharing his money unless he gets something out of it and apparently, he wants something from Davis and the NFL, perhaps getting a piece of the team which is not going to go over well with the NFL owners.”
Oakland is doing all they can to kill the deal. The Oakland mayor’s office has confirmed the city has reached a “framework deal” to keep the Raiders football team in Oakland, ultimately ending plans for the organization to move to Las Vegas, according to a published report.
“There is a framework that has been agreed upon and is currently in closed session with the county and will be in closed session on Nov. 29 with the city council,” Oakland mayor Libby Schaaf’s director of communication Erica Terry Derryck said, “Both bodies will review so we know if we can move forward.”
Schaaf had been working with an investment group led by former Raider and NFL Hall of Famer Ronnie Lott in an effort to keep the team in Oakland. Original plans for the group to purchase the land currently housing the Oakland Coliseum and next door Oracle Arena with an eye toward constructing a new football stadium on the site fell apart last month.
Regardless of what the Oakland Media is saying, it’s pretty clear that the move to Vegas is something that is a long time coming. Professional sports in Las Vegas is going to come, and regardless of if it is the Raiders or some other team we need to look at this as a positive move to grow Las Vegas’ economy. Using Adelson as some excuse is ridiculous.
