Posted Oct 20, 2016, 2:02 AM
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NFL to study viability of Las Vegas supporting pro football
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said Wednesday that a study comparing Las Vegas with Oakland would be the next step in the process of relocating the team to a $1.9 billion, 65,000-seat domed stadium off the Strip.
Goodell also renewed concerns about placing a team in a state that has legalized sports wagering.
Asked if that could be a stumbling block for a team seeking relocation to Las Vegas, Goodell said, “Those are things we’re going to have to evaluate. We’re going to look at the market, we’re going to look at what we see as the opportunities. We’re going to look at Oakland. We’re going to look at every aspect of this to make sure we are making the right decision for the long term of the NFL.”
Goodell said Davis’ presentation was “factual and members (owners) had the opportunity to ask questions and the chairman of the committee, (Steelers owner) Art Rooney, made it very clear that there’s still a great deal of information that we need to have in terms of the circumstances of Las Vegas.”
Goodell didn’t identify who would be conducting the study or a timetable for completion, but he said it was possible it would be presented at the owners’ one-day meeting in Dallas on Dec. 14.
Prior to Goodell’s news conference, Davis reiterated his desire to move the team to Las Vegas, hoping to get a thumbs up from owners as soon as possible. The support of 24 of 32 owners is required to move a team.
Asked what he hoped the timeframe would be to get a decision, Davis laughed and said, “Well, I’d love for them to say, ‘OK, today,’ so we can get to work and start building that thing. Maybe we’d be done by 2019.”
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http://www.reviewjournal.com/sports/...g-pro-football
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Raiders owner Mark Davis rails against Oakland 'disrespect,' has sole focus on Las Vegas
“My thing is I've never played cities against each other,” Davis, the son of late Raiders owner Al Davis, told USA TODAY Sports. “Even when we were doing the L.A. thing with the Chargers, Dean (Spanos, San Diego’s owner) and I both had in our deal between us, that if either of us got something in our own markets, then our deal was off and we were going back.
“So, Oakland at that time had the opportunity – they were really negotiating against themselves, and they really didn't want to do anything. They gave a five-page letter as their offer to the NFL, and we ended up losing the vote to go (to L.A.), and they sent us back to get something done (in Oakland). We got a one-year lease (on the Oakland Coliseum) with two one-year options, and I had a press conference and talked then about moving into the future. A week later, I got a call from one of the board of supervisors, said, 'Mark, sorry, but the deal that we negotiated with you is off. We've got to raise the rent and we're raising it three times.'
“Unfortunately, it just showed disrespect to the Raider organization and maybe just a little bit of false leverage on their part or whatever. So, we have the one-year lease with the two one-year options, and we'll probably play that out. But then we had to go look for a real home, and Nevada came through.”
Many questions remain about the Raiders’ proposed move to Las Vegas, as the 32 owners – 24 of whom must vote in favor of any relocation – wait for market studies, details on casino magnate Sheldon Adelson’s $650 million contribution towards the project and other information.
But New York Giants owner John Mara said “sure” when asked if that work could be completed in time for a vote in January. And NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said there’s no solution at this point in Oakland, where Mayor Libby Schaaf is leading a charge to keep the team that is likely months away from even being able to produce a proposal.
Asked directly if Davis is required to keep talking to Oakland to satisfy the relocation criteria, Goodell said: “I think Mark has given his best effort to try to do that. We are engaging also. … Mark’s expressed his frustration about the lack of progress.”
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http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports...tion/92422560/
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