Raiders Owner Mark Davis on Thursday "received a standing ovation from surprised fans at the sparsely packed Paramount Theatre" during an NFL town hall meeting about his club's possible move to L.A., according to a front-page piece by Matthew Artz of the OAKLAND TRIBUNE. He later "broke protocol and returned to the microphone when a fan asked if Davis has 'the fans' backs' after they had sold out O.Co Coliseum for losing teams." Davis: "We've been offering as much as we possibly can. We need help from the community as well to get something our fans and the NFL can be proud of." Artz notes Davis' surprise appearance and brief participation "appeared to soften the mood." The owners of the Chargers and Rams "did not attend similar public comment sessions in those cities earlier this week during which fans booed lower-level team officials." Raiders fans "made impassioned pleas about the team's importance to their families and the importance of having a blue-collar city and fan base in an increasingly corporate league." As he took selfies with fans after the meeting, Davis said that he "'has the same passion' for Oakland as they did but indicated again that progress on a stadium would require public funds." He said, "If there is a line in the sand that (they're) not going to contribute, I don't know what we can do" (OAKLAND TRIBUNE, 10/30). In S.F., Rachel Swan in a front-page piece notes Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf "drew jeers from the crowd." Schaaf said that she is "committed to keeping the team and incorporating it into the city’s economic boom." Schaaf: "We know that the energy and the value is flowing to vibrant cities like Oakland, not tired suburbs like Carson" (S.F. CHRONICLE, 10/30).
