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Tim Leiweke's Involvement With Raiders' Move To Las Vegas Could Sway NFL Brass

The Raiders, Majestic Realty and Las Vegas Sands Corp. are using Oak View Group CEO Tim Leiweke as a "consultant to help lead the campaign" for a proposed $1.4B, 65,000-seat stadium in Las Vegas, and his connections could help the city "gain favor in the NFL’s front office," according to a front-page piece by Matt Youmans of the LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL. Leiweke's brother, Tod, was named NFL COO in July. Tim Leiweke also has "years of experience working with" NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and NFL Exec VP/Business Ventures Eric Grubman. Leiweke said, “It’s not just one relationship, and not just a blood relationship. I have a very good relationship with Eric, with Roger and with a lot of the owners. The NFL is more aligned with this than you would think.” Youmans notes Leiweke company "played a role in a major venue announcement this week," as Las Vegas Sands and MSG are partnering with Azoff MSG Entertainment, Live Nation and Oak View Group to "build a 17,500-seat off-Strip venue designed for live music performances." Leiweke's "focus is on the financing strategy for a stadium in Las Vegas." He called today’s meeting of the Southern Nevada Tourism Infrastructure Committee '"critical' in terms of advancing the project." Leiweke said that he "estimates the Las Vegas stadium could host '50 to 60, maybe more' events per year, including eight regular-season games and two preseason games for the Raiders," plus UNLV football. Leiweke: "I’ve been doing this a long time, and I’m actually really optimistic. I am pleasantly surprised. I think things are coming together. There is a real opportunity here" (LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL, 5/26).

CHANGED MAN: USA TODAY's Jarrett Bell writes it is "striking" to consider how Raiders Owner Mark Davis "has come out of the L.A. competition." Davis "seemed like such a passive player in the L.A. stakes" compared to Rams Owner Stan Kroenke and Chargers Chair Dean Spanos. But now he "seems so buff." When he talks about market research studies and about uniting “Raider Nation,” it "reflects a bold, aggressive mindset." Perhaps the approach to Las Vegas "reflects a lesson learned" from L.A., because Davis is "reflecting the verve of a man who will not let this new opportunity slip away" (USA TODAY, 5/26). ESPN's Jim Trotter said, "If he gets the money from Vegas that he's talking about, the $750 million, he's going. It's not a matter of if, it's when. So count on that. When he has Jerry Jones behind him, Robert Kraft, other influential owners, he's going” ("NFL Insiders," ESPN, 5/25). CBS Sports Network's Adam Schein said, “I’m opposed to relocation, especially in a place like Oakland where you have amazing fans. But they’re not getting a new stadium and the current stadium is a dump. They have to get out of that stadium. There should be an NFL team in Vegas." He added, "I don’t want to hear about gambling, because the NFL has games in London, where you can wager on an NFL game” (“Time to Schein,” CBS Sports Network, 5/25).

CAN THIS REALLY WORK?
YAHOO SPORTS' Frank Schwab wrote "there will be obstacles" in a Raiders move to Las Vegas, but the "main one has nothing to do with gambling." There is a "real concern, and it's simply whether Las Vegas can sustain an NFL team." Las Vegas is "40th in television market size, less than one-third the size of the Bay Area." It is "not a tiny town, but it's also a step down for the NFL." The Raiders "would need to capture a market that is filled with transplants who presumably already root for a team, if they follow the NFL." Las Vegas "isn't a bad sports town." But it is also a "unique market and we really don't know what would happen if a pro team moves there" (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 5/25). SPORTS ON EARTH's Ross Tucker writes, "Is an NFL team in Vegas a slam dunk? Maybe not." But concerns regarding gambling or potential integrity-of-the-game issues "shouldn't be the reason" (SPORTSONEARTH.com, 5/26). 

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