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Leagues and Governing Bodies

Following Raiders To Vegas, Will NFL Look To London As Next Landing Spot For A Team?

In the wake of the Raiders' departure for the Las Vegas market, London "seems to have moved into the on-deck circle" for any possible team relocation in the future, according to Albert Breer of THE MMQB. The "next frontier isn't likely to be the vacated markets of Oakland, San Diego or St. Louis." Chiefs Chair & CEO Clark Hunt said, "I’m not aware of anyone else who’s interested in leaving their home market at this time, so I’d be surprised if anything popped up in that regard. However, as chairman of the international committee, we are discussing what the best way is to continue to grow the business internationally and it’s no secret that a subject that’s been floated is one day having a team that’s playing at least their regular season schedule overseas." But Clark added, "It's certainly not imminent" (MMQB.SI.com, 3/28). FS1’s Colin Cowherd said, “The NFL, they are putting the games in Mexico City and London and they did it in Toronto so they clearly want to globalize the brand. There's not many American cities that are global. New York is, L.A. is, San Francisco is and Vegas is. I think the owners are sitting there thinking, ‘Nothing against St. Louis, San Diego, Green Bay, but Vegas is a global brand,’ and that's where the market’s headed" ("Speak for Yourself," FS1, 3/27).

RAIDERS MOVE A LEAGUE WIN
: In L.A., Vincent Bonsignore writes in terms of impact, the "relative blink of an eye it took to finalize the future of the Raiders was as monumental as any the league has seen in years." By "emphatically approving the move," NFL owners accepted Raiders Owner Mark Davis "into the family as a made man." In an era in which "securing local stadium deals is growing harder and harder, Davis delivered to his colleagues a deal so compelling they couldn't refuse" (L.A. DAILY NEWS, 3/28). A SACRAMENTO BEE editorial states Davis is "chasing the gold and glitz of Las Vegas, and his partners in the world's richest league are salivating." The city of Oakland, which has "steep pension debt and a depleted police force, was not in a position to match what Vegas threw at Davis and the NFL"(SACRAMENTO BEE, 3/28). In N.Y., Belson & Mather report NFL owners were "persuaded that having a team in Las Vegas would allow the league to capitalize on the city’s booming tourist trade and image of excitement, and on its willingness to contribute hundreds of millions of dollars toward the construction of a new stadium." (N.Y. TIMES, 3/28).

MONEY GRAB? In Oakland, Marcus Thompson II writes the Raiders are "moving to Las Vegas because that is what the NFL wanted." Thompson: "This is and always was about money" (EAST BAY TIMES, 3/28). In Houston, Brian Smith writes the Raiders' relocation was "years in the making and bound to happen." Smith: "It’s also the last official piece of public proof -- as if we really needed one -- that the NFL always has only one thing on its mind: $$$" (HOUSTON CHRONICLE, 3/28). In Buffalo, Bucky Gleason writes under the header, "NFL In Las Vegas Is About Money, Not Morals" (BUFFALO NEWS, 3/28). ESPN The Magazine's Sam Alipour said, "This is greed. This is not the move to L.A. in the '80s. ... This is different. Vegas is a city of vacationers, of conventioneers, of corporate suits" ("SportsCenter," ESPN, 3/27). PRO FOOTBALL TALK's Michael Gehlken wrote under the header, "Relocation Profitable For Owners, But It Cheapens Their Fans" (PROFOOTBALLTALK.com, 3/27). In N.Y., Gary Myers writes under the header, "Raiders' Move To Las Vegas Is Corporate Welfare At Its Finest" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 3/28). In San Diego, Kevin Acee wrote another city has "lost its NFL team," and it is "business as usual as NFL fans now know it" (SANDIEGOUNIONTRIBUNE.com, 3/27). The N.Y. Daily News' Pat Leonard said it is a "bad look for three different teams in a short period of time moving" ("Daily News Live," SNY, 3/27).

HARD FOR ME TO SAY I'M SORRY: ESPN's Field Yates said of the NFL's reaction to the Raiders' move, "People probably wanted to see a bit of contrition, maybe some sympathy for the city of Oakland today. I mean you're stripping an iconic franchise in the NFL from their city and we know that the fan base is one of the most passionate and ardent that the league offers. ... It sounded like, 'We got what we wanted. We'll move on'" ("NFL Live," ESPN, 3/27). ESPN's Jemele Hill said of Davis and the NFL, "For them to do this to this city is just disgraceful. This was extortion, plain and simple” (“SportsCenter,” ESPN, 3/27). NFL Network's Judy Battista said of the league, "They don't love the appearance of relocation. They know that it breaks the hearts of an awful lot of fans. It's very difficult and they just don't like the appearance of sort of capriciously moving around the country, but particularly about this move you are moving from an enormous, lucrative market to a much smaller market that the economy is so much based on discretionary income" ("NFL Total Access," NFL Net, 3/27).

VISITATION RIGHTS: CBSSPORTS.com's John Breech wrote if the Raiders "want to have an officiating crew at the first game they play in Las Vegas, then the NFL is going to have change one of its weirdest rules." Under current league policy, "every NFL game official is banned from visiting Las Vegas during the NFL preseason, regular season and postseason." Once the season is over, officials are "allowed to visit Vegas, but they have to notify the league office before they make that visit." Although the officials are "allowed to visit Vegas during the offseason, they’re still not allowed to visit any sports books and they’re not allowed to bet on any sports" (CBSSPORTS.com, 3/27).

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