Oakland Raiders relocation: 5 reasons it is wrong
By John Buhler
The Oakland Raiders will likely be the third NFL team to relocate in the last 15 months. Here are five reasons the Raiders moving to Las Vegas isn’t good.
The NFL owners met in Phoenix this week at their annual meeting. Along with some changes to the rules, one talking point that was firmly on the table was the idea of relocating the Oakland Raiders to Las Vegas.
The Raiders were founded in Oakland back in the days of the American Football League. After 13 seasons in Los Angeles, they returned to the Bay Area in the 1990s. The Raiders have a cult-like following and could succeed in any media market they play in. Their brand is strong.
However, do we really need to see the Raiders up and leave from Oakland again? Getting a team in Las Vegas would be cool, but here are five reasons it isn’t great for the Raiders to relocate to Las Vegas in the coming years.
5. Rampant relocation is not a good look for the NFL
Yes, professional sports are a business. Relocating teams isn’t ideal, but sometimes it is necessary. However, the Raiders to Las Vegas should not be one of those relocating ventures. The NFL has gone bonkers in terms of relocating its franchises. It’s not a good look.
While the Raiders brand is to some degree national and could sustain a move to another media market, they belong in the Bay Area. They had their day in the sun in Los Angeles and that worked temporarily, but Raiders football is culturally significant to Oakland.
The Raiders appeal to the blue-collar demographic of folks in the East Bay. The Bay Area is a region of the country that is more than comfortable with a swashbuckling way. In a way, the Raiders encapsulate the inherent rebellious nature of the region more than the suburban feel that comes off with the NFC’s San Francisco 49ers.
The Rams probably belonged in Los Angeles. Their move back to Southern California from St. Louis was painful, but made sense historically and culturally. The Chargers to Los Angeles lacked pragmatism. Why does the NFL not want a Super Bowl in San Diego? While the Raiders could connect with the people of Sin City upon relocation, the NFL needs to slow down a minute to try to keep its franchises at bay.