Raiders: John Madden’s wife Virginia believes Oakland deserves a football team

As the Las Vegas Raiders have success in their new city, John Madden’s widow Virginia Madden believes the city of Oakland deserves a football team.

While the Las Vegas Raiders are thriving in Southern Nevada, there is a football void in Oakland.

During the late John Madden’s public memorial service at RingCentral Coliseum in Oakland, his wife Virginia Madden spoke emphatically about the city of Oakland deserving its own NFL football team. The Silver and Black have moved three times in their proud history. Though Raider Nation is a massive nationwide fanbase, this team was synonymous with Oakland for many generations.

While politics and finances got in the way of the Raiders staying in Oakland, will the city ever get an NFL franchise again?

https://twitter.com/mickakers/status/1493407785970651139

Raiders: John Madden’s widow Virginia says Oakland needs a football team

Though it is not wise to never say never, it feels like an impossibility Oakland will ever get an NFL team again. Silicon Valley might be thriving economically, but the city’s politicians did everything wrong to keep professional sports in the East Bay. The Golden State Warriors now play in San Francisco. Do not be shocked if the Oakland Athletics are playing somewhere else very soon.

Though the Bay Area is big enough and diverse enough to have two NFL franchises, an expansion team, or a relocated one, is never going to play another down on a stadium featuring a dirt infield. Even if Oakland were to get a team again, they are not going to be called the Raiders. The only real saving grace here is what the Baltimore Ravens became after the Colts ran away to Indianapolis.

While the NFL may return to Oakland, St. Louis or San Diego one day, that feels like decades away.