As an alternative to moving the Oakland Raiders to Las Vegas, Ronnie Lott and Rodney Peete are the face of a “predominantly African American” group of investors looking to build a new stadium in Oakland, as reported by Phillip Matier and Andrew Ross of the San Francisco Chronicle.
“In recent weeks, ex-49er Lott and Peete, both of whom played briefly for the Raiders, have met with team executives and Oakland officials to brief them on their proposal to be master developers of the 120-acre Coliseum site.”
Also included on this team of investors is Egbert Perry, chairman of the board of Fannie Mae and CEO of real estate and investment firm Integral, as well as two prominent local businessmen.
Raiders owner Mark Davis has made zero headway with the city of Oakland in recent years to get a viable project put together for new digs. He’s pushing hard (apparently) to move to the cash-friendly city of Las Vegas, Nev.
While the Raiders have met with Lott’s group, it remains to be seen if there is any reason for optimism that a deal will get done.
Oakland mayor Libby Schaff isn’t exactly jumping at the chance, based on a comment she made to Matier and Ross: “I will not meet with any developer for this project unless they are brought to me by the Raiders, and I have asked the City Council to do the same,” she said.
Recently Charles Barkley expressed sadness that Oakland is losing teams, and there are many who feel the same way.
There is little doubt other cities have more to offer from an entertainment and monetary standpoint, which is why Las Vegas is being pursued so hotly in absence of a deal to move back to Los Angeles this past winter.
That said, perhaps he’d love to stay in Oakland, despite his recent push.
“If (Davis) could get a deal done in Oakland, he would probably prefer it,’’ one football source said after the talks, who declined to speak for the record. “But there is nothing coming forward, and it looks like such an ominous task.”
Perhaps Lott and his group will finally succeed where others have failed. Raiders fans shouldn’t hold their breaths waiting for it, though.