Roger Goodell threw some ice cold water on the Raiders to Las Vegas talk when he pushed Oakland mayor Libby Schaaf to consider a new stadium proposal, which is being spearheaded by Ronnie Lott and Rodney Peete.
The San Francisco Chronicle‘s Matier & Ross are reporting Schaaf will be meeting with the investment group next week. Lott and Peete are the public faces of a local group of businessmen who have put together a proposal to keep the Raiders in Oakland (more on that here).
What’s interesting is that Schaaf had previously stated just a couple of weeks back that she wouldn’t meet with anyone regarding a new stadium proposal without it first being presented by the Raiders. So it was only logical for Matier and Ross to ask her why she had a sudden change of heart.
“I am encouraged by the team (Lott) has assembled. My recent conversations with Commissioner Goodell and others have given me confidence it’s time to continue our conversations.”
This is a clear sign that Goodell would rather the Raiders remain in Oakland instead of moving to Las Vegas. Per the report, the Raiders might be willing to work with the proposal being offered by Lott’s group. But there is the matter of money to be ironed out to go along with another potentially sticky clash of interest.
“The Lott group’s first and foremost interest is owning a portion of the team and keeping it in Oakland,” said the source, who wasn’t authorized to speak on the record.
Raiders owner Mark Davis might not be happy about this development, regardless. He has made it quite clear of late, thanks to a promo video (watch here) and very specific comments, that Las Vegas is his preferred home for the franchise.
While some owners have backed such a move, a move to Nevada may not be in the cards for the Raiders just yet.