4. Stop blaming Mark Davis
Long before Davis was setting his own fashion trend with stone-washed jeans, his father had been battling with officials in Northern California. We’re talking over a quarter century of rifts between the organization and the city of Oakland. It’s what led to the Raiders’ move to Los Angeles back in 1982.
Davis was presented an offer from the Vegas area that he could not refuse. Sure the Raiders will find themselves in a massive pile of debt moving forward. But they simply didn’t have the means to self-finance in Oakland. That was never an option with corporate sponsors thinning out at a remarkable level after the funding of Levi’s in Santa Clara and Davis’ own minimal net worth (more on that below).
Instead, Davis gets public and corporate backing for a new venue in a growing desert metropolis that has market sustainability and a population yearning for professional sports. In terms of business, this was really a no-brainer for Davis and Co.
Sure it sucks for fans in Northern California. The Raiders themselves will always be tied to Oakland. It’s where the team’s rich history is represented. In terms of human nature, this had to make it difficult for Davis to relocate. Unfortunately, today’s NFL is all about business. The league has proven that over and over again. Why should the Raiders themselves go away from the grain (and basic business principles) in this era? It would have made absolutely no sense.
In reality, the writing has been on the wall for some time. Oakland didn’t have the means (or willingness) to publicly finance. There were no real corporate backers in that city. We can’t and shouldn’t blame either the city or the Raiders for this divorce. It was always going to be the end result.