[RamsFanSince82]

[St. Loser Fan]

http://www.espn.com/espn/now?nowId=21-0638193602672988656-4

Rams COO Kevin Demoff acknowledged that the Raiders' situation -- getting approved for Las Vegas, but remaining in Oakland for two or three more years -- "is certainly awkward." But he called it "an advantage from a logistics perspective." "They're not relocating in the same year as the vote," Demoff said. "They're staying in California this year. There will be some difficulties that come with that, but from a planning perspective, logistics perspective, it gives them a lot more time than we had, or the Chargers have, to get set up, to give players a chance to look at houses, to understand where the facility will be. Some of the really difficult challenges that come with a compressed timeframe, they will not face."

Alden Gonzalez, ESPN Staff Writer

I think this ends up a disaster like the Houston Oilers/Tennessee Titans and their lame duck season followed by an even worse season in Memphis.

[PARAM]

There are a lot of awesome Rams fans in St. Louis ... and there were a lot of fake fans there too.

The awesome Rams fans would go .... to see the games, see routes run, blocks made, defensive and offensive strategy used.

The fake fans would go ... so that the next day they could say they went.

A larger amount of awesome fans in St. Louis might have helped keep the team.

The St. Louis media did very little to educate the St. Louis fans about NFL football. What did Bernie do to help his readers better appreciate the team? Bernie shares some of the blame for the Rams moving.

NFL owners like new stadiums because it gives them opportunity to build the ultimate luxury boxes. Owners like luxury boxes because it is revenue that they don't have to put in the revenue sharing pool. Sadly, there wasn't enough corporate support to fill the luxury boxes in St. Louis. The corporate support of the team in St. Louis is mostly to blame for them leaving. The corporations gave very little support from the beginning.

If the corporations in St. Louis wanted the team to stay ... they would have had their minions, the politicians, make it happen. The corporations in St. Louis are mostly to blame for the team leaving.

The good and awesome fans in St. Louis got screwed over.

When a team decides they're going to move, they're going to move. When the Reeves wanted to move the Rams to L.A., it was voted down. He threatened to jump to the AAFL. I don't remember if the Colts got approval to move to Indy but they moved. The St. Louis Cardinal got approval. Cleveland got approval to move to Baltimore. When Frontiere wanted to move the Rams to St. Louis, it was voted down. I forget why they were allowed but they got the okay. Houston got approval. The Rams, Chargers and Raiders got approval. Truth is, it doesn't matter whether you get approval or not, if you want to get out, you're gonna find a way to get out.

So fans, and more important, politicians and local businessmen have to realize it's important to support the local team. And when a stadium is antiquated, sub par or plain terrible, you better be proactive and get the plans for a new one made up and approved. It's that simple. Otherwise, arrivederci.

In some cases the fans aren't the problem and in some cases they are part of it. But that doesn't matter either way. They're the ones who get screwed every time. So now that the Raiders are on their way, who's next?

Buffalo?
Jacksonville?
New Orleans?

[Neil039]

Raiders moreso than anyone. The Raiders Nation is the original football nation.... there are a bigly amount of fans that don't live in the Oakland area.

I'm that way with both the Rams and the Raiders. They are my teams no matter where they are.

Nevertheless,

Bob, I live in Colorado. Believe me I know this first hand.

[moklerman]

So now that the Raiders are on their way, who's next?

Buffalo?
Jacksonville?
New Orleans?

With San Diego vacant? SOMEONE will be on the move. Not so sure about NoCal. With the Raiders continued poor attendance and the 49ers numbers coming down already on what was a real short honeymoon, not sure 2 teams are warranted up there.

Chargers are really F'ing this all up.

[BobCarl]

...

[aeneas1]

don't spend much time commuting, thank friggin' goodness, but this morning i had to run some errands and got a chance to listen to some sfo bay area sports talk radio, something i haven't done in ages, what a hoot, the topic of course was the raiders move, nothing but a bunch of call-in whining egged on by incessant host whining, ha ha... "ripped the heart out of the oakland community", really loved that gem... same-o same-o, nasty money grubbing owners, devils incarnate, vs defenseless john q public now left to wander the empty streets in a daze, the hyperbole, off the friggin' hook... honestly tho, sounded like 90% of the callers were dialing from san quentin, a sharp group of folks, clearly students of the game... the friggin' hosts were actually, imo, instigating violence by saying "i sure hope we don't see any violent backlash at games this season, fans violently attacking visiting fans who comment about the move...."... went on to say that the niners should do everything possible to woo the raiders fanbase...

[St. Loser Fan]

Beyond Vegas: London Is Calling the NFL
http://mmqb.si.com/mmqb/2017/03/27/nfl-oakland-raiders-las-vegas-raiders-next-relocation-city-london

[url]“First time we went there, I said that in the next decade, I think there should be a team here,” Patriots owner Robert Kraft said. “I still think we should have a team there, and then probably on the continent. I don’t know how it’ll work, we’ll have to work the logistics … How would it work? Who would it be? … But I wouldn’t be surprised if in the next five to seven years we have a team there. Maybe sooner.”[/url]

The future home of the London Jaguars.

[Elvis]

http://www.latimes.com/sports/chargers/ ... story.html

Patriots owner Robert Kraft took an unscientific poll of Raiders fans before voting on Vegas move

Dan Woike, Gary Klein

Even at a resort filled with billionaires, New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft and his blue blazer were extra recognizable on Monday. But over the weekend, along the Pacific Ocean shore, Kraft was more incognito.

In Los Angeles for a friend’s birthday party, Kraft headed to the Santa Monica strand to walk to Venice Beach. He did so, he said, anonymously.

“There were about 10 people with Raider shirts on. I quizzed them. They didn’t know me from Adam,” he said of his stroll. “I said, ‘How do you feel?’ and only one of the 10 cared about the team moving.

“Wherever they go, it can be vibrant.”

This, presumably, wasn’t the evidence owners called upon in voting to approve the Raiders’ relocation to Las Vegas.

“In the end, we’re in a very competitive league, and you can’t compete at the highest level if you don’t have a first-rate stadium,” Kraft said. “And, I think that’s what, really, this is all about.”

The Raiders are the third NFL team to announce a move in the past two seasons. And their fan base’s strength might have served as point for arguing against keeping the team in Oakland.

Kraft, who took ownership of the Patriots in 1994, said the Raiders were the visitors the first time his team sold out a home game under his stewardship.

“We were playing them, and I realized, ‘What a strong fan base,’ ” Kraft said. “They have a unique fan base that is very loyal to them, will travel with them.”

That was evident early Monday while NFL owners huddled in a ballroom before voting.

Outside, along a bridge and service road at the Arizona Biltmore, a small contingent of Raiders fans gathered.

“Whether it’s yes or no, we’re supporting our team,” said Raul Jaramillo, who grew up in East Los Angeles. “I’m for Vegas, but if they stay in Oakland, we stay in Oakland. I’m a Raider fan for life.”

Jaramillo was one of four transplanted Angelenos living in Arizona among the seven Raiders fans who showed up in jerseys and team gear and held banners professing their love of Raider Nation. Arturo Alas, who grew up in Inglewood; San Fernando native Julio Armas; and Diana Lopez, who grew up in East L.A., also were part of the group.

“We’ve been through a few moves already,” Alas said. “That’s why we use the term Raider Nation. We’re everywhere.”

Jaramillo said a Raiders move to Las Vegas would result in a shorter trip to see their team. He also said fans from Los Angeles would attend games.

“It doesn’t matter,” he said. “We try to travel as much as we can. We’re worldwide.”

Still, Raiders owner Mark Davis was bracing for blowback.

“I have mixed feelings, obviously,” he said. “I love Oakland. I love the fans in Oakland. And I know that there’s going to be disappointment and maybe some anger.

“And I just hope that in the future as we play in Oakland this year that they understand that it wasn’t the players, it wasn’t coaches that made this decision. That it was me that made it and if they have anybody to talk to about it, it should be me and I will in the coming days try and to explain to them what went in to making this difficult decision.”

Kraft, who had his own thoughts about relocating before opening his own stadium in 2002, said the choice was clear for the Raiders.

“The Raiders have been, since I’ve come in, have been at the bottom of the league in terms of revenue,” he said. “I think it’s been difficult for them to do everything they want to do for their football operations. I think they’ve worked very hard to try to make things work up there and it hasn’t worked out. Now, they have an opportunity to be a very solid, vibrant team.”

Kraft said Las Vegas, which would be one of the NFL’s smallest markets, is the perfect place to house an NFL team such as the Raiders.

“I think Las Vegas as a destination for visiting teams will be very strong. I think every visiting team market … that’s something they’ll have to work with, to try and sell out as best as they can so they can control the home-team crowd,” he said. “But I think it’ll be a wonderful venue and a wonderful market — unique.

“It’s one of the only small markets that could be in that category.”

[RamsFanSince82]