LA Times: Raiders To Los Angeles 'Less Likely' Than Other Scenarios
OAKLAND (CBS SF) - With three teams interested and two stadium proposals on the table, insiders are placing their bets on which National Football League team or teams will be moving to Los Angeles. LA Times reporter Sam Farmer broke down the options and found that while the Raiders moving south is a real possibility, there are some more likely scenarios that don't involve them at all.
Farmer characterized the chances of the Raiders teaming up with the Chargers as 'Somewhat Likely.' However, he found the likelihood of the Rams pulling off the move alone as the most probable scenario in the near future, with the Rams and Chargers teaming up also a legitimate option.
Farmer says it's less likely the Raiders would become tenants of Rams owner Stan Kroenke - who has the land and money to build in LA - because the Chargers would rally strong opposition to two other teams moving into Southern California. The Raiders probably couldn't go it alone because they "would struggle to generate the necessary revenue to pay for a stadium, especially when it comes to attracting the support of corporations and premium customers," Farmer reports.
Farmer also cautioned that it may be more than a year before we know which team is moving to Los Angeles because the NFL is in no rush.
The City Of Oakland is still working to develop a proposal that could get a new stadium built in the East Bay. The Coliseum City redevelopment would create retail and housing at the existing Coliseum site with new arenas for both the Raiders and A's. Immediately following her election, Mayor Libby Schaff vowed to "fight like hell" to keep both teams in Oakland.
"I look forward to...doing everything within my power to keep our sports teams in Oakland," Schaaf said.
Earlier this week A's Owner Lew Wolff told KPIX 5 that his ongoing battle to move the team to San Jose was "Not worth a nasty battle."