If Las Vegas can't work things out with the Raiders, then the city has a backup plan: The San Diego Chargers.
Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman revealed on Thursday that her city views the Chargers as Plan B if the Raiders end up staying in Oakland. During an interview on the Dan Patrick Show, Goodman was asked directly if she thought a Chargers move to Vegas was an option.
"To me, yes," Goodman said. "I know they're absolutely looking to move."
The mayor then pointed out that she has personal ties to the Chargers and the Chargers have personal ties to Vegas.
"My husband and I have had season tickets to the Chargers for the past 30-plus years and I would love [for them to move here]," Goodman said. "[Chargers owner] Alex Spanos already has a relationship with the city, he was a developer for us in the '70s and '80s."
Before anyone in San Diego starts panicking, do keep in mind that about a zillion things would have to happen before a Chargers move to Vegas would even be considered.
First, Vegas would have to approve funding for a new stadium. Second, the Raiders would have to magically get something done in Oakland, a city that has made it clear that it won't be offering any public money toward a new stadium.
If the Raiders remain in the Bay Area and Vegas approves stadium funding, that means Sin City would have an NFL-caliber stadium with no NFL team. And even if that happens, that still doesn't mean the Chargers would move.
At that point, the only way the Chargers would move is if funds for the team's new stadium didn't get approved by voters in November.
The team has to collect 66,447 valid signatures by June to get the stadium funding initiative on the ballot in November.
If the team gathers the appropriate amount of signatures, then San Diegans will get to vote on the new stadium. If the initiative passes, San Diego's hotel room tax would jump up four percent, which would help pay for the $1.8 billion stadium/convention center project.
If the initiative were to fail, then the Chargers would likely to move to Los Angeles, unless everything mentioned above also miraculously happened, then the team would have the option of Las Vegas.
One more thing to keep in mind for Chargers fans: Goodman as already said that she thinks the Raiders will end up in Vegas.
In Vegas terms, a Chargers move to Sin City is probably something you shouldn't bet on.
