Less than 24 hours after the Raiders officially filed for relocation to Las Vegas, Oakland mayor Libby Schaaf went on the offensive in an apparent effort to convince NFL owners to vote against the team's move to Nevada.
If the Raiders are going to make the move to Vegas, they're going to need to find 24 owners to approve the relocation. All Schaaf has to do is convince nine owners that moving the team would be the wrong move.
"It's no surprise that the Raiders have filed for relocation," Schaaf said in a statement. "Oakland welcomes the chance to show them and the NFL's other owners why Oakland is the only home for the Raiders and always will be."
In her statement, Schaaf made a list of all the advantages that comes with having an NFL team in Oakland.
"Our winning team of the Lott Group, the County and my colleagues on the Oakland City Council has accomplished so much in the last few months," Schaaf said. "We've identified the mechanisms to responsibly finance public infrastructure improvements, we have in the Lott Group a private partner prepared to finance stadium construction, and we have an entitled site for a world-class NFL stadium and new development that enhances fan experience while invigorating East Oakland's economy."
Of course, talking about a stadium plan and actually having a stadium plan are two very different things. The problem in Oakland right now is that there's no hard plan for the NFL to look at. As of right now, the Lott Group is hoping to finalize a plan that would end with a 55,000 seat stadium being built in Oakland that would "only" cost $1.25 billion.
Former NFL player Ronnie Lott is one of the investors in the Lott Group.
Although Oakland has refused to contribute public money to the plan, the city is offering to donate 60 acres of land so that the stadium can be built.
"We are in this game and we are playing to win," the Lott Group said in a statement on Thursday.
Schaaf also added that Oakland has many advantages that the NFL won't get in Vegas.
"Oakland's Raiders stadium will be on the most transit-accessible site in the nation, in the sixth-largest television market, and in one of the wealthiest and most innovative regions in the world," Schaaf said. "But above all else, Oakland has something no other city ever will -- a die-hard fan base that is loyal and true to the Raiders and wants to see them stay here in Oakland where they were founded. Only Oakland brings the Raiders and the NFL a competitive stadium proposal, along with legacy and loyalty."
Schaaf then ended her statement by asking the league to give Oakland a fair shot.
"I look forward to the league giving our team a chance to compete," Schaaf said.
At this point, it's not about a fair shot, it's about actually having a plan and the city just doesn't have one yet. Also, even if they did, it's not clear that Raiders owner Mark Davis would even look at it considering the fact that he has $750 million in public funds waiting for him in Las Vegas.
On the other hand, if Oakland does put together an actual stadium plan before the next owner's meeting in March, that could be the one wrench that keeps 24 owners from approving the Raiders' move to Vegas.
No matter what happens though, the city doesn't have to worry about losing the Raiders anytime soon. The team has a series of one-year options that would allow them to play in Oakland through the 2018 season, and Davis has said he plans to keep the Raiders in the Bay Area until that lease is up.
