He stepped to the podium and said, “I’m excited to announce here today the 14th pick in the NFL Draft…” “I understand there’s people who may have skepticism, but I think at the end of the day they probably haven’t done the due diligence that we’ve done”.
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“You’d have to ask them”, Davis said, when asked about the opinions of his fellow owners.
Davis made the comments during a meeting of the Southern Nevada Tourism Infrastructure Committee at UNLV. The Raiders have set themselves up to be free to leave Oakland at any time after the National Football League season, might gain the right to move to Los Angeles soon, but want to definitely gain the right to Las Vegas before then. Las Vegas hasn’t been considered a viable market for that reason, though there is some sentiment among owners willing to look past the gambling connection. Roski helped lead the development of the STAPLES Center in downtown Los Angeles and has an estimated net worth of $4.7 billion. “Majestic Realty and Ed Roski are a serious, professionally run organization that knows the complexities surrounding the business of sports”, Dolich said. The Sands would contribute another $150 million toward the stadium, and the rest, reports ESPN, would come from tourism taxes.
Davis’ representatives said during a press conference following the meeting that there has been no progress in securing a stadium in Oakland.
Davis believes the support for a move to Las Vegas will be there if the stadium is built.
Lawmakers must decide whether and how much public money they should devote to a project spearheaded by the Sands – owned by billionaire Sheldon Adelson, one of the world’s richest men – at a time when the state’s schools and social services are also clamoring for public money.
Beckham, who is behind a proposed Miami Major League Soccer franchise, sat next to Davis at the meeting, adding a bit of star power in a town that has always embraced stars. He moved from Los Angeles to Las Vegas in 1995 and has fond memories of watching the Silver and Black play at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. But NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell indicated in recent weeks that it would be up to owners whether a team could locate there.
The Raiders’ $500 million was the same originally offered to build an Oakland stadium, a figure that includes a $200 million loan from the NFL’s G4 program. The NFL has offered to chip in another $100 million if an Oakland stadium is built.
“It’s an uphill struggle, but it has some potential”, he said. “The Raiders have explored options in the past and I am sure they will do so again in the future”. It can be expected to make a recommendation to the state legislature. It has even rejected Super Bowl ads from the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority.
The LVCC is an economic engine that helped draw 6 million visitors to Southern Nevada past year, filling our hotel rooms and restaurants and winning us enormous positive media exposure world-wide.
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“To bring a great organisation like the Raiders to something like Vegas is incredible, but it’s bigger than that”, Beckham said. In the clip below, you can see the airport, followed by the 42-acre stadium site, followed by the strip. However, the Chargers get first choice and plan on pursuing a long-term solution in San Diego over the next year.
