“Is This Possible-How Would You Vote”

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The twists and turns of relocating NFL franchises.

Are they staying, are they going? Do they want to stay, do they want to leave? What’s fact, what’s fiction in the negotiations? Who to trust, who not to trust?

We just came through all those range of emotions weeks ago, with the disgraceful actions of Chargers owner Dean Spanos. We know the end-result, he, turning his back on his adopted home town, after 56-years of loyalty from a fan base that gave its heart, spent its money, loved its team.

Spanos wakes up as the most hated man in San Diego sports history.

And now this morning, new twists in the road of relocation.

The Oakland Raiders are very much ‘in play’.

The deal that would have taken them to Las Vegas is crumbling, has crumbled. Owner Mark Davis, who does not have enormous wealth has seen his financing plan go away.

Casino owner Sheldon Adelson pulled his 650M of financing out of the pot, unable to execute a power play to buy minority control of the franchise as part of the transaction. Unable to realize a segment of profits as part of the trade off for the investment. Unable to convince NFL owners to let a casino owner become part of their fraternity.

The backup plan has failed too. Now late night reports that Goldman Sachs, who was supposed to replace Adelson, won’t join the Raiders, because they do not believe there is a profit upside on the return from their investment.

Mark Davis goes back to Oakland, where the team is beloved, in a dirt poor market, with still no stadium solution in sight.

Exit Las Vegas, enter San Diego.

This city, jilted just two weeks ago by the greed of the Spanos family, has to respond quickly.

Mayor Kevin Faulconer, needs to invoke his favorite phrase ‘come together’, and pick up the flag and carry it to the top of the hill.

Declare San Diego a player for the Raiders. Go to Mark Davis, re-offer the City-County plan for a new Qualcomm Stadium in Mission Valley. Get the NFL to put its money back on the table, and see if there is a way to get Goldman Sachs to bring investors to the table.

The city loves the NFL, and I bet fans they would vote “yes” for a NFL stadium, even to house that team, yes that team “The Raiders”

It becomes our team. You don’t even have to call it the San Diego Raiders. They have a national brand. Just call them the “Raiders”. They will draw fans from San Diego and Tijuana. You know they will come from LA and Orange County. And those from Oakland do travel.

Can you imagine the possibilities. Good young team, in a new stadium, likely to sell out all home games.

Forget the history, that Al Davis era, the hate, the losses, the anger. This would become our team, and a good team.

And think of a sort of payback to the selfishness and stupidity of the shameful Spanos family. It would be some payback to Despicable Dean, if the Raiders became San Diego’s team.

Time for Faulconer to be bold, to make it come together. Bet San Diego would work together to make this happen.

Silver & Black in San Diego. Our team going forward. Why not?

Would it work? Could it work? Would you vote yes on it, to make it work?

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