The mayor of Las Vegas predicts that the Oakland Raiders would relocate to Sin City unless the deal is somehow mishandled.
On Tuesday, Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman told the hosts of ESPN Radio’s Capital Games podcast, “The Raiders will come if Nevada handles this properly.”
Goodman has been buoyed by Raiders owner Mark Davis’s visits to Vegas, not to mention his approval and $500 million pledge toward the Southern Nevada Tourism Infrastructure Committee’s announced plans to building a new stadium there.
“Mark Davis has assured us that Las Vegas is not getting played in a Raiders stadium deal,” Goodman told the hosts. “I know we will have a team.”
Certainly one bone of contention is the current lack of a suitable stadium in Vegas for the Raiders to move into. But in April, Davis hinted that if Vegas builds it, the Raiders will come.
Appearing recently before a banner reading “Las Vegas Raiders,” Davis insisted he hoped to “give them an offer they can’t refuse.”
It has also been reported that Davis is ready to put $500 million into the move, further causing football watchers to assume Vegas has a leg up on the move.
On the other hand, there are also reports that the Raiders still might consider moving from Oakland to Sacramento instead of Vegas. So, clearly things are not set in stone. This is also clearly what Mayor Goodman is worried about.
The mayor noted that several sites are being considered for the new stadium to entice the Raiders to land in Vegas and they are fielding support from outside the city, as well.
“We are getting calls from outside the region offering to help with funding for stadium in Las Vegas,” Goodman added.
Goodman also touted Vegas as a great crossroads for football fans, claiming that the desert town could be an easy attraction for fans coming from the Bay Area, L.A., Phoenix, and other major metropolises in the West.
Follow Warner Todd Huston on Twitter @warnerthuston or email the author at igcolonel@hotmail.com