Sport teams moving cities

[Molis]

The mayor has nothing to do with the fanbase, this kind of shit would be suicidal in most other countries.

The Mayor is voted in by the fanbase.

If 90% of the her voters told the Mayor you better get this deal done. She would get it done.


Right or wrong the system (especially the NFL) has these cities by the balls.
How many new stadiums were built because the owner threatened to leave for Los Angeles. Too many to count.

[bledgor]

They aren't more physical. According to my dad who has played both Aussie Rules and American Football (admittedly not at a pro level), the hits in American Football are bigger because of the armour. You feel invincible and it doesn't hurt as much to hit your opponent. Making a big tackle without pads hurts you, and whether consciously or not that plays a part in the force with which you hit someone. There's a reason that American football has a 100% injury rate at the highest level.

Meh Hockey players play 82 games and the hits they take are just as hard if not worse than football.

[Self Inflicted Wounds]

The Raiders have a VERY devout fan base. No clue where you're getting this from. They've been with the Raiders through thick and thin, and it's been thin for the Raiders for the last few decades.

The Raiders were a train wreck ever since they lost to the Bucs in the Super Bowl in 03. And just now when they have a strong young core in Derek Carr, Amari Cooper, and Khali O Mack, the Raiders up and leave town.

Right when things start to look up for the team they bail on the fanbase that sat through 20 years of bad.

That's just sad.

I think most teams have gone through years of badness... but as linked earlier, the raiders have the worst attendance at home games.. and THAT is with them having a great year.

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The mayor has nothing to do with the fanbase, this kind of shit would be suicidal in most other countries.

Suicidal to tax hotels to pay for local buildings?

[HAcoreRD]

It's a new beginning for that team. Any fan of the Raiders should support them still. Don't root for a team just because they're in your area.

[Slant]

I don't think teams move that often anyway. In this case, I think the city wouldn't contribute to a new arena, so their arena was pretty shit. Don't quote me though.

That they move at all blows my mind, tbh. I can't wrap my head around it. But then, US sports doesn't come close to the fanaticism you see in European football stadiums. This is quite likely one of the reasons.

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It's a new beginning for that team. Any fan of the Raiders should support them still. Don't root for a team just because they're in your area.

That's the whole point, supporting your area.

[Puupi]

It's a new beginning for that team. Any fan of the Raiders should support them still. Don't root for a team just because they're in your area.

What other good enough a reason would one have to root for a team?

[shadowdasher]

I was born in San Diego, and was a Chargers fan till the end of this year. Now I say fuck you to the Chargers like they did to San Diego.

[Kellhound]

Nope.

Team owners in the NFl split their revenue with each other.

Poor attendence won't do much.

If Oakland's fans abandon them, it will hurt. If fans stay away enough that they fail in LV, other cities will think twice about giving billionaires money to make more money for themselves at taxpayer expense and at the fans expense. Sadly I also know people are too stupid to put a stop to it.

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Sometimes the fans fuck themselves.

They do not support a team in the lean years.
San Diego couldn't even pass a bill that taxed tourists a extra few dollars at hotels to build a stadium (It had no money coming from locals)
The Oakland Mayor would not budge one bit. I guess Kudos to sticking to her guns, but there is always room for negotiation.

"We will supply you with tax money, you supply the city with an equity stake in the franchise" seems to be a fair negotiation.

[Nellise]

Interesting article that shows except for vague claims of "civic pride" people think the Raiders leaving isn't a bad thing for Oakland: http://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/a...n-11029278.php

[draynay]

Teams threaten to move quite often. In my city, two of the three major sports teams did this to get a new stadium.

Funny since I conclude you live in the greater Los Angeles area, since LA was used for the past 25 years. Also LA just had two NFL teams relocate.

Threatening to leave is quite different, they do that a lot. Will be interesting to see what happens with future stadium issues now that LA is essentially full. San Diego is only viable for a team willing to pay for everything like the Rams did, and St. Louis got burned badly with their public funds so ditto for them. Some city is gonna come forward now as willing to put forth public money to bait a team, wonder which it will be.

[JohnBrown1917]

Right or wrong the system (especially the NFL) has these cities by the balls.
How many new stadiums were built because the owner threatened to leave for Los Angeles. Too many to count.

Well yes, but they are fucking over the fans by doing that, that is my whole point.

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Suicidal to tax hotels to pay for local buildings?

How did you get that? Its threatening to leave the city.


Imagine if Barca threatened to leave the Catalonia region, pitchfork sales would go up 1000%.

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It's a new beginning for that team. Any fan of the Raiders should support them still. Don't root for a team just because they're in your area.

No, fans should not accept this.

[Alvito]

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2...aign=editorial

So Oakland Raiders are moving to Las Vegas

Why do Americans even bother to support sports teams when there team could up sticks before your team tattoo you got on your arm is even 10 years old?

I mean does local pride mean nothing?

It is not nearly that easy or common for teams to up and move. More over it is almost always bad teams that do it and they do it because of the lack of local support. Oakland is certainly fanatic about the Raiders, but they weren't willing or able to back it financially the way other cities can and will.

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It's a new beginning for that team. Any fan of the Raiders should support them still. Don't root for a team just because they're in your area.

As a season ticket holder I would be pretty pissed off. Most season ticket packages are a 10 year contract that is almost completely in the favor of the team. If you break early you basically pay for one more season, without getting tickets, then a prorated fee based on numbers of years left. The Raiders aren't doing anything to compensate the season ticket holders they are breaking contracts on and they also are not letting them out of their deals for next year or the following one.

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Sometimes the fans fuck themselves.

They do not support a team in the lean years.
San Diego couldn't even pass a bill that taxed tourists a extra few dollars at hotels to build a stadium (It had no money coming from locals)
The Oakland Mayor would not budge one bit. I guess Kudos to sticking to her guns, but there is always room for negotiation.

Just a few years ago San Diego dumped a lot of money into the new Padres stadium and that hasn't really worked out very well. NFL has the cities by the balls though, very few businesses can demand that a city builds the building they will use as their home and also get an enormous tax break on top of it. NFL just doesn't work well in California too. There is a reason why LA didn't have a team for so long after both left at the same time in the 90s. Pick whatever reason you want, professional sports don't do as well there as it would seem like they could or should.