No LA for the Raiders

As I've written before, as a kid growing up in Southern California the local sports scene caught my attention early. First, it was the Tommy Lasorda led Dodgers. Then, it was Magic Johnson's Lakers who made it showtime. Finally, it was the Los Angeles Raiders who completed my trinity of sports. They had just moved to LA when I was 6 and then a couple of years later won a Super Bowl. For me, winning and sports went hand in hand. I watched each of my teams win championships when I was young. Only to realize that I was lucky to experience so much winning at one time. I remember when the Raiders played in a basketball game for charity against the teachers of the high school where I lived in Pomona. I got a poster autographed by each of the players that were there. It cemented my affinity for the Raiders. I had no idea at the time of the polarization that being a member of the Raider Nation came with.

Fast forward about 25 years later and the Raiders have moved back to Oakland and now will either move back to LA, stay in Oakland, move to San Antonio, or St. Louis. Only two of those are an option in my world. Staying in Oakland is the preferred choice. If that comes with approval for a stadium I'll just continue flying to Oakland to see my Raiders each season. The Raiders started in Oakland and from personal experience of watching Raider games in the Coliseum they are the Oakland Raiders. The energy and love for the Raiders in Oakland is immeasurable. When I'm in the stadium during a game everyone is on the same team with one purpose. Although many might not agree or get along outside of the stadium, for a little while we're all Raiders. There are die hard Raider fans in the Oakland area and they deserve to keep their team. Every year they've supported a team that isn't always good. With the stigma that comes with being a Raider fan it's not always easy being a Raider fan. The fans in Oakland deserve to keep the Raiders.

That being said, I'm also 45 miles from Carson. I could go from visiting Oakland for a couple of games a season to being a season ticket holder. If they decide they're moving to LA today my name is on a list tomorrow for season tickets. I already share Raider season tickets with my cousin so it's a no brainer to buy them if they move to LA. My fantasy football team name has been the LARaiders for about 15 years now hoping that they would move to LA eventually. On opening day I was sitting in my seat next to my son and we're watching them play on a baseball field. Although I don't need a reason to want them to move to LA, there are plenty of reasons why I want them here. I also will always associate them as being the LA Raiders because that's when I first fell in love with my Raiders. Yes, love. I'm ridiculous, borderline obsessive. It is what it is.

Today or tomorrow the NFL owners will vote on a team or two teams to move to Los Angeles. It could be the Rams, Chargers and Raiders, or Rams and Chargers. If it's the Rams and Chargers I'm fine with that as long as it means a stadium for the Raiders in Oakland. It's hard for me to focus on work right now, thus the reason I'm writing this instead. As long as they don't move out of California I'll be alright. My only requirement is that in the next couple of years I will be able to stay in CA and see a Raider home game on an adequate field with no dirt. I think Raider fans deserve at least that much after all of these years supporting our team.


***Update 6:48pm January 12 2016***

NFL Owners voted 30-2 for the Rams to move to Inglewood and play at a new stadium where the old Hollywood Racetrack used to be. Chargers have the option to join the Rams in Inglewood. Rumor has it that Raiders get 100 million towards a stadium which really isn't that much. Especially since Rams value will go up 400 million just by moving to the LA market. That's me guessing though and I'm no expert so I'll stick to what's reality. Reality is that Mark Davis is still "looking for a home for the Raiders". Which to me is disappointing while watching Stan Kroenke celebrate victory. As usual the rich get richer. Chargers can still stay in San Diego if they choose and receive 100 million towards a stadium. Which like I said is about 8 percent of what it costs to build a stadium. Carson stadium was supposedly going to be 1.7 billion. I've heard Mark Davis refer to a stadium in Oakland being 1.1 billion so what around 8-9%? Couldn't the Raiders and Chargers hold out for a better deal then that