Last week the Southern Nevada Tourism Infrastructure Committee (SNTIC) recommended raising the hotel tax in Las Vegas to assist in paying for a 65,000-seat domed football stadium, which would be partially financed by Casino Executive Sheldon Adelson, that is being promoted for the Oakland Raiders. The next step is for Governor Brian Sandoval and the Nevada State Legislature to approve the committee's recommendation.
[NEWS: Committee approves $750 million for Raiders stadium in Vegas]
Observers believe that approval will be a mere formality.
As a proponent of Oakland's longterm viability as the vibrant home of three professional sports teams (essentially down to two with the Golden State Warriors' proposed move to Chase Center arena in Mission Bay by 2019) there are several major hurdles before any Nevada-bound moving vans show up at Raiders' HQ in Alameda.
Here is my starting lineup for 10 nonstarters of the Raiders going all neon to the Vegas Strip.
1. Lawsuits by Nevadans who aren't allowed to vote for this stadium funding issue.
2. NFL owners' vote of 3/4 of teams approving the relocation.
3. Relocation fee: Rams paid $550 million to move from St. Louis to Inglewood. NHL expansion fee of $500 million for the hockey team slated to begin skating in Las Vegas in 2017. There has been no public discussion of what the Raiders' Las Vegas relocation fee will be. Where will this money be coming from?
4. Sheldon Adelson's $650 million dollar investment in the proposed $1.9 billion dollar stadium. Will the NFL approve a casino operator's cash?
5. Mark Davis has guaranteed $500 million dollars. Does that include the $100 million the NFL earmarked for Mark to build a stadium in Oakland?
6. Oakland and Alameda County lawsuits to repay $200 million dollars of outstanding bond payments for remodel of the Coliseum.
7. Jacksonville Jaguars' interest in relocation to Las Vegas.
8. Oakland A's stadium plans could influence last minute Raiders decisions.
9. City of Oakland and Alameda County announcing their best and last stadium plan for the Raiders.
10. Hail Mary pass of a ridiculous price paid by a local billionaire to purchase the team from Mark and Carol Davis and then spend their own money build a new Al Davis Stadium in Oakland.
Honorable mention:
- Stadium outcome in San Diego for new Chargers stadium in November vote.
- Raiders option to move into Inglewood Stadium with LA Rams.
- Raiders option to move into Levi's and share with 49ers similar to the success of NY Jets and NY Giants in MetLife Stadium.
- Remodel Oakland Coliseum for football only and rename it Al Davis Stadium.
- Ronnie Lott's development group working with Oakland to build a new stadium on Coliseum site.
- NFL voting against Vegas and forcing Davis' hand to sell control of team.
The next chapter of "Raider's of the Lost Park" won't be the final chapter...
