Oakland Raiders: Reactions to Owners Approval for Las Vegas

On Monday, 31 owners said yes to the Oakland Raiders motion to move the franchise to Las Vegas. How did those inside the organization react?

On Monday, a landslide vote sent the Oakland Raiders on a one-way ticket to Las Vegas, first reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter:

Fans, specifically season ticket holders have sounded off about this potential move for over year. Obviously, the vote to extract the team from its original location didn’t go over well. Supporters expressed disdain for team ownership and the league. For the players looking to ink deals with the Silver and Black, Nevada’s no state tax could become a factor.

Related Story: Oakland Raiders: Two-Team Race For Linebacker Zach Brown?

How do the players and those inside the organization feel about the move? The NFL and owner Mark Davis didn’t seem particularly interested in whatever Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf presented in her last-ditch effort to keep the Raiders, per San Jose Mercury News reporter Jon Becker.

Derek Carr, Bruce Irvin, Linda Del Rio React

Quarterback Derek Carr expressed his conflicted emotions toward the approval:

As the franchise quarterback, who’s probably going to sign a $100 million deal in the near future, his words hold weight. However, business decisions go way over his head.

Head coach Jack Del Rio’s wife, Linda, also expressed her thoughts via social media:

Del Rio signed a four-year contract extension in February. He and Carr will lead this team into whatever stadium for a competition on the football field, regardless of who or how many people attend the game.

Before the official vote came down, linebacker Bruce Irvin expressed his loyalty to Oakland in two tweets:

Road Raiders?

Whether it’s understood or not, there will be added pressure to bring a Super Bowl title back to the Raiders’ original home in Oakland before they start to play actual games in Las Vegas. According to Davis, the team will have at least two seasons to deliver one big Super Bowl celebration and a parade for Oakland, per CBS Sports senior writer Will Brinson:

Here’s what the next four years will look like for the road Raiders, per Brinson:

Davis is open to playing in Oakland through the 2019 season, but the league will explore their options, per NFL.com’s Gregg Rosenthal. The location outlook will change several times before the new stadium opens for business in 2020. We do know the league just approved its third team relocation in one year. The Los Angeles Rams and Los Angeles Chargers will share a venue in Inglewood, CA.

Though it seems like empty blabbering, Schaaf plans to take legal actions in reaction to the approval:

Barring a legal snare somewhere, the NFL will move forward with the relocation, and a mayor isn’t going to stop the machine. It’s damage control mode for all those involved who will have turn to a loyal fanbase and say: Thanks for your financial and emotional support through nearly 15 years of bad football, but the relationship is over. By the way, we’re going to stay at the residence you’re paying for until our new companion finishes building a home to officially start a new relationship.

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Business decisions cut through feelings and emotions like a butcher dicing through meat at a Deli—deliberately without much grace.