Raiders fans rallying to keep team in Oakland
OAKLAND, Calif. (BCN) - Oakland Raiders fan groups will be trying to send a message today to Raiders' owner Mark Davis when they hand out 10,000 signs and fly a banner over the area before the team's game with the Denver Broncos.
The groups don't want Davis to move the team to Las Vegas and they want to show Davis that other fans in Northern California do not want him to either.
The Raiders play the Broncos at 5:30 p.m. at the O.co Coliseum in Oakland. "We're absolutely not okay with it," SaveOaklandSports co-founder Jim Zelinski said.
SaveOaklandSports is one of the groups sponsoring today's message to Davis, along with the groups Stay in Oakland and the Oakland Raiders Booster Club.
An airplane will fly over the area between 2:15 p.m. and 4:15 p.m. and the groups will be handing out signs that say "Stay in Oakland" until 4:45 p.m.
Zelinski argued that fans are the bedrock of every franchise and fans' 44 years of loyalty should be repaid. "We've done our part," he said. As far as a fan base, "We have a great one here," he said.
No final decision has been made on whether the Raiders leave Oakland, but steps have been taken in Las Vegas that might woo the team there.
Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval signed a bill into law last month that would provide $750 million to build a stadium for the Raiders. The money would come from hotel tax revenue.
Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf said that the final decision about where the Raiders play in the future will be made by the National Football League and its owners.