Raiders owner Mark Davis thinks Las Vegas move will 'unite the Raider nation'
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}FILe - In this Feb. 11, 2016 file photo, Oakland Raiders owner Mark Davis speaks during a media conference in Oakland, Calif. Raiders owner Mark Davis says he wants to move the team to Las Vegas and is willing to spend a half billion dollars as part of a deal for a new stadium in the city. Davis upped the ante in a bid to move the team to this gambling city, appearing Thursday, April 28, 2016, alongside soccer great David Beckham and billionaire casino owner Sheldon Adelson before a committee studying the idea of a $1.4 billion stadium. (AP Photo/Ben Margot, File)
Owner Mark Davis is still all-in on getting his Raiders to move to Las Vegas. The NFL team owner has pledged to commit $500 million toward a new stadium and a "lifetime" commitment to Sin City.
And now he is positing it as a bridge-building move, helping to alleviate the bad blood brewed between Northern and Southern California after the team moved from Oakland to Los Angeles and back again by relocating to a new location altogether.
"The Raider fan in Northern California get upset a little bit when we talk about going to Los Angeles, and the L.A. fans get a little ticked off at the fans in Northern California," Davis said on NFL Network, as reported by Pro Football Talk. "So it seems like Las Vegas is a neutral site that everybody's kind of bought into.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"It will unite the Raider nation more than divide it."
Though one wonders how equal this neutral ground is, considering that Las Vegas is a good nine hours' drive from Oakland, and just four from Los Angeles.
Davis went on to say that he still hasn't given up on staying in Oakland, though he did declare that "I've given my commitment to Las Vegas, and if they can come through with what they've talked about doing, then we'll go to Las Vegas."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Sounds like they're going to Las Vegas.