Something really weird appears to be going on in Oakland, where there are suddenly reports that the NFL could be stepping in to develop not only a new stadium for the Raiders, but a mixed-use development around it on the Coliseum site as well. From the San Francisco Business Times:
The NFL could be the big entity that Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf has suggested could provide security for ground lease payments and game-day revenues from the Raiders that would be used to pay off new stadium bonds. Plus, the NFL would come in as a partner on a planned office, housing, retail and hospitality project — dubbed Coliseum City — that has stymied three other developers, most recently Floyd Kephart‘s New City Development LLC.
And from Matthew Artz of the Bay Area News Group:
NFL Executive Vice President Eric Grubman said Monday that the league isn’t offering any more help to keep the Raiders in Oakland than it would offer to help keep the Chargers in San Diego or the Rams in St. Louis.
But he added that the league is open to discussing the development opportunity in Oakland, known as Coliseum City, which the city had previously granted to a string of developers — none of which got a project off the ground.
“We have for several years stated: ‘Don’t put a real estate developer between the Raiders and the city. If there is development value available, talk to the Raiders about it, or perhaps the Raiders plus (the) league,’ ” Grubman said in an email.
Grubman was replying to a request for comment, though, I believe, which raises the question: Whose idea is this, exactly? Clearly somebody is floating it, but it doesn’t appear to be either Schaaf or Grubman, and neither article includes an initial source.
As for whether it makes sense for the NFL to built a residential and office complex: Sure, as much as it would for anybody else. But that’s the problem — Floyd Kephart’s Coliseum City plan didn’t crash and burn because he was a terrible developer, it did so because he didn’t have a way to generate $400 million from thin air to pay for the part of the stadium costs Raiders owner Mark Davis didn’t want to cover. The NFL or Davis could take over for Kephart, sure, but they’re going to face the same problem if new development isn’t enough to throw off $400 million in excess profits. (SPOILER: It won’t be, no matter how hot the Bay Area housing market is right now.)
All this seems like somebody’s way to make it seem like there’s some progress being made in Oakland ahead of the league’s December 28 deadline to get somewhere on new stadiums in Oakland, St. Louis, and San Diego. Whether it’s Oakland officials trying to make the case to the NFL that their stadium plans aren’t dead, or NFL officials trying to make the case to any Mark Davis supporters in the owners’ group that they wouldn’t be leaving him high and dry in the event of the Rams and Chargers getting to move to L.A., I couldn’t tell you.
Meanwhile, well-connected NFL reporter Peter King claims that “the Carson proposal—with either the Chargers and Raiders together, or the Chargers alone—seems to have more momentum than Stan Kroenke’s plan to move the Rams to a complex in Inglewood.” Of course, King earlier this year predicted that the Chargers and Rams would both end up in Inglewood, but maybe his sources are indicating that opinions have shifted among NFL owners since then? Or somebody is trying to spin him for their own purposes. It’s going to be really hard to separate the information from the disinformation over the next few weeks, I’m afraid.
When I read about this idea yesterday, my bullshit alarm went off immediately. The idea of the NFL partnering on development with/for the Raiders is too full of holes to even bother taking it even remotely seriously.
When I saw the reports yesterday I laughed the NFL isn’t gonna come and help them out this late in the game there voting on LA next month
I think it was Jean Quan who is floating this idea, she had some middle eastern prince about to pay for the stadium, so why not this? ;)
The Raiders are going to build a new stadium off 580 near Livermore, Bart head that way and will bring all the Raider Nation from Oakland into the Livermore- Dublin- Pleasanton area, it is already in the works.
The Raider Culture is going to take over Alameda County East.
Adios L.A. – San Antonio and any other town that does not have the folks in it.
You ain’t getting the Raiders, Oaktown Raider fans from the Town will enjoy setting up shop in Livermore- Pleasanton area.
Oaktown baby in Livermore- Pleasanton!!
Raider Nation
What would everyone think if I made a rule against comments that assert facts without providing sources?
Just a thought.
A very good idea Neil. Would cut down greatly on Some of the BS that people submit. You got my support on that.
The Oakland Coliseum site is just too good to leave. Whether it’s a renovation or a new building, the Raiders will stay in Oakland. And I still credit John Madden’s comments in August for providing the spark.
@Neil
I support your idea about citing sources. I would very much like to see the refereed journal article that shows the Raiders are working on a stadium off of 580 in Livermore so that Raider Culture can take over Alameda County East. I am sure the wine-and-cheese town of Livermore would be all over that.
If an assertion of fact doesn’t start with “I think…,”, “In my opinion…” or “My belief is..” nix it or subpoena the commenter for a public flogging.
Of course, if I have violated this, please forgive me.
PS: Gentle reminder that, when you have time, to post/link in the research area of the FoS site, the many factual studies, etc you have thoughtfully cited .
Good idea — putting it on my to-do list.
But it’s the unsourced, purely speculative comments that make me laugh the loudest!
This rumor screams BS. Don’t know who floated it but it could be the Rams, their rumors are ridiculous.
Requiring source citing is a classic flat-earther move. I’m unsurprised that the board loves it.
Can the source cited be space aliens or somebody’s cat’s telepathic communication?
If so, full steam ahead…
.oO(“Flat-earther move?”)
My source is a bottle of 100 year old scotch. It talks to me at night. Usually it just says, “Mmmmmoney.” But sometimes other stuff.
Anyhoo, back to the show… Carson? Sure, why not. Why not City of Industry while we’re at it, suckers. Stan the Man will be extracting stadium cash from the fine hillbilly folk of Missouri soon and building his horsetrack Walmart out west and a new tax-funded, gold-lined palace in St. Looey, and then we can get back to trying to leverage a deal in San Diego via our always imminent, it’s surely going to happen this time Charlie Brown and we won’t pull the football away at the last minute cuz look at these sexy stadium drawings, move to L.A.
Put that source in your pipe and smoke it, baby cuz the Club of 32 has spoken! Or maybe it was my bottle of scotch, I’m not sure. Goodnight.
Since we’re playing “comments that assert facts with no source” could the person floating it be another NFL owner? That would count as “football and other sources.” Could be Spanos or Kroenke or heck Jerry Jones (he seems to like to stir the pot). Really any owner. It is plausible some owner has a reason to either put NFL money down to keep the Raiders in Oakland or to get people talking about this in order to either push through or sabotage a move to LA by a specific team.
Of course, “football sources” could just as plausibly be that guy who dresses like a gorilla every week and always gets on TV.
Personally, I love the passion of the non-sourced commentary–the sum total of which offers the conclusion that the Raiders would be a sure-fire hit in any other city than the one they’ve spent most of the last 60 years.
The Raider Nation and Oakland residents are going to put a new flava into the 580 East( Livermore-Pleasanton-Dublin, and with Bart going to these areas, the stadium will be done by 17 and the residents will see how strong the Raider Nation is, a couple of fields of 580 are being scouted, look it up it is very hush – hush.
Get used to your new Neighbors from Oaktown as this stadium will be bigger and better than that pants stadium, that the team in pink wears. Ice Cube and Snoop are going to love Pleasanton.
Oaktown Raiders!!!
Jamal can you post a link? Sounds pretty laughable.
@Jamal…If this Raiders to 580 East is “very hush-hush” how can I “look it up”?
(I am not sure why I am even bothering to ask about such gibberish. It must be the bottom of my bourbon bottle talking.)