Are the Oakland Raiders making a return to the NFL? 3 reasons making it possible

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Football fans in Oakland are as tough and resilient as pigskin, with a ferocious passion that reverberates on an international scale.

‘Raider Nation’ simply won’t be the same in Las Vegas, but the brand will continue to resonate where ever it goes.

One thing it will be impossible for Las Vegas to achieve is replicating the DNA of football fans in Oakland.

After the Raider’s founding in 1960, the team moved to Los Angeles in 1981 before a return back to the city in 1995. Just like a toxic relationship, the franchise has packed up again and has left the city.

History tells us that the Raiders, or football at least, may be back again in Oakland having gone through it all before.

For a city renowned for having the rowdiest and most intimidating of fans, hope is all the city can go off for now — the hope that football may one day return.

Here are three reasons why it is a possibility that the NFL can return back to Oakland down the track.

1. Levi’s Stadium

The Raiders home stadium was at an ageing Oakland Coliseum, which was the second smallest stadium in the NFL after Chicago’s Soldier Field.

When the franchise was still in Oakland, the city failed to propose an adequate stadium solution and so the NFL decided it was time for the franchise to relocate to a city with an appropriate plan.

The simplest way to bring back a team to the city?

Levi’s Stadium.

With San Francisco geographically only 12 miles out of Oakland, playing home games across the bay would be the easiest and quickest way to get a team in Oakland.

The Giants and Jets have shown us they can do it successfully at MetLife Stadium so a stadium share wouldn’t be a new concept.

Convincing Raider Nation that it’s a good idea – the most passionate, extreme and rowdy fans in all of sport – sharing with the 49ers won’t go down well but hey, it’s surely worth a team in the city. 

2. Buffalo Bills

Oakland remains a desirable area for a franchise. The Rams, Chargers and Raiders have all moved recently so once the dust settles, expect a new wave of relocation talk to hit the NFL.

Once that time comes, there are teams that are already immediately vulnerable to the prospect of relocation.

Coliseum Authority executive director Scott McKibben believes that the Jaguars or Titans could be on the cards for a move.

Having said that, the biggest opportunity for a franchise to return to the city is via the Buffalo Bills.

The Bills have the third oldest NFL stadium in the country, with only Chicago and Kansas City playing out of older stadiums.

New Era Field did have renovations as recent as in 2012 totaling $130 million.

Chicago however spent $632 million for completed renovations in 2003 and Kansas City spent $375 million in 2010 to their respective stadiums.

Since 2001 Green Bay has spent more than $600 million on stadium renovations of their own, so the Bill’s are lagging behind stadium investment and a small market like Buffalo could struggle to justify such exorbitant figures.

Bill’s owner Terry Pugla was asked last year if he would be willing to foot the bill for a new stadium, which he responded, “I don’t know.”.

And an anonymous owner of an NFC team speaking with MMQB.com’s Albert Breer believes Oakland is a desirable location.

“For a team that’s struggling in a particular market and looking for a solution, Oakland may be a good one.”, the owner said. 

So if the city of Buffalo balks at the idea of pledging taxpayer money for a new stadium, Levi Stadium would be an immediate option for an Oakland team. 

3. ‘Raider Nation’

The desirability of the area hinges mostly on the explosive passion of fans in Oakland for their professional (mostly former) teams.

The capital of ‘Raider Nation’ is now Las Vegas, a dagger into the hearts for the many faithful fans in Oakland.

Sports fans in Oakland have built a tough skin though, with their NFL franchise ditching the city twice now and the Golden State Warriors moving across the bay.

To make matters worse there is also the risk that the Oakland A’s may relocate the MLB franchise to Las Vegas if they don’t get a new ballpark.

The NFL has lost part of it’s soul by leaving Oakland for ‘Sin City’, no more old-school football culture, no more tailgating, and any attempts to recreate the famed ‘Black Hole’ in Las Vegas will only pale in comparison.

The main message for fans of football in Oakland, keep hope that an NFL franchise may return one day because the people of the city are more than deserving of one.

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►About Me
I'm just a 30-something year old who loves sports, but I ain’t flexin’. I’m a completely amateur sports writer ‘journalist’ inspired by US and UK sports covering basketball, soccer, American football and more. I’m not a pretender, it’s a hobby and if I sound like I’m half street half corporate talk that’s my holistic approach. Peace bro.



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