The Oakland Raiders days in Oakland may be numbered as there has been a lot of talk recently about owner Mark Davis possibly moving the team to Las Vegas.
The state of Nevada recently passed a bill that allows a stadium to be built in Las Vegas should the Raiders decide to make the move, which made the move more enticing for Davis.
A lot of hurdles still remain for Davis and the Raiders though, as the NFL owners will need to vote to approve the move, and the city of Oakland will also have a say in it if they decide they want the Raiders to stay and build a new stadium for them.
While many people, including Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones are in favor of the move, there are also many people, Hall of Famer Ronnie Lott being one of them, that are advocating for the team to remain in Oakland.
According to Jimmy Durkin of the Mercury News, former Raiders head coach and now ESPN analyst Jon Gruden would prefer that the Raiders stay in Oakland:
“I don’t like to hear that,” said Gruden, who spoke to reporters to preview the Raiders’ upcoming Monday Night Football appearance against the Houston Texans in Mexico City. “I like the Oakland Raiders. I’m a big believer in tradition. I know there’s issues that have to be resolved. I wish them the best, but I like hearing Oakland Raiders personally.”
Gruden coached the Raiders from 1998-2001, going 40-28 and taking the Raiders to the postseason twice.
He then moved on to be the head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and faced the Raiders in the Super Bowl in the 2002-03 season, defeating the Raiders 48-21.
Davis and the Raiders will likely know by the end of this year whether they can make the move to Las Vegas or not.
