The potholes on the Raiders' road to Las Vegas have deepened, threatening to keep them from reaching their destination of a stadium southwest of the Strip and cracking the door on the nomadic franchise moving to San Diego.
With financing partners bailing on the proposed $1.9 billion Vegas stadium, a sliver of silver and black light is at least visible to those who want to see another NFL team _ even a longtime rival _ replace the Chargers in San Diego.
It is well-known that Raiders owner Mark Davis loves San Diego, and some close to him believe he would prefer the market over remaining in Oakland.
The roadblocks to a new San Diego stadium for any NFL team would be similar to those present for years as the city and Chargers were negotiating, but there is a thought that Davis would be a more willing and flexible negotiating partner.
Another possible hindrance to the Raiders' migration south is that NFL owners do covet the east Bay Area market for its wealth and growth potential. However, a group fronted by Hall of Famer Ronnie Lott that is attempting to launch a stadium project in Oakland has so far had its ideas soundly rejected by the NFL.
All this is moot if the Raiders are headed to Las Vegas. Until Monday night, it seemed that move was a formality.
But then casino magnate Sheldon Adelson announced he had withdrawn from the deal, taking his $650 million with him. Then on Tuesday, the Los Angeles Times reported Goldman Sachs was also pulling out as a potential finance partner. An ESPN report earlier in the day said the investment banker was "re-evaluating" its involvement in the Raiders' deal.
For weeks, the Raiders said they had the financing lined up for the balance of the stadium project. At the Jan. 11 meeting in which other owners left impressed by the Raiders progress, there was talk of the Raiders proceeding with or without Adelson, and some owners expressed concern over Adelson's involvement due to his gambling interests. And the Raiders' relocation papers filed Jan. 19 did not list Adelson as an investor.
The Raiders and NFL are contributing $500 million, and the Nevada Legislature last year approved $750 million in public funding through a statewide hotel tax increase. That leaves a $650 million shortfall without another partner.
There is concern from some owners and officials in Las Vegas about Davis' ability to get the 65,000-seat stadium built. It is the owners who will decide whether the Raiders can move from Oakland, where they have played since 1995 and also played from 1960 through '81. They are expected to vote at a regularly scheduled March meeting.
On Monday, Clark County Commission Chairman Steve Sisolak expressed skepticism over the Raiders' ability to finance the stadium.
"The Raiders are putting a lot of hopes in the Goldman Sachs commitments, but I don't know the extent of their commitments, and I certainly do not share that same level of hope," Sisolak told the Las Vegas Review-Journal. "If (the Raiders) have a Plan B, I'm not aware of it, and the owners meeting is coming up in two months."
Should the Raiders not move to Las Vegas, San Diego leaders (and voters and fans) might have some decisions to make about getting back into a relationship with the NFL and one of its teams in an effort to poach another city's franchise.
For now, what we know is that remains a possibility.
