SAN JOSE, Calif. _ Raiders fans know their math and love numbers. I know this because before home games in Oakland, I pull into the Coliseum parking lot and am greeted by some fans who flash me, um, a variation of the No. 1 sign.
Those fans also know percentages. That's a significant skill these days. The Raiders cannot move to Las Vegas unless 75 percent of the 32 NFL owners approve. Seventy five percent of 32 is 24. So it will take nine "no" votes to stymie the relocation proposal of Raiders proprietor Mark Davis.
Nine votes isn't very many. Especially in a league with so many big-ego owners who tend to believe they invented fire and know secrets of the universe and have strong opinions.
I can't give you the precise nine names who might squash the Raiders' proposed move. But I can definitely come up with nine reasons any owner could chose to vote "no" in January when the Las Vegas issue is expected to be addressed at a meeting just before the Super Bowl. That's why I expect, at minimum, for there to be no decision rendered at that meeting. A complete rejection is also possible.
Here are the nine reasons:
