SAN DIEGO _ Should the lame-duck Raiders leave Oakland, where there is no there, and spend (at least) their 2019 pre-Vegas season in San Diego, where there is there, but no NFL team?
Some people say we don't want them. I say, why not?
The Ham and Eggers at City Hall should turn off the grill for a few minutes and pursue this team, even if the stay would be brief.
Although I always was an admirer of Al Davis for saving the AFL and for what he constructed in Oakland, L.A., and Oakland again, I certainly didn't like the Raiders very much then and I don't now.
Why should I? I was born and raised in San Diego. An NFL team in the same division used to play here. I'll admit I dislike the Broncos and Chiefs much more, just on general principles.
It appears as though those who run the City of Oakland and its picturesque stadium don't want the team around next year and could be lining up an antitrust lawsuit against the Silver and Black. This is enough to make Mark, Son of Al, seek a new city where his team not only can play for a season, but find a barber with the right bowl for his coiffure.
Since the Judases bailed to play at Carson High, SDCCU Stadium has been vacant 10 more days per year. The place is going to be there for a while. It loses millions.
My guess is the Raiders not only would supply the dates, but do a good job filling seats. Maybe we wouldn't be thrilled with the visiting clientele, but they would come.
They would come from Los Angeles, and they would come from Oakland and Parts Unknown, as they will when the team moves to Vegas in 2020. There is a strange, wonderful, hardscrabble loyalty to Raiders fans.
They know their team is leaving. They still go to games. Al pulled them out for L.A. and they still were welcomed back.
Thus far, of course, with all that's going on in Oakland, most of this is just East Bay talk. I've heard back from two of our City Hallians, both of whom definitely would know. One said: "The Raiders have not reached out to our office." The other: "Our office has not been in communication with the Raiders."
My guess is they will be.
Son of Al really doesn't have many options. It's highly doubtful white collar 49ers boss Jed York wants them in Santa Clara. There's Sam Boyd Stadium, home of UNLV football, but it's not really conducive for NFL games _ it barely meets the criteria for college games (Carson High's venue is much better). It basically has been ruled out.
Why should we care if the Raiders play their 2019 here? We don't have to get close to Mission Valley if we don't want to (probably a good idea).
But there would be one tremendous draw. How great would it be when the Judases, the NFL Team That Used to be Here, came back for a game (hopefully The League, which should love this, wouldn't schedule it abroad).
Fredo Spanos would have to wear a disguise. I mean, that would be fabulous.
At the very least, Mayberry By The Sea's Ham and Eggers would get some rent money out of their self-made dump.
And, amazingly, the Raiders would have a better place to play than the hellhole they're in now.
