Raiders in talks to play 8 games in London next year

DJnVa

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Dec 16, 2010
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I actually think this deserves its own thread.

Raiders in talks to play all their home games in London.

Glazer reported last week that other owners were the ones that brought up the idea of the Raiders playing overseas, making it easy to believe the league, which has long been obsessed with putting a team in London, believes this could be a test balloon for that idea.

But there seem to be so many more questions over how it would work than answers at this point.

Let’s say the league is able to split the Raiders’ schedule into quarters, with four straight home games, four straight road games, and then repeat. They’ll still only get one bye.

What happens if the fourth home game leads to a road game in Los Angeles against the Chargers? What happens if a fourth road game is in Denver and the Raiders play seven days later in London?

Are we totally abandoning the notion of players getting proper rest and recovery between games?
 

luckiestman

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Dolphins should be the team to do this with(if doing it at all). The divisions opponents aren’t that far from London (relatively speaking) and are clustered close together.

Beyond stupid, it’s cruel to do this to players on a West team.
 

DJnVa

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Dec 16, 2010
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Dolphins should be the team to do this with(if doing it at all). The divisions opponents aren’t that far from London (relatively speaking) and are clustered close together.

Beyond stupid, it’s cruel to do this to players on a West team.
One of the ideas is that they'll schedule 4 straight "home" games, then 4 straight games in the US.

Be kinda cool to have Sunday morning games more often.
 

glennhoffmania

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Dolphins should be the team to do this with(if doing it at all). The divisions opponents aren’t that far from London (relatively speaking) and are clustered close together.

Beyond stupid, it’s cruel to do this to players on a West team.
Why should any team be forced to give up a season's worth of home field advantage? There's more to this than simply geography.
 

luckiestman

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One of the ideas is that they'll schedule 4 straight "home" games, then 4 straight games in the US.

Be kinda cool to have Sunday morning games more often.

I get it. That is why 4 straight road games @JETS, Pats, Bills, (maybe) Giants. Is the most workable thing.

Divisional opponents times two and then maybe PHI

I like the Sunday morning games but don’t think doing this to one squad is proper.
 

DJnVa

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Not that it will happen, but would they host postseason games there?
 

Royal Reader

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It's an absurd idea. Even if they've burned their bridges with the NorCal Raider fans, they'll need to retain the SoCal ones and actually start building a fanbase in Nevada. Why could they not just play at UNLV for a year?
 

Philip Jeff Frye

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The upside to this is that the logistical nightmares that will ensue will stop the nonsense talk of an actual London franchise.
 

Al Zarilla

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It's an absurd idea. Even if they've burned their bridges with the NorCal Raider fans, they'll need to retain the SoCal ones and actually start building a fanbase in Nevada. Why could they not just play at UNLV for a year?
No dome on UNLV’s stadium and it can still be hot as hell in September, uncomfortably warm in October in Las Vegas. But, how does UNLV manage? Next year, their first 2 games are at home. Googling tells me UNLV will share the new stadium with the raiders, starting in 2020.
 

PedroKsBambino

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This must be a negotiating ploy right?

Raiders home games include: Chiefs, Broncos, Chargers, Jaguars, Titans, Bengals, Bears, Lions

I guess a good year not to be playing Oakland?
 

glennhoffmania

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Well the issue prompting this is that the Raiders don’t have a home field right now.
True, but as a Miami fan it's really annoyed me that they've given up some home games. It's not like they can afford to give away any advantage. I don't understand why any team would ever agree to it.
 

mauf

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True, but as a Miami fan it's really annoyed me that they've given up some home games. It's not like they can afford to give away any advantage. I don't understand why any team would ever agree to it.
Assuming the league compensates you so that you’re financially in the same position as if you played at home before a capacity crowd, playing a home date in London makes financial sense for any team that doesn’t fill most of its stadium with season ticket holders. Not sure if the Dolphins fall in that category.

Obviously it makes no sense from a competitive standpoint.
 

The Needler

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True, but as a Miami fan it's really annoyed me that they've given up some home games. It's not like they can afford to give away any advantage. I don't understand why any team would ever agree to it.
Because broadening your team’s fan base by playing half a season in one of the wealthiest cities in the world before moving to one of the most popular international tourist destinations in the world makes all kinds of long-term financial sense.
 

djbayko

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I'm sure The NFLPA is going to think that this is a swell idea.
Yeah, this seems like a considerable hurdle. Players didn’t sign with the Raiders with the understanding they’d be traveling to and living in England (not that it’d be a problem for all but I’m sure it would be disruptive for some) and they certainly didn’t know that they’d have UK’s tax rate taken out of half their paychecks.
 

YTF

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Yeah, this seems like a considerable hurdle. Players didn’t sign with the Raiders with the understanding they’d be traveling to and living in England (not that it’d be a problem for all but I’m sure it would be disruptive for some) and they certainly didn’t know that they’d have UK’s tax rate taken out of half their paychecks.
Also on the flip side (even though it's the Raiders), owners of division rivals may see this as somewhat of an unconventional home field advantage for the Raiders. They'll be given the consideration of 2 blocks of 4 consecutive home games while every opponent will be traveling a considerable distance for one game which is in contrast to the current arrangement for London games which has both teams traveling. I just don't see this being realistic when there are other options that should better serve the team and the league.
 

The Needler

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Yeah, this seems like a considerable hurdle. Players didn’t sign with the Raiders with the understanding they’d be traveling to and living in England (not that it’d be a problem for all but I’m sure it would be disruptive for some) and they certainly didn’t know that they’d have UK’s tax rate taken out of half their paychecks.
I doubt the tax implications would be a dealbreaker. It’s not the first time a team has moved. Rams players didn’t sign with St. Louis with the understanding they’d be living in Los Angeles with a significantly increased COL and about twice as high state income tax, either.
 

Philip Jeff Frye

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Because broadening your team’s fan base by playing half a season in one of the wealthiest cities in the world before moving to one of the most popular international tourist destinations in the world makes all kinds of long-term financial sense.
Are there lots of Jaguar fans in London these days?
 

Fred not Lynn

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I doubt the tax implications would be a dealbreaker. It’s not the first time a team has moved. Rams players didn’t sign with St. Louis with the understanding they’d be living in Los Angeles with a significantly increased COL and about twice as high state income tax, either.
I think many top level pro athletes treat the whole season as a road trip...the idea that your full time home is where you sign to play is somewhat outdated. Not entirely, but somewhat...
 

j-man

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bring them on hopefully Denver goes to London in 2019 so we can kick their ass any place is better than the home field they played at yes i am aware they kicked our ass in week 16 but that was due to their last game in oak they mailed in on the road at kc
 

Gunfighter 09

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It's an absurd idea. Even if they've burned their bridges with the NorCal Raider fans, they'll need to retain the SoCal ones and actually start building a fanbase in Nevada. Why could they not just play at UNLV for a year?
Sam Boyd Stadium is not suitable for NFL play due to the locker rooms not meeting NFL standards, and much more importantly to Goodell and the owners, the space along the sidelines and in the press box does not meet the media standards for NFL games. Supposedly it would cost up to $30M to get SBS up to standards to support the 2019 season, which no one is willing to spend since they will tear it down in 2020 after the new stadium opens.

The Raiders are rumored to have a deal lined up with the Giants to play in San Francisco at AT&T park, but it is far from final. There are two challenges to this course of action. First, the SF city council isn't hot on the idea of people from the East Bay and other parts of California coming to their fair city. Second, both MLB and the MLB player's union would have to approve the Raiders playing in the stadium. I can't see what would motivate the union to agree to NFL games being played on the field during the season. San Diego or Reno are other possibilities that have been mentioned before, but the fact that we are not hearing much about them lately leads me to believe that there are problems with either of those options.

As for London, first, the thought of Mark Davis and Marc Badain negotiating anything with Daniel Levy is a hilarious mismatch. Second, for me personally, it would be cool for my favorite football team to play in my EPL team's stadium. Perhaps the Raider's rent could help them buy a quality midfielder. The new Spurs stadium is built with a field turf NFL field under the soccer pitch, which can be withdrawn in pieces below the stands during the NFL games. It also has NFL sized (both for a 53 man roster and football sized players) locker rooms, which will be unique in the UK. Mark and Marc need to build political credit with the NFL and the other owners with the coming court battle with the city of Oakland. So, I could see them being somewhat willing to bite the bullet to prove the London concept for the NFL in 2019.

My prediction is that the Raiders play at both Tottenham and AT&T next year. I think the NFL gives them a lopsided schedule with 5 home games in the second half of the season. They would then play their three first home games in September / October in one block in London. After the baseball season is over, the Raiders would then play five home games at AT&T in November and December.

bring them on hopefully Denver goes to London in 2019 so we can kick their ass any place is better than the home field they played at yes i am aware they kicked our ass in week 16 but that was due to their last game in oak they mailed in on the road at kc

The Donkeys were incredibly lucky to beat the Raiders by one point on the last play of the game in the first meeting. They got dominated in the second game at Oakland. I dont think the Chiefs or Chargers are much worried about either team in 2019, regardless of where the Raiders play next year.
 
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Royal Reader

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Sam Boyd Stadium is not suitable for NFL play due to the locker rooms not meeting NFL standards, and much more importantly to Goodell and the owners, the space along the sidelines and in the press box does not meet the media standards for NFL games. Supposedly it would cost up to $30M to get SBS up to standards to support the 2019 season, which no one is willing to spend since they will tear it down in 2020 after the new stadium opens.
Thanks - that's the first actual explanation anyone on the internet or any of the podcasts I listen to has offered.
 

E5 Yaz

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They shot a fanbase to Reno, just to watch it die
 
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Cesar Crespo

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I think many top level pro athletes treat the whole season as a road trip...the idea that your full time home is where you sign to play is somewhat outdated. Not entirely, but somewhat...
The NFL, maybe. MLB, NHL and NBA are different beast. It may not be their full time home, but it's close.