Losing In Las Vegas

It's hard to take the NFL and Oakland Raiders seriously about a possible relocation of the team to Las Vegas. The league has always sought to distance itself from gambling.

Where would the fan base be? Only 24% of the population were born in the area. Could they build support from a population that is transient? Do they really expect tourists to take a break from gambling and other activities to support another team? The 2.1 million people in the area make it the nation's 42nd largest television market.

I think one of the biggest issues is the funding of a proposed $1.4 billion stadium. The NFL and team owner Mark Davis would put up $750 million. The remainder would come from a hotel tax which would be passed onto tourists.

It would just be another publicly funded stadium. Everyone loses when that happens.