© Kirby Lee | 2018 Sep 16
Raiders owner Mark Davis has responded to the news that the city is suing the team and the NFL for what they are calling ‘an illegal move to Las Vegas.’
Calling the filing of a federal lawsuit against the Oakland Raiders and the NFL by the city of Oakland “meritless and malicious,” team owner Mark Davis told ESPN late Tuesday night from the NFL owners meetings in Dallas that he would have no further comment on the matter.
“My feeling is we’re 3-10 and we’re still relevant,” Davis said. “It’s a legal issue, and I’ll let the attorneys make any further comment.”
As first reported by the San Francisco Chronicle, the city of Oakland filed a lawsuit in federal court Tuesday, accusing the Raiders and NFL of an illegal practice by moving the team to Las Vegas, and seeking hundreds of millions of dollars in damages.
The lawsuit claims that the NFL and each of its 32 teams are operating like a cartel, demanding that cities pony up public funds to build new stadiums or risk losing their teams.
Davis had said previously that if the city did indeed sue the team, the Raiders would not play in Oakland next season, despite the fact that their new stadium in Las Vegas won’t be complete until 2020. Davis would not comment if that is still the case. The Raiders’ lease at the Coliseum ends at the conclusion of this season.