Gutierrez: L.A. means less control for Raiders' Davis

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June 10, 2011GUTIERREZ ARCHIVE
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Paul Gutierrez
CSNCalifornia.comAl Davis called Los Angeles home for 13 star-crossed seasons.His Raiders won their last Super Bowl in the Southland.And Davis believes in his heart of hearts that L.A. is still his territory and that anyone who dares even think of moving there should not only ask his permission, but pay him a tribute, of sorts.That's why Anschutz Entertainment Group President Tim Leiweke's very public statement to the Orange County Register that the Raiders were one of five NFL teams AEG had been in contact with about acquiring a majority interest in and moving to a proposed new stadium in downtown L.A. is hard to believe.NEWS: Raiders talking with L.A. stadium planner
Davis is not going to give up controlling interest in his life's work."The team is not for sale," Raiders CEO Amy Trask told me in a statement through team spokesman John Herrera. "It will remain in the Davis family."End of story, right? Well...Davis' obvious dissatisfaction with the Oakland Coliseum since moving back to the East Bay in 1995 is no more a secret than the Raiders owner keeping one eye on the SoCal market.Remember Davis not shutting the door on L.A. in last year's ESPN 30 for 30 documentary "Straight Outta L.A." with Ice Cube?"As L.A. knows, if they can get a stadium, they can knock on the door," Davis said.Throw in the fact that the Raiders' lease in Oakland ends in 2013, around the time the proposed Farmers Field would open next door to Staples Center, and things get sticky intriguing.But Davis willingly giving up control of the Raiders?It makes more sense to look at the ownership situations in San Diego, Minnesota, St. Louis and Jacksonville, the other franchises with which Leiweke said AEG has talked, conversations that have apparently included the conglomerate picking up relocation costs.Personally, if a team is going to move to Los Angeles to fill the No. 2 media market's NFL void that has existed since the end of the 1994 season, I'd like to see the Rams make the jump.Horn helmets and Vince Ferragamo references? Sign me up.

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