With the possibility of the Oakland Raiders moving to Las Vegas gathering more and more momentum, it officially will gather no additional momentum at the quarterly meetings this week in Charlotte. Peter King of TheMMQB.com reports that the official agenda does not include the Raiders-to-Vegas issue.
Still, it’s safe to assume that every owner will be asked for an opinion on the possibility of moving to Las Vegas, given the league’s past reticence to associate with legalized gambling.
Already, multiple influential owners (including Bob Kraft of the Patriots and Jerry Jones of the Cowboys) have indicated potential support for the move. John Mara of the Giants has said that “most owners” would view the possibility as a “non-starter,” which quickly has become the clubhouse leader for worst NFL-related prediction of the year. (We’ll surely top it, at some point.)
Ideally, every owner will be asked the Las Vegas question this week. Previously, the league office disseminated talking points on the issue, advising the owners to point out that, when it comes to relocation of franchises, the league will do whatever 24 owners deem appropriate.
With Commissioner Roger Goodell not ruling out a Vegas move and suggesting that the league’s views on gambling have evolved, it’s time to start counting cards in search of nine or more possible “no” votes.