At a time when most believe talk of moving the Raiders to San Antonio is part of a leverage game, the NBA team that resides there isn’t prepared to play along.
According to Tom Orsborn and Josh Baugh of the San Antonio Express-News, the San Antonio Spurs would oppose a Raiders move due to concerns that the long-term financial health of the basketball franchise would be undermine by competition in the market for revenue streams like sponsorships, suite rentals, and ticket sales.
The Spurs would have no objection to the move if the group that owns the Spurs would also own a controlling interest in the Raiders. The goal would be to manage the two franchises under the same umbrella, with the goal of spreading to the Raiders the true commitment to excellence that the Spurs have demonstrated over the last generation.
The Spurs’ decision to push back could be interpreted as a sign that they take the possible move seriously. Or maybe the Spurs simply want to send a message to anyone else who would consider moving to town.
Regardless, the Spurs’ position makes it considerably harder for Raiders owner Mark Davis to persuade anyone in Oakland that the team would actually relocate to San Antonio -- especially since it’s highly likely that the other two NFL franchises located in Texas would oppose the move, too.
