After a few years of courtroom battles, they left Oakland for supposedly greener pastures in Los Angeles after the 1981 season. For disputed reasons, they never managed to get a new stadium in Los Angeles.
So, they made a move back up north, to their original home of Oakland.
They became the Oakland Raiders again in the 1995 season, but the rumors of relocation have never really stopped.
In part, it's because Al Davis had relocated so often that nobody could say with any certainty that he was happy where he was. But there was another factor involved.
In Oakland, Los Angeles, and again in Oakland, Davis was never able to secure a new stadium for his team. Davis himself said that if a new stadium came his way, that he would at least consider making another move.
Now that Al is gone, his son Mark will take over as the primary owner of the team. The rumors will be no less prevalent.
While they have sold out their first two home games of the 2011 season, the Raiders don't draw very well in Oakland. They play in an old stadium with very few luxuries.
Rumors have also swirled that they will look for a joint stadium with their cross bay rivals, the San Francisco 49ers. The Bay Area would be an ideal location for a Super Bowl at some point, but neither the 49ers nor Raiders play at a stadium that's anywhere near worthy of hosting that game.
For Davis, the primary thing that he needs to take care of is getting his team a new stadium. Ideally, that would be in Oakland (or at least the Bay Area). It's hard to imagine another move down south would play that well with fans in either city.
But nothing is more important for the Raiders and how profitable the Raiders are than whether or not they can play in a new stadium. More importantly, a new stadium would do a lot to...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Oakland Raiders
