The Coliseum site is currently co-owned by the city of Oakland and the Oakland Athletics, who on Monday finalized the $85 million purchase of Alameda County's joint stake in the property. History. According to a report from SFGate.com, the African-American Sports and Entertainment Committee sent a letter of intent to the NFL that it will formally file an application to acquire an expansion team in the East Bay. Former NFL running back Marshawn Lynch will be a co-owner of the Oakland Panthers, an expansion team joining the Indoor Football League. "The vision of Mr. Bobbit's group is a historic one that would make Oakland the home to the first African American- owned football team in the NFL - a … It was the American Professional Football Association back then, and it included only 10 teams. Other … Group wants Black-owned NFL expansion team in Oakland … All Access Digital offer for just 99 cents! "Our goal is to have our sports stadium and the ancillary development include a convention center, include a sports and entertainment museum, include affordable housing, include hospitality, which create entry-level positions for people that live within our community.". The Jaguars nickname was selected through a fan contest in 1991, two years before the city was officially awarded an NFL expansion team. The group's quest to bring an expansion team to Oakland began in June when Bobbitt wrote a letter to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell expressing interest in applying to own a team. Ask Amy: My dad said to keep this family news a secret from my sister. Bobbitt said he hopes that the group's effort in the Bay Area can be expanded to other major metro areas, opening the door for multiple Black and African American owners of major sports franchises. In the late 1990s when the NFL voted on an expansion team, L.A. was shafted for Houston. He took the money and the prestige, like a common thief, and forgot about his constituency. The group's quest to bring an expansion team to Oakland began in June when Bobbitt wrote a letter to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell expressing interest in applying to own a team. An investment group provided an update on their proposal to create an African American majority-owned NFL expansion team in the NFL. OAKLAND, Calif. (KGO) -- An investment group provided an update on their proposal to create an African American majority-owned NFL expansion team in the NFL. Whereas Cleveland went three years without a team and Houston had a five-year wait, most recently Los Angeles endured a 1995-2015 drought until the Rams and Chargers moved back in 2016. "This is simple: it's equity, it's opportunity, it's ownership and it's community," he added. Leaders discuss ideas about African American-owned NFL expansion team in Oakland. The same Oakland fans who had their hearts ripped out and dropkicked all the way to southern California 36 years ago by the NFL team they helped to make legendary are slightly more than a … Once the A's leave the Coliseum site, the group's chair, Ray Bobbitt, said there is an opportunity to redevelop the area in a way that would benefit residents in East Oakland. Known as the Oakland Raiders from 1960-81, the team then moved to Los Angeles from 1982-94 before a move back to Oakland. Bobbitt did not give an estimated year for the team to debut in Oakland, with multiple steps still needed, potentially including accruing upwards of $1 billion in funding for the franchise. NFL expansion isn’t on the agenda, but the relocation game might not be over. The team’s blustery, heartless owner, Dean Spanos, gave up on San Diego and he will never be forgiven. Oakland African-American NFL Expansion Team Has City Of Oakland vs Raiders Lawsuit Blocking It ; The Oakland Zoo Has African American Zookeepers, And We Interview Liz Abram ; African American NFL Football Sports Group Met With Oakland Athletics On Thursday Re: Coliseum Site Oakland African American NFL Expansion Team Press Conference Livestream I rode this Peloton competitor for 21 days. On April 17, 2019, it was first reported that Roy Choi was in talks to bring an expansion Indoor Football League (IFL) team to Oakland for the 2020 season. “It would just be such a historic opportunity, the NFL wanting to support the African-American community and an opportunity for economic equity,” Ray Bobbitt, an Oakland business owner, told SFGate about his group’s proposal. In North America, they have some real options, including Mexico City. ... Building an NFL Expansion Team: Best Cities. The group also includes Oakland construction developer Alan Dones, former Oakland city manager Robert Bobb, former NBA player and sports agent Bill Duffy and Loop Capital, the largest African American-owned investment firm in the U.S. The push for the new expansion team started in June, and just this week, the group made an offer to buy Oakland's $92 million interest in the Coliseum site. It is unknown who specifically would comprise that Oakland group’s ownership and its capacity to cover a NFL expansion cost that easily could surpass a $1 billion. Oakland no longer has an NFL team, after the Raiders calculated their exit to Las Vegas, leaving Oakland out in the fog. Now, there’s a group looking to put Oakland back on the NFL map, and they want to do it fast. The next newest teams involved the 1999 reincarnation of the Cleveland Browns and the ’95 arrival of the Carolina Panthers and Jacksonville Jaguars. Cam Inman joined the Bay Area News Group in 1995, specializing in the 49ers and NFL since 2000. The Raiders in Oakland played out of the second smallest stadium in the NFL at an aging Oakland Coliseum. Gruden thinks he’ll stay in Houston, Raiders' old HQ, training facility may go on sale, Miss Manners: I blew my budget to buy her diamonds, and she rejected them. When asked about a potential franchise expanding to Toronto, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said in February at his state-of-the-league press conference: “A stadium that is up to NFL standards is going to be a certain requirement.  That is going to be an important element.  It’s going to have to be focused on.  It’s not enough to just have a great city, which you have.  You have to have the facility also.”. Inside the Raiders: Why I’m shedding my objectivity and hoping for Hall of Fame call for Flores, Woodson, Marshawn Lynch’s new Oakland-focused marijuana brand: ‘Diamond-infused’ blunts, Deshaun Watson to the Raiders? An Oakland-based group wants to create the NFL’s first Black-owned franchise, and that proposal is expected to land at league headquarters in New York on Tuesday. Oakland Raiders fans hold signs asking the team to stay in Oakland in the first quarter of their NFL game against the Denver Broncos at the Coliseum in Oakland, Calif., on Sunday, Nov. 6, 2016. Oakland group hopes to launch NFL’s first…, Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window), Coronavirus: California’s winter wave continues to retreat, Oakland group hopes to launch NFL’s first Black-owned franchise. A spokesman for Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf also did not respond to a request for comment about the group's bid, but Schaaf has indicated her support for the group's effort in the past. Update: Nfl Expansion Team Effort In Oakland Bids $92.5M For City's Coliseum Stake, How an SF artist created a fake company that fooled thousands, Chain closes another SF store after armed robbery, Police: SF driver arrested in connection with fatal 8-car crash, Bay Area gym remains open in defiance of $550,000 fine, lawsuits, Famed San Francisco chef cuts ties at 2 restaurants, This SF restaurant just taped an episode of Guy Fieri's TV show, Hawaii influencer outcry spotlights problematic Instagram tourism, Drive-thru vaccine site to open at Bay Area racetrack, One of Steph Curry's Bay Area homes is for sale, Bay Area landlord issued 150 eviction notices despite moratorium, Mystery Bay Area car crash leaves no victims, only footprints. That's the goal of the African American Sports & Entertainment Group, or AASEG. One problem for Oakland is the NFL might prefer to move any of its struggling teams to London. If the NFL were to add a 33rd team via expansion, I’ll tell you where they should go. Bobbitt added that his group has had conversations with A's executives about the future of the Coliseum site and how the two can work together to produce the largest benefit for the surrounding community. Group wants Black-owned NFL expansion team in Oakland October 9, 2020, 3:06 PM An investment group provided an update on their proposal to create an African American majority-owned NFL expansion team in Oakland. The Raiders are headed for Las Vegas, with a new stadium expected to be ready by 2020. The African American Sports and Entertainment Group is seeking to bring an NFL team back to Oakland after the now-Las Vegas Raiders moved to Nevada when the franchise could not secure a new stadium in the Bay Area. On Oct. 1, Loop Capital joined the group with the goal of assembling an investment group comprised of African American athletes, business people, entertainers and community groups. A spokesperson for the A's was not immediately able to comment on the AASEG's effort to purchase the city's share of the Coliseum site. FILE - A group of business owners are seeking to bring bring an NFL franchise back to Oakland at the site of the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum. Sun. Bobbitt led a fan group called “We Stand With Oakland” in 2018 that unsuccessfully tried to prevent the Raiders’ move to Vegas. On their current timeline, A's officials have said they hope to move to the Howard Terminal site by the start of the 2023 MLB season. With the Raiders having relocated this year to Las Vegas, Oakland is again without a franchise, just as it was during the Raiders’ tenure in Los Angeles from 1982-94. Oakland is a market that makes a lot of sense for the XFL. Oakland got its team back after the city pledge to finance a Coliseum expansion, and lost the Raiders to Las Vegas after refusing to assist with the construction of a new venue in the East Bay. “…This is an opportunity for an entire community to establish an economic vehicle for itself and be self-sustaining.”. The Raiders left Oakland before, departing for greener pastures in Los Angeles in 1981, but this move felt different. Two months ago, a federal judge dismissed a lawsuit against the Raiders in which Oakland tried to recover financial losses related to the team’s move. A group of African American businessmen and investors announced Friday that they have made a $92.5 million bid to purchase the city of Oakland's stake in the Coliseum site, with the goal of launching the first NFL team that is majority owned by African Americans. September 11, 2020, 6:40 PM. The NFL wants to get international, but a team in London, eight hours ahead of the Pacific time zone, is a tall ask. Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. The APFA became the NFL two years later on June 24, 1922, and expanded to 18 teams. Skip to content. A group of African American businessmen and investors announced Friday that they have made a $92.5 million bid to purchase the city of Oakland's stake in the Coliseum site, with the goal of launching the first NFL team that is majority owned by African Americans. The National Football League has been around in some form or another and stoking its fans since 1920. Could a black-owned NFL team be coming to Oakland? The Indoor Football League's Oakland Panthers were also scheduled to play their inaugural season at the Oakland Arena prior to the coronavirus pandemic, but will now prepare to debut during the 2022 season due to financial strain wrought by the pandemic. As of next year the Raiders will play in Las Vegas where they will begin as the Las Vegas Raiders from the 2020 season. That's the goal of the African American Sports & Entertainment Group, or AASEG. The A's are also in discussion with the city to buy its stake in the property. If the NFL were to add another team, which city would most likely be awarded the franchise? SUBSCRIBE NOW $1 for 3 months. None of the 32 current NFL teams are owned by an African American while nearly 75 percent of the league's players are African American. "We're the AASEG Oakland but this could be AASEG Memphis, it could be AASEG Cleveland, it could be whatever scenario lends itself to urban centers that can create this economic opportunity," he said. At the time, Oakland seemed an unlikely venue for a professional football team. The St. Louis Rams, Oakland Raiders and San Diego Chargers have all recently submitted applications to … So begins a daunting quest by the African-American Sports & Entertainment Committee, which will file an application with the NFL on Tuesday to create a Black-owned franchise among a privately financed group seeking to play at the Oakland Coliseum, as reported by SFGate.com. Choi had previously purchased the Cedar Rapids River Kings and launched the expansion San Diego Strike Force in the IFL.. But first, a small technical thing: A 34th team should follow close behind, for obvious reasons. With the departure of the Raiders and the Golden State Warriors, who played at the adjacent Oakland Arena before moving to San Francisco for the 2019-2020 season, the A's are the only team currently using the Coliseum site. OAKLAND, Calif. (KGO) -- Could a black-owned NFL team be coming to Oakland? Yahoo News. He did not respond to a phone message Monday seeking comment from this news organization. Tampa Bay, New Orleans and Jacksonville are among those with relatively older stadiums and team … Plans to build a new ballpark at Howard Terminal go before the Oakland City Council next year. Copyright © 2020 by Bay City News, Inc. Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. "Our community is in a position where we are huge consumers, and it's time for us to become owners," says Ray Bobbitt, founder of AASEG, which is based in Oakland. Latest Stories. The vision of Mr. Bobbit's group is a historic one that would make Oakland the home to the first African American- owned football team in the NFL - a … "Our goal is to not just have a sports stadium," Bobbitt said Friday. "This is huge, not only for Oakland but changing the dynamics of how we look at sports in the United States when it comes to black equity, black ownership, giving us an opportunity to get involved in these endeavors that have been around for centuries," said Marchon Tatmon, an Oakland City Council candidate who supports the group's plan. Post was not sent - check your email addresses! Dear Abby: I was devastated when I discovered my fiancee's sneaky plan, Large flock of birds eating San Jose couple out of house and home, Salma Hayek admits being 'fooled' by Hilaria Baldwin's 'extreme' Spanish act, Ask Amy: I want him to hand over what my mom bequeathed him, Harriette Cole: My husband does things with this woman that he won't do with me, Ask Amy: I saw my neighbor in the Capitol riot video, and I'm thinking of turning him in, Photos: Steph Curry puts Menlo Park property on the market, 3 killed in neighbors' dispute over snow shoveling. It must be right on the horizon considering the last expansion team added was back in 2002. The NFL last expanded in 2002 with the Houston Texans’ debut, following their $900 million entry fee in 1999. A NFL spokesman did not immediately return comment. The Oakland Coliseum site could be in ownership flux, as the Oakland City Council is to begin negotiations on selling the city’s half of the stadium site to the A’s, the San Francisco Chronicle reported. A few months after the inaugural American Football League draft in 1959, the owners of the yet-unnamed Minneapolis franchise accepted an offer to join the established National Football League as an expansion team (now called the Minnesota Vikings) in 1961, sending the AFL scrambling for a replacement. To be sure, Khan already seems to be positioning himself to … Should I tell her? 1 of 2. "We believe that such an historic project commands the strongest efforts of all involved and we stand ready to do our part and more," Loop Capital CEO Jim Reynolds said. Jan 31st, 2021 ; Oakland News Now Today Blog – SF Bay Area Daily By Zennie62Media. Get Morning Report and other email newsletters. Oakland African American Nfl Expansion Team Has City Of Oakland Vs Raiders Lawsuit Blocking It, Oakland African American Nfl Expansion Team Has City Of Oakland Vs Raiders Lawsuit Blocking It. The rest, as they say, is history. Now I'm a... Don't wait until next week to order Valentine's Day gifts, The best masks for people who wear glasses. It may all be about to change though, with three teams clamoring to fill the NFL's gaping hole. 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