Oakland loses to NFL in court battle regarding Raiders

OAKLAND, Calif. - The City of Oakland has lost again over the 2017 Raiders' decision to move to Las Vegas.

The National Football League defeated an antitrust appeal by Oakland on Thursday, according to the East Bay Times.

The city had claimed that the league’s refusal to expand beyond 32 teams and its decision to charge the Raiders a relocation fee, interfered with competition.

Oakland had accused the league of operating as a "cartel" that made it particularly expensive for cities to host teams.

"The NFL's Billionaires Boys Club ditched Oakland out of sheer greed and left taxpayers with millions in unpaid stadium debt." said Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf in a 2018 tweet. "Our community's support and loyalty were met with nothing but bad faith."

Oakland sought more than $240 million for sums invested attempting to keep the team, plus lost tax revenue, and the reduction in the value of the Coliseum.

The Court found too many "speculative links" between the league’s conduct and Oakland’s alleged injuries, noting that the Raiders might have left Oakland anyway or the city might have pursued another team.

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