Los Angeles has long needed an NFL team to call its own. The Raiders have been searching for a new stadium for some time. Problem solved?
If Marcus Allen had his way, the Oakland Raiders would return to L.A., killing two birds with one stone.
"I'd rather see -- I know people in Oakland won't like this -- the team back in Los Angeles," the Hall of Famer told NBCSN (via ProFootballTalk) at a celebrity golf tournament in Lake Tahoe. "I think it's a viable option. ... We can't have them back at the (L.A.) Coliseum, the Coliseum now is USC's home. ... But there's some locations there that I know I've talked to a few owners (about) and I know that they've liked. I can't divulge my sources though."
Jerry Jones said earlier this year that L.A. is likely to obtain not one, but two NFL clubs; Roger Goodell said Thursday that the league is exploring opportunities there. It seems to be a matter of time before a team returns to L.A., which has been without a franchise since the Rams and Raiders left following the 1994 season.
"I just think it's ripe right now, being the second-largest market and being the entertainment capital of the world, it's almost necessary to have a team there," said Allen, who played for the L.A. Raiders but never called Oakland home. "And I think with the corporate support and the brand that has already been there, that's been established, that has a huge following, I think it'd be a no-brainer."
Goodell also said Thursday that it's possible the Raiders could share Levi's Stadium with the Niners. Allen doesn't believe that would have been OK with the team's iconic owner.
If you're still holding on to Los Angeles Raiders gear, consider this welcome news.
The latest "Around The League Podcast" invites Bucky Brooks in-studio for a team-by-team AFC training camp preview.
