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Oakland mayor makes last-ditch pitch to keep Raiders

Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports / Reuters

With the NFL's 32 owners set to vote Monday on whether they want the Raiders to relocate to Las Vegas, Oakland mayor Libby Schaaf sent a letter to commissioner Roger Goodell on Friday in an effort to persuade the league to keep the team in its current home.

"We're not giving up in the fourth quarter," Schaff said in a statement, according to Elliott Almond of the San Jose Mercury News.

"Since I took office two years ago, I have been focused on taking a team-centered approach that is responsible to the Raiders, the NFL, the fans, and the taxpayers of Oakland."

The possible departure of the Raiders has centered around their deteriorating stadium. The Oakland Coliseum has long been considered one of the worst stadiums in professional sports. The facility is now more than 50 years old and also houses the MLB's Oakland Athletics.

In her letter to Goodell, Schaaf included renderings for a new $1.3-billion, 55,000-seat stadium, one that would include a $600-million contribution from the Fortress Investment Group to build.

"We've been successful in doing the environmental clearance, aligning the city and the county which jointly own the land, engaging the league, and bringing partners to the table in the Lott Group and Fortress who have the financial backing, compassion for this community, and intimate knowledge of the game - on and off the field - to get a deal done.

"All that's missing is the Raiders."

Schaaf notes that the Oakland project would cost $600 million to $700 million less than a proposed $1.9-billion domed-facility in Las Vegas.

One major hang up appears to be the need for the Athletics to continue playing at the Oakland Coliseum until a new facility is built. Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle reports that Schaaf described the league's "request that the A's rights to the Coliseum be truncated" as "problematic."

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