US: City of Oakland files federal suit against Raiders, NFL

The city of Oakland filed a lawsuit in federal court Tuesday, December 11, challenging the relocation of the Raiders to Las Vegas, calling the move illegal and demanding compensation for hundreds of millions of dollars in losses.

The long-awaited suit against the Raiders, the National Football League (NFL), and every other team in the league seeks damages for the “unlawful decision to boycott Oakland,” but does not ask for the Raiders to remain in the city. Oakland claims the NFL and its teams collude as an “illegal cartel” to demand that cities bankroll new stadiums with public funds or be shut out of the marketplace with team relocations.

On top of antitrust violations, the complaint alleges that the Raiders and NFL are violating their own policies and bylaws.

“Threats of relocation are a central part of the NFL’s practice of demanding public financing for new stadiums, which significantly increase team revenues and ticket prices,” Oakland City Attorney Barbara Parker said in the statement.

Full Content: Reuters

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