ST. LOUIS — The city of Oakland has sued the Raiders, as well as numerous other teams, alleging that the team violated law by leaving the city that had hosted them for so many years.
According to Pro Football Talk, the Raiders are accused of having made an illegal move when they left Oakland, resulting in damages to residents and taxpayers of the city, while proving to be an advantageous decision for the NFL owners.
Jeremy M. Evans of California Sports Lawyer in Los Angeles, compared the situation to the dispute between St. Louis and the Rams.
"In litigation, there is generally a business solution prior to filing in court. In not assigning any blame or whether relocation was proper, the City of Oakland and Alameda County have been negotiating for decades to build a new stadium or ballpark for both the Raiders and the Athletic's," Evans told the St. Louis Record.
Evans said that the history of the Raiders made it perplexing that they opted to leave for another city.
"When we consider the history of the relationship between the City of Oakland, Alameda County, the Raiders, and the Raider's franchise history, is it really a surprise that the Raiders left to Las Vegas for a new home and opportunities," Evans said.
Even though the Raiders have been alleged to have violated antitrust law, Evans said that the case may be settled with relative ease, especially when compared to similar incidents which have occurred elsewhere in the nation.
"Case law is pretty well settled that professional sports leagues in America have leeway when it comes to antitrust issues, with baseball having the strongest exemption," Evans said. "Comparing the City of Oakland's lawsuit against the National Football League and the Raiders to the City of St. Louis's settlement over personal seat licenses with the Rams is likely appropriate in that litigation will hopefully encourage settlement and dismissal."