All signs seem to say Raiders are coming to Las Vegas

IRVING, Texas — I missed the course in college on tasseography, so a future interpreting patterns in tea leaves seems a long shot. It’s about the odds of UNLV’s basketball team making the Final Four any time soon.

But here’s an educated guess based on comments from a meeting of NFL owners Wednesday at a swank resort outside Dallas: The relocation of the Oakland Raiders to Las Vegas hasn’t in any manner slowed.

In fact, it seems more viable than ever, ironic when you consider city and county officials in the Bay Area voted this week to approve a term sheet for a $1.3 billion stadium in hopes of keeping the team.

Put it this way: Even NFL commissioner Roger Goodell was positive in his comments about Las Vegas, which doesn’t necessarily mean hell has frozen over, but it requires you to wear a parka.

“The only thing I can say is, go back to our meeting in Houston and that’s where I am at,” Raiders owners Mark Davis said. “Nothing has changed. They have asked us not to talk about relocation, so I won’t. There is a gag order. I guess it’s just on me. But we’re doing what’s best for the franchise. We have the best fans in the world, and some of them are taking it personal, which I don’t mind. It’s hard. It’s nothing against them. I absolutely love them.

“But go back and see what I said in Houston.”

Which was this: He presented to fellow owners in October the $1.9 billion stadium project in Las Vegas and informed them he will apply for relocation in January, going as far to say how continuing to play in Oakland while the stadium was built in Southern Nevada would give his players and their families time to become familiar with the area and not be rushed into a move.

More and more, it appears the Oakland stadium plan is the Hail Mary most assumed the city would throw as a last-ditch effort to avoid losing the Raiders, a proposal NFL officials on Wednesday compared to failed attempts by the team in the past as it relates to a private investor having a window in which to negotiate on the land that would be developed.

It’s not considered a suitable plan by those who matter. Goodell and owners made that point clear.

If we learned anything from the soap opera of the Rams relocating from St. Louis to Los Angeles and that particular stadium plan winning out over one for the Raiders and Chargers, it’s that nothing is decided until votes are counted — and that eleventh-hour changes of heart or allegiances by owners are not uncommon.

So while Oakland officials do what they should in representing their constituents and pursue a stadium plan the NFL and team might consider workable, conjecture and rumor will define the process until doors are closed and votes are officially cast. But it also seems as though one major concern about Las Vegas has been answered in an overly positive manner.

Simply, can the market sustain and support an NFL franchise?

Be prepared to zip up your parka.

“We’ve had several market studies going on, and (owners) heard from one of our independent market analysts (Wednesday),” Goodell said. “There were some real strengths to the Las Vegas market. It’s clear the Las Vegas market has become more diversified and more broadly involved with entertainment and hosting big events.

“There is a growth to the market. You can see the trajectory and where it’s going when you look at the data. There were some very positive things about it, and we’ll continue to look at it. The Raiders, if they decide they can’t make it work in Oakland and want to file for relocation, that window is open until after the (regular season) until Feb. 15. Those are decisions clubs have to make.”

Some owners, such as Jim Irsay of the Indianapolis Colts, were overly positive about the Las Vegas market. Even those who had some lingering questions, such as Bob McNair of the Houston Texans, agreed that with the current Oakland stadium plan being unworkable, a team “sometimes needs to go where the opportunity is.”

It all made for this amateur reading of the tea leaves: Davis is full speed ahead on applying for relocation, and getting the 24 votes he would need for approval is more likely than not.

After all, Roger Goodell was actually positive about Las Vegas.

Something must be going on.

The Review-Journal is owned by the family of Las Vegas Sands Corp. Chairman and CEO Sheldon Adelson.

Contact columnist Ed Graney at egraney@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-4618. He can be a heard on “Seat and Ed” on Fox Sports 1340 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. Follow @edgraney on Twitter.