Guest MrRant Report post Posted July 2, 2003 SACRAMENTO, Calif. - Before Raiders owner Al Davis turned to the legal process to consider his claim that he had been tricked into returning to Oakland on the false promise of a packed stadium, he appealed to fans. Davis testified Tuesday that he made the plea after learning in 1996 the stadium would not sell out, a prospect that he said put his NFL team in financial jeopardy. Davis said he held a news conference to blame the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum officials for ticketing problems and to let fans know he had been duped into a 16-year deal. "The Raiders were getting blamed from all sides about the fiasco or debacle or whatever you want to call it," Davis testified. "I was actually crying out to the people to do something: Don't leave us stuck here for 13 to 14 years." When that failed, Davis' lawyers took the coliseum to court in a $1 billion lawsuit and the legendary owner put his case directly before jurors Tuesday in Sacramento County Superior Court to get even. Davis is suing the coliseum, lead negotiator Ed DeSilva and the defunct accounting firm Arthur Andersen for allegedly luring him back on the false promise of a sold-out stadium. Davis told jurors that if he hadn't been cheated the Raiders could be in Baltimore where they expected to earn more money and would be worth hundreds of millions of dollars more by the time the Oakland contract expires in 2010. Defense lawyers say Davis is exaggerating his claims and was never given any guarantees when he signed a deal in 1995 to move back after 13 years in Los Angeles. In the moments before signing that deal on Aug. 7, 1995, Davis said he was reassured the stadium had been sold out that season and would be packed for 15 years to come. Without that assurance, Davis said he would have walked out of the coliseum, leaving behind the stadium officials he had negotiated with over five years and leaving a waiting crowd of reporters wondering what had gone wrong. "I was done if they had pulled that on me," Davis said. "I would have felt, I hate to use this expression, they're trying to suck me in and get me to sign something that is totally wrong." Instead, Davis said DeSilva told him things were great and that he should sign the commitment in front of a pack of reporters assembled for a news conference. Attorney Roger Dreyer showed Davis a document produced by the Oakland Football Marketing Association on that day showing the stadium had not been sold out because of bounced checks and rejected credit card sales. Davis said he had never seen the report before he signed the deal. Nearly a year later, Davis said he realized what had happened. In a 1996 meeting with stadium officials, Davis said he was told they were far from selling out the stadium that year and that less than half the high-priced corporate suites were sold. Davis refrained from telling jurors what went through his mind, but he said an acceptable word would be fraud. "They had conned me," he said. "I saw the franchise go up in smoke." Under cross-examination, defense lawyer James Brosnahan asked Davis why he didn't get the promises in writing. Davis said he had the promises in writing, they just weren't part of the 192-page contract he signed. Brosnahan also suggested that some of the team's difficulty filling its stadium may have been due to resentment in the San Francisco Bay Area from when the team fled south in 1982. "I would assume some people were mad," Davis said. Davis, 73, wearing a black pinstriped suit and silver shirt and tie — Raider colors — was testifying for the third day. He is the final witness for the plaintiff's case. The trial, which began 12 weeks ago, is expected to last another month. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest UndertakerHart Report post Posted July 3, 2003 Isn't it the team's responsibility to sell out an arena? PS Raider's fans are scarry. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest kkktookmybabyaway Report post Posted July 3, 2003 Attorney Roger Dreyer showed Davis a document produced by the Oakland Football Marketing Association on that day showing the stadium had not been sold out because of bounced checks and rejected credit card sales. How many cases of fraud were there? Jeez. Poor Al, my heart bleeds for him. The Baltimore Raiders? I don't think so... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Agent_Bond34 0 Report post Posted July 3, 2003 The 'Baltimore Raiders' doesn't sound that bad, IMO. Al Davis and his shitsquad Raiders probably could have benefitted more from moving to Baltimore, then again, that is all speculation. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest MarvinisaLunatic Report post Posted July 3, 2003 Uh. Im glad that Al Davis didn't move the Raiders to Baltimore. Al Davis and Peter Angelos in the same city would probably cause the city to spontaneously combust. Of course they'd get a lot more media attention.. *runs off spewing about the 2000 playoffs* Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Agent_Bond34 0 Report post Posted July 3, 2003 If I were from Baltimore (which I'm not) I too, would be glad the Raiders didn't move out there. Since I am from California, I can only hope they up and leave town, fold that shitty franchise, or something. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
