The Las Vegas Raiders are returning to the Los Angeles area for training camp, but their fans will have to stay home.
This is all due to an obscure NFL rule, as explained by John Breech of CBS Sports. Already, the LA Chargers and Rams will be holding training camp in the city.
"According to league policy, the Raiders decision to hold training camp near L.A. means they're essentially infringing on the home territory of both the Rams and Chargers, and because of that, they'll be facing a few restrictions," Breech wrote.
"Not only are fans mostly banned, but the team isn't even allowed to advertise the fact that they're going to be in Los Angeles. Also, the Raiders aren't allowed to invite any local media from the L.A. area. The team will invite a few season-ticket holders and several VIPs to attend practice during their 18-day stay, but pretty much everyone else is going to be shut out."
In other words, the Rams and Chargers can block the Raiders from making their camp known.
"That's where we're having camp," Raiders owner Mark Davis told ESPN, "but the Chargers and Rams have the ability to block us from [promoting.] It's fine."
Davis wasn't finished.
"It would be nice if all the fans could be there, but, whatever. Like I said, the Chargers and Rams have that ability."
Knowing all that, why the Raiders are choosing L.A. and not, say, Reno or Las Vegas is incredibly interesting and frankly, odd.
"It's about team bonding," coach Antonio Pierce said, via ESPN. "When I played ... we never stayed at our facility. I was used to traveling and going away and kind of [being] bunkered up, 90 or 85 players at a time, or whatever it was. And team bonding, getting together and getting to know one another, to get away from all the distractions. It's all about ball. Just ball."
