L.A. Fans Pray for an NFL Team of Their Own
Five cities scramble for pro football as three teams weigh their options
Albert Robles
Photographer: Charlie Neuman/UT San Diego/Zuma PressThis article is for subscribers only.
The crowd that descended on Carson’s city hall on April 21 didn’t come to hear about the Los Angeles suburb’s dwindling coffers or appointments to commissions. Brandishing green foam fingers, fans of the Oakland Raiders came to bask in the expectation of ending football’s two-decade-long absence from L.A.
On his first night as mayor of the working-class city of 90,000, Albert Robles swapped out his trademark split jersey with the colors of the Raiders and those of the San Diego Chargers for a business suit. After Robles and the other two council members cast their votes for a new $1.7 billion, 70,000-seat stadium, the mayor bellowed, “Football is coming to Carson!” The crowd roared its approval.