Advertisement

Here's why Oakland Raiders fans are flipping to the Miami Dolphins

By Alex Butler
Miami Dolphins running back Kenyan Drake (32) battles pass Pittsburgh Steelers outside linebacker Jarvis Jones (95) in the first quarter against the Miami Dolphins during the AFC Wild Card Playoff game at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh on January 8, 2017. Photo by Archie Carpenter/UPI
1 of 3 | Miami Dolphins running back Kenyan Drake (32) battles pass Pittsburgh Steelers outside linebacker Jarvis Jones (95) in the first quarter against the Miami Dolphins during the AFC Wild Card Playoff game at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh on January 8, 2017. Photo by Archie Carpenter/UPI | License Photo

March 28 (UPI) -- One of the many questions lingering after NFL team owners voted to allow the Oakland Raiders to move to Las Vegas was who was the lone owner against it?

His name is Stephen Ross and he owns the Miami Dolphins. Ross, 76, has a net worth of $7.4 billion as the chairman of Related Companies, according to Forbes. The company is behind the country's largest private real estate project in New York City.

Advertisement

With many Oakland Raiders fans feeling dejected about losing its team after more than 20 years in the city, some are looking for a new team to support.

Enter Ross' Dolphins.

Ross' main reasoning for not supporting the Raiders move was the fact that the franchise is planning to use public funds for a portion of its new stadium's construction costs. Ross expensed more than $500 million in private funds to renovate Hard Rock Stadium to keep the Dolphins in South Florida for the foreseeable future. Hard Rock Stadium is the host for Super Bowl 54.

Advertisement

"My position today was that we as owners and as a League owe it to the fans to do everything we can to stay in the communities that have supported us until all options have been exhausted," Ross' statement said. "I want to wish Mark Davis and the Raiders organization the best in Las Vegas."

"I think – as I told you before – I think when you own a team, you're a steward of that team and you have obligations to the community. I think you don't move a team if you've really exhausted all of the possibilities, and I don't believe they did."

Someone edited Ross' Wikipedia page after the vote to read: "On March 27 2017, he was the only major NFL owner who voted to keep the Oakland Raiders in Oakland. Because he's a saint."

The Wikipedia entry has since been deleted. Since Ross' move, several posts have popped up on social media signaling a fan mobilization from the Bay Area to South Florida.

The Dolphins and Raiders have made very similar progress over the last decade. Last season, the Dolphins made the playoffs for the first time in eight years. The Raiders made the playoffs for the first time since 2002. Both teams finished second in their respective AFC divisions after years of mediocrity.

Advertisement

Latest Headlines