The Las Vegas Raiders are holding training camp outside of Los Angeles this year.
That seemed to be a routine announcement, but it was not.
By training in Costa Mesa, which is about 40 miles south of Los Angeles, the Raiders are infringing on the territorial rights of the Rams and Chargers. Those clubs have the rights for 75 miles around Los Angeles.
So the Raiders can’t advertise they are training close to Los Angeles and can’t invite fans or the Los Angeles media to their practices. Only members of the Las Vegas media that make the trip can attend.
The Raiders played in Los Angeles for 13 years and still have a big fanbase there, so the Rams and Chargers don’t want the Raiders building on that fan base and are enforcing that obscure rule.
Coach Antonio Pierce wanted the Raiders to train away from Las Vegas as a bonding experience. But the Raiders aren’t getting any promotional benefits, so it will be interesting if they keep training there in the future.
The Cowboys have been training in California for years, but since they were doing that before the Rams moved back to Los Angeles and the Chargers moved from San Diego, they are grandfathered in.
Meanwhile, this year will be like a secret camp for the Raiders since they aren’t allowed to promote the fact they are in Costa Mesa.
Raider owner Mark Davis didn’t protest.
“The Chargers and the Rams have the ability to to block us from (promoting),” Davis told ESPN. “That’s fine.”
No word on whether a Los Angeles media outlet could hire a Las Vegas writer to report on the camp for them. Or whether Los Angeles or the Los Angeles media even cares.
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