Don't Buy That Los Angeles Raiders Jersey Yet

Raiders staying put in Oakland through 2013 thanks to new lease

The Oakland Raiders are now officially checked off the list of poachable teams that could make their way to Los Angeles.

After Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed a bill last month to go ahead with the construction of an NFL-sized stadium in the City of Industry, the speculators began speculating about which team the City of Angels would steal.

The safe money was on Oakland, whose lease was up after the 2010 season. But now, it appears Oakland will be staying in Oakland, the San Francisco Chronicle reported:

The Raiders agreed to extend their lease at the Coliseum through the 2013 season, the Alameda County Joint Powers Authority announced Wednesday.

The existing lease, which started when the Raiders returned from Los Angeles in 1995, was set to expire after the 2010 season. The deal is pending approval by city, county and league officials.

The extension buys the Raiders time to work out a long-term deal with local officials with a potential eye toward building a stadium on the current site.

Looks like the speculators need to start some new rumors as LA's inevitable quest for a football team continues (we're looking at you, San Diego).

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