OAKLAND — A big black hole sits at the center of the negotiating table in Oakland. While Ronnie Lott, his investors and local lawmakers work to avert another move for the Raiders, the empty chair in the room belongs to team owner Mark Davis.
This week, the city’s head negotiator on the deal, Assistant City Administrator Claudia Cappio, said Davis hasn’t met with her directly for more than a year, when he shifted his energies to a Las Vegas stadium plan. They didn’t even talk two weeks ago when Davis listened to Oakland officials make a pitch in Florida to other NFL owners.