See One Locker Room, See ‘Em All, Shell Says

Art Shell doesn’t see the Raiders’ almost-certain move to Oakland as much of a disruption.

After all, he says, NFL coaches move every two or three years anyway, and usually not by choice.

“In this business, you have to be prepared for moving,” the Raiders coach said Monday.

Ending months of speculation about whether and where the Raiders would move, team owner Al Davis accepted the city and county of Oakland’s proposed 15-year $660-million offer for the NFL team. The Raiders’ lease at the Los Angeles Coliseum runs through 1991, and Davis said he will honor the agreement.

The Raiders had been courted by Oakland, Sacramento, Los Angeles and Irwindale.

Shell and some team members said Davis’ announcement wasn’t much of a surprise.

“We were just sitting there, and nobody was jumping up and down,” linebacker Jerry Robinson said. “Reality eventually will set in, and we’ll have to relocate. But that’s part of this business. It’s not the first time I’ve had to relocate.”

Nose tackle Bob Golic left Cleveland a year ago as a free agent to join the Raiders and thought he’d finish his career in Los Angeles.

“Last year I bought a map of the L.A. area, now I’m going down and pick up a map of Northern California,” said Golic.

“As a player, you have to just sit back and go with it,” he said.

Shell, who played 14 of his 15 seasons as an offensive tackle and earned Hall of Fame honors in Oakland, said he views the move as an off-the-field decision.

“When the time comes that we have to leave, the players have to realize what I did a long time ago, that this is a business decision,” said Shell, who was attending the NFL meetings in Orlando, Fla. “It’s not in our hands. The only thing we can control is how we play the game on the football field.”

Golic also is resigned to the move, adding that for players, not much will change.

“If we move from L.A. to Oakland, we’ll still be wearing the same uniforms, still playing next to the same guys, still be the Raiders,” said Golic. “Los Angeles will always be part of Raider history.”