Bradley, Davis Meet to Discuss Raiders Future

Mayor Tom Bradley met privately with Los Angeles Raiders owner Al Davis in an attempt to keep the football team in the city, a newspaper reported today.

Quoting unidentified sources, the Los Angeles Daily News reported that the two met for nearly an hour late Sunday at Bradley’s home, hours after the mayor returned from a nine-day trip to Saudi Arabia.

“The mayor wanted to assure Davis that he wouldn’t have to deal with the Coliseum Commission after (today),” a source said.

Neither Davis nor Bradley could be reached for comment early this morning.

The newspaper also reported that the Los Angeles Coliseum Commission could be close to a deal to turn over management of the stadium to a private party.

Davis announced two weeks ago that he would accept a $660-million offer to return the team to Oakland. Davis then criticized the Coliseum Commission and said he believed that he had been subjected to political maneuverings.

That speeded up talks between Coliseum officials and MCA-Spectacor on a proposal to privatize the operation of the stadium.

Such an agreement was worked out during the weekend and was scheduled to be considered by the Coliseum Commission at a special meeting today, the Daily News reported. It would turn over the operation of the Coliseum and Sports Arena to MCA-Spectacor for a 20-year period with an option to extend it for another 20 years, attorneys involved in the talks said.