Oakland

Rockstar Endorsement: Metallica's James Hetfield Gives Thumbs Up to New Raiders Stadium Plan

The recently unveiled plan to keep the Raiders in Oakland benefited from a star-studded backing over the weekend.

Metallica's vocalist and guitarist James Hetfield, along with Bay Area concert production leader Gregg Perloff from Another Planet Entertainment, announced Saturday that they are supporting a plan to finance and construct a new stadium for the East Bay football franchise — a proposal that has been shepherded by NFL Hall-of-Famer Ronnie Lott.

"I fully support the Lott Group and Another Planet Entertainment in their pursuit of keeping the team here in the Bay Area," Hetfield said in a statement. "From the heart of a true lifelong Oakland Raider fan, this team needs Oakland, and Oakland needs the Raiders. You will not find a more loyal and intense fan base than the Oakland 'Raider Nation.' Do the right thing here and help each other to make it work."

Perloff added that Bay Area loyalty is the key ingredient that could prevent the team for packing its bags and heading south for Las Vegas.

"Over the years, we’ve forged numerous successful private-public partnerships, where the municipalities win, the fans win and the broader community is part of the entire process," he said in a statement. "When we heard Ronnie’s vision for the new stadium in Oakland, that is exactly what he talked about, and we wanted in."

The Alameda County Board of Supervisors and the Oakland City Council last week approved a $1.3 billion stadium plan at the Coliseum site.

Meanwhile, Las Vegas approved its own stadium deal earlier this year to lure the Raiders to Nevada.

The fate of the Oakland-based franchise now rests with NFL owners, who could hand down a ruling regarding any potential moves as soon as January.

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