Raiders' suit for L.A. market rejected

Al Davis and his Oakland Raiders lost a $1.2 billion lawsuit that claimed the NFL sabotaged a deal for a new stadium and forced the team to leave Los Angeles. The jury voted 9-3 Monday in favor of the NFL, rejecting breach of contract claims, unjust enrichment and other violations of the league constitution and bylaws. It also rejected that the NFL acted with "oppression, malice or fraud" in dealing with the team that left Los Angeles in 1995 after negotiations fell through for a new stadium at Hollywood Park. Neither Davis nor NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue was in the courtroom for the verdict. Tagliabue, who testified earlier, was in Chicago to prepare for an owners' meetings. "The jury upheld the NFL's position on all issues in the case," NFL spokesman Joe Browne said. "The truth regarding what happened is found in the Raiders' own June 23, 1995, media release announcing their decision to leave Los Angeles. It stated: 'The Raiders organization has chosen to relocate to Oakland.'"