Some old Colts don't want to claim #18

[foreverfree]

White Shogun, Irsay was seeking to escape the eminent domain legislation then working its way through the Maryland legislature. The same thing happened in Oakland when Al Davis was trying to move the Raiders to Los Angeles. He smuggled the Raiders' belongings out of the office in Oakland before the deputies could come by to seize them under Oakland's eminent domain bill. The Raiders held practices in L.A. and played in Oakland for two seasons while the case was pending in L.A. federal court. The first trial was a mistrial; Davis won the second trial.

Some books I recommend on these "football moves":

"The League" by David Harris, who seemed to have his own axe to grind with Pete Rozelle

"When the Colts Belonged to Baltimore" by William Gildea

"From Colts to Ravens" by John Steadman

"Glory for Sale" by Jon Morgan

"America's Game" by Michael MacCambridge

John