Welcome back to The Jalen Ramsey Show. We’re here to have a conversation about your life and your money. Open lines are up at 818-338-0011. We’re going to start off today out west. First up we have Marc in Las Vegas, Nevada. Marc, thanks for the call and welcome to The Jalen Ramsey Show.

Thanks for taking my call, Mr Ramsey. How are you doing today?

Better than the Jaguars under Tom Coughlin. How can I help?

Jalen, as a man who plays at home in a used NFL stadium, I’m hoping you can lean on your experience to give me some clarification for some financial planning we are working on here. You know, like many Californians, we just moved to the Silver State — a relocation that was not cheap — and now we’re planning our history here in Las Vegas.

Hold on. Hold on. Used? We played one empty stadium game there.

Well, it’s a like a car. You drive it off the lot and, boom, that’s ten grand going from new to used when you drive off that lot. Now, like many buyers after a big decision, we’re experiencing a bit of buyers remorse but think we can live with the current circumstances without blowing up the whole deal. You see, our stadium was built for a billion dollars but the LA stadium is a five billion dollar facility. I mean, just way better, right? So, we’re thinking of going back to the host municipality and drilling them for, you know, maybe a couple billion in perks to make up for the project they built us.

But the Raiders were invested in the stadium construction deal. And it hasn’t even been played in yet. How are you going to go make a claim for more handouts from city taxpayers when you haven’t used the stadium yet?

Oh you’re right. We’re just drafting the complaints now. We won’t send anything in until after we formally play in the stadium this weekend. We are thinking of just the general list of vague complaints — cracks we see and bad paint work and general “out of date” complaints. Just to get the ball rolling so, ten years down the road, we’ll have a decade of complaints to hold up and claim we need more free stuff. It seems like a pretty standard approach but I just want to make sure we aren’t missing anything here because, you know, you only get one chance to make a first impression and we want to make sure this community knows that the Raiders are here for 50 years and we’re an expensive date, you know?

You are not incorrect that teams basically start complaining about their stadiums on day one just to establish a history of complaining. However, you’re in a unique situation. Las Vegas is a city that has 2.7 million people but inflates substantially — sometimes up to 30% — every weekend. So you have a huge base of tourist taxes to draw from, which is good, but you are also far back in line behind the Strip casinos, Downtown casinos, and the Golden Knight hockey team that makes the playoffs every single season and is, as the locals say, Vegas Born. The Raiders are a product brought in to be yet another entertainment option for the city.

Exactly! Fans come see us play in this stadium so they’ll want it to be top notch!

Maybe. But most of your eight games a year fans aren’t Vegas locals. So, while they don’t get to see Raiders games, they do get to enjoy locals discounts at Vegas shows or other off-season discounts. You’d never see a casino tarp video poker machines the way the Raiders tarped seats in Oakland.

But we’re job creators! Have you heard about the election?! We create jobs!

Some. But leisure and hospitality jobs account for one in four Nevada paychecks. You aren’t negotiating with Detroit or Buffalo here. Casinos get help because they employ thousands. You bring in a few beer guys and tell the cheer squad to work for free. These people see the casinos busy every weekend. They enjoy locals rates when you can’t command out of state tuition for a burger at Guy Ferrari’s. 

But this is what it takes to have an NFL team! It’s the cost of doing business!

Well, you have ten years to figure out an approach. I can only give you my advice and I’ll just point out this: the Raiders are perfectly positioned to be the Raiders who play in Las Vegas because this is a city that had no winners for years — Ever heard of UNLV football? Didn’t think so. They’ll also be playing at your stadium, by the way. — and then got an expansion team of their own that has been successful and plays right on the strip, not across the freeway like you jackals. You guys don’t win and the question of extra money from a state completely decimated by the WUFLU won’t even care if you walk.

But that stadium is gonna be used so much for non-Raiders stuff! They’re gonna have concerts and college games and — damn — they could fill that thing every weekend.

They sure can and they don’t need the Raiders to do so. So the ball is in your court as a tenant. You can pick a fight and, if Vegas is as weak as Phoenix, for example, then you’ll be fine. But Vegas has better entertainment options than Hitler Youth Rallies. So you decide what you want to do but, for my two cents, I’d focus on building a winner and fleecing your out of town game day ticket holders once you get them trapped inside. I mean, you see Angelenos have better things to do that watch a bad team in the Chargers on Sundays. It’s only worse in a place with Zoomanity. You seen that show? It’s erotic!

Well, I don’t exactly have the ability to garner an erection anymore so —

Time to move over to line two! We’ve got a player call here coming in from Kansas City, Missouri with Patrick. Patrick! Welcome to the show!

Hey there, Jalen! Not sure if you remember, I called a few weeks back about my new contract.

I might. So what can I help you with today?

Soooo…..

Yes?

Well I’m calling today because….

Why are you calling today?

SHE SAID YES!

Oh! For real?! You’re serious????? OH! MY! GOD! That is awesome! Congratulations to you and Brittany!

Thanks man. Yeah. We’re in love. Been together eight years. Got her a 10 carat ring. Everything is coming up Patrick! But I wanted to ask, you know, do I need to get a prenup? I mean, she’s a personal trainer and I’m — well, I am bringing wealth into this marriage.

Has she brought it up? Or you? I mean, has there been a discussion? Because my rule of thumb is a no on prenuptial agreements.

Kinda jokingly she has said stuff. But, you know, we were together starving in college. I feel like she has been a part of my success who was committed to me and my career and growing my wealth even when there was no guarantee to her because she was only my girlfriend. It feels a little weird that she took that “risk” and now I’m supposed to turn around and tell her I won’t take, what is effectively the same risk, with her.

Well, there is the difference of the known upside versus an unknown upside. She didn’t ultimatum you into marriage when you signed your measly rookie deal. She may feel differently seeing your bank account now. Honestly, it may be something she wants to sign to show that she isn’t about the money. But that’s a pretty hard sell given your long relationship. Here’s what a will offer though — and I won’t ask you answer if her family is crazy on the air — BUT a prenup is nice heading off any of the scores of long lost family members she is going to have coming out of the woodwork and, if she feels up to it, a prenup gives her an out when these people put their hands out. But you’re still going to be rich and so I don’t even know if that’s worth it.

Her family is not that bad.

The ones you have met. I dunno man. For me, I think it isn’t worth the risk. Set up a good trust. Stay communicative about your finances. Do it all before the CTE kicks in, by the way. And — again, we’re just being objective here because I think you two are great together and I don’t wish for you to split — if you do lose half, you’re still a millionaire dozens of time over. You have a remarkable level of wealth that should be a blessing, not a curse.

Hey Jalen, I appreciate the talk but I gotta go. She’s wearing just a little teddy number that I like so I need to go. Later.

Exciting week here. Lots going on. I’m going to be catching a flight to Philly here in a bit and we’ll wrap this up. I don’t know what the line is but take the over on my sacks + ints versus Carson Wentz. So you all sit tight, mask up, and we’ll see you next time, right here, on The Jalen Ramsey Show.