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Dolphins owner explains casting only vote against Raiders' move

Ron Elkman/Sports Imagery / Getty Images Sport / Getty

All but one NFL owner voted in favor of the Raiders' move from Oakland to Las Vegas at the league meetings Monday.

The Miami Dolphins were the lone club to oppose the relocation in a 31-1 tally that officially gave the Raiders their majority approval, as first reported by ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Dolphins owner Stephen Ross confirmed the team's stance by providing a comment to Adam Beasley of The Miami Herald shortly thereafter, explaining that all options to keep teams in their current city should be explored.

"My position today was that we as owners and as a league owe it to the fans to do everything we can to stay in the communities that have supported us until all options have been exhausted," Ross said. "I want to wish Mark Davis and the Raiders organization the best in Las Vegas."

Adding further context, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reports Ross' vote was simply a matter of thinking that a third franchise moving in just 14 months isn't the best development for the league or its fans.

Much like the Raiders, the Dolphins were one of several organizations long thought to have been in need of a new stadium over the past few years.

Ross took a different route in addressing those needs, though, committing to $500 million in stadium renovations ahead of the 2016 season.

"You've got to look around," Ross said via ESPN's Eric D. Williams. "There's very little public money available for teams today. And if you own a team, you should have the deep pockets to deliver. You need some public money for infrastructure and things like that. But with the costs of stadiums today, our country can't afford to put all of the money in those things."

The Dolphins' owner offered a further critique of Davis, believing that he didn't do enough to keep the Raiders in Oakland.

"I believe when you own a team you're a steward for the city," Ross said. "It's like owning a utility company. And I just don't think everything was done to try and stay in Oakland.

"You can only make a deal when the owner wants to make a deal. Who are you going to negotiate with? How is it going to happen? There's got to be a driving force."

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