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OAKLAND, Calif. -- City and county officials approved opening negotiations with an investment group on a possible $1.3 billion stadium project that supporters hope will sway the Oakland Raiders to stay in Oakland.The approvals Tuesday give an investment team anchored by Hall of Famer Ronnie Lott and former quarterback Rodney Peete the right to negotiate a formal agreement for a $1.3 billion stadium that includes $350 million in public money.The Alameda County Board of Supervisors voted earlier Tuesday, with the Oakland City Council voting later in the night.Seven city council members voted to enter negotiations with Lott. One council member abstained. Earlier in the day, three of five county supervisors voted yes after more than three hours of discussion and testimony in a room sparkling with sports celebrities.Lott said after the county vote that the work is just beginning.We still have a long ways to go, he said. We still have to convince the NFL. We still have to convince [Raiders owner] Mark Davis. Weve got a long ways to go, but today is a great day and a great moment for Raider Nation.Earlier this year, Davis said he was committed to moving the Raiders to Las Vegas, where a $1.9 billion stadium project has been approved. Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf vowed to continue working on a counter-proposal for the Raiders to stay at the Oakland Coliseum.A move to Nevada is not certain, though a vote by the NFL on whether to allow the move is possible as soon as January. Nevada will raise $750 million from a hotel tax to fund the stadium, with billionaire casino mogul Sheldon Adelson contributing $650 million and the Raiders and NFL kicking in $500 million.The Raiders must get approval from 24 of the 32 NFL owners to move. NFL owners will receive an update on the stadium situation when they meet Wednesday in the Dallas area.The Raiders also have the option of moving to the Los Angeles area, where they can share a facility with the recently relocated Rams.A spokesman for the Raiders did not return requests for comment.Former Los Angeles Raiders great Marcus Allen made an emotional pitch to the Alameda County Board of Supervisors and later to the Oakland City Council, saying that losing the team would be devastating for Oakland.What the Raiders mean to Oakland is what the Packers mean to Green Bay, he said Tuesday. Oakland is the epicenter of Raider Nation.They have what you call The Black Hole. This city will have a black hole if [the Raiders] dont stay in the city of Oakland.Other speakers urged caution even as they pledged support. They said officials should negotiate jobs and affordable housing for residents in east Oakland, where the Coliseum is located, given the soaring cost of housing throughout the city.A sticking point was that Alameda County and Oakland still need to retire nearly $100 million in debt incurred from remodeling the current stadium to woo the team back from Los Angeles in 1995.The parties have identified $1.25 billion in potential financing for a project that might cost upward of $1.3 billion for a 55,000-seat stadium that could include mixed-use retail in the future.Lotts team, which includes the Fortress Investment Group, would contribute $400 million, with the NFL and the Raiders contributing $500 million. The city of Oakland would contribute $200 million for infrastructure such as storm drains and roadway parking. The money would be generated from bonds paid back from revenue created from the stadium and its surrounding commercial development.The city and county would also contribute at least 100 acres of land, valued at $150 million. One of the issues to be determined is whether the land would be sold or leased.Supervisor Keith Carson grilled a representative of Fortress for details on payment and revenue. He voted no.Supervisor Wilma Chan abstained. She said at the hearing that though fans have remained loyal, she isnt sure the Raiders want to stay.Board President Scott Haggerty joined supervisors Richard Valle and Nate Miley in moving forward, despite the many unknowns.What it comes down for me is trust, and my mother would trust Ronnie Lott, he said. I trust this man, and hes somebody I want to do business with, and I hope hes somebody Mark Davis wants to do business with.Information from The Associated Press was used in this report. Discount Custom Jerseys . 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"It was definitely a very good match -- I was playing really good tennis," Radwanska said. CHICAGO -- When it comes to power plays in the Stanley Cup finals, the Chicago Blackhawks and Boston Bruins might just prefer to keep going with everyone on the ice. The last two teams in the NHL playoffs have been lousy with the man advantage and terrific at killing penalties during the post-season. When the Blackhawks are forced to play a man down, Michael Frolik and Marcus Kruger are so persistent it almost resembles an even-strength situation. And the Bruins have hulking defenceman Zdeno Chara and goalie Tuukka Rask, who is swallowing everything at the net these days. Heading into Game 1 on Wednesday night, goals on special teams have been so scarce for these teams that a couple for either side could tip the series in one direction. "The special teams are kind of key, if you want to (have) success," Frolik said after Chicago held an optional practice on Monday. "We try to talk about it all the time about that and make sure were on the same page. Its especially going to be key right now. Weve got to make we are ready for the challenge." So far, so good on that front for the Bruins and Blackhawks. With Frolik and Kruger tying up the action on top of the zone, Chicago has allowed just three goals in 58 power-play opportunities for an astounding 94.8 per cent kill rate. Los Angeles got two of them in the Western Conference finals, but one was a meaningless goal by Tyler Toffoli at the very end of the Blackhawks 4-2 victory in Game 2. The 92.5 per cent finish for the 2000 New Jersey Devils is the best playoff rate for a Stanley Cup champion in the last 25 years, according to STATS. "I think they do a good job of fronting shots," Boston coach Claude Julien said of Chicagos penalty killers. "You really have to work hard to get the shots through. Thats what they are, theyre very patient; theyre very aggressive when you do lose, I guess, control of the puck and if they feel they can get on you, theyll get on you quick. Theyve done a good job that way." Pittsburgh had converted an NHL-best 28.3 per cent of its power-play chances heading into the Eastern Conference finaals against Boston, but the high-powered Penguins went 0 for 15 with the man advantage during the Bruins impressive four-game sweep.dddddddddddd One of the lasting images from Bostons post-season run came with Pittsburgh on the power play in the second period of Game 3. Bruins forward Gregory Campbell broke his right leg when he dove to block Evgeni Malkins hard shot, then limped around for more than 30 seconds until Boston cleared the zone and he was able to get off the ice. Campbells gutsy display served as inspiration for the Bruins, and they went on to finish off the Penguins with a 1-0 victory on Friday. But Campbell will miss the remainder of the playoffs, presenting a challenge for the series against Chicago. "It just means some other guys have to step in and do the job," Julien said. "(Campbell) is an elite penalty killer for us. Like anything else, when you lose a player like that it certainly hurts your team. But at the same time, theres also guys that come up and step up and do a great job just like our young Ds did when our three Ds were hurt." When it comes to scoring on Boston, whether its even strength or on the power play, the last line of defence may be the most difficult one to solve. Rask has been terrific throughout the playoffs, making an NHL-best 497 saves. Led by the 26-year-old Finn, Boston has yielded seven goals in 52 power-play opportunities for an 86.5 per cent kill rate in the post-season. "Were facing a goalie that in the last round was as good as any of the goalies weve seen over a segment of two years in the playoffs," Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville said. While the penalty killing has been great for both sides, the power play for the Blackhawks and Bruins has been, well, powerless. Each team has seven goals with the man advantage in the playoffs. Boston had an NHL-worst 18 power-play goals during the regular season, compared to 25 for Chicago. Quenneville and Julien have faced a running stream of questions about the lack of production, and thats likely to continue in this series -- especially with the PK units on each side. ' ' '