NFL
By: Brock Vierra
I had the opportunity to visit the home of the Las Vegas Raiders this weekend and what an experience it was. It was my first time visiting Allegiant Stadium as the 2020 season was affected by COVID and the 2021 season didn’t offer any games for which I wanted to attend besides the season finale against my Chargers but COVID sidelined me for that affair. The weekend’s matchup against the 49ers was a perfect opportunity to visit as my brother is a Niners fan. As a football fan and as someone who appreciates football and fan culture, I was excited about this experience. Raider Nation has a reputation of full-throated support for their team and the brand transcends and represents various cultures in the LA and Bay Area. I have visited the Oakland Coliseum and witnessed Raider Nation in action so I had a lot of expectations. None of them were met.
The Raiders made the move from Oakland to Las Vegas primarily due to the city of Oakland’s unwillingness to fund a new stadium. I’m not gonna mince words, the Oakland Coliseum was a trash pile. An out-of-date, multi-purpose facility meant to serve both baseball and football and it truly served neither. The seats were always at odd angles, the press boxes looked run down, the hallways, common area, and concessions were archaic with exposed piping and the stadium was prone to breakdowns and busted pipes.
The baseball Diamond in the middle of the field was an eye sore and a hazard to players, the entrance of the locker room was hilariously far away from the field and gang/ drunken violence was prone at games. In fact, I have never seen more on-sight cops or cops in tactical gear at a sporting event than I did at the Oakland Coliseum. Allegiant Stadium is a beautiful sight and a massive upgrade but the inside fell short of expectations.
It felt like a modernized version of the Oakland Coliseum with a lack of the wow factor that you would expect in a modern stadium. I’ve visited SoFi and its Halo video board, outside/inside concept and various artwork/ designs take it to a new level. Allegiant felt basic, it felt average. There wasn’t anything special about it besides the windows that gave a beautiful view of the Vegas strip but it lacked that gritty toughness associated with the Raider brand.
The Oakland Coliseum was an impenetrable fortress, only let down by the Raiders play on the field but in the stands, Raider Nation stood strong. Al Davis’ flame burned hot and bright, no visiting fan would dare sit in the “black hole” or end zone section reserved for the diehard fans and visiting teams would be hard-pressed to find many people dressed up in those visitor colors. Allegiant is the complete opposite. The Black and Silver or Raiders fans were lost in the sea of Niner red. At the very least, the crowd on Sunday was 60 percent Niners, something that would never be allowed in Oakland. The sound of boos filled the air as the Raiders, yes the Raiders entered their domain and “Purdy” chants would erupt spontaneously while Jarred Stidham (who balled out) wouldn’t hear his name once.
The Raiders Mystic Is Still Strong
Allegiant has a short history but its history is filled with opposing fans dominating the stands my issues are bigger than that. The Raiders personified gritty play, toughness, and a desire to dominate. Their fan base reflected that with hard-nosed fans packing the seats next to the field, holding banners and flags of the team they love the most. That’s been traded out for bottle service booths and VIP sections. Al Davis’ flame, the representation of the fire of the man that built a franchise into a 3 time Super Bowl champion juggernaut, the fire that burns inside the Raiders, that fire which represents the desire to win is just an oversized LED mockery of the “Vegasfication” of the Raiders. Yes, the fire in Al Davis’ torch isn’t even a fire, it’s just LED lights.
However, Al’s son Mark is feeling no pain. The stadium sells out weekly, it is a host to a ton of events and he’s profiting off the bottle service booths, expensive tickets that price out local fans, and the huge amount of press boxes. The Raiders haven’t been worth more than they are today and the $20 dollar burgers and $15 dollar beers are making sure the Raiders have the coins to blow on whatever they like. However, the intensity of years past is gone and the black hole only consists of two rows of fans.
When the Raiders turned their back on Oakland the first time, Oaktown welcomed them back with open arms only for them to leave again. Yes, they have the glitz and glamor that is sin city but at what cost? The Raiders play on the field has been poor for years but Raider Nation has never abandoned them. Now those diehard fans either have to jump on a plane to see the “home” team or watch from home as away fans take the stadium over. The Raiders thought they found paradise in Vegas but perhaps all they found was a new set of problems, problems for which is ignored by Mark Davis while he sits in his Owner’s box, overlooking his team getting booed at home.
