Getty Raiders Owner Mark Davis.
That’s a wrap. The Oakland Raiders are done with California and they will soon be making the move to Las Vegas, Nevada. The last season in the Coliseum didn’t go as planned, but there’s no doubt the totality of the team’s history there holds enough weight. The Raiders will now be entering a transition period as they’re joining a market that hasn’t been home to a professional football team before.
Owner Mark Davis is probably the person who is most excited about the move. Ever since he took over for his late father, Davis has been trying to put his stamp on the historic franchise. The move to Las Vegas is a huge gamble, but Davis doesn’t seem like he’s going to miss Oakland too much. In an interview before Sunday’s game, the owner was asked if he had any nostalgia for the coliseum and Davis gave a head-turning answer.
“No, I went through this in ’82,” said Davis.
I don’t know if this makes me mad or sad, but he’s following the money. So it is what it is.
He went onto to stutter a bit and just said “no” to the question. Considering Davis has been around for the highest highs and lowest lows for the team, it would be safe to assume he has some nostalgia for the coliseum. In all likelihood, he probably misspoke or didn’t probably think through the question. Of course, he has fond memories there, he’s probably just not going to miss it very much or is numb to the effect of the team moving considering he’s done it before.
Not a Fond Farewell
The epilogue for Oakland was much more bitter than sweet. The Raiders had everything going for them to ensure an epic win in front of a ravenous home crowd, but they squandered it.
“We had the game in our hands until the last 30 seconds,” said rookie Maxx Crosby, via The Athletic’s Vic Tafur. “We really wanted it. The whole city wanted it. It sucks.”
It’s almost surreal how the Raiders were able to pull off the loss. The team was up 16-3 at halftime but somehow didn’t score in the second half. It’s almost unbelievable to think that this team started the season 6-4 and had a real shot at the playoffs. The Raiders have some serious problems on the roster and a coaching staff that needs to be fixed if they plan on turning things around in 2020.
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Viva Las Vegas
Ending the season with a six-game losing streak before they head into Las Vegas won’t exactly ignite the fan base. The Raiders need to win at least one of their last two games before the season ends. 6-10 definitely doesn’t sound as good as 7-9 or 8-8. Also, the last two games are against the Los Angeles Chargers and Denver Broncos, both rivals.
A couple of wins against hated rivals would certainly help fans regain interest. Nothing builds a fan base quite like winning. Fortunately, the Raiders are young and should only get better in 2020. It seems like the sky is falling now after four straight ugly losses, but the future is bright for this team. Couple that with the fact the team has load of cap space and two first-round draft picks and the Raiders could surprise people when they get to Las Vegas.
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