The Las Vegas Raiders returned to the Bay Area for the first time in a regular-season game against the San Francisco 49ers. It was the Niners who came away with a 38-17 win in Week 9 on Nov. 8 at Levi’s Stadium.
Nonetheless, the Raiders’ return to reignite the Bay Area rivalry with the 49ers also brought out the disgusting side of sports fandom. The California Post posted an article spotlighting one brawl, but that wasn’t an isolated incident.
49ers’ Keion White stated that he believed he had seen fans fighting in the stands during the game.
“I think we saw somebody fight in the stands,” White told reporters postgame. “So we were seeing people fight in the stands. For us, you can never let the game be bigger than what it is. It’s just the next opponent and now we move on to the next opponent, which is Dallas.”
Meanwhile, 95.7 The Game’s Joe Shasky didn’t hold back his thoughts on the situation and went after fans from both teams who partook in any fighting.
“The amount of fight videos I’m seeing coming out of the Raiders-49ers game is disgusting,” Shasky wrote on Nov. 8 on X. “It’s the worst segment of society, let alone either ‘fan base,’ and I do not consider them ‘fans.’ Some light jab jokes are apart of attending sporting events but this is not that at all.”
Raiders, 49ers Fans Provided Electric Atmosphere
The Raiders returning to the Bay Area for the first time during the regular season to play the 49ers shouldn’t all be clouded in negativity. Fans, especially those from Oakland, who were just there to support the team and relive any past moments of the Silver and Black in the Bay Area, allowed this game to have an electric atmosphere, as Trent Williams put it.
“Obviously, the fan engagement with this game is nuts,” Williams told reporters postgame. “It’s through the roof, so it obviously has something. There’s something brewing with that. Since they’ve been in Vegas so long, we don’t really feel it, but obviously, the fans haven’t forgotten, not one bit.
“I’ve never once experienced that loud of an eruption at our home game. I’m not saying it was overpowering by any means, but there were a lot more fans than normal, for sure.”
Is It Fernando Mendoza Time After Loss to 49ers?
As for the game itself, Kirk Cousins had a challenging performance in the loss, going 22-for-32 on his pass attempts for 216 passing yards, one touchdown, three interceptions, and a passer rating of 58.9.
With Cousins turning the ball over three times and Las Vegas not appearing to be a serious playoff contender, CBS Sports’ Pete Prisco believes it’s time to make the switch and begin the Fernando Mendoza era with the Raiders.
“It’s time,” Prisco said during a Nov. 8 appearance on “CBS Sports HQ.” “Now is the time. The Raiders aren’t going to the postseason. They’re not making the playoffs. Get on with it and bring Fernando Mendoza in and let him play. I think this is the moment when you need to start doing that.
“Personally, I probably would have done it a lot earlier. But if they’re building this thing for him and trying to get him in at the right time, they can’t sit him the whole year. He’s got to play, and now is the time. It is officially Fernando Mendoza time for the Raiders.”
Raiders-49ers Fan Fights Spark Clear Message From NFL Player