Raiders are officially moving to Las Vegas

By Djack

In just a few months the Raiders to Vegas project went from buried 6 feet under to an actual reality, crazy. Mark Davis wanted this move done badly, he's made that abundantly clear from the beginning , and hats off to him because when times got tough he got tougher, ultimately resulting in this deal getting done. Oakland fans for sure aren't going to be happy with this, they're losing their football team, no one goes quietly when that happens. The worst part about it, the Raiders are going to continue to play in Oakland for possibly the next 3 seasons, so how is that going to boil over with the fans. I can't see Raider nation not breaking out into a riot and burning down the coliseum. At the very least they'll just trash the place after the last home game ever and that should be encouraged. Those lunatics are the reason the Oakland Raiders weren't the worst franchise in football the last 20 years, the product they put was way better than anything the Raiders put out on the field.

Anyways, time to get into the specifics of the move. Originally Goldman Sachs and Sheldon Aldeson were the key investors that were making this relocation possibly. Although, just a few months ago they backed out and the deal looked dead. No fear, Bank of America swoops in and saves the day backing the whole original investment, and the money is now in place for the deal to get done. The vote by the owners passed 31-1, meaning all owners except 1 agreed on the Raiders move to Vegas. The Dolphins owner being the only one to turn the move down. He believed it was more important to stay in the communities that brought them to that point and supported them through thick and thin. I actually really respect that stance by Stephen Ross, if only more owners thought big picture for the fans and not just about their wallets getting fatter. Yes, all the owners will benefit from this Vegas move, padding their wallets with a cool $50+ million in relocation fees that the Raiders will have to pay off in upcoming years.

As for the fans, Mark Davis has been really cool and understanding about their frustrations with the team's move. He has offered a refund to any season ticket holder who no longer wants to pay to support the Raiders in light on the news that they're leaving for Vegas. Now any fan that feels betrayed doesn't feel like they got ripped off at least. I'm sure it doesn't heal the wound, nevertheless it's a nice gesture by Davis.

Raider nation will live on with or without Oakland. They were originally from Los Angeles, however the legacy of the Raiders is in Oakland. Now, it's time for a new destination to experience what this football team and the aura that surrounds has to offer to a new city. By the way Raiders fans you'll have your team for at least two more seasons, and the way they played last year before Carr went down, I wouldn't rule out a Super Bowl run before the Raiders time in Oakland is up to add to that legacy one last time. However, only thing that would be a worse kick in the nuts to the Oakland natives would be if the Raiders won the Super Bowl their first year in Vegas. Let's pray that doesn't happen or they may be a war on our hands between Oakland and Vegas.