Monday Night Football: Las Vegas Raiders Over New Orleans Saints 34-24; Mighty Silver and Black Brings Hope and Joy to Las Vegas at First Game in New Home, Allegiant Stadium aka Death Star
Last night, the Las Vegas Raiders played their first game in Allegiant Stadium, which is now being referred to as Death Star. You can see a picture of the stadium above.
In upset fashion, the Las Vegas Raiders surprised the nation on Monday Night Football, by defeating the favored New Orleans Saints 34-24. Raider Nation has started the season with a surprising 2-0 record. It will be interesting to see what the coming weeks hold for the AFC team.
There were years of wondering if professional football could ever come to Las Vegas. Then came the years of waiting for a stadium to be built. And, ultimately, it was the relocation of the storied Silver and Black, from Oakland to our fair city, that has brought the dream of an NFL team to the Entertainment Capital of the World.
There is already a lot of Raider spirit here in town. That spirit is only bound to grow.
Talks about the Raiders moving to Las Vegas go all the way back to at least 2016. While visiting the Wynn Las Vegas [see here], former Wynn sportsbook manager, now current Draft Kings sportsbook manager, John Avello shared his thoughts on the Raiders moving from Oakland:
“It would mean that I would have no staff to write any tickets. All of my staff are Raider fans. So on a Sunday, if you came in to bet the games, I’d have nobody able to take the bet. So I’m not sure I want them to come to town.”
Before the game, Al Davis’s widow Carol Davis, mother of current owner Mark Davis [see CYInterview here and here], lit the Al Davis Torch inside Allegiant Stadium. And so, a new era has taken hold in Las Vegas, with another top shelf professional sports team.
Allegiant Stadium photo credit: Oscar Lappalainen. Check out his YouTube page by clicking here.