By Dylan Edelman What happens in Vegas stays there, but is Sin City ready for an NFL team? The Oakland Raiders are potentially in search for a new home and Las Vegas could be at the top of their list. With a population of over 2 million, according to the city’s Chamber of Commerce, the area could be a prime spot to support a professional team. Already planned to get a 2017 NHL expansion team, sport fans in Nevada may be wanting more. From its AFL birth in the 1960s, Oakland has become the iconic home to the Raiders. Although they struggled but by the 1970s, the Silver and Black proved themselves by winning Super Bowl XI. In the 80s, owner Al Davis fought to get improvements made to the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum, but, his requests were denied. Davis then moved the team to Los Angeles, where they played for 12 years. As the Raiders slowly learned, LA was not the home for them. As a result, they returned home to a newly renovated stadium and loyal fans in Oakland. Now, the Raiders are looking for a new city yet again. This past January, the rumors hinted to cities like San Antonio, Sacramento, and even San Diego, but as of August 2016, it seems as if Las Vegas may just be the answer. Vegas has been the perfect spot to host major headlining boxing bouts, MMA championships, Nascar races, and PGA golf tournaments. These events are easy sell outs, but can Vegas promise the same ticket sale return for an NFL team? Currently, Vegas has a thriving tourism industry, along with a slew of innovative hotels, attractions, and shows. While Vegas allows legalized sports betting, most major professional sport leagues have strict anti-gambling policies. Even concerns from gambling to drugs to prostitution expose the never-ending temptations there are. These distractions may ultimately get players in potential trouble with the league. Money talks, though, and the city certainly has the potential to build the Raiders a state of the art stadium. But, can it fill the seats with loyal fans like they have in Oakland?
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Dylan EdelmanWilson Senior Archives
February 2020
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