If you haven’t heard already, the Oakland Raiders were just approved to make their move to Las Vegas by a vote of 31-1 by the owners of each NFL team. While the team is not relocating right away (they’ll still be in Oakland for at least the next two seasons), the bittersweet emotion can be felt almost immediately.
John Payne, a junior at Niagara University from Syracuse, NY, finds himself a lifelong Raiders fan hurt by the move.
“I feel the owners don’t care about the Oakland fans that have been loyal to the Raiders for the past 40 years,” says Payne. “I would’ve been excited for the team to relocate back to Los Angeles like they did in the ’70s.”
In terms of future NFL-fandom, Payne says the move has made him unsure of his future support.
“I joked around saying I will become a (Denver) Broncos fan, but I still have two seasons to make up my mind before they move.”
The Raiders looked to have a promising season last year geared on competing for a Super Bowl title. Unfortunately, their star-quarterback Derek Carr went down with a season-ending injury late in the year derailing any legitimate shot at a championship. In terms of next year, the team’s potential success makes the move that much harder for Raider fans.
Niagara Wire 