THIS isn’t a nightmare Oakland fans, your NFL team is once again leaving you. A 31-1 owners vote (Miami voted against the move) confirmed that the Oakland Raiders will become the Las Vegas Raiders. After years of trying to negotiate a deal for a new stadium to no fruition, owner Mark Davis was left with no choice but to uproot the franchise from it’s loyal fan base……again.

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IRONICALLY the Oakland fan base has been in this situation before. From 1982 to 1995 the Raiders fan base endured the heartbreak of seeing their team relocated to Los Angeles. 22 years after their first exodus the pain is sinking in again. The worst thing is that the Raiders aren’t leaving just yet. With no stadium built in Las Vegas yet, they are forced to awkwardly remain in Oakland until potentially 2020.

Image from sfchronicle.com

PERSONALLY I feel for not only the Oakland fan base, but for San Diego and St Louis who have dealt with similar departures in the past year. Those loyal passionate fan bases have had their team taken away from them for bigger, brighter pastures leaving them without an NFL team to cheer for. The Chargers and Rams relocation to Los Angeles isn’t as heartbreaking as what’s happening to Raiders fans though. I understand at the end of the day the NFL is a business, but it seems like it’s a business being run by an 11 year old playing Madden franchise mode on his PS4.

QUARTERBACK Derek Carr emotionally tweeted out a quote upon hearing the news saying ‘I don’t know how we should feel. I feel the pain of our fans in Oakland. I also see the joy on the faces of our new faces in Las Vegas’ and ‘ While I am from California and would loved playing my whole career in Oakland, I understand the business side of the NFL’. His point of view was echoed by fellow Raiders players who feel uneasy and awkward about the future, unsure of whether to be happy for Vegas or crushed for Oakland. It just won’t be the same seeing the Raiders in Vegas. The franchise is just starting to get back to playing winning football and now fans are having their team torn away from them. I’m praying that  Carr can come back from his horrific broken leg and bring the city of Oakland a championship before their departure. It’s what their tormented fans deserve.

Banner from csnbayarea.com