Wearing a Raiders jersey and cap, Caleb Baker of Las Vegas thought today on the prospect of his favorite NFL club playing in his city.
“I’ve always wanted to go to a game,” Baker said as he stood in front of the Las Vegas welcome sign, minutes after NFL owners authorized the team’s relocation. “Fortunately, now it will be much easier.”
Baker, an 18-year-old Legacy High School graduate, was one of perhaps 50 Raiders fans who celebrated the news today in front of the iconic sign. They applauded the announcement and waved signs as passing cars honked their horns.
Jeff Whitaker, from Ithaca, Michigan, travels across the country to support the squad.
Whitaker, a season ticket holder, attended the Raiders’ most recent Super Bowl participation in 2003 and accompanied the team to Mexico City for a game last season. He said he’s been to hundreds of Raiders games and intends to continue purchasing season tickets whenever the team moves to Las Vegas.
“They need a new stadium, and the supporters demand it,” Whitaker stated. “This keeps the franchise up with the times.”
Rachel and David Montgomery of Logan, Ohio, stood at the welcome sign to repeat their wedding vows after ten years of marriage. However, they quickly found themselves shouting and waving at TV cameras, clutching “Welcome to Las Vegas, Raiders” placards.
Although they are Cleveland Browns fans, the couple stated that they attended the celebration as part of their first “Las Vegas experience.”
“It’s making history, and we want to be a part of it,” Rachel Montgomery explained.
Sue Woods, a Las Vegas resident, believes the Raiders will give additional entertainment options for both locals and tourists.
“It’s about time we got something like this here,” she added. “Just another evidence that Las Vegas is more than just casinos and gambling.”
Robert Reyes of Las Vegas expressed sympathy for Oakland supporters, but questioned the idea that they would stop supporting the team in Las Vegas.
“Raiders fans form a family. “They’ll come around in no time,” he promised.
Ben Cassesse couldn’t decide between buying a new automobile and season tickets to watch the Raiders play in Las Vegas.
The replacement wheels will need to wait.
“It’s a dream come true,” Cassesse said today, after NFL owners approved the team’s relocation to Las Vegas from Oakland.
Cassesse, who took the day off from work to celebrate, was at Legends Sports Bar and Grill on Boulder Highway, which is home to the Raiders’ Las Vegas booster group.
John Baietti, fondly known as Big John at the bar, has been a Raiders supporter since the franchise’s inception in 1960. He referred to the news as “Christmas times a thousand.”
“We’re a family,” Baietti remarked of the other members of the Raider Nation. “We aren’t fair-weather fans.”
Cody Wallace, a security guard, is a Raiders fan since 1975. He hopes his position allows him to attend some Raiders games in Las Vegas.
“My objective is to work at the stadium when they break ground and then get paid to watch my team,” Wallace explained.
Today, at 6 p.m., members of the local Raiders booster club will gather at the Las Vegas welcome sign and march downtown to celebrate. For more information, follow the club on Instagram at
