What the Las Vegas Raiders Mean For the Oakland Raiders

Written by Sam DeCoste

Today, the NFL announced its third relocation in the past 18 months. Now it will be the Raiders who will be changing cities.

They will play in the Oakland Coliseum for the next two seasons (2017, 2018) before moving to play in a temporary facility in 2019, and then to their new palace of a stadium to open in 2020.

As the last year progressed, the possibility of the Raiders moving to Vegas became more and more inevitable. Mark Davis, owner of the Raiders, expressed his desire to relocate the team to Las Vegas back in April of 2016. The idea seemed far fetched at first, but as time progressed, the NFL realized just how realistic this can be and how well it can work. The idea earned support and encouragement from Jerry Jones of the Dallas Cowboys and Robert Kraft of the New England Patriots, arguably the two most iconic owners in the NFL.

Mark Davis knew the Raiders needed a new stadium, because the Oakland Coliseum was not going to cut it for much longer. It has been looked at for years as one of the NFL's worst stadiums. While stadium plans in Oakland could not be negotiated failed, the state of Nevada approved a plan to invest $750 million in public money into a new stadium, pictured in the article. Nevada was aggressive in its attempt to steal the Raiders away from the Bay Area, which Roger Goodell insisted was necessary for them to claim an NFL franchise.

Through filing paperwork and working out investments for several months, the thought of the Las Vegas Raiders did not seem so far fetched anymore. Las Vegas had shown clear interest in the Raiders, and Oakland had not put up enough of a fight to keep the team. 

Through it all, the relocation became official today at the Annual League Meeting. The owners voted in favor of the move, 31-1 (the only team opposed to the move being the Miami Dolphins). For the long term plan, the Raiders are on to Vegas. But there is more to this intriguing story.

The Raiders will remain in Oakland for two more seasons and play in front of the fanbase which they will soon abandon. After waiting over ten years for their team to become relevant again, the fans of Oakland will be expected to watch their team in the Oakland Coliseum and support their team knowing they will soon leave for Vegas, which is now considered to be one of the league's top contenders.

Before the 2016 season, the Raiders had not been in the playoffs since 2002, when they lost to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Super Bowl XXXVII. 

It is a surreal and awkward situation in Oakland, considering the circumstances. The players know they will move, but not until 2019. The fans know they will move, but not until 2019. How can players focus on the 2017 and 2018 seasons when they have relocation in the back of their heads? How will the heartbroken fans be able to continue to come to the Oakland Coliseum and support the Raiders knowing that ownership is moving on from them in a few years? 

The Las Vegas Raiders will be facing off against the Oakland Raiders for the next two seasons, in terms of how the players handle the looming relocation. In a situation such as this, things could play out in one of two ways.

1. The players go out on top for the fans, winning a championship. In the next two seasons, the Raiders generate two double-digit win campaigns, and establish their contention in the AFC. Derek Carr plays like an MVP, throwing for over 35 touchdowns and 4,000 yards both seasons. Khalil Mack wins another Defensive Player of the Year Award. One of the best offensive lines in football gives up the least amount of sacks in the NFL for both seasons. The Raiders play like the best team in the NFL, earning home field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs, to march to the Super Bowl in front of their loyal supporters. In the 2018 playoffs, the Raiders face off against the New England Patriots, possibly the greatest dynasty in sports history, and beat them in the final game to ever be played in the Oakland Coliseum in a historic fixture. The Raiders then take that momentum which vanquished the Patriots and use it to conquer their next opponent in Super Bowl LIII, in what will be the final game in the history of the Oakland Raiders. Forget worrying about relocation, or the possibility of disappointing the fans. The Raiders go out on top for the fans in Oakland, winning their fourth Super Bowl championship in their final stand in the Bay Area.

2. Relocation flips 12-4 into 4-12. Players and fans respond to the news by giving in, and collapsing during their final two seasons in Oakland. Only 30,000 fans come to watch Raiders games, dampening the hostile environment that is the Black Hole. Derek Carr underperforms, throwing 20 touchdowns and 15 interceptions. Players love their motivation and drive to succeed. They lose their inspiration and inclination to play for the fans. The spirit and entertainment of the 2016 Oakland Raiders dissipates into the most boring football seen around the NFL. The 2017/2018 Oakland Raiders play like the 1995 Cleveland Browns following the news of their relocation to Baltimore. A Super Bowl contender is ripped apart from the inside, destroying the potential of superstars like Derek Carr, Amari Cooper, and Khalil Mack. Instead of winning 12 games, and earning a first-round bye along with one or two home games in the playoffs, the Raiders struggle to finish at .500 and significantly disappoint themselves, their fans, and ownership with underwhelming performances in their final seasons in Oakland. 

It will be interesting to see how the players respond on the field in the next two seasons. Do they let the looming relocation affect their seasons for the better or for worse? They could collapse, or they could reach the promise land right at the end of their tenure at Oakland. 

But who cares? Whether a team plays in Oakland or Las Vegas, all a team needs to do is win. Just win baby!

Photo credit: http://mmqb.si.com/mmqb/2017/03/23/raiders-move-las-vegas