Las Vegas Raiders owner Mark Davis is reportedly “embarrassed” by the apathy of his team’s fans as they fail to show up for games. Davis hasn’t been pleased by how some of them act when they show up, either.
Outkick reported this week that Davis is not happy that the opposing team routinely brings a majority of the fans to Allegiant Stadium for Raiders home games.
“Mark is embarrassed,” a former Raiders executive told Outkick. “He was pissed last year when the Chiefs and Bears brought so many fans to town. Now it’s happening every week. He wants it to stop.”
Davis, whose father Al founded the franchise in 1960, relocated the Raiders from Oakland to Las Vegas to start the 2020 season. Those diehard Raiders fans in the Bay Area who supported the team for generations certainly can’t be counted on to attend home games when it’s now an eight-hour drive. Building a new base of Raiders fans in Las Vegas, a destination city with many tourists and newcomers who already have allegiances to other NFL teams, will take time.
Raidersbeat.com estimated that 75% of the fans in Allegiant Stadium in Week 17 were there to cheer for the San Francisco 49ers.
Davis has been unhappy with the discontent and rumblings of Raiders fans who have shown up. Raidersbeat reported that at the 49ers game, stadium security told a fan holding a “FIRE MCDANIELS, KEEP CARR” sign to put the sign away or Davis would have him removed.
Head coach Josh McDaniels has been a frequent target of fan discontent, most recently with the decision to bench starting quarterback Derek Carr for the final two games.
With the Raiders 6-10 heading into Saturday’s finale against the Kansas City Chiefs, it’s little wonder fans are apathetic and angry with the franchise.
[Outkick]
About Arthur Weinstein
Arthur spends his free time traveling around the U.S. to sporting events, state and national parks, and in search of great restaurants off the beaten path.