Las Vegas Raiders head coach Pete Carroll acknowledged on Sunday what most fans already knew: there’s no more home-field advantage for the Silver and Black.
The Raiders are worth more than they’ve ever been, largely in part thanks to owner Mark Davis and his business decisions. However, it’s come at the cost of being unable to consistently deliver a “home” crowd for his team. Carroll’s finally noticing what many in Raider Nation already knew.
Facing their AFC West rival, the Denver Broncos, at Allegiant Stadium, you’d expect strong support for the Raiders. Instead, a sea of orange filled the arena by kickoff. Even on television, the difference in crowd noise was clear between the home team and Denver. The press box offered beat writers an even bleaker view for Raiders fans.
You ain’t in Seattle anymore, coach…
As far as Carroll goes, he couldn’t help but echo a sentiment akin to that of nostalgia. He fondly remembers coaching in Seattle—the 12th Man—but those days are long gone. You’re not in Seattle anymore, coach. Not to mention the situation in Sin City is far different from what it was back then. “There was a lot of orange in the stadium for real,” stated Carroll.
The Raiders head coach also pointed out how the connection between fans and their teams, wherever he’s been played a role in their success. “If you think about what we had in Seattle and what we had in the Coliseum, we had huge, huge crowds in our favor.”
Unfortunately, this was imminent when looking at the team’s trajectory. The Raiders have been unable to field a true playoff contender since the relocation. Sadly, the effects have caught up to them. Fan interest is at an all-time low, media outlets (many fan-operated) have turned on the team and its beat writers, and when you consider the cost of attending a game, coupled with how ridiculously overpriced Las Vegas is, the results have been catastrophic. We all understand what Carroll is echoing, but it’s a lost cause at the moment.
Until the Raiders take winning seriously, nothing will change…
Whether it’s a first-place squad like the Broncos or a lowly team from the East Coast, attending a game at Allegiant has become a popular attraction for “Away” fans, and who can blame them?
“I understand everybody wants to come to Vegas and all that, and it’s the hot ticket for people to come, and I’m sure those that own tickets are challenged by how they do it,” said Carroll. The beset Raiders coach concedes what the situation has turned into. Still, despite his plea, it’s going to fall on deaf ears until things change and the organization gets serious about winning.
*Top Photo: Ramble Illustration/Getty Images