The entertainment capital of the world just got a whole lot more entertaining. If you haven't heard by now, the Oakland Raiders are the latest NFL franchise to get the green light to relocate after 31 of 32 team owners approved the move. And when they leave Oakland for their new home which most likely won't be until the 2020 season when the construction of their new $1.7 Billion dollar domed stadium is expected to be complete, they'll be playing where no NFL team has ever played before -- Las Vegas. It's been a long time coming for Vegas to be taken seriously by the NFL even if the possibility of the Raiders coming to town has only been in the news for a few blinks of the eye after Raiders owner Mark Davis was given the shaft by Commissioner Roger Goodell when he tried moving the team to Los Angeles a little over a year ago. After those hopes went up in flames in favor of the Rams relocating to L.A. instead, Davis had his sights set on the glitz and glamour of Sin City. All the NFL needed to make the lofty dreams of relocating the Raiders (or any other franchise for that matter) to Las Vegas a reality was an organization to take the risk which in this case proved to be the NHL. And now just nine months after Sin City was approved for its NHL team -- the Vegas Golden Knights, Las Vegas will be awarded its second professional sports franchise.
It's hard to believe that after being deprived of a single professional sports team for so long, Vegas will now have two at the drop of a hat. But with the issue of gambling no longer a blockade and now archaic as its ever been at least in regards to a pro sports franchise, Vegas is no longer looked upon as being that forbidden destination for an NFL team. Or in Disney terms, Vegas is no longer that dark place on the map like in the Lion King that Mufasa tabs as off limits for Simba to step foot on although he would later do so anyways. Players living in Vegas and playing for the Raiders will now have to follow strict guidelines that prohibits them from sports betting. And though this is nothing new, now calling the world capital of gambling home could be a bit more enticing seeing as their new facility will be next door to a casino. Similar to how those playing for teams like the Seattle Seahawks and Denver Broncos, two places that in recent years legalized the use of marijuana, have to avoid using the drug.
Relocation is something Raiders fans know all too well after then team owner Al Davis moved the team from Oakland to Los Angeles in 1982 only to head back to Oakland some 13 years later. But at least then the Raiders were some 370 miles away from their birthplace and still in the state of California. Now they're taking on an entirely new image by moving out of state, albeit only a state away. Still, it's worth seeing if the fan base which is among the most loyal fan bases in all of football is willing to follow them on their latest and perhaps their most disappointing business endeavor, especially considering few teams in all of sports mean more to their community than what the Raiders mean to the city of Oakland. With a deal already in place to move the Golden State Warriors who are currently next door neighbors to the Raiders at Oracle Arena across the bay to San Francisco, Oakland sports fans will soon be left with only the MLB's Oakland Athletics. But with the A's still playing ball within the crumbling walls of the Oakland Coliseum which is said to have had pluming issues for years now and is the only remaining MLB team that still shares a home with an NFL team, who's to say the Athletics won't be next to pack up their bags and leave? Or perhaps the city of Oakland can take note of the A's being their last hope and somehow work a deal to at least keep one of their beloved franchises in the East Bay.
What's also unfortunate for Oakland Raiders fans is the timing of the relocation. For the first time in over a decade, the Raiders are relevant again and are coming off a rejuvenating 12-4 season in 2016 and making the playoffs for the first time since 2002. With a promising crop of talent led by QB Derek Carr, WR Amari Cooper and reigning Defensive MVP Khalil Mack under the tutelage of head coach Jack Del Rio, the Raiders are finally on the right path of competing for a Super Bowl. Sadly, if and when that title comes, it'll most likely be while calling Vegas home and not Oakland. Then again had Carr not suffered a season ending leg injury in the second to last week of the season, they could've been a real threat to Tom Brady and the New England Patriots in the AFC. In what will be the NFL's third relocation in the last 14 months, the Raiders will now leave the 6th biggest media market in the country for the 40th, joining the Rams' decision to flee St. Louis for L.A. last season and the Chargers' decision to leave San Diego for L.A.in January. This many moves in such little time is never a good thing for a league but after living in Vegas for three quarters of my life, I have a hard time seeing an NFL team NOT succeeding here. In my personal experience I've learned that Vegas is a city that thrives on whats new and whats in, so if you're a Vegas local and weren't a football fan already, chances are it won't be long before you see the light.
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Battle of the Bay - After being humiliated in their own home on Thanksgiving in a loss at the hands of bitter rival Seattle, the 7-5 49ers took a trip across the bay to face the 1-11 Oakland Raiders who were coming off of a 52-0 shellacking versus the St. Louis Rams. Entering the game, San Francisco was set to square off with a dismal Raiders team which owns the worst record in the league and has been the laughing stock of the NFL for the greater part of the last decade. With every game being a must-win for the 49ers who entered Sunday's game trailing several teams in the Wild Card race, Jim Harbaugh's club could ill-afford another loss, let alone one to the worst team in the league. But even Oakland's struggles wouldn't be enough to help pull Colin Kaepernick and the declining 49er offense from out of the pits as the team hit rock bottom.
Kaepernick would be intercepted on the first play of the game to put his team in an early hole as Oakland capitalized with a 57-yard chip-shot field goal from kicker Sebastian Janikowski. The 49er offense would get it together two drives later as Kaepernick found fullback Bruce Miller for a go-ahead 8 yard touchdown, but it would be the lone bright spot on the day for the San Francisco offense. The lead wouldn't last for long, however, as Raiders rookie QB Derek Carr answered with his first of three touchdown passes on the afternoon. Then, for the first time in what seemed like practically the entire season, Kaepernick used his legs to put the team in scoring position as the 49ers tied the game on a Phil Dawson field goal just before the half. After forcing a three and out on Oakland's first possession of the second half, San Francisco had a chance to put up more than a field goal but the 49er offense would sputter in the red zone like they've done so often this year and was forced to settle for three.
Trailing 13-10, Derek Carr would orchestrate back to back touchdown scoring drives to pull Oakland ahead as the 49ers found themselves trailing by double-digits with just over 10 minutes to play. With their backs against the wall, San Francisco would dig themselves an even deeper hole as Phil Dawson missed wide-left on a 47-yard field goal attempt that would've brought the Niners within 8-points. Kaepernick would get one final chance to inch his team closer in hopes of pulling off the comeback but would be intercepted for the second time, sealing Oakland's second victory of season, 24-13, and putting San Francisco on the brink of playoff elimination for the first time under head coach Jim Harbaugh.
While the 49ers struggled through the air, totaling only 174 yards from Kaepernick, they had success when rushing the ball. The only problem being they didn't run the ball enough for whatever reason. On just 12 carries, Niners running back Frank Gore tallied 63 yards compared to the 76 yards Oakland's Latavius Murray rushed for on 23 carries. But the story of the game would be the quarterback position as Derek Carr had arguably his best performance as a pro, outplaying his counterpart Colin Kaepernick by throwing for 254 yards, 3 touchdowns and zero turnovers compared to Kaepernick's 174 yards, 1 touchdown and 2 interceptions. Carr was also only sacked once for 9 yards opposed to the five times Kaepernick went down for a loss of 23 yards. With the loss, the 49ers fell to 7-6 on the year. Sadly, the standings wasn't the only area the team took a loss in as San Francisco's already depleted o-line took another hit as rookie center Marcus Martin left Sunday's game with a knee injury. His status on whether or not he'll be back when the 49ers hit the field in Week 15 is not yet known.
Week 15 Preview: Though the 49ers still have slim chance of making the playoffs this season, they'll have to win out if they plan to keep coach Harbaugh's streak of consecutive trips to the title game alive. A task that'll be none too easily to accomplish given San Francisco's remaining schedule. And their Week 15 visit in Seattle will be their toughest task yet as the 49ers take the field on the road against the Seahawks (9-4) for the first time since losing the NFC Championship game last January. A 49er win would not only do wonders for San Francisco's dwindling playoff hopes, but it would also put a dent in Seattle's bid to win the NFC Western Division as they still trail the Arizona Cardinals by a game. But in order to do that, they'd have to put up more of a fight than the pathetic 19-3 showing that took place just a couple weeks ago on Thanksgiving.
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