Raiders Coach Gruden On Fans Witnessing Game At Allegiant Stadium For First Time Saturday: ‘It Gives You Goosebumps’
By Alan Snel of LVSportsBiz.com
First, the fans came to Allegiant Stadium Sunday to see the Las Vegas Raiders practice in person. About 14,000 Raiders fans chanted, “Raiders, Raiders.” and witnessed NFL football — even if it was just a scrimmage — in person for the first time.
On Saturday, the Raiders and their fans take it to a whole new level when 65,000 fans are expected to fill the domed stadium just west of the south Strip for a preseason game when the Seattle Seahawks come to Las Vegas.
Jon Gruden, the Raiders coach, said he can’t wait for the team to unite with the fan base.
“It gives you goosebumps. It gets you excited. I don’t think you’re going to get to see a lot of the players play unfortunately because of the reality of what this is, this is an exhibition game,” Gruden told reporters Thursday morning.
“But to unite with our fans and kickoff football season officially in Las Vegas is something we’re really excited about and something we really take a lot of pride in,” he said.
Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak didn’t appreciate fans at an Aug. 1 Mexico vs USA international soccer match inside Allegiant Stadium not wearing masks.
But the Raiders’ game Saturday will be different. The county will be on hand to check ushers and security to see if they’re enforcing Clark County’s indoor mask mandate.
In fact, county Business Licensing staff will be at the Seahawks-Raiders game to monitor mask enforcement. COVID-19’s Delta strain is driving up infections in Clark County. Across the country, concert promoters are requiring attendees to show proof of vaccination and sports events could be next.
With fans at a Raiders game at Allegiant Stadium, the NFL team will have a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 2:30 PM Saturday to officially christen the NFL venue that opened in late July 2020. The Southern Nevada public contributed $750 million in hotel room tax money to the construction of the palatial indoor stadium.
Look for LVSportsBiz.com’s coverage of Saturday’s historic day in Las Vegas.
The Raiders said there will be live musical entertainment in the venue: “Synchronized Raiderette routines have been paired with live band musical stylings dating back to the 1960s in the Bay Area, when Del Courtney and his band matched the intensity on the field with their orchestral performances. That tradition continued in Los Angeles when Horace Heidt Jr. led an equally symphonic group of some of the finest musicians in the world, who roused Coliseum crowds for over a decade.”
