Story by Alan Snel Photos by J. Tyge O’Donnell
There were hundreds of Raiders fans of all backgrounds lounging around the Drai’s beach and night club next to the NFL Draft site here in Las Vegas Thursday.
The LVCVA’s top guy, Steve Hill, was there. So was the Raiders’ A.J. Cole III. And the fans were abundant, including a fella who goes by “Senor” wearing a Raiders sombrero.
But there was one man there who cleared the political path for the Raiders to come to Las Vegas.
He was the person who signed the bill into law in 2016 that authorized the collection of hotel room tax revenues that’s paying for Southern Nevada’s public contribution of $750 million to help build the Raiders’ Allegiant Stadium.
The partyers at Drai’s have former Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval to thank for signing the Raiders stadium bill into law and having an NFL team based in the Las Vegas market.
Sandoval has told LVSportsBiz.com in the past that the Southern Nevada market needed a stadium of the scope of the Raiders venue. He thought it was the missing link for the metro las Vegas economy and thought the $750 million public contribution — the biggest public subsidy for an NFL stadium from a single funding source — was justified.
The Raiders did not have a first round pick.
But the fans still packed Drai’s to party.
Speaking of fans and draft atmosphere, LVSportsBiz.com photographer J. Tyge O’Donnell captured some terrific images. Take a look:
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