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By Alan Snel, LVSportsBiz.com Publisher-Writer
On a day when the UNLV football team started its summer training camp amid Las Vegas’ toasty weather conditions, the Raiders moved indoors to practice in their fieldhouse Friday.
Raiders receivers ran routes involving sharp cuts and precise movements, quarterbacks tossed footballs into the end zone hoping for receivers to come down with the fast-moving spirals and special teams specialists practiced their drills with punts soaring toward the building’s ceiling.
While the Cleveland Browns and New York Jets already played the preseason’s first game in Canton last night, the Raiders are preparing to host the San Francisco 49ers at Allegiant Stadium Aug. 13.
Even some of the Raiders’ loyal fans, who still are emotionally invested in the franchise despite the team’s losing ways the past two decades, are getting ready for the upcoming game.
Wayne Mabry, the retired union carpenter who enjoys playing his Violator character, said he’s getting his outfit ready.
“I’m constantly inspecting for wear and tear as I wear it all year long doing personal appearances, cameos and commercials,” Mabry said from his California home Friday.
Raiders-49ers tickets for the Aug. 13 game start at $100 on the secondary market.
Here at the Raiders headquarters and training center area just east of St. Rose Parkway, there is land development all around. Next door is the WNBA Las Vegas Aces, which train in an impressive building. Raiders owner Mark Davis also owns the Aces, the defending champs steamrolling the WNBA competition after 26 of the 40 games with a glittering 24-2 record.
There’s a new hospital being built just down the street at the St. Rose Parkway corner, plus another structure under construction that looks as if it could be residential use.
The Raiders’ presence at this specific site likely spurred construction here, but the team is also taking its message to schools. For example on Wednesday, the Raiders presented an $11,000 check to the Palo Verde High School athletic department at the school’s cafeteria Thursday.