Appealing to fans in two different cities is a delicate balance following a franchise relocation, particularly when that franchise will remain in its current city for at least two seasons before migrating to its new one.
Derek Carr released a statement minutes after the Raiders’ relocation vote.
So far, so good.
The Raiders quarterback struck the right chord in his message, which he released on social media. This came after NFL owners voted 31-1 to approve the club’s relocation from Oakland to Las Vegas. It is the NFL’s third franchise relocation in 15 months and second in 75 days.
Carr wrote the Raiders will be “bringing a piece of Oakland with us” to Sin City.
Here is his statement in its entirety:
“As I sit here and see a vote that takes the Raiders to Las Vegas, I am overwhelmed with emotion,” Carr wrote. “I don’t know how we should feel. I feel the pain of our fans in Oakland. I also see the joy on the faces of our new fans in Las Vegas. As players, we will show up and give everything we have. We will compete and we will do our best to bring a championship to the entire Raider Nation.
“While I am from California and would have loved playing in Oakland my whole career, I understand the business side of the NFL. It affects us all. Oakland, our team loves you, and my family and I love you. WE will be resilient and WE will stay together because that’s what true Raiders do. WE are loyal, even when it’s hard. WE stick together, especially when it’s tough.
“So Las Vegas, you can count on us bringing a piece of Oakland with us and you are getting a tough, loyal, and competitive fan base and team. When the time comes, I hope you are ready. For now, it’s about 2017 and our diehards in Oakland. God bless & Go Raiders!”
