When the Raiders moved from Oakland to Las Vegas, it was a lucrative deal for team owner Mark Davis. But for defensive end Maxx Crosby, something was lost in the move.
Crosby was asked by a fan on his podcast whether he misses playing in front of the “Black Hole” in Oakland, and he answered, “Absolutely.”
Crosby played his rookie year in Oakland before the team moved to Las Vegas and he said that’s a memory he’ll always cherish.
“It’s funny, I was just talking about this today, and someone was asking me, Did you play for the Oakland Raiders at one point? And I was like, ‘That year, I’ll never forget it, for many reasons, good and bad.’ The fans in Oakland, I’m so happy I got to experience that and obviously it was the last year in Oakland, and the fans — I can’t even explain. I’m coming from Eastern Michigan, we had 12,000 in the crowd, they’ve got tarps over the away side because there’s nobody over there. That’s what it was. And then my first game we’re playing Denver on Monday night, Von Miller’s on the other side, we’re playing Denver, the crowd was — I can’t even explain how ridiculous it was.
“They’re throwing shit on the field, people are falling out of the stands. A shit show. By the time the fourth quarter hits you get the wave of kush going through the whole stadium. I’m looking around and all the guys are like, ‘Welcome to Oakland.’ I’m like, this is legendary. I’ve got so much love for Oakland.”
Now that the Raiders play in Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas it’s a much tamer atmosphere, with many more fans of the visiting team in town for a weekend in Vegas, and far fewer crazy fans like the ones Crosby is describing in Oakland. The NFL gained plenty by planting its flag in Las Vegas, but it also lost something by leaving Oakland.
