Shifting Lenses

Las Vegas is famously known as Sin City, and few would deny the name is appropriate. Tourism is so engrained in the local culture that it has become the city’s whole identity. It makes you curious what the city would be like if that first casino had never opened. I’m pretty sure they wouldn’t have an NFL team.

But they do have a team, and while it’s a money-maker, its financial success is unique compared to other NFL cities. Because Vegas is such a popular tourist destination, there are often a large number of opposing team fans at Las Vegas Raiders games. Media reports that high ticket prices make it difficult for local fans to attend every game, but the seats are easily filled by city visitors. To be fair, the city has a transient population, and perhaps there isn’t a large enough local fanbase to consistently fill every seat with only Raiders fans.

Still, it’s a bit weird for an NFL team when you compare it to classic franchises like Buffalo, Pittsburgh, or even New York. It feels like a team without a soul or home-field culture. It’s financially successful and makes good business sense, but it completely lacks the classic stadium emotion and the benefit of a true home-field advantage.

I had a great time at the Raiders game, but the stands were filled with Denver orange. Since neither the Broncos nor Raiders are my team, it didn’t really bother me. It was different from other games I’ve been to, though.