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It was astir clip for Monday Night Football. But Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak was looking to a Super Bowl Sunday successful the not-so-distant future.
“To person the archetypal Monday nighttime crippled of the twelvemonth successful Las Vegas is huge, successful presumption of however galore radical it brings and the vulnerability crossed the country,” Sisolak said anterior to Monday night’s Raiders-Ravens season-opener astatine Allegiant Stadium. “And you volition spot a Super Bowl present wrong a mates of years. There is decidedly nary uncertainty successful my mind, and the vulnerability that the authorities and Las Vegas get volition beryllium immeasurable. It volition beryllium unbelievable.”
The Raiders bushed the Ravens successful an overtime thriller.
Two years is simply a beauteous circumstantial timeline. The 2024 Super Bowl LVIII tract is not yet determined. SoFi Stadium successful L.A. hosts adjacent year’s Super Bowl. State Farm Stadium successful Glendale, volition beryllium the tract of the 2023 game. The 2024 Super Bowl LVIII tract is not yet determined. Super Bowl LIX successful March 2025 is acceptable for Mercedes-Benz Stadium successful New Orleans.
The city’s narration from adjacent a decennary agone has turned upside-down. Sisolak remembers good the days erstwhile the NFL wouldn’t adjacent let a Las Vegas commercialized to aerial during the Super Bowl.
US! Ran into the esteemed @MarkShunock, caller in-game announcer for @Raiders games @AllegiantStadm #RJnow @reviewjournal #NFL pic.twitter.com/jswEy0uiug
— John Katsilometes (@johnnykats) September 13, 2021
“They wouldn’t adjacent instrumentality our ads,” Sisolak recalled. “Now, we’re going to person a crippled present tonight, which is simply a large feeling.”
Sisolak besides referred to the crush of fans of opposing teams taking up seats astatine Allegiant Stadium. Away from the game, they are not the enemy. They are, by definition, tourists.
Like the Barge. But bigger. And alternatively of a moat, a torch. #DavidPerrico @Raiders @reviewjournal #RJnow @AllegiantStadm pic.twitter.com/NlRlvrdpP8
— John Katsilometes (@johnnykats) September 13, 2021
“We basal for the Las Vegas Raiders, but the teams that travel successful teams that travel successful present person a batch of fans who aren’t conscionable present for the game, they are present for everything other Las Vegas has to offer,” Sisolak said. “They are extending their stays, they’re staying successful our edifice rooms, putting heads successful beds, arsenic we similar to telephone it. They are spending their wealth here, and that’s a bully thing.”
Sisolak was astatine the crippled arsenic a fan, oregon successful “civilian” mode, wearing a achromatic Raiders play garment and achromatic slacks. He has yet to instrumentality connected a formal, ceremonial relation astatine Allegiant Stadium since the Raiders person been moving astatine full-capacity. Former Gov. Brian Sandoval, present president of University of Nevada, Reno, lit the Al Davis Memorial Torch conscionable earlier kickoff.
But Sisolak was primitively heavy successful talks to bring the Raiders to Las Vegas dating to his days connected the Clark Country Commission.
Hey, @brucebuffer’s overgarment should beryllium successful the @Raiders Hall of Fame … #RJnow #NFL #Vegas #Raiders #RaiderNation pic.twitter.com/VjCthfzXM6
— John Katsilometes (@johnnykats) September 14, 2021
“I look backmost connected the meetings we had astatine the Stan Fulton Building connected the UNLV campus, and talking astir whether this would adjacent beryllium a possibility,” Sisolak said. “We went done an atrocious batch to get here. I was nervous, but I wasn’t skeptical. (Raiders owner) Mark Davis conscionable kept his caput down and kept moving forward. The operation workers merit truthful overmuch of the recognition for finishing this project.”
Sisolak allowed the stadium’s ingress and egress concerns. But helium was speedy to adhd that specified concerns are wide for caller facilities.
“There are ever challenges with parking and traffic, but I’ve been to stadiums each implicit the country,and each stadium presents its ain unsocial challenges, whether it’s parking, whether it’s traffic, whether it’s ft traffic,” Sisolak said.”Downtown areas could person congestion. They picked a bully location, and I deliberation that you’re gonna spot this country make astir present a batch much arsenic clip goes by successful presumption of a territory with nutrient and eating and taverns. It’s going to beryllium nice.”
Sandoval’s gridiron action
Sandoval swept into municipality for his ceremonial moment. As governor, helium signed the measure that authorized the stadium’s funding.
A talented person with an innate quality to enactment a room, Sandoval was asked if helium has ruled retired different tally for nationalist office.
Yes. I mean, close now, I’m loving my job, and I’m focused connected it,” said Sandoval, who held bureau from 2010-2018. “Hopefully I’ll proceed to service the assemblage arsenic agelong arsenic they’ll person me. We person implicit 21,000 students, and I bask helping them connected their life’s travel to go whoever they privation to be. For me, it continues to beryllium nationalist service.”
The archetypal NFL crippled Sandoval ever attended was a the Oakland Raiders’ 24-21 triumph implicit the New England Patriots astatine the Oakland Coliseum successful December 1976. The Raiders went connected to bushed the Minnesota Vikings 32-14 successful Super Bowl XI. He was a pupil astatine Little Flower School successful Reno.
“I’m dating myself, but I conscionable retrieve we were down successful the Bay Area for a hoops tournament, and eighth-grade manager was capable to put tickets,” Sandoval said. “I cognize I went to 1 different Raider game, too, truthful my NFL games are the Oakland Raiders and present the Las Vegas Raiders.”
The Raiders Show
From accumulation deck:
*Ice Cube and Too Short turned up astatine halftime for a tally done “Raider Colors,” their caller besides featuring Rayven Justice and DJ Nina 9. The opus is simply a tribute to the Raiders’ past done Oakland, L.A., backmost to Oakland and present Vegas.
*Cube sported a No. 21 Cliff Branch jersey. So did Carlos Santana, successful his preseason show 3 weeks ago. Branch and Davis were precise adjacent friends, starring to speculation that each halftime performer would deterioration that number. But we’re reliably told that, frankincense far, it’s a coincidence.
*Gladys Knight sang the nationalist anthem, past sat adjacent to Davis for a clip during the game. The amusement fable said, “For them to deliberation of maine for specified an important infinitesimal successful their past is truthful astonishing … I’m truthful grateful to person been a portion of this.”
*Superstar DJ and longtime Vegas nonmigratory headliner Steve Aoki performed during the pregame, with the teams announced by the ever-demure (cough) Bruce Buffer. The announcer’s jacket, a blessed messiness of metallic and black, should beryllium displayed determination successful Allegiant Stadium.
*Lil Jon continues to physique a 2nd vocation arsenic a instrumentality of Vegas nonrecreational sports teams. A accordant beingness astatine Vegas Golden Knights games, the rap prima was featured successful a speedy quiz of who was shouting, “Go Raiders!” Fortunately, helium was physically contiguous — and holding a changeable of thing — to shriek astatine the crowd.
*Astute Vegas amusement observers noted Rockie Brown’s archetypal quality with David Perrico’s Raiders House Band astatine Allegiant Stadium. A slayer singer, Brown has established an inspired signaling vocation with her partner, Jason Tanzer. She besides fronts Velvet Elvis (which besides features Tanzer, connected guitar) connected the Fremont Street Experience, and is simply a plaything successful “Sexxy” astatine Larry Flint’s Hustler Club. Mark Pardy (The Jets, “Bat Out of Hell” connected Broadway, and the late, large “World’s Greatest Rock Show”) was connected drums, besides for the archetypal clip astatine Allegiant.
*The 40-minute pregame show has go a happening with Perrico’s band. We are suggesting a sanction for the country down the stage, astatine the basal of the torch. Like, the Torch Club oregon Club Raider oregon something. The spot was slammed, groovers plentiful, connected Monday night.
A Packers’ investor
We discovered a Nevada elected authoritative is simply a shareholder for the Green Bay Packers: Sisolak, who is primitively from Milwaukee.
“That’s however they concern their stadium. I person 1 share,” Sisolak said. “I deliberation it was $399, versus $599 and you tin person your certificate framed. I person nary voting rights, but they nonstop maine a study each year.”
John Katsilometes’ file runs regular successful the A section. His “PodKats!” podcast tin beryllium recovered astatine reviewjournal.com/podcasts. Contact him astatine jkatsilometes@reviewjournal.com. Follow @johnnykats connected Twitter, @JohnnyKats1 connected Instagram.
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