Raider Nation shows up in force for MNF Allegiant Stadium showcase

Some of the archetypal fans to walk done the gates of Allegiant Stadium connected Monday whitethorn besides person traveled the farthest to be the game.

Jesse King V and his father, Jesse King IV, traveled to Las Vegas from Germany to be the archetypal regular play Raiders crippled with fans successful attendance.

The father-son duo arrived successful Las Vegas past week up of the once-in-a-lifetime experience.

“I’m 26 and I’ve been a Raider instrumentality each of my life, similar my dad, who has been 1 for astir 50 years,” King V said aft getting a impermanent Raiders tattoo. “It’s successful his DNA and helium implemented it into mine. So, I’m a Raiders instrumentality for beingness now.”

King IV serves successful the Army and talented the travel — primitively planned for past twelvemonth earlier COVID-19 — to his lad for earning his master’s degree.

“Go to Vegas, person a bully clip and spell spot the Raiders,” King IV said.

The Kings toured the stadium earlier successful their travel and said they were blown distant by the Raiders caller home.

“I can’t picture it successful words,” King V said. “It’s an amazing, beauteous stadium.”

The Kings were portion of a sellout assemblage astatine the 65,000-seat stadium wherever the Raiders played successful 2020 without fans present. The squad announced past period that fans attending games astatine Allegiant Stadium must supply impervious of COVID-19 vaccination to enter.

Fully vaccinated fans tin spell without a disguise wrong the stadium portion those who person 1 of the 2 shots of the Pfizer oregon Moderna vaccine are allowed to enter, but indispensable deterioration masks. Most of the fans wrong the stadium Monday were not wearing masks.

Fans tin usage the Clear Health Pass app to store their vaccination accusation oregon tin verify their vaccination presumption astatine the stadium.

As the gates opened Monday, the Clear app process appeared to enactment well, with astir fans acceptable to amusement their QR codification oregon wrist set for those who did the alternate screening astatine the stadium.

Jim Combs and his sister made the travel to Las Vegas to observe their 60th and 50th birthdays respectively and decided to be the game. “We said what the hellhole and bought immoderate tickets. It’s Monday Night Football,” Combs said.

At 4 p.m. determination were 640 tickets for the crippled listed connected StubHub, down from 1,350 astatine 9 a.m. The lowest advertised terms Monday day was $198.

The 2 did the alternate vaccine screening and said it went disconnected without a hitch.

A enactment implicit 100 radical agelong backed up from 1 of the 2 screening tents, but erstwhile the doors opened astatine 1 p.m. the enactment dissipated quickly.

“It was smooth. We were successful enactment nary much than 20 minutes,” Combs said. “The longest we had to hold was down there, due to the fact that the gates weren’t unfastened yet. Boom in-and-out.”

Fans besides didn’t fto the 100-plus grade vigor deter them from carrying retired a Raider tradition: tailgating.

Different groups of tailgaters began mounting up arsenic soon arsenic parking tons opened to vehicles astatine 1 p.m., with Lot J serving arsenic the astir populated tailgating lot.

Fans acceptable up tents, grills, flew their Raiders flags and blasted euphony arsenic Raider Nation came unneurotic to bask the moment. Chants of Raiders went disconnected sporadically and the odor of carne asada and grilled chickenhearted filled the air

Las Vegas nonmigratory Saul Amaya and his household acceptable their tailgate abstraction conscionable disconnected the country of Russell Road and Polaris Avenue successful Lot J. Amaya said the full process of getting to the stadium and mounting up the tailgate was smooth.

“We haven’t had immoderate issues,” Amaya said. “It was casual getting successful here, the unit has been affable and it’s been a pleasure.”

Amaya recommended getting successful the conveyance enactment 30-45 minutes earlier tons unfastened to get a bully parking spot.

The ample turnout astir the stadium, which includes 6,000 tailgating spots, proved that worries astir whether Raiders’ tailgating contented would transportation implicit from Oakland to Las Vegas were unfounded.

“Back successful Oakland they utilized to person Lot G and Lot J is expected to beryllium the caller Lot G,” Amaya said. “This is wherever each the enactment is. We’ve got football, we’re steadfast and breathing and our Raiders are going to triumph tonight.”

Contact Mick Akers astatine makers@reviewjournal.com oregon 702-387-2920. Follow @mickakers connected Twitter.