What a big two years for the NFL. Not for the officiating or the play on the field but that three NFL franchises are now officially “moved”. First the St.Louis Rams moved back to Los Angeles. Now this year not only did the San Diego Chargers move but also their bitter division rival the Oakland Raiders. The NFL owners all voted and in a 30-1 vote; the Raiders will be locating to Las Vegas after the 2018 season. This move caps off the big wave of relocation in the NFL. The Raiders will be the second professional team in the city of Las Vegas. Second to the  newly awarded NHL expansion franchise The Las Vegas Golden Knights.

The Raiders will be still be playing in the O.co Coliseum in Oakland for the next two seasons before their permanent move to Las Vegas. Oakland Raider fans are up in arms about their move because they are still in Oakland but Raider fans in Oakland will be attending the games knowing that those will be the the final games in Oakland forever.

Raider fan since birth, Vincent Gonzales 12, is bittersweet about the move.

“I’m half and half about the move.” Gonzales said. “ Like the Raiders are Oakland and they have been there since 1995 and I have only seen my Oakland Raiders, but it’s nice that they moved to Vegas so I can see them now and only drive 4 hours instead of 8 hours.”

The Raiders are going to build a new stadium estimated at a cost of 2 billion dollars. Residents of Las Vegas are  excited to have another professional sports franchise in their city.

Sports fan, Marco Hernandez 11, sees the move as pointless. “ I have a problem with the move, it honestly doesn’t make any sense.” Hernandez said. “Why would they move from a city that has supported them for years and their play on the field has been far less than mediocre and when they get suddenly get good, they decide to leave their city and die hard fans for more money elsewhere.”

The Raiders have a promising future with a young tandem of of Derek Carr, Khalil Mack, and Amari Cooper.
Fan of sports new, Marco Aramburo 12, believes that Vegas is in for a treat.“ Las Vegas is lucky” Aramburo said. “ Not only are they inheriting a very popular team, but the team is on their way to stardom, maybe the next super team.”

The NFL have finally moved the three teams they have been trying to get new stadiums. Fans in the old cities are now furious about their favorite teams leaving them and the fans in the new cities are thrilled to have a new team in their cities. Sports relocations are some of the most bittersweet things in sports and is always a speculation with any team with low attendance and bad stadium situations. The question is not if another team will move but when?