At long last, the Raiders christened Allegiant Stadium on Friday, and there’s clearly much to like about the place. A grass field in an enclosed structure, black seats, new locker rooms and more.
Players gushed about their brand-new Las Vegas home after the Raiders’ first practice session inside the friendly confines. Coach Jon Gruden was impressed as well, but so far, his favorite part of Allegiant is its location.
“My favorite thing is just driving in there,” Gruden said after training camp practice on Friday. “Just driving down the strip, looking across the street, seeing the beautiful casinos. And then seeing this facility that we get a chance to play in.”
The Raiders are indeed in the entertainment capital of the world, near the world-famous Las Vegas Strip, and Gruden seems to love it. Incredibly, it wasn’t long ago that having an NFL team in fabulous Las Vegas, with all its glitz and glamour, was unthinkable due in part to the city’s legal gambling.
For years, the NFL maintained a safe distance from grand casinos and their sportsbooks, which have the potential to threaten the integrity of any professional sport. If a player, coach, official or anyone associated with the NFL wagers on league games, that’s a huge potential problem.
Just last year, for example, the NFL suspended Cardinals cornerback Josh Shaw indefinitely for betting on league games, which is against official NFL policy.
Elsewhere, Major League Baseball legend Pete Rose earned a lifetime ban from his sport after the league determined Rose wagered on games he managed. In the NBA, former referee Tim Donaghy colluded with gamblers in games he worked. Donaghy served 15 months in federal prison for his numerous offenses.
Not one of them needed Las Vegas as home base to make those poor decisions, however. But the NFL’s theory appeared to involve keeping the city of Las Vegas at an arm’s length. Ironically, increased legal gambling on the internet, including fantasy football, has changed the perception of the industry, which only helped the Raiders’ cause.
But it’s still quite a sight to see a $2 billion NFL-ready stadium next to Las Vegas casinos. Coach Gruden is enjoying the view, and the NFL soon will as well. Hopefully for the Raiders, even more reasons to love Allegiant Stadium arise as the franchise gets to know its new home.
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