Much will change for the Raiders in 2020. Players will enter a new city, play in a brand-new stadium, and practice at a sparkling-new facility, not to mention find new places to live.
And their new home is in fabulous Las Vegas — the entertainment capital of the world. What was once a vacation destination for some Raiders will become a glitzy backdrop to everyday life.
That could all get a bit overwhelming. But defensive end Maxx Crosby is keeping it simple. While he notes the incredible new stadium and facilities, his attention is attuned to the part of Las Vegas that’s most similar to the Raiders’ previous home in Oakland: the football field.
“The stadium is insane. The facilities are insane. But that’s not going to necessarily help us win football games. It’s between the lines that’s going to help us,” Crosby told SiriusXM NFL Radio. “Obviously, the scenery is going to be huge for us. It’s going to be huge for the whole organization. Having a different fan base — you know Oakland’s going to travel; LA is going to travel. It’s going to be a party. Every single Sunday in that stadium. That’s obviously huge.
“But all the fancy stuff and all that, that’s definitely awesome. But what we need to focus on is us and this team and getting to the level we need to get to [in order] to make a serious run at it this year.”
Allegiant Stadium, the Raiders’ new home is nearly complete, as is their practice facility in Henderson, Nev., and they appear as impressive as Crosby suggests. Needless to say, the setup in Las Vegas is light years ahead of what Oakland’s facilities offered.
And also as Crosby suggests, the atmosphere at Allegiant, with Raiders fans from all over the nation, will make for a formidable home-field advantage and a Las Vegas party.
But Crosby is smart to simplify his focus. With all that’s changed for the Raiders, the measured lines of the football field never change. Sure, at Allegiant, the natural grass field will roll out of the enclosed stadium when it’s not in use so it can access sunlight, but it’ll still measure 120 yards long and 53 and 1/3 yards wide.
The Raiders’ new digs will certainly help, but buildings can’t block or tackle, of course. The Raiders must outshine their new facilities between the lines on game day. All the newness in Las Vegas could feel a bit hollow if they don’t. If they do, however, it’ll be one serious party every Sunday in the entertainment capital of the world.
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