Page 56 - Las Vegas Golf & Leisure Magazine Spring 2020

WHAT'S NEW

Davis, who loved Las Vegas, made everything official with broken down? ESPN.com writers Seth Wickersham and
the following words. "The Raiders were born in Oakland, Don Van Natta Jr. tracked the genesis of the move, which
and played 13 seasons in L.A. Both cities will always be part began because of the need for a new stadium in Oakland,
of our DNA, but, today, we begin a new chapter in our sto- which voters and legislators couldn’t, or wouldn’t, provide.
ried history. For today, January 22, 2020, we are now the Las The citizens of Nevada and the state’s legislators, on the
Vegas Raiders," Davis said. "And, today, Las Vegas officially other hand, could, would, and did, to the tune of $750 mil-
becomes our nation's capital." lion in public money generated from hotel room taxes.

Back on Monday, March 27, 2017, a vote by National Football The ESPN article details the first official/unofficial dis-
League owners put the Raiders’ move in motion. That vote, cussion between Davis and the NFL about his thoughts on
and a series of behind-the-scenes events prior to the January moving to Las Vegas.
22 unveiling, forever changed the landscape of Las Vegas.
From ESPN
It wasn’t the first time the team left Oakland—they were the
Los Angeles Raiders from 1982-94—but this move felt, and Dan Tana's Italian restaurant in West Hollywood, July 2014:
continues to feel, much different, the destination stunning.
“Never in a million years did I think the NFL would allow a Oakland Raiders owner Mark Davis and team president
team to be in Las Vegas,” said Chris Maathuis, sports direc- Marc Badain sit in a back booth with NFL executive vice
tor, CBS-KLAS TV Channel 8 in Las Vegas. “It is stunning. president Eric Grubman. The dinner topic, over chicken
Whenever people would ask me if the NBA or baseball or Parm, is a familiar one, an arduous task that bedeviled
another league would ever come to Las Vegas, I would say, Davis' legendary father for decades and now bedevils him:
‘yeah, probably someday.’ But whenever they asked about the trying to find a real prospect for a new stadium. There have
NFL, I would say, ‘No way. Never.’ And I think that is how been many stops and starts, in Oakland and in Los Angeles,
most people felt because of the game. At the same time, the with no end in sight.
experts and everybody who had all of the information, knew
the strong stance by the NFL was incorrect, so it is great they Grubman, the league's longtime point man on stadium
changed their minds. Now, the Raiders are coming and the financing, says, "Mark, we gotta come up with a plan for
whole attitude has changed. Caesars Palace has an official you."
partnership with the NFL, and MGM is an official sponsor of
the Raiders. My, how times have changed.” "I'm going to Vegas, baby!" Davis says.

Yes, MGM Resorts International is the official gaming part- Grubman laughs. Davis doesn't.
ner of the Raiders and the M Resort (located just down the
street from the Raiders practice facility in Henderson) is "You're nuts," Grubman says.
the official team hotel. The NFL and Las Vegas relation-
ship is seemingly a budding love affair. "The Raiders are "No, it's a good market," Davis says.
thrilled to welcome MGM Resorts International as our new-
est Founding Partner," said Raiders President Marc Badain "Mark," Grubman says, "you'll never get approved to Las Vegas."
in a statement about the groundbreaking partnership. "MGM
Resorts is an institution in the gaming and hospitality indus- "Why?"
try, and the activations they have planned for Raider games
and all events at Allegiant Stadium will bring their best-in- "They'll oppose it on principle," Grubman says, like a parent
class expertise to the entertainment experience." explaining the real world to a child. "It's not gonna happen."

So how did this happen? How did the Raiders come to move to Grubman’s opinion reinforced the overrising opinion
Las Vegas, and how was the impenetrable barrier of gaming about the NFL in Vegas. Over the years, Las Vegas and the

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