Raiders Black Hole Devastated By Team's Vegas Move
OAKLAND (CBS SF) – No one can blame longtime Oakland Raiders fan Marie Duplessis for feeling like a jilted lover.
For the second time since she became a Raiders fan in the 1970s, the team has announced it is leaving its birthplace for another city.
On Monday, by a 31-1 vote the NFL owners approved owner Mark Davis' petition to relocate his team to a new stadium in Las Vegas.
Duplessis gathered with other fans at Rickey's Sports Bar in San Leandro – a longtime hangout for Raiders fans.
"I had tears in my eyes," she said. "This is really depressing…It's a total slap in the face…It's like a spouse saying they are leaving you."
Nearby, Leonard Quinones – dressed in his 'BlackHolestein' regalia – also was devastated by the decision.
"We don't burn our jerseys," he said. "We love our Raiders. Why is Mark doing this to us – turning his back and walking away."
Ray Bobbitt – who put together a Raider fan coalition to try to keep the team in Oakland – said he is planning to go to court to stop the Raiders name from being taken with the team to Las Vegas.
"He can take his football operation and move on," he said. "But the name stays here."
Across the bar sat Michael Lambirt dressed in his Raiders 'Voodoo Man' regalia. His reaction was to stop attending games while the Raiders remained in Oakland for at least two seasons while the Las Vegas stadium is being built.
"I'm done," he said. "If you don't like it, don't go to any games."
Social media was also ablaze with Raiders fans angered, hurt and frustrated by the move.
