For a very long time, the Raiders franchise was directly tied to the state of California. They spent most of their years in Oakland, but also had over a decade in Los Angeles. However, the team couldn't get a new stadium built in either city, which led to Mark Davis taking the team to Las Vegas.
His father, Al Davis, was known for making bold moves, and it's easy to see a scenario where he would've brought the team to Sin City. Some fans, especially those in Oakland, weren't thrilled with the team moving so far away, but Mark Davis believes that his father would've been supportive.
“That’s the bittersweet part of all of this,” Mark Davis told Raiders.com. “He would have loved this.”
Al Davis tried for years to get a new stadium, and his son was finally able to make it happen after he died in 2011.
“He loved Las Vegas,” Mark Davis said of his father. “He loved sitting out in the sun. He’d bring his weights with him, his barbell and weights, because they didn’t have gyms in the hotels back then. That’s how he’d travel. He’d work out. Relax. He and my mom would go to a nice dinner and see a show. All right before training camp. It was a great time. My dad was treated very nicely by the people.”
During Al Davis' heyday, the NFL would've never allowed a team in Las Vegas due to the city's ties to gambling. It's a very different NFL these days, and it's easy to see a progressive personality like Al Davis embracing the move.
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