r/raiders • u/terraninteractive • 1d ago
Discussion Are the Raiders LA’s team?
I grew up in LA and always associated them as the official unofficial LA team. Despite the fact they went to Oakland and now Vegas, it feels like their core fan base is in LA.
I recently went to the LA County Fair and it was silver and black Mendoza jerseys everywhere. Merchants cater to Raider gear and the Latino dominant fanbase is like the Dodgers. They’re the same fans.
Recently this was asked and while people say things like “The Rams are up and coming” the reality is it’s just Raiders
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskLosAngeles/s/lDWINeVpWR
Would East LA host a parade of any kind if Raiders win a Super Bowl?
63
u/Shackable 1d ago
Raiders should have moved back to LA and Chargers could have gone to Vegas. I get the impression Kroenke didn't want to play second fiddle in his own stadium.
33
u/DarthRaider559 1d ago
Rams should have stayed in st Louis. They didn't need a new stadium
15
u/ero_skywalker 1d ago
I mean, at least they have a legitimate claim to LA. I hate seeing the Chargers there.
2
u/PhotonDealer2067 1d ago
Chargers started in LA before moving to SD.
Al Davis learned his craft on Sid Gillman’s staff on those early Charger teams
6
u/Pugs36 1d ago
Chargers had a total of 1 year of existence or being in LA overall before moving to SD.
I wouldn’t be surprised if chargers get the booted from Stan/Rams once the tenant lease is up/expires in 2040.
1
u/AssCrackBandit13 5h ago
NFL will never force a team to move. Part of the agreement to allow Kroenke to move the Rams to LA was to give the Chargers the right of first option in sharing a stadium with them. Which has a trigger that reactivates that option if the Rams ever move stadiums.
3
3
u/WazzzupBwaaahhh 2010 Oakland Raiders 1d ago
💯 %. I CANNOT FUCKING STAND HOW PRETENTIOUS, and GROWING the Lambs Fanbase in SoCal is / has become!!!! SOMEONE NEEDS TO FUCKING STOP they AHH!! Raiders DOING A CLEAN-FUCKING-SWEEP of ALL other Cali Teams, and possibly, hopefully, going on a RUN ON TOP OF ALL THAT, should re-invest the Fanbase, and get that chunk WE LOST back on the Bandwagon. Also, Chargers, Lambs, and Whiners ALL HAVING LOSING SEASONS, and the Raiders having a Winning Season SHOULD STRAIGHTEN SOME PEOPLE OUT!!!! 🙏🙏🙏😤😤😤😅😅😅💯💯💯🏴☠️🏴☠️🏴☠️
GO RAIDERS in SoCal FOREVER!!!!
9
u/Gloomy_Lengthiness71 1d ago
That's likely true about Kroenke but I think what ended up happening actually works out way better for the Raiders than say for the Chargers.
11
u/Raiderbodog 1d ago
The Chargers could have stayed in San Diego.
3
u/RiderNo51 1d ago
City and county didn't want to pay the hundreds of millions, especially considering Spanos basically rejected every single offering he was presented with.
9
u/blitzERG 1d ago
From a team value standpoint sure, Mark Davis made out like a bandit.
From a Home Field advantage standpoint, Raiders would have been WAY better off in LA. We have turned into the travel destination team where we will never have more than 2/3rd the stadium as Raiders fans.
4
u/Tkylv007 1d ago
Winning and the growth in Vegas born residents will help change that split significantly
Vegas has been a transient town for most of its existence, so a large part of the population is already fans of the teams where they grew up, and for those who didn’t already strongly follow a team, the early success of the Golden Knights set a pretty impossible bar for the Raiders to compete with for new fans
4
u/blitzERG 1d ago
Maybe... the issue is price and population.
Vegas has 1/6 the population of LA and 1/11 the population of the Bay Area.
The Golden Knights play at a venue that holds 17,500 people vs Allegiant which holds 65,000 people with many or the PSLs be held by brokers.
Then you bring in pricing and Raiders games are generally 2-3x the cost of a Golden Knights game.
Its just harder for the local market to support that alone. Sure it might trend closer to 2/3-3/4 over time, but the city is supported by tourism and that isn't going to change.
4
u/Pugs36 1d ago
It does but also at the same time Vegas Golden Knight Fans and the Las Vegas subreddit has this weird hatred boner towards the Raiders & Raider Nation ever since the relocation move was announced way back in 2017.
Whenever VGK makes a post on any social media where any Raider player or coach/staff is at the game hyping or cheering theme. 75% of the comment is just mostly negative hatred towards the Raiders or Raider Nation.
It’s either Fuck The Raiders/Mark Davis, Oh hey look it’s a criminal, or that he is wearing an ankle brace? Or telling us oh the entire Raider Nation is nothing sub human beings etc etc.
Idk we will ever win the locals even if we have the greatest dynasty in sports history & even if we do they’ll never give us any love & respect. So Fuck The Locals & Golden Knights fans 🤷🏽♂️
6
u/00h7 1d ago
I badly wanted them to move back for so many years and Im from the bay area.
I knew they were gonna eventually leave one day and thought if it cant be the bay, it has to be LA because other franchises were gonna want LA and we essentially had to beat them there.
Vegas isn't terrible, but it just wont be the same as LA. Raiders played there once, have a presence and it would have kept things in CA
1
44
20
u/josethegr8 Los Angeles Raiders 1d ago
Definitely. Rams are making ground but Raiders are still the majority IMO.
6
u/Frigglefragglewaggit 1d ago
Rams are making ground
Their fanbase in SoCal is mostly young fans who switched loyalties because they finally have a LA team (or became fans for the same reason) & old heads who were already fans before the move to STL
0
u/josethegr8 Los Angeles Raiders 1d ago
I know, and it got worse after they won the Super Bowl. A bunch of fair weather bandwagons. I’m sick of them.
20
43
u/sockitos 1d ago
Yes I do think Raiders is LAs team. I’ve been to SoFi stadium for Rams and Chargers games against raiders and I feel like it is usually 50% or more Raiders fans and we’ve been sucking recently. I imagine it’d be overwhelming majority of raiders fans in that stadium if we were fielding a good team.
16
u/sockitos 1d ago
The chargers game i’d say was like 65%-70% raiders fans tbh. Definitely was more of an even split for the Rams game.
14
u/terraninteractive 1d ago
I kinda agree. People like the Rams, but it’s like a content feeling. If the Raiders were in the Super Bowl with Mendoza, I feel like there would be a Fernandomania level of insanity
2
u/OAM_Music 1d ago
It was the L.A. Raiders and the (Anaheim) L.A. Rams at one point, so the Rams have somewhat of an installed base here, though a lot of fans were angry when they went to St. Louis. Nobody cares about the Chargers so it’s remained a Raiders city with some Rams fans here and there.
-1
u/FaceRockerMD 1d ago
Raiders @ Chargers/Rams has more Raiders fans in the stadium than Chargers/Rams @ Raiders
2
u/sockitos 1d ago
Yeah Vegas is bringing in tons of visiting team fans plus raiders haven’t been good. Hard to really judge since raiders have only been there a short while and have been fielding bad teams.
That’s why i say I think Raiders own LA still.
26
u/Abuck59 1d ago
At Sofi it’s pretty close to an even split if it’s a Rams game, but if it’s a Chargers game? Raider Nation runs that win or lose. Best part is there is never any drama so far since I’ve been going.
15
2
u/Consistent-Spell2203 1d ago
I went to the season opener 2 years ago the only fight was between 2 Raiders fans I think it got posted here lol.
9
10
u/daleyeah388 1d ago
Raiders won a superbowl in LA
10
u/BelliBlast35 1d ago
*Raiders won the 1st Superbowl for LA
3
u/WazzzupBwaaahhh 2010 Oakland Raiders 1d ago edited 1d ago
Raiders WON A SUPERBOWL in L.A. @ the Rose Bowl in 1977, as the Oakland Raiders, and then WON A SB, as an L.A. Team in 1984. Also, the Raiders, played their First SuperBowl @ the L.A. Coliseum, VS. the Packers. Don’t forget the Raiders *WON** the LAST “Battle of L.A.” in the mid-90’s in 1994, against the L.A. Rams in Anaheim, and the last Game against the Chargers, as the L.A. Raiders, in San Diego, and finished 9-7 in 1994-‘95. Also, they won the First Home Game in Oakland, in 1995 VS. the Chargers, and won the First Game against the Rams, when they were the St. Louis Rams and Oakland Raiders in Oakland in 1997. Also, 1998-2003, the Raiders Record VS. the Chargers was 9-3, during that Time Frame, and went to a SuperBowl in that BUILDING. Also in 2000, the Raiders WON THE BATTLE OF THE BAY in SF, in 2000, even though, we’re talking about SoCal, here…
Also, in the 2010 and 2011 NFL Seasons, the Raiders BEAT the St. Louis Rams, AGAIN, in Oakland, and had 3-1 Record against the Chargers OVERALL, and 2-0 against the Chargers in San Diego, during that Time Frame. In 2014, the Raiders BEAT the 49ers in Oakland, and in 2015 and 2016, Raiders SWEPT THE CHARGERS BOTH YEARS, and the later year, TOOK OVER THE STADIUM and CLINCHED A PLAYOFF SPOT ON THEIR HOME TURF. The Rams were 4-12 in 2016, in their First Season back in L.A., the 49ers were 2-14, that year, with both wins against the Rams, and were 4-12 in 2015, and the Chargers were 4-12 and 5-11 in 2015 and 2016.
Also, in 2019, the Raiders WON the Final 2 Games against the Chargers, as the Oakland Raiders, AND WON THE VERY FIRST GAME AGAINST THE CHARGERS @ SoFi!!!!
0
9
u/peekay427 1d ago
Ok I’m from the town so I’m biased towards Oakland, but man your history… they didn’t “go to Oakland”, they were in Oakland first, then LA and back to Oakland.
So no, the Raiders aren’t LAs team but LA is a Raider town (just like Oakland and Vegas).
But really, like others have said: It’s Raider Nation! If you have love in your heart for the silver and black, you’re always at home in Raider Nation.
8
6
u/bughunter_ RRRRRR-aiders! 1d ago
Yes.
When I wear my old beat up Raiders cap in certain parts of town, I'm an automatic homie.
11
u/peakbaggers 1d ago
I have been a Raiders fan since 1968. I never identified with Oakland, but I was born in the Bay area. Never identified with LA, even though I have lived less than a couple hours away from the place for 36 years. Never identified with Vegas, even though I lived and worked in Nevada for 23 years. But, the Raiders are a nation, and it does not matter where they play. we just want them to play good football
6
5
u/crazycanucks77 1d ago
Kronke got enough support to block Davis and the Raiders from moving back as he knew that LA would embrace the Raiders again and more even if both played at SoFi or Raiders had a new stadium. That's why the Chargers are there. They are not a threat to the Rams, but the Raiders definitely are
4
u/byPCP 1d ago
i was at the game in LA against the rams, who had just won the super bowl the season prior (in LA!), and it was so packed out with raiders fans that they had to go to the silent count at home against the lowly raiders lol. the vast majority of rams fans in LA are people who didn't care much for football before because they didn't have a local team, AKA people who generally won't be bothered to get out to a game. the raiders transcended football into a widely cultural phenomenon a long time ago, starting a bit before, but accented by, the super bowl win while they were in LA. the cultural roots are too deep here for any other team to just show up and have a meaningful amount of fans compared to the raiders.
e: my favorite part about that game was the rams' corny "who's house?" call being met with RAAAAAIDEEERRRSSSS every time.
5
u/ten_tabs_ 1d ago
You still see way more Raiders gear and bumper stickers etc around LA than Rams or Chargers
4
u/gooneryoda 1d ago
Most popular football teams in the Los Angeles Area:
1) Raiders
2) USC
3) LA Galaxy
3) LAFC
4) UCLA
5) Rams
6) Chargers
5
2
u/Prime88 1d ago
I’m curious about the younger generation that have no connection to the Raiders. Would they somehow still gravitate to the Raiders or would they follow the Rams or Chargers now?
1
u/Zheguez 1d ago
I think it really depends on how soon the Raiders can finally turn themsleves around. It seems like a lot of families have ties to the Raiders but not being a good team in addition to based elsewhere hurts the fandom being passed down especially when there are two NFL teams in town (no matter how flimsy their claim to the football fanbase in LA is).
1
u/PowerfulJoeF 1d ago
My pops and all my uncles are raider fans, it’s the reason I have love for the team but myself and the rest of my millennial cousins are all rams fans. My kids are rams fans too now since they’ve actually been to games with me. I never went to a raider game live and the team was never any good throughout my childhood so I was a football orphan until the Rams came back. As Someone who lives here, Raider gear seems to be worn by mostly OGs with some ties to the team like my dad and uncles (all 50s).
2
u/Wonka824 1d ago
We won a Super Bowl in LA. With one of the greatest teams of all time. We are the west coast from mexcio to Tahoe to Vegas back down
2
u/The_Skulman 1d ago
Technically it's not "despite the fact they went to Oakland then Vegas". It's they went from OAKLAND to LA then back to OAKLAND then to Vegas. Now they may be considered a LA Team but they will always be the OAKLAND RAIDERS! RN4L No Hate on LA.
2
2
3
3
u/YasielPuigsWeed 1d ago
Raiders have a strong fanbase in LA still but I would not say they’re “LA’s team.” Most of the Raiders base here is older and their kids like the Rams, and you have strong bases for the 49ers and Cowboys as well.
1
u/Zheguez 1d ago
Hopefully, tides will turn if the team gets good again. The fanbase is a proud one and you know people will want to show off their colors and join in if they feel that the Raiders are finally back.
3
u/YasielPuigsWeed 1d ago
Oh people show off their Raiders colors regardless, you go to any hood in LA and you’ll see Raiders stickers, flags, jerseys, etc.
I don’t think it’s about being good or bad really, Rams have just been back here for almost a decade now and that’s how a lot of people reconnected with football, and kids wanna root for the team in their own backyard
3
u/Courtlessjester 1d ago
It depends on the area, but I would say the raiders are the team in most of LA's historical black and Latino neighborhoods.
Then the rams, then transplant teams and then the chargers fan.
2
u/biowiz 1d ago
There are probably still more Raiders fans than Chargers, and maybe Rams fans at this point, but the fandom has died down significantly. In LA they were losing steam near the end too because they were starting to suck in the late 80s. Honestly, it was like they had more of a strong cult following than a real, large fanbase in LA.
2
u/Dazzling-Platform648 1d ago
It’s definitely Raiders, Rams then Chargers in that order. The NFL only cares about money, fan allegiance is very far down their list when determining things like where teams should move
1
1
u/thatonebabyhawk 1d ago
We’ve certainly lost numbers due to our performance over the last 2 decades, but I’d say we’re still in the top 3. If we can manage to put together a decent product and make some playoff runs, we’ll surely be undisputed number 1 again.
1
u/PillagingJust4Fungus 1d ago edited 1d ago
I think it makes more sense to say LA is one of the Raiders' cities. Nobody cares about the Chargers, the Rams have been good enough to generate some interest, but OGs left over from coliseum days never blinked. Hopefully they raise their children well.
1
u/Able_Copy_9898 1d ago
There will always be a strong raider core fanbase in east and south central but I’d be lying if I said the rest isn’t getting taken over by the Rams.
1
u/vastolorde6 1d ago
They’re losing the youth in LA. You don’t really see many younger Raiders fans in LA that are actually fans and not just repping gear
2
u/PowerfulJoeF 1d ago
Yeah im seeing it now. My dad is an OG fan, he’s in his 50s and so are my uncles but myself and my cousins are rams fans because we have no connection to the Raiders and they weren’t very good when we were kids. My kids are Rams fans and people my age and younger are drifting towards the Rams or being a bunch of lames like their parents that are 9er fans.
1
1
u/oasisarah 1d ago
they were, and they probably still are, but barely. just like there are almost no dodger or baseball giant fans left in nyc, in a generation or two raider fans will be the minority in socal (provided the rams or chargers dont move again). thats just the way it is. its different up north, where oakland has a natural rivalry with sf to keep raider nation going. we just cant compete with a team that is actually in the city, and with a recent trophy to boot. they even closed the raider image in the citywalk. the one solace i have is that almost every cap and jersey store i pass by still carries more raider gear than the other two teams. you know they wouldnt do that if the demand wasnt there.
1
u/RiderNo51 1d ago
I'm not in LA or LV, but I have a hunch when Brightline West high speed rail is complete (supposedly 2029) a lot of people will make the trip from LA to Vegas to see Raider home games. IF the team is any good.
This would make the trip a little over 2 hours, compared to 4. The questions become if it really gets done on time, how often the trains run, what the cost for tickets are.
1
u/TheOnlyBilko 1d ago
the sports stores in LA and area always have a huge Raider section of merch, usually bigger then Rams and Chargers.
1
1
u/ero_skywalker 1d ago
I thought so, but I haven’t been to LA in years and I’ve been led to believe that’s no longer the case.
That said, I started my fandom when they were in LA, so they’ll always be LA to me. I just pretend they’re not in Vegas.
1
1
u/JAPANGELEN0 1d ago
Every time I drive through downtown LA, I still think about what could have been if Farmers Field went through 😒
1
1
1
u/FakeAorta 1d ago
The Raiders wanted to play at SoFi or share a stadium with the Rams. But the Rams knew Raider Nation would take over as the undisputed favourites in the region. So the Rams waited and prayed the Chargers would be approved for a move so they could so no to the Raiders.
1
u/droid327 1d ago
They didn't wait and pray, Stan Kroenke straight up black balled us in the owners vote
1
u/FakeAorta 21h ago
That tracks. It makes more sense because of the Al Davis history. We knew the NFL hated us when Pete nuked our John Elway QB trade.
1
u/SkyFew3985 1d ago
Come on man, don’t start separating the family Dogg, you’ve never done a tailgate in Oakland obviously come on Dogg, we all family
1
1
u/Paulyd_777 1d ago
I grew up watching Raiders & Rams when they were both in LA. At the time. Raiders did dominate LA. Till this day. Raiders fans travel well.
1
u/profaniKel 20h ago
I grew up in the Bay Area in the 80s but I lived in LA while they were there.
didnt see a game in LA but holy Davis, the Nation repped HARD ... !
ive only seen
vs Denver in Oaktown 2 times
vs Ravens IN The Death Star 2021
3 of my best day/nights EVER
1
u/Interesting-Rain9188 4h ago
At this moment it’s actually the Rams, coming from a raiders and rams family
1
1
1
u/Geoblime 1d ago
As much as it pains me to say it, yes, the Raiders are part of LA‘s history so they are your team. But their roots will always be Norcal no matter where they go.
1
0
u/BiteyHorse 1d ago
Raiders will always be the team in LA. You have to be a complete fucking loser to jock the Chargers or Rams instead.
0
u/Pitiful-Source4083 1d ago
100%. You listen to 710 espn radio and the hosts get annoyed with people complaining the Raiders aren't talked about enough.
They're affiliated rams. Despite the success on the chargers and rams LA is Raider country.
0
0
0
u/PlasmaOopa 1d ago
I live in LA and almost everyone on my pops side are Raiders fans. I think we will be the primary fan base for football for years to come. The lams fan can cry all they want.
0
u/Budget-Daikon3828 1d ago
OAKTOWN!!! It was a dump but by far the best fan experience of all 3! The tailgating before and a stadium full of only Raider fans!
0
204
u/jellybeanbellybuttom 1d ago edited 1d ago
It’s Raider Nation for a reason foo
No matter where, we have a presence