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The Raiders' Las Vegas era begins against Saints on Yahoo Sports app, even if it's unusual

At the start of 2020, the Las Vegas Raiders could never have envisioned this type of opening night.

Finally, the Raiders have a beautiful modern stadium and a permanent home. Allegiant Stadium, just across the freeway from the Las Vegas Strip, cost about $2 billion and fits right in with the grandiose and flashy buildings that make Vegas famous. Monday night was to be a celebration of a new era, kicking off against the New Orleans Saints, a game that can be live-streamed on the Yahoo Sports app.

And they’ll try to make it a special night. In an empty stadium.

Allegiant Stadium will host its first game on Monday night when the Raiders host the Saints. (AP Photo/John Locher, File)
Allegiant Stadium will host its first game on Monday night when the Raiders host the Saints. (AP Photo/John Locher, File)

Las Vegas welcomes the Raiders

We all know the circumstances. COVID-19 has brought us an era of NFL without fans in most venues.

In any NFL city it’s odd. In Las Vegas, there are layers other franchises don’t have to think about. How do you market a team in a new city when the city is unable to come to games? The Raiders have announced there won’t be fans all season. They’re still trying to make Monday night a special one, even if it’ll be weird.

It’s 2020 in a nutshell that the Raiders are trying to bond with a new market, which has supported the NHL’s Golden Knights to an impressive degree, and they’re having to do so with The Killers playing to empty seats.

"I love this city, moved out here after the season, and fell in love with it," Raiders quarterback Derek Carr said, according to the team’s site. "We wish our city here of Las Vegas, we wish they could experience it here with us, I'm sure they'll be around somewhere. I'm sure there will be a certain street or strip they'll be on that our fans will be at."

Raiders looking to go 2-0

One thing that could get everyone on the same page is winning. Even with nobody in attendance, nothing rallies a city more than a winning team.

The Raiders are 1-0. They beat the Carolina Panthers 34-30 in Week 1. Their exciting skill-position players like Josh Jacobs and Henry Ruggs III looked good. This week will be tougher, against a Saints team that has been one of the NFL’s best for a few years. Las Vegas won’t have the support of the Raiders’ crowd in person, but it seems the team feels the importance of the game to its new home fans.

"Obviously, it means a lot, not only to us but to our fans in this community," Jacobs said, according to the team’s site. “Obviously, we want to get a win, especially with it being our first time in this stadium, so it's going to be huge."

The Raiders will try to make it a big event. “Monday Night Football” will give Las Vegas a big stage. The players want to win for their new fans. The Killers, who are from Vegas and opened T-Mobile Arena not far from Allegiant Stadium, will help kick things off. It’ll be a big game against a Saints team expected to compete for a Super Bowl this season. The NFL is buying into the Las Vegas market, with the draft and Pro Bowl on the way and a Super Bowl presumably to follow some day. It’s a big day for the league too.

The only thing missing will be the fans who have been eagerly awaiting for their new team to play the first NFL game ever in Las Vegas.

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