Filipino Raiders fans mourn teams’ move from Oakland to Vegas

Liz Medrano and her boyfriend who converted her from being a San Francisco 49er fan to a diehard Oakland Raider watched the Raiders in the Coliseum whenever they could. CONTRIBUTED

OAKLAND — The news was not totally unexpected. But like losing dear, ailing family member, it still hurt when it finally came.

The controversial plan to move the much-loved National Football League (NFL) team Oakland Raiders from its present home of more than four decades at the Coliseum in Oakland had been talked about for a while. Now that it’s happening—the team is moving to Las Vegas—the Raider Nation, which includes a lot of Filipino Americans has fallen into deep gloom.

Erick Maglalang has been a Raider fan for a long time even when he was not an Oakland resident. It was not because of the players, but rather because of the community known as the Raider Nation whose members belong to different ethnicities, class backgrounds and lifestyles. All nation members claim to have one passion – the love for the Raiders, win or lose.

Jay Ilagan, who has been a longtime Raider booster, thinks the NFL owners and Mark Davis do not care about the feelings of the fans; they only care about the money. CONTRIBUTED

“When I heard the news that the NFL team owners gave the go-signal for the Raiders to transfer to Las Vegas., I was both shocked and saddened. For me, Oakland is the birthplace of the Raiders where the solid community is, although they have also been to Los Angeles.  If only the Raider nation only had enough resources, it would build the stadium for the team,” Pampanga native Maglalang rued.

“Team owner Mark Davis is only thinking about his own needs.  When I saw them in the news, I see old guys so are not as passionate as their much younger fans are. They looked as if they are about to retire and are thinking of their own business, their own benefits. It is all about money, money and more money. But the Raider fans, in turn, work hard and spend their hard-earned money just to see their team in action. But to make them go now to Las Vegas just to watch the game, that is not justified.”

Promising 15-year-old Filipino Persian American Mehdi Mehr, US National Football Team defensive lineman, says that the Raiders may deserve their own stadium in Las Vegas, but they have a solid fan base here in the Bay Area. CONTRIUTED

Maglalang confesses that although he loves the Raiders he would rather spend his money on something more worthwhile than go to Las Vegas to watch them. He wished the Raiders would share the Levi’s stadium with the San Francisco 49ers in Santa Clara.

A Raider convert, who used to adore the San Francisco 49ers but followed his boyfriend’s NFL choice, University of California in Hastings law student Liz Medrano’s immediate reaction was also sadness, even for someone who was not a lifelong Raiders fan.

“I was immediately drawn into Raider Nation even if they weren’t playing well at all; but the fans were so faithful and so excited every single game.  It was intoxicating and I immediately became a fan too,” Medrano said.

“The city of Oakland and the Raider are so inherently tied together–there is so much history and passion as well as SO many emotions involved.  Going to games at the Coliseum and going to the tailgates have this feeling of home and family, so this move to Las Vegas is really hard to accept,” an emotional Medrano added.

Russell Chiuco of Union City, California honestly thinks the transfer is not a good idea because that would take away a lot of true fans. CONTRIBUTED

Medrano also does not find it justifiable that the Raiders management decided for the transfer despite a $1.3 billion stadium proposal from Oakland civic and business leaders. She expected that there should have been more patience and more thought given to the fan base.

“I’ll remain a Raiders fan but no, I would not go to Las Vegas just to watch a game.  I’m not willing to pay to go all the way to the desert just to watch the team.  But if I happen to be in Las Vegas and Raiders game tickets are cheap while I’m there, then why not,” quipped Medrano. “The Raiders are built on the loyalty and unwavering devotion of the fans.  Raider fans remained as intense and passionate to the organization, even when the team was playing horribly.”

Medranos’ uncle, Jay Ilagan, who has been a Raider fan longer than she has, thinks the NFL owners and Mark Davis do not care about the feelings of the fans; they only care about the money.  “The Raider fans always support the team, in fact the fans sold out the tickets for this season and next season 2018, and this is your gift to them, move your team to Vegas?” he complained.

Oaklander Erick Maglalang (right with wife, AJ) has been a Raider fan not because of the players, but rather because of the diverse community referred to as the Raider Nation. CONTRIBUTED

“I’m a Patriots fan. but I’m not too happy that the Oakland Raiders will become Las Vegas Raiders in 2019,” butted in Mehdi Mehr, a 15-year-old Filipino-Persian American.

Mehr is a US National Football Team defensive lineman (DL) aside from being Team Edge USA offensive lineman (OL) and DL who became 2015 and 2016 Offensive Lineman of the Year in Washington High School in Fremont, California. He’s someone to watch in the coming years among aspiring Fil-Am professional football players out to make a big name.

“The Raiders deserve their own stadium! It’s just that they have a solid fan base here in the Bay Area who remained steadfast in showing undying love, faith and loyalty to the team all throughout the years despite of the losing streak.  This impending move will sift the fans. We will see who really bleeds ‘black and silver,’” Mehr said. “
Russell Chiuco of Union City, California also thinks the transfer is not a good idea because the team would lose a lot of true fans. “But don’t get me wrong. Vegas also has a Raider support base … they got better bars there too.”