Derek Carr: 'True' fans will support the Raiders even after they move to Vegas
Today is April 17, so there really shouldn't be that much going on in the NFL world. Free agency is pretty much over. The draft is 10 days away. And Marshawn Lynch still hasn't been traded from the Seahawks to the Raiders.
Speaking of the Raiders, their quarterback, Derek Carr, said something that turned an ordinary offseason Monday into a much livelier Monday. Carr said that the "true" fans of the Raiders will continue to support the team even when they move from Oakland to Las Vegas in a few seasons.
Derek Carr: Raiders fans "aren't going to split up" the way fans in other markets have post-relocation. Says "true" fans will support team. — Michael Gehlken (@GehlkenNFL) April 17, 2017
It's worth noting that Carr's comments sound much better with the entire quote, which is transcribed below via The Mercury News:
"We're not going to split up like you've seen other cities do," Carr said. "We're not going to do things like that. For the ones that do, I don't really believe that they are true Raider fans. I feel their hurt. I'm with you. I hurt too. But at the same, we're all in this together and we're just going to do it together." "Out of 1,000 people, you're going to get one or two that have something to say. And that's with everything. It doesn't matter if you throw four touchdowns or three picks, you're going to get it both ways. I expect that, but if something happens, it'll be the 1 percent. Hopefully ya'll don't focus on that kind of stuff because there's the 99 percent that are loyal, faithful fans that are going to ride with us wherever we're at."
I get what Carr is trying to say, but it doesn't seem like the smartest thing to say. Oakland-based Raiders fans have formed one of the most dedicated fans bases even during the Raiders' horrific seasons. Finally -- after years of misery -- the Raiders are good again. And just when that happens, the team is moving away. That sucks. And fans who stop supporting the team probably shouldn't be criticized. That doesn't mean they're not "true" fans.
The fact remains that the Raiders' fan base will be split up. That's just how relocation works. Furthermore, the Raiders' breakup with Oakland is about to be even uglier than usual, because the Raiders are going to keep playing games in Oakland for at least two more seasons before they move.
It's already been awkward. Many figures in Oakland want the Raiders gone as soon as possible. In late March, the executive director of the stadium authority, Scott McKibben, told USA Today that he doesn't want the Raiders still playing at the Coliseum in 2019.
"I would say to you with the highest level of confidence, my opinion and recommendation, and that of my board members -- I don't believe there is any appetite for a third season [in Oakland]," McKibben said.
Then, Warriors' star Draymond Green said that fans should boycott all of the Raiders' remaining games in Oakland. Meanwhile, diehard fans in Oakland are rightfully upset with the team, which is abandoning a loyal fan base in Oakland.
Breakups suck. And this one will be no different.