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A “Brand” New Nation Here
Las Vegas has seen an absolute influx of negative national press and media attention here recently. This has been more focus than the city has seen in a long time. From the Vegas shooting, to the Steve Wynn scandal, and beyond, these events have changed the Vegas vibe on a grand scale. Bottom line is Vegas is experiencing a cultural rebirth and along with that comes a new era of what it means to be a Raiders fan.
The Las Vegas sports world was first shaken by the Las Vegas Knights franchise coming to Sin City. I am happy to say that as an expansion team they are poised to make a push into the playoffs in their inaugural season. Although they are absolutely kicking butt in the NHL for the city (get well soon Fleury), as an expansion team they really haven't found a connection here with all of the locals, and seem to almost get ignored. Heck, I have just started to see fan support on a major level in my neighborhood.
Rumor has it that games are quiet and take a back seat to the excitement of Las Vegas. It is said that T-Mobile’s arena is nice, but with all the lights, and endless shopping of the strip, it’s no wonder why it kind of gets lost in all of the madness. Hell, some are reporting that there are opposing teams who forget about their match with the Knights due to the party life and get so tired they have a hard time playing well! Also, we still have the dismal seasons of national “mediocrity” that the Rebels have suffered for decades. There are truly no real indicators that the city is really interested in becoming a “sports town” any time soon, let alone a football city. True change takes time and acclimation. Rebranding and repositioning is what I believe this city needs and the Raiders may be the catalyst to get the ball rolling. A unique brand created from the needs of the city linking with the vision of an idealistic football icon.
Others have tried respectfully to create versions and brands with varying degrees of success. In the 1970’s , the Cowboys coined themselves "America's Team", the Packers had their pack of cheese-head-dawning enthusiasts, the Steelers added their formidable "Steel Curtain", and all made a push to connect further to the minds and heart of, not just their fans but the people of the country in general.
The Raiders have become known as the most famous brand in sports and one of its most winning organizations. Even this year they were atop USA Today’s list of “Greatest Sports Traditions”. http://www.10best.com/awards/travel/best-sports-tradition/
With all of the hype behind this monumental move, is it too idealistic to think the rebranding of both the Raiders and Las Vegas is enough to keep Vegas Strong?
What do you think? Who has the greatest fans in sports?
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