Raiders fans look to own SoFi Stadium again as team looks to own the Chargers
The Raiders can change cities.They can change stadiums.
They can put hundreds of miles between themselves and Los Angeles.Getting Southern California to stop loving them?Yeah, that is never going to happen.The Raiders are as much a part of Los Angeles as palm trees and street tacos.Every year, the Raiders’ trip to SoFi Stadium proves the point.The schedule calls it a road game.
The sea of silver and black tells a different story.“To have the fans there, supporting us, it’s fantastic,” said veteran left tackle Kolton Miller.Which makes their recurring inability to reward that loyalty at SoFi Stadium all the more maddening.Since the stadium opened in 2020, the Raiders are 1-7 there, including seven straight losses.Their only win came during the pandemic, when fans weren’t allowed inside.
In other words, the faithful have packed the place every chance they’ve gotten.But have yet to walk out celebrating a regular-season victory.The Raiders return Sunday to face the Chargers in a building that, once again, should feature a sizable contingent of fans wearing silver and black.For some, it will be a short drive to see the team they never stopped calling their own.
Others will travel from Las Vegas and beyond, turning another road game into something that sounds and feels much more welcoming.“We know the fans over there in L.A.are heavy, for sure,” said Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby.
“We appreciate all the love and support.” The familiar question is whether the Raiders will finally give them a reason to celebrate afterward.Coming off a convincing season-opening win over the Dolphins, the Raiders can leave Los Angeles at 2-0 while burying a division rival in an 0-2 hole after the Chargers’ opening loss to the Cardinals.And reward a Southern California fan base that has never stopped showing up for them.Their fans have held up their end for decades.Sunday is a chance for the Raiders to hold up theirs.“It’s a division game.
It is SoFi, it is...