Abahlaseli babuyela e-LA – kufana nokuthi abakaze bahambe

I-Raider Image, isitolo esinomdondoshiya Abahlaseli Umakalabha wokungena, ubengekho ikhasimende ngoMgqibelo ntambama. Owesifazane osemusha wayengemva kwerejista. Uma kungenjalo, isikhala esincane besingenalutho phakathi kwezinxushunxushu ezizungezile e-Universal CityWalk.

Hhayi isikhathi eside.

“Sinezinye izinto ezintsha,” isisebenzi sitshele umndeni wabane ngesikhathi singena ngomhubhe wezigqoko. “Izinto zamaholide nezingubo zokulala.”

Ngemizuzu embalwa, isitolo sase sigcwele abantu bephequlula kuzo zonke izinto Abahlaseli: Amadomino, amasokisi namasethi okulala. Izibuko, izibuko zewayini, izibuko zikabhiya nezibuko. Izingubo zezingane, amajezi namabhantshi. Raiderettes amakhalenda. Okumnyama Nesiliva yonke indawo.

I-Raiders ayikaze ibize i-Los Angeles ikhaya kusukela ngo-1994. U-Art Shell wayengumqeqeshi wabo. UJeff Hostelr wayeyi-quarterback. Derek Carr wayeneminyaka engu-3 ubudala. Basuka baya e-Oakland, kwathi ngo-2020, babaleka ngokuphelele eCalifornia ngoba Las Vegas.

I Izinqama babe elinye iqembu endaweni – nakuba lise-Anaheim, hhayi e-Los Angeles – kuze kube yilapho behamba ngo-1994 baya e-St. Louis futhi babuyela e-Los Angeles ngo-2016. Amashaja beza enyakatho ngo-2017 futhi bobabili bathuthela ku-SoFi ngo-2020.

Kuleli sonto, okwedlule nokwamanje kushayisana esikhathini esiyizinsuku ezinhlanu.

NgeSonto, i-Raiders idlale indawo yokusingatha ama-Charger, bebashaya 27-20 e-Allegiant Stadium e-Las Vegas ukugcina amathemba abo amancane esizini ephila.

NgoLwesine bazongena enkundleni Inkundla yeSoFi ukudlala iRams, kabani ukwehla okukhulu ayizange idonse ukunakwa okuningi njengoba ibingenza umpetha weSuper Bowl obusayo cishe kunoma yiliphi elinye idolobha futhi, lokho akukutsheli konke odinga ukukwazi mayelana nokuma kwabo e-Los Angeles?

Ngaso sonke leso sikhathi, ukuba khona kwamaRaiders akuzange kulilahle idolobha. Kuhlala kungokomzwelo ngenxa yabalandeli ababesekela iqembu e-Coliseum ngeminyaka yawo-1980, ababeyingxenye yodlame ekuqaleni kwawo-1990 lapho i-NWA yenza uhlobo lwe-Raiders lukazwelonke, futhi bedlulisela ukuthatheka ezinganeni zabo. Ihlala ingokomzimba, ngophawu nemibala isafana namaphakethe we-LA, kanye nesikhungo sokuthengisa izitini nodaka esingamakhilomitha angama-20 ukusuka eSoFi Stadium.

“AbakwaRaiders basengabanikazi baleli dolobha,” kusho u-Eddie Parra, umlandeli weRaiders, ngesikhathi ethenga ngoMgqibelo.

UParra, 46, wakhulela eWilmington, ngasePort of Los Angeles, futhi usahlala lapho. Waya emidlalweni ye-Raiders e-Coliseum nomalume bakhe njengengane. Lapho iqembu lihamba, waya emidlalweni emithathu noma emine ngesizini e-Oakland iminyaka engama-22 ilandelana. Manje uya e-Las Vegas ngomdlalo njalo ngesizini futhi uya e-SoFi Stadium njalo uma ama-Raiders edlala lapho.

Uzobe esesixukwini nabangani ngoLwesine. Ulindele ukuvela okukhulu kubalandeli bakaRams kunalokho akubona ngesikhathi amaCharger ashaye oHlanga e-Los Angeles ngeviki 1.

“I-Rams isivele inabalandeli bayo,” kusho uParra. “Bebenabalandeli abakhelwe ngaphakathi. Kodwa amaCharger angiboni azophumelela lapha bhuti. Bazogcina bebuyela emuva [to San Diego].”

I-Raiders yathuthela e-Las Vegas cishe ne-15% yabanikazi bamathikithi esizini abahlala eNingizimu ye-California. UJohnny Cervantes nomkakhe, uLetty, bangababili babo.

Ukuthandwa kukaCervantes kwaqala ngeminyaka yawo-1980 ekhulela eBoyle Heights. Uthe uzokhipha amathikithi ekhanda ngo-$10 e-Coliseum ngemuva kokuqala kwemidlalo ye-Raider’s e-Los Angeles.

Lo mbhangqwana uhambele umdlalo wawo wokuqala e-Oakland ngoDisemba 2001 futhi “wabanjwa”. Baqale ukuya emidlalweni eminingi ngesizini ngayinye ngo-2002 futhi baba ngabanikazi bamathikithi esizini ngo-2008, beshayela bekhuphukela e-Oakland besuka eMaywood beyobuka iRaiders idlala ngangokunokwenzeka.

Lapho iqembu lithuthela eLas Vegas, lalandela. Abalandeli bebengavunyelwe e-Allegiant Stadium ngenxa ye-COVID-19 ngesizini ka-2020, kodwa baya eLas Vegas noma kunjalo babuka imidlalo emakhasino.

“Kube sengathi sisemdlalweni,” kusho uCervantes, 53.

Ngesizini edlule, baye kuyo yonke imidlalo yasekhaya ye-Raiders – preseason kanye nesizini ejwayelekile. Kulo nyaka, baphuthelwe umdlalo owodwa kuphela – i-Raiders’ Week 7 inqoba i-Houston Texans. Ngeke babe semdlalweni wangoLwesine e-Los Angeles, kodwa bahlele ukuya emidlalweni emithathu yasekhaya esele ye-Raiders.

Abahlaseli bazomelwa kahle ngoLwesine.

Izihlalo Ezicacile, inkampani yokushintshanisa amathikithi kanye nenkampani edayiswa kabusha, iveze ukuthi abakwaRaiders bajabulele inzuzo yesixuku esingu-74% kuya ku-26% lapho ama-Raiders ebhekene namashaja e-Los Angeles ngesizini edlule, ngokusho komphathi wokuqukethwe uStephen Spiewak.

Le nkampani ihlela u-63% wezixuku zangoLwesine eSoFi Stadium izohambisana nabakwaRams phezu kwezinqama. Futhi iningi lalabo bantu ngeke lisuke eNevada.

“Ama-oda amaningi kakhulu avela kubalandeli baseCalifornia,” kusho uSpiewak ku-imeyili.

UTony Ioele uhlela ukuba phakathi kwabalandeli beRaiders ngoLwesine. Ubengumlandeli weRaiders kusukela eneminyaka engu-6 ubudala, ekhulela eSan Gabriel ebabuka bewina iSuper Bowl yabo yokugcina ngo-1984 noMarcus Allen egijima emuva. Uncamela ukubuka imidlalo ye-Raiders yedwa – “Ngithatheka kakhulu” – kodwa uzokwenza okuhlukile ngoLwesine futhi ahambele umdlalo neRams. Ulindele ukuthi abalandeli beRaiders badlule ngobuningi ozakwabo.

“Abalandeli be-Raiders bawuhlobo oluhlukile,” kusho u-Ioele.

UPaul Vega wakhulela e-El Sereno futhi waya emidlalweni ye-Raiders kuma-1980s. Ukholelwa ukuthi babeyizinto ezisondelene kakhulu nomdlalo webhola likanobhutshuzwayo waseMexico e-United States. Abantu babegqoke izinto eziyinkimbinkimbi. Bajikijela amabhomu kabhiya ngesikhathi ama-touchdowns eshaywa. Kwakuyisenzakalo samasiko. Lapho i-Los Angeles iba ugwadule lwe-NFL, wathuthela USC ngesifiso sakhe sebhola lendawo ngenkathi kwesinye isikhathi elibangise enyakatho imidlalo e-Oakland.

Abanye bathatha ukwethembeka okufanayo ngenkathi abanye beba abalandeli bamanye ama-franchise e-NFL. Uthe “nakanjani” usebabonile abalandeli abaningi beRams selokhu babuyela kule ndawo.

“Nganginamathikithi esizini ye-Rams ngonyaka wokuqala e-Coliseum futhi kwakunobungani babalandeli kancane kunomdlalo we-Raider,” kusho u-Vega ehleka. “Ngikusho ngokuncokola ngoba uma ungakaze ube nesipiliyoni seRaider, ayikho into efana nayo. Kuyahlanya.”

Isithombe se-Raider sinezindawo ezimbalwa e-Nevada kanye nezintathu eCalifornia. Abanye ababili base-Bakersfield nase-Moreno Valley. Ayiheheli ithrafikhi yezinyawo e-Universal.

Isisebenzi esisebenza ngoMgqibelo, esinqabile ukudalula igama laso, sithe isitolo simatasatasa ngezinsuku “zedekhi egcwele” – ngayizolo, usuku, kanye nosuku ngemuva kokuthi iRaiders idlale umdlalo eLos Angeles. Uthe isitolo sidonsa abasebenzi endaweni yaseMoreno Valley ukuze babhekane nalokhu kuhlinzwa. Ubelindele ukuthi kuleli sonto, namaRaiders edolobheni, ahluke.

Bazoba nomdlalo kumabonakude ngoLwesine. Abantu abafuna ukuchitha bazovela. “I-vibe,” kusho isisebenzi, izokwakhiwa. Iba yiphathi yokubuka engakaze ibonwe.

“Kufanele uthanda amaRaiders,” kusho yena. “Kodwa asibandlululi.”

Ubufakazi: Indoda efake ikepisi ye-Rams yaphequlula isitolo ngaphandle kwezihibe ngoMgqibelo izungezwe ama-Raiders die-hards. Omunye wesifazane ukhale ngokuthi akufani selokhu abakwaRaider besuka eLos Angeles. Indoda yathenga nendodana yayo. Omunye wesifazane wabuza ngezimpahla zezingane. Amakhasimende ayesukela kwabancane kuya kwabadala.

Abalandeli bakaRams bethenga begqoke isikibha esino-“El Jefe” ngaphambili. Wayengeyena umphathi lapho.