Any Oakland fans who are no longer supporting the Raiders because they’re moving to Las Vegas aren’t real fans, according to quarterback Derek Carr.
Carr said at the start of the team’s offseason workout program that he expects Oakland fans to remain loyal to the team, and doesn’t think they were ever really fans if they don’t.
“We’re not going to split up like you’ve seen other cities do,” Carr said, via ESPN. “We’re not going to do things like that. For the ones that do, I don’t really believe that they’re true Raider fans. I feel their hurt. I’m with you. I hurt, too. But at the same time, we’re all in this together and we’re just going to do it together.”
Carr believes only a tiny minority of fans will ditch the Raiders.
“Out of like 1,000 people, you’re going to get one or two that have something to say and that’s with everything,” he said. “Hopefully y’all 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.”
That’s all easy for Carr to say. It’s harder for Oakland residents who have supported the team with their hard-earned dollars for years to accept that the team will abandon them.
UPDATE 10:33 a.m. ET: Carr clarified his comments on Twitter:
Just in case I was misunderstood...I love ALL Raider fans, wherever they are from.... We are in this together, always! #RaiderNation
— Derek Carr (@derekcarrqb) April 18, 2017