Inside Tom Brady's Las Vegas gamble as the NFL icon prepares to take the helm at the Raiders
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Inside the Allegiant Stadium locker room, Jonah Laulu led Las Vegas in its own Christmas carol. It was the night of December 22 and – according to head coach Antonio Pierce – it was ‘long overdue’. ‘Rai-Ders!’ the defensive tackle belted out, before his teammates repeated the one-word war cry. The most wonderful time of the year. And, as Pierce put it, ‘the best f***ing feeling in the world’.
![[Earlier this month, Las Vegas ended a long losing streak with victory over the Jaguars]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/12/28/23/93548013-14232263-image-a-13_1735429041327.jpg)
How the mood had changed from a few days earlier, when the Falcons condemned Las Vegas to a 10th straight loss and any specks of holiday cheer had evaporated from the Raiders locker room. That’s what one win can do and Las Vegas hasn’t enjoyed many of those in recent times. Victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars on December 22 was only the Raiders’ third all season. And the first since Tom Brady was confirmed as a part-owner of the team.
![[Brady has a longstanding relationship with Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/12/28/23/93547543-14232263-image-m-3_1735427199503.jpg)
There are, though, two crumbs of comfort for the legendary quarterback: no team can be relegated from the NFL. And, on this side of the pond, it can pay to lose. So at least his first season in football ownership is guaranteed to end better than his introduction to soccer.
![['Hopefully we can learn lots from (Brady),' Raiders kicker Daniel Carlson told Mail Sport]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/12/28/23/93547583-14232263-image-a-4_1735427216734.jpg)
Mark Davis has said Tom Brady will have a ‘huge voice’ as minority owner of the Raiders. Earlier this month, Las Vegas ended a long losing streak with victory over the Jaguars. RAAAAIIIIIIIIDERRRRRRRRS 🗣️ #RaiderNation pic.twitter.com/9jXWOsaPEt. Back in the summer of 2023, the seven-time Super Bowl champion bought into Birmingham City. He became a minority owner and then he joined fans in the pub. A few months later, they dropped into the third tier of English soccer.
![[The future of coach Antonio Pierce is uncertain after a disappointing season for Las Vegas]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/12/28/23/93547565-14232263-image-a-7_1735427305716.jpg)
