The LA Chargers host the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 1 of the 2022 NFL season in what is bound to be one of the most entertaining games on Sunday. Not only did both of these teams make bold moves this offseason but there is a historic rivalry there that was last showcased in last season's Week 18 classic.
Chargers-Raiders games are always a bit rowdy with a big collection of Raiders fans still living in Southern California. A yearly game against the Chargers provides a closer-to-home game to attend for Raiders fans in the area, which always leads to a split fanbase.
The Chargers have gotten a lot better in drawing a home crowd since moving to SoFi Stadium and this is the one opponent that still gets at least a 50/50 split. With so many Raiders fans in LA, it is bound to happen.
Raiders fans were already spreading fake outrage on social media, claiming that the Chargers were turning away Raiders fans from coming to the game. That obviously is not happening, but there is a stadium policy that the team is enacting that seems to be targeting Raiders fans directly.
The Chargers continue with a modified alcohol policy with the Raiders coming back into town.
SoFi Stadium typically allows alcohol sales until the end of the third quarter. However, SoFi is following the tradition that was first established back in San Diego for Raiders games. Alcohol sales will instead end at the end of halftime, with one alcoholic beverage limited per transaction.
It was unclear whether or not this policy would follow the Chargers to SoFi Stadium with the stadium being owned by Stan Kroenke but it did last year. The policy has continued into the 2022 season for the Week 1 showdown.
Last year the Chargers hosted the Raiders on Monday Night Football, so the team could have at least spun it as being a night game and not wanting people to drink too late. However, it is pretty clear now that it has extended into 2022 that the same policy targeting Raiders games is going to continue to be in effect.
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With how talented the Chargers roster is this season, the hope for Chargers fans is that the game is so lopsided by the end of halftime that Raiders fans start packing their bags and going home.