Raiders to pay tribute to Hall of Famer before Cowboys game
The Raiders are honoring the Hall of Famer who started 210 consecutive games Saturday at Allegiant Stadium.
The family of Hall of Famer Jim Otto will light the Al Davis Memorial Torch prior to the preseason tilt against the Dallas Cowboys. Otto’s widow, Sally, will lead a group of about 10 members of the Otto family.
The Raiders are also celebrating Otto’s legacy by wearing his number 00 on the backs of their helmets. The team wore the “00” stickers last week in their presason opener at Minnesota, and are formally announcing the tribute entering the weekend.
A beloved figure, Otto starred from 1960-‘74 in the team’s Oakland era. He was a Raider for his entire 15-year NFL career. He died this past May.
Fans are encouraged to arrive at the stadium an hour before the 7 p.m. kickoff. NFL Network is broadcasting the game.
The Raiders have also summoned a long-running Las Vegas resident dance troupe to perform at halftime. The Jabbawockeez are making their debut with the team Saturday. The masked breakdance troupe has previously performed at Golden Knights and Aces games.
The Jabbas are ongoing headliners at the MGM Grand. They made their debut on the Strip in May 2010, at then-Monte Carlo (today’s Park MGM), just after winning the “America’s Best Dance Crew” competition show.
ESPN host Pat McAfee said this week he believed some of the breakdance competitors at the Paris Olympics were actually unmasked Jabbawockeez, but we believe he was joking.
Saturday’s anthem singer, R&B artist Lalah Hathaway, is also appearing for the first time at a Raiders game. Hathaway has mastered “overtone,” or multiphonic, singing style, in which she can split her voice to sing multiple notes simultaneously.
Hathaway won the 2017 Grammy for best R&B album for her “Lalah Hathaway Live,” and is the daughter of the late singer and musician Donny Hathaway, the man Rolling Stone described as “a soul legend.”
John Katsilometes’ column runs daily in the A section. His “PodKats!” podcast can be found at reviewjournal.com/podcasts. Contact him at jkatsilometes@reviewjournal.com. Follow @johnnykats on X, @JohnnyKats1 on Instagram.