Raiders Black Hole Co-Founder Rob Rivera Dies from COVID-19 Complications

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A co-founder of the Las Vegas Raiders’ Black Hole fan group died this week.

ESPN’s Paul Gutierrez reported Rob Rivera died from COVID-19-related complications.

Rivera told The Ringer’s Rafi Kohan in 2017 he was inspired by the Cleveland Browns’ Dawg Pound to bring something similar to the Raiders as the franchise was preparing for its move back to Oakland, California.

He and 19 others bought front-row seats in Section 105 for the 1996 home opener and stood for the entire game. While fans seated behind the group voiced their displeasure early on, the Black Hole soon expanded and became a staple at Raiders games.

Mark Acasio was among those who became a fixture in the fan section.

“[Rivera’s] vision was that one day, with the blimp overhead looking down, the entire stadium would be the Black Hole, but the heartbeat would be Section 105,” he said to Gutierrez.

Over the years, the group has expanded not only beyond the Bay Area but also outside the United States. Domestically, the Black Hole extends eastward all the way to New England and has chapters in Australia, Germany and Mexico.

With their move to Las Vegas, the Raiders took the Black Hole to Allegiant Stadium. Radio broadcaster John Tournour told Gutierrez, however, that Rivera wasn’t able to attend a game in Vegas.

Tournour went on to call Rivera “arguably the most important fan in Raiders history.”