Gruden thinks Death Star is 'cool name' for Raiders' stadium
Nicknaming a stadium after the twice-destroyed Death Star from "Star Wars" is bound to prompt jokes, but that doesn't bother Jon Gruden.
The Las Vegas Raiders head coach voiced his support for Allegiant Stadium's Death Star nickname on Thursday, but also made it clear that he isn't a big "Star Wars" fan.
"I think it's a cool name for our stadium," Gruden said, according to Adam Hill of the Las Vegas Review-Journal. "I don't give a damn about 'Star Wars.' That's what we're calling our stadium and I don't care what anybody else thinks. It's a cool stadium, it's a great name, and we just have to play good when we're in there."
Raiders owner Mark Davis made the "Star Wars" comparison before a scrimmage game in August, declaring, "Welcome to the Death Star, where our opponents' dreams come to die." He also wasn't bothered by the fact that the Death Star blew up.
"Yeah, that was their Death Star," he told ESPN's Paul Gutierrez. "Not ours. Ours was built to sustain."
The Raiders will open their new stadium Monday night when they host the New Orleans Saints.