VEGAS MYTHS BUSTED: A Kansas City Chiefs Flag is Buried Under Allegiant Stadium

Posted on: February 5, 2024, 08:19h. 

Last updated on: February 5, 2024, 01:42h.

Corey Levitan Read More
Expertise: Commercial Gaming, Entertainment, Expert Insight, Las Vegas.

On Dec. 29, 2017, the Las Vegas Review-Journal ran a story proclaiming that “a man buried a Kansas City Chiefs flag near what is expected to be the 30-yard line of the new Raiders stadium going up on the Strip.”

According to a 2017 story in the Las Vegas Review-Journal, a construction worker helping to build Allegiant Stadium planted the flag of his favorite team, the Kansas City Chiefs, underneath the field as a bad-luck charm for the Las Vegas Raiders. (Image: Raiders.com)

Construction worker and diehard Chiefs fan Chris Scherzer had posted a photo to Facebook of a coworker holding the flag, which read, “Chiefs Kingdom.” The photo’s caption declared: “Flag buried in dirt, encased in concrete, with a stadium built on top of it … Chiefs 1, Raiders 0.”

The Las Vegas Review-Journal‘s 2017 story featured the Facebook photo taken by construction worker Chris Scherzer at the stadium site. (Image: Las Vegas Review-Journal)

Scherzer had long hidden the identity of the man he photographed, claiming that “People are trying to get him fired over it.”

The man supposedly buried the flag as a bad-luck charm for the Raiders, whose rivalry with the Chiefs dates to the AFL and is one of the NFL’s bitterest, tracing back to their first meeting of the 1970 season.

In that game, Chiefs wide receiver Otis Taylor attacked Raiders defensive end Ben Davison for diving into Chiefs quarterback Len Dawson with his helmet as he fell to the ground during a first down.

A bench-clearing brawl ensued.

Since the new home of the Raiders opened on July 31, 2020, superstitious members of Raider Nation have had the flag to blame for their team losing all four of their games against the Chiefs at home, whereas the Raiders went 2-2 in Kansas City during the same period.

As soon as it came down to the Chiefs v. the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl LVIII at Allegiant Stadium, concern over the buried flag reached new heights — primarily among 49ers fans. Even USA Today ran an article repeating the story on January 29.

False Flag

The myth was finally busted by KLAS-TV/Las Vegas on January 30.

It turns out, the construction worker’s name was Gerard DeCosta, and he and his friend lied about burying the flag he held up in the photo.

Tommy White, the local labor union leader who oversaw construction of Allegiant Stadium, holds the flag given to him by one of the pranksters. (Image: KLAS-TV)

Local labor union leader Tommy White, who oversaw construction of the stadium, told KLAS that he’s known about the hoax for years. He tracked down DeCosta as soon as former Raiders president Marc Badain called him, demanding to know if the Facebook post was true.

White said DeCosta admitted to the prank and gave him the flag, proving his story.

“He just told me the full story about it,” White told  KLAS, posing with the flag. “This is his flag. It’s never been buried.”

Look for “Vegas Myths Busted” every Monday on Casino.org. Visit VegasMythsBusted.com to read previously busted Vegas myths. Got a suggestion for a Vegas myth that needs busting? Email corey@casino.org.