LAS VEGAS, NV — Netflix announced with great fanfare its newest sports docuseries, “Blackout: A Story of Grit, Glory, and Brotherhood,” centered on the Las Vegas Raiders. But while the streaming giant promises a raw, unfiltered look at one of the NFL’s most iconic franchises, early reactions are scathing—accusing the series of romanticizing dysfunction, rewriting history, and trying to cover a decade of mediocrity with moody lighting and orchestral music.
A Franchise in Freefall, Wrapped in Netflix Gloss
The Raiders haven’t made a serious postseason impact since 2002. Since moving to Las Vegas in 2020, the franchise has seen three head coaches, a string of losing seasons, multiple front office shakeups, and the spectacular implosion of the Josh McDaniels era. Yet Netflix wants viewers to believe this is a story of “glory”?
“This isn’t a documentary. It’s damage control,” said one longtime NFL insider. “You don’t get to sell ‘brotherhood’ when half your locker room wanted out last season.”
The docuseries is being blasted as a soulless PR move—an expensive distraction from the Raiders’ ongoing struggles with consistency, discipline, and relevance in an AFC West ruled by dynasties like the Chiefs.
Fan Fury: “We Need Wins, Not Cinematography”
Raiders fans—famously loyal but brutally honest—are not amused. Many took to social media to vent their frustration at what they call an embarrassing attempt to spin a broken narrative.
“You don’t make a ‘glory’ documentary in the middle of a rebuild,” one viral post read. “You make a rebuild documentary, and own the mess.”
Another fan on Reddit put it more bluntly:
“I watched the trailer and nearly choked on the irony. Brotherhood? We benched Derek Carr, lost Josh Jacobs, and couldn’t keep a coordinator for six games straight.”
Maxx Crosby & Tom Brady — The Only Real Anchors?
The series reportedly focuses heavily on Maxx Crosby, the emotional heart of the team, and minority owner Tom Brady, whose off-field presence has generated more headlines than the team’s actual on-field performance. But even Crosby’s grit and Brady’s brand can’t mask what critics call the harsh truth: the Raiders have become more about optics than output.
“Brady’s in every scene smiling like a stockbroker. Meanwhile, the team’s been 4–13,” said one review from a sports blog. “It’s like filming a Super Bowl parade in a ghost town.”
Netflix Slammed for Sacrificing Substance
Netflix, once praised for hard-hitting sports content (The Last Dance, Quarterback), is now being accused of selling “NFL propaganda” with this overly stylized, content-first, truth-second approach.
“It’s glitter on a garbage fire,” said one media critic. “And the fans see right through it.”
BOTTOM LINE: “Blackout” tries to sell a fairytale wrapped in thunderous narration and slow-motion locker room hugs. But for a team mired in chaos, controversy, and collapse, no amount of Hollywood polish can rewrite reality. The Las Vegas Raiders don’t need a documentary—they need a direction.
