It’s not easy being a Las Vegas sports fan. In fact, between intense Golden Knights playoff games and the Raiders struggling to find their footing, things can be painful. Speaking of pain, here are five harsh truths that Las Vegas sports fans should just go ahead and accept now.
Becky Hammon might be a hero for now after helping the Las Vegas Aces to their first championship, but she could soon be a huge villain. This is due to the Aces granting the Toronto Raptors permission to talk to Hammon about their head coaching vacancy.
If she accepts the meeting and becomes their new head coach, she could be leaving the WNBA. While some might doubt that would happen after how great she did in her first season, there are a few signs that she eventually could take the offer. Unfortunately for the Aces, their dynasty might be at stake here.
The first thing to consider is the Aces granted permission for the Raptors to talk to Hammon. That’s a sign that Hammon is at least willing to field offers. Another thing to remember is that the Aces are currently being investigated for allegedly paying players under the table and bullying others to sign contracts.
If these rumors are true, it could hurt Hammon’s legacy if she knew about it. The league could also impose severe sanctions on the team, hindering them during the season. That could include draft picks, fines, and several other things to hurt the organization. Hammon might not want to be a part of that.
The Las Vegas Golden Knights simply have too many obstacles standing between them and their first Stanley Cup Championship. Now, some might believe the Golden Knights have momentum after a victory over the Jets, but the Edmonton Oilers are a different story. They will be Las Vegas’ toughest test to date, and it will only get worse.
The Knights would then move on to the Dallas Stars or the Seattle Kraken. Seattle seems like the better option due to their performance against them this season, but the Stars are the more likely option. This means they would be going up against their former head coach Pete Deboer and one of the toughest teams in the West.
If they somehow manage to get past the Stars, they could face anyone from the New Jersey Red Devils, the Carolina Hurricanes, Toronto Maple Leafs, and the Florida Panthers. None of these will be easy opponents to face. A championship is coming. It might just not be this year, though.
Kurt Busch suffered concussion-like symptoms after a qualifying crash at Pocono last season, ultimately forcing him to retire from full-time competition. Since then, Busch has been going to rehab and getting his body used to the rigors of driving a race car. Despite these attempts, the LAs Vegas native is still not cleared to compete by NASCAR.
And while some fans may take issue with this, it could be for the best that he never competes again. The new next-gen cars are too dangerous and have injured many drivers. What happened to Busch last year alone should prove that it’s not safe. This should also prompt NASCAR to improve on the safety aspect of things.
In the end, seeing him race again would be very bittersweet. You would cheer knowing that he was doing what he loved, but you also know the dangers.
The Oakland Athletics announced that they will be moving to Las Vegas, and some fans are pretty excited. This will mark the first professional Baseball team to come to Sin City and gives fans another team to watch. Unfortunately, they might not be worth watching.
The Athletics are one of the worst teams in the MLB, and relocation isn’t going to help that. Furthermore, some Vegas fans have given the team a lukewarm reception, showing that interest isn’t exactly there. Between that and their 6-24 record, this team isn’t going to be competitive right off the bat.
They might even end up being the worst team in Las Vegas, an honor currently held by the Raiders. Another thing to remember is that Sin City fans don’t particularly like losing teams, making this even more difficult. The fans aren’t going to come to see a team that is last in their division and way out of the playoff race.
While the Athletics could eventually find success, it won’t happen immediately. There are just too many things that have to change before becoming competitive is an option. That means they will be a bottom-of-the-barrel team for a while, and who knows if fans will stick with them or not
The Las Vegas Raiders will not have an easy time in 2023, and fans probably need to accept that. The organization simply has too many things working against them to even fathom them making it into the playoffs. They might even finish with a losing record if Josh McDaniels’ play calling last year is any indicator.
The biggest problem with McDaniels is conditioning and not making adjustments in the second half. That has been McDaniels downfall on multiple occasions and leads to questions of why he has so much trouble finishing games off. He just seems to have an easily decipherable game plan that gets used against him in the second half.
Another big problem is team morale, which has to be dropping. Not only is that evident by their refusal to pay Joshua Jacobs what he deserves, but also due to him being one of the only highlights for the team that year. Instead, they franchise-tagged him and paid him just over $10 million.
The Raiders just aren’t treating their players very well. The biggest indicator of that is when they sent Darren Waller packing in a trade with the Giants. Keep in mind this happened only days after his wedding to the Aces’ Kelsey Plum and was exceptionally cruel. These are all indicators that the Raiders don’t care who they must cut to get to the top.
While some might think this is how they will get to the top, it is more likely to lead to their downfall. The Raiders seem to be creating a toxic environment where anyone’s job is up for grabs if it makes Josh McDaniels look good. Seriously though, how long will he stick with Jimmy Garoppollo until he decides to bench him for someone else?
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