6 Awful Decisions Made by Las Vegas Sports Teams
Las Vegas is turning into one of the biggest sports cities on the west coast. But that's come with some BIG blunders. Here are six awful decisions made by Las Vegas sports teams.
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Source. YouTube[/caption]
How can you not want to host WrestleMania live from Las Vegas? That's the mistake WWE has made for almost three decades now, and one has to wonder why. Was it that their last visit in 1994 was one of the worst in WrestleMania history? Or is the market just not right to host the show of shows in Sin City?
Think about it! Las Vegas is the world's entertainment capital, and WrestleMania is a huge spectacle. That is the perfect combination for a show that gets remembered for years. Instead, WWE hasn't pulled the trigger yet. However, rumors say that this mistake will soon be rectified.
According to Dave Meltzer of The Wrestling Observer, the plan is for Las Vegas to be announced as the destination of WrestleMania 40. Whether that is true remains to be seen, but it's hard to imagine them being slighted much longer. There is just too big of a market to capitalize on for WWE.
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Source. Facebook.[/caption]
No one can deny that Kyle Busch is among the best NASCAR drivers in history. The Las Vegas native has over 200 wins across the sport's three top series and is responsible for some of the sport's most significant moments. He also won many crown jewel races, including The Indianapolis 500, The Coke Zero 400, The Southern 500, The Coca-Cola 600, and The Bristol Dirt race.
Busch has a problem that has followed him, and it has to do with his big mouth. This shortcoming was on full display during an interview in April, where Busch didn't mince words about his contract negotiations. He ultimately came across as ungrateful and bratty.
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Source. YouTube.[/caption]
Liz Cambage is a very polarizing figure in the WNBA. On the one hand, she is one of the most physically imposing women's basketball players. She also has a style of defense that can put a game on lockdown if needed. Unfortunately for Cambage, her negativity and antics always seem to follow her in the worst way.
This has been showcased throughout her career, including when she demanded to be traded from the team she was drafted by, the Tulsa Shock. She was eventually traded to the Las Vegas Aces but later clarified that she didn't want to be there either. She hoped to be picked up by the Los Angeles Sparks and settled for Vegas when that didn't happen.
Cambage then decided to sit out the 2020 season due to Covid concerns, which isn't her fault. The problem is that she didn't give the team much time to figure out what to do in her absence. This was also the year that the Aces made the WNBA Finals, leaving open the question of what would have been.
In February 2022, Camabage finally achieved her dream and landed on the Sparks' team after being traded by the Aces. She left the Sparks just a few months later and subsequently announced her retirement from the WNBA.
Did the Aces make a mistake? Cambage had the defensive prowess to lead the team the championship, but was encumbered by bad luck and poor decisions. She could've done something big.
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Source. YouTube.[/caption]
The Las Vegas Raiders came into the 2021 NFL season with something to prove. While things started promising enough with a 3-0 start, the season quickly began to collapse under the weight of many issues.
These included the Jon Gruden email scandal, the Henry Ruggs III DUI incident, and having one of the worst defenses in the league. However, interim head Coach Rich Bisaccia became a guiding light after taking over for Gruden.
That's what makes them not giving Bissacia the head coach role for 2022 so difficult to understand. He led the team to an 8-5 record and the playoffs during one of the worst times in the team's history. How did that not justify keeping him and seeing what he could do?
Choosing Josh McDaniels as head coach wasn't a bad decision, but it felt like the wrong one emotionally. How could the team turn their back on the guy that got them to the playoffs? No matter how good McDaniels is or what he could do for the franchise, they should have at least given Bissacia a chance.
Related. These five Las Vegas Raiders are dominating the preseason
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Source. YouTube[/caption]
The Las Vegas Golden Knights had their worst season in franchise history, but what was the catalyst? Did it have to do with their inability to capitalize on power play points? ? Or was the problem much deeper? The team's downfall might lie with one decision they made during the 2021 offseason- the decision to trade Marc-Andre Fleury.
This happened when Las Vegas decided to sign Robin Lehner to a contract extension. There had to be a way to keep both goalies on the team with some maneuvering, but that's not what happened. Fleury went to the BlackHawaks, and fans got an injury-plagued Robin Lehner instead.
While Las Vegas needed the cap space, it didn't need to come like this. Fleury started over ten straight playoff games for the Golden Knights in 2021, which set a record in the playoffs. How do you trade someone like that away?
#5 WWE hasn't held WrestleMania in Las Vegas for 30 years
[caption id="attachment_18669" align="alignnone" width="1024"]
Source. YouTube[/caption]How can you not want to host WrestleMania live from Las Vegas? That's the mistake WWE has made for almost three decades now, and one has to wonder why. Was it that their last visit in 1994 was one of the worst in WrestleMania history? Or is the market just not right to host the show of shows in Sin City?
Think about it! Las Vegas is the world's entertainment capital, and WrestleMania is a huge spectacle. That is the perfect combination for a show that gets remembered for years. Instead, WWE hasn't pulled the trigger yet. However, rumors say that this mistake will soon be rectified.
According to Dave Meltzer of The Wrestling Observer, the plan is for Las Vegas to be announced as the destination of WrestleMania 40. Whether that is true remains to be seen, but it's hard to imagine them being slighted much longer. There is just too big of a market to capitalize on for WWE.
#4 Kyle Busch had a public outburst
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Source. Facebook.[/caption]No one can deny that Kyle Busch is among the best NASCAR drivers in history. The Las Vegas native has over 200 wins across the sport's three top series and is responsible for some of the sport's most significant moments. He also won many crown jewel races, including The Indianapolis 500, The Coke Zero 400, The Southern 500, The Coca-Cola 600, and The Bristol Dirt race.
Busch has a problem that has followed him, and it has to do with his big mouth. This shortcoming was on full display during an interview in April, where Busch didn't mince words about his contract negotiations. He ultimately came across as ungrateful and bratty.
“Not getting antsy about it. If it happens, it happens. If it don’t, it won't. Goodbye," Busch said when asked about his ongoing contract negotiations with Joe Gibbs Racing. “Gotta sell it. If you don’t sell it, there’s nothing to have.”
#3 The Las Vegas Aces traded Liz Cambage
[caption id="attachment_18671" align="alignnone" width="1024"]
Source. YouTube.[/caption]Liz Cambage is a very polarizing figure in the WNBA. On the one hand, she is one of the most physically imposing women's basketball players. She also has a style of defense that can put a game on lockdown if needed. Unfortunately for Cambage, her negativity and antics always seem to follow her in the worst way.
This has been showcased throughout her career, including when she demanded to be traded from the team she was drafted by, the Tulsa Shock. She was eventually traded to the Las Vegas Aces but later clarified that she didn't want to be there either. She hoped to be picked up by the Los Angeles Sparks and settled for Vegas when that didn't happen.
Cambage then decided to sit out the 2020 season due to Covid concerns, which isn't her fault. The problem is that she didn't give the team much time to figure out what to do in her absence. This was also the year that the Aces made the WNBA Finals, leaving open the question of what would have been.
In February 2022, Camabage finally achieved her dream and landed on the Sparks' team after being traded by the Aces. She left the Sparks just a few months later and subsequently announced her retirement from the WNBA.
Did the Aces make a mistake? Cambage had the defensive prowess to lead the team the championship, but was encumbered by bad luck and poor decisions. She could've done something big.
#2 Las Vegas Raiders didn't give Rich Bissacia a chance
[caption id="attachment_18672" align="alignnone" width="1024"]
Source. YouTube.[/caption]The Las Vegas Raiders came into the 2021 NFL season with something to prove. While things started promising enough with a 3-0 start, the season quickly began to collapse under the weight of many issues.
These included the Jon Gruden email scandal, the Henry Ruggs III DUI incident, and having one of the worst defenses in the league. However, interim head Coach Rich Bisaccia became a guiding light after taking over for Gruden.
That's what makes them not giving Bissacia the head coach role for 2022 so difficult to understand. He led the team to an 8-5 record and the playoffs during one of the worst times in the team's history. How did that not justify keeping him and seeing what he could do?
Choosing Josh McDaniels as head coach wasn't a bad decision, but it felt like the wrong one emotionally. How could the team turn their back on the guy that got them to the playoffs? No matter how good McDaniels is or what he could do for the franchise, they should have at least given Bissacia a chance.
Related. These five Las Vegas Raiders are dominating the preseason
#1 The Las Vegas Golden Knights traded Marc-Andre Fleury
[caption id="attachment_18675" align="alignnone" width="1024"]
Source. YouTube[/caption]The Las Vegas Golden Knights had their worst season in franchise history, but what was the catalyst? Did it have to do with their inability to capitalize on power play points? ? Or was the problem much deeper? The team's downfall might lie with one decision they made during the 2021 offseason- the decision to trade Marc-Andre Fleury.
This happened when Las Vegas decided to sign Robin Lehner to a contract extension. There had to be a way to keep both goalies on the team with some maneuvering, but that's not what happened. Fleury went to the BlackHawaks, and fans got an injury-plagued Robin Lehner instead.
While Las Vegas needed the cap space, it didn't need to come like this. Fleury started over ten straight playoff games for the Golden Knights in 2021, which set a record in the playoffs. How do you trade someone like that away?