Last Week in Las Vegas Sports (Dec 4 - 10)
The Las Vegas Raiders lose again, Roger Goodell heaps high praise on the city, and the Athletics must pay up. It's time for last week in Las Vegas sports (Dec 4 - 10)
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Source. YouTube[/caption]
Don’t believe everything you hear, especially in the sports world. A few weeks ago, we let our thoughts run wild over a rumor that claimed Josh McDaniels sabotaged the Raiders in the draft. He is accused of stiff-arming an effort to sign CJ Stroud in the first round.
Vic Tafur of the Athletic says: "There are no such receipts... I won’t say a bad word, but that report was bogus. There are no such receipts about somebody wanting C.J. Stroud. Bruce Young was the guy everyone was talking about. Not C.J. Stroud.”
“Ziegler and I haven’t talked for months (I was deemed too negative)," Tafur continues, "but back when we did chat, re-signing Stidham and drafting a quarterback early was a more attractive option than signing Garoppolo. But the Denver Broncos outbid the Raiders for Stidham (two years for $10 million, with $5 million guaranteed), and McDaniels and Ziegler really only liked one of the top five college quarterbacks.”
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Source. YouTube[/caption]
Jimmy Garoppolo is now riding the bench after being hand-picked by Josh McDaniels as the Raiders' franchise quarterback. The Raiders can save some cap space if they make a move on him. There's even a possibility of Garoppolo being cut and picked up by the Patriots. ESPN Reporter Jeremy Fowler discussed this in a recent article.
“Whether or not they stick with O’Connell, the Raiders must do something with Jimmy Garoppolo’s contractual future,” Fowler wrote in a December 6 column. “As part of a three-year, $72.5 million deal signed in March, Garoppolo is due $24.5 million in 2024 cash, including a guaranteed roster bonus of $11.25 million. Trading him would be ideal, but that market will not be robust. The Raiders can save $13 million on the cap with a post-June 1 release."
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Source.Los Angeles Lakers[/caption]
Las Vegas hosted regular season NBA action for the first time in 40 years last week, and it was a great show. The action started Thursday night with the Indiana Pacers versus the Milwaukee Bucks and the Los Angeles Lakers competing against the New Orleans Pelicans.
The Lakers later defeated the Pacers 123-109 on Saturday night to win the tournament. Lebron James contributed 24 points, four assists, and 11 rebounds in the victory, but it’s what he said afterward that's making headlines. King James used the spotlight moment to champion an expansion team in Las Vegas.
"It's crazy to say, but Vegas is a sports town," he said. "You look at the Aces, the hockey team, the Raiders, the A's is coming here. We just had F1 here… it's a sports town. Hopefully, I can bring my franchise here someday... they know what they're watching, they show a lot of support, and sports is gigantic here right now. They support their clubs, that's for sure."
Related: 5 Las Vegas Raiders that are thriving under Antonio Pierce
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Source. YouTube[/caption]
The Athletics relocation saga has a new twist, and John Fischer will not be happy. Daniel Borenstein of the Bay Area news group found a clause in the Athletics stadium contract with Oakland, leaving the team on the hook for $45 million. This is money to pay off their part of the lease and will likely become a point of contention in the coming months. The money is also due within 180 days after the relocation announcement.
This is terrible news for the Athletics, who want to build a $1.5 billion stadium. A bill will only tie up more money and complicate funding for the new stadium. A fine also adds stress to the already fractured relationship between the Athletics and Oakland at a time when they need each other.
The Athletics need a place to play until their new stadium is built, and Oakland is a real option... unless there are issues related to this $45 million.
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Source. YouTube[/caption]
Allegiant Stadium will host Super Bowl LVIII in 2024, which should be a crowning moment for Las Vegas. During a recent interview, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell praised Sin City as “Sports Town USA” to hype up the Super Bowl. The comments are a major acknowledgment and set the tone well for the future. It also shows just how far Sin City has come.
"You have become Sports Town USA," Goodell stated during a gathering last week. "You have, and that vision was set out, that vision was clear. We wanted to be a part of it, and I think when that happened, everything seemed to change and the stadium is a key component of that. It's one of the reasons we struggled in Oakland is being able to get a long-term stadium that would work for us. Great news is this is home for us, so we're glad to be here."
Regardless of how fans feel about Roger Goodell, this is a glowing endorsement for the future of Las Vegas sports. For a league commissioner to come out and proclaim your city "sports town USA" is an absolute game changer.
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Source. YouTube[/caption]
The Las Vegas Raiders are 5-8 after losing to the Vikings 3-0 on Sunday. Minnesota secured the victory with a field goal in the final two minutes of the game to just barely beat the Raiders. Aidan O’Connell went 21 of 32 for 169 yards and one interception in a disappointing performance. Joshua Jacobs didn’t impress either, taking 13 carries for 34 yards and 2.6 yards a carry. The Raiders even fumbled the ball twice, seemingly sealing their fate.
Las Vegas's only improvement is the defense, which didn’t give up a single touchdown. They also held the Vikings to only 99 passing yards and 131 rushing yards in a defensive slugfest. The Raiders might not have won the game, but they showed significant progress on defense. Another big win for the defense is that they sacked the quarterback five times throughout the game.
As for the offense, they only managed nine first downs the entire game and three of 14 on third down. That's pretty bad and doesn't even include that they had to punt the ball nine times. The cherry on top is clearly that the Raiders' offense allowed four sacks on Aidan O'Connell in an apparent failure to protect their quarterback.
Another interesting stat is the loss brings Antonio Pierce to 2-3 after what has to be his worst showing yet. He had no answer to getting this offense going, whether on the ground or in the air. O'Connell did nothing to impress, and neither did Jacobs. Next: Why The Las Vegas Golden Knights might not win back-to-back titles
#6 New rumor squashes idea Josh McDaniels sabotaged CJ Stroud's signing
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Source. YouTube[/caption]Don’t believe everything you hear, especially in the sports world. A few weeks ago, we let our thoughts run wild over a rumor that claimed Josh McDaniels sabotaged the Raiders in the draft. He is accused of stiff-arming an effort to sign CJ Stroud in the first round.
Vic Tafur of the Athletic says: "There are no such receipts... I won’t say a bad word, but that report was bogus. There are no such receipts about somebody wanting C.J. Stroud. Bruce Young was the guy everyone was talking about. Not C.J. Stroud.”
“Ziegler and I haven’t talked for months (I was deemed too negative)," Tafur continues, "but back when we did chat, re-signing Stidham and drafting a quarterback early was a more attractive option than signing Garoppolo. But the Denver Broncos outbid the Raiders for Stidham (two years for $10 million, with $5 million guaranteed), and McDaniels and Ziegler really only liked one of the top five college quarterbacks.”
#5 Las Vegas Raiders QB Jimmy Garoppolo might be headed to the Patriots
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Source. YouTube[/caption]Jimmy Garoppolo is now riding the bench after being hand-picked by Josh McDaniels as the Raiders' franchise quarterback. The Raiders can save some cap space if they make a move on him. There's even a possibility of Garoppolo being cut and picked up by the Patriots. ESPN Reporter Jeremy Fowler discussed this in a recent article.
“Whether or not they stick with O’Connell, the Raiders must do something with Jimmy Garoppolo’s contractual future,” Fowler wrote in a December 6 column. “As part of a three-year, $72.5 million deal signed in March, Garoppolo is due $24.5 million in 2024 cash, including a guaranteed roster bonus of $11.25 million. Trading him would be ideal, but that market will not be robust. The Raiders can save $13 million on the cap with a post-June 1 release."
#4 Lebron James advocates for Las Vegas NBA team
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Source.Los Angeles Lakers[/caption]Las Vegas hosted regular season NBA action for the first time in 40 years last week, and it was a great show. The action started Thursday night with the Indiana Pacers versus the Milwaukee Bucks and the Los Angeles Lakers competing against the New Orleans Pelicans.
The Lakers later defeated the Pacers 123-109 on Saturday night to win the tournament. Lebron James contributed 24 points, four assists, and 11 rebounds in the victory, but it’s what he said afterward that's making headlines. King James used the spotlight moment to champion an expansion team in Las Vegas.
"It's crazy to say, but Vegas is a sports town," he said. "You look at the Aces, the hockey team, the Raiders, the A's is coming here. We just had F1 here… it's a sports town. Hopefully, I can bring my franchise here someday... they know what they're watching, they show a lot of support, and sports is gigantic here right now. They support their clubs, that's for sure."
Related: 5 Las Vegas Raiders that are thriving under Antonio Pierce
#3 Athletics hit with $45 million bill for relocating to Las Vegas
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Source. YouTube[/caption]The Athletics relocation saga has a new twist, and John Fischer will not be happy. Daniel Borenstein of the Bay Area news group found a clause in the Athletics stadium contract with Oakland, leaving the team on the hook for $45 million. This is money to pay off their part of the lease and will likely become a point of contention in the coming months. The money is also due within 180 days after the relocation announcement.
This is terrible news for the Athletics, who want to build a $1.5 billion stadium. A bill will only tie up more money and complicate funding for the new stadium. A fine also adds stress to the already fractured relationship between the Athletics and Oakland at a time when they need each other.
The Athletics need a place to play until their new stadium is built, and Oakland is a real option... unless there are issues related to this $45 million.
#2 Roger Goodell gives Las Vegas a huge nod ahead of the Super Bowl
[caption id="attachment_42248" align="alignnone" width="1024"]
Source. YouTube[/caption]Allegiant Stadium will host Super Bowl LVIII in 2024, which should be a crowning moment for Las Vegas. During a recent interview, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell praised Sin City as “Sports Town USA” to hype up the Super Bowl. The comments are a major acknowledgment and set the tone well for the future. It also shows just how far Sin City has come.
"You have become Sports Town USA," Goodell stated during a gathering last week. "You have, and that vision was set out, that vision was clear. We wanted to be a part of it, and I think when that happened, everything seemed to change and the stadium is a key component of that. It's one of the reasons we struggled in Oakland is being able to get a long-term stadium that would work for us. Great news is this is home for us, so we're glad to be here."
Regardless of how fans feel about Roger Goodell, this is a glowing endorsement for the future of Las Vegas sports. For a league commissioner to come out and proclaim your city "sports town USA" is an absolute game changer.
#1 Las Vegas Raiders lose 3-0 to Minnesota Vikings in a defensive slugfest
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Source. YouTube[/caption]The Las Vegas Raiders are 5-8 after losing to the Vikings 3-0 on Sunday. Minnesota secured the victory with a field goal in the final two minutes of the game to just barely beat the Raiders. Aidan O’Connell went 21 of 32 for 169 yards and one interception in a disappointing performance. Joshua Jacobs didn’t impress either, taking 13 carries for 34 yards and 2.6 yards a carry. The Raiders even fumbled the ball twice, seemingly sealing their fate.
Las Vegas's only improvement is the defense, which didn’t give up a single touchdown. They also held the Vikings to only 99 passing yards and 131 rushing yards in a defensive slugfest. The Raiders might not have won the game, but they showed significant progress on defense. Another big win for the defense is that they sacked the quarterback five times throughout the game.
As for the offense, they only managed nine first downs the entire game and three of 14 on third down. That's pretty bad and doesn't even include that they had to punt the ball nine times. The cherry on top is clearly that the Raiders' offense allowed four sacks on Aidan O'Connell in an apparent failure to protect their quarterback.
Another interesting stat is the loss brings Antonio Pierce to 2-3 after what has to be his worst showing yet. He had no answer to getting this offense going, whether on the ground or in the air. O'Connell did nothing to impress, and neither did Jacobs. Next: Why The Las Vegas Golden Knights might not win back-to-back titles