Last Week in Las Vegas Sports (Jan 15 - 21)
A Las Vegas Raiders head coach becomes official, the Golden Knights get a big win against the Penguins, and an NFL Hall of Famer predicts good things for Vegas. It's time for last week in Las Vegas sports (Jan 15 - 21).
The Las Vegas Golden Knights kept their 2024 title hopes alive after a 3-2 victory against the Penguins on Saturday. The two sides remained scoreless until the second period when Pittsburgh knocked two goals past Logan Thompson.
And then comes the third quarter, where Brendan Brisson, Pavel Dorofeyev, and Jonathon Marchessault scored goals. The last score gave them the lead and, ultimately, a much-needed victory. This brings their record to 27-14-5, keeping them steady in the Pacific division title hunt.
The Golden Knights are still dealing with a slew of injured players, including Adin Hill, Jack Eichel, and William Karlsson. These will not be easy hurdles to overcome and put much pressure on the remaining offense.
Hill is expected to return fully after a little more time, while Eichel is being listed week to week after having lower body surgery.
Formula One came to Sin City for the Las Vegas Grand Prix and presented quite the spectacle. It even gained record viewership despite its late start time and early controversies.
According to the Federation Internationale De ‘L Automobile, the 2024 edition is set to start at 10 pm PST on November 23. That might anger some fans due to the cold desert air at that time. It could also leave businesses unable to operate during peak hours. And this means the race won’t start until 1 am EST, giving those on the East Coast little chance of catching the event.
These concerns were disregarded.
[caption id="attachment_44781" align="alignnone" width="1024"]
Source. Kyle Busch[/caption]
Las Vegas native Kyle Busch took the biggest leaps of his career last year after leaving Joe Gibbs Racing for Richard Childress Racing. He went on to win three races that season and fought his way to the final 12 in the playoffs.
A Lot of fans are coming around on Busch, and he talked about that during a recent interview about his move to RCR.
"I think it’s great. I’ve seen it happen with a lot of other big-name drivers throughout their careers as well, too." Busch said of his move to RCR. "I feel as though the move from JGR Toyota to RCR Chevrolet was a big deal in the fan base and the eyes of casual and avid fans, if you will. Just kind of like, ‘OK, well, we love this. This is a great mix.”
More: Las Vegas Raiders that could blow up in 2024
[caption id="attachment_44779" align="alignnone" width="819"]
Source. Las Vegas Raiders[/caption]
Super Bowl LVIII is coming to Las Vegas very soon, and it's getting exhilarating. This marks the first time Las Vegas has hosted the event, but according to many, it won’t be the last.
"The city is such a great spot. When you think about all the teams that playback east from the end of October through January, where there are now freeze warnings and ‘don’t let your dog out for two hours,’ [fans now say] ‘hey, let’s go to Vegas!’" Long said. "So I think fans from around the country have been making that trip, and I don’t know which teams are going to be there, but I think it’s going to be a great, great Super Bowl, and I think Vegas is going to be a place where it will return there."
This is going to be the biggest event in the history of Las Vegas sports.
[caption id="attachment_44778" align="alignnone" width="819"]
Source. Las Vegas Raiders[/caption]
After weeks of wild speculation, the Las Vegas Raiders will name Antonio Pierce, their longtime head coach. Everyone from Rich Bisaccia to Jon Gruden was name-dropped as a candidate, leaving fans in chaos. This also got more fans behind Pierce after taking the team to a 5-4 record this season.
Another positive is this steadies the ship and keeps the team under someone familiar. Then again, Mark Davis didn't have much choice after defensive star Max Crosby threatened to leave if Pierce didn’t get the job. There is no way the Raiders could afford to lose one of their best players.
Pierce getting the job is a great story, but this role comes with expectations. The fact that he has the locker room behind him only goes so far. He must also be careful about who he chooses as quarterback for next year. Picking the right man would make him look like a genius.
Next: 5 last long-term predictions for Las Vegas sports
#5 Las Vegas Golden Knights pull a surprise upset on the Pittsburgh Penguins.
The Las Vegas Golden Knights kept their 2024 title hopes alive after a 3-2 victory against the Penguins on Saturday. The two sides remained scoreless until the second period when Pittsburgh knocked two goals past Logan Thompson.
And then comes the third quarter, where Brendan Brisson, Pavel Dorofeyev, and Jonathon Marchessault scored goals. The last score gave them the lead and, ultimately, a much-needed victory. This brings their record to 27-14-5, keeping them steady in the Pacific division title hunt.
The Golden Knights are still dealing with a slew of injured players, including Adin Hill, Jack Eichel, and William Karlsson. These will not be easy hurdles to overcome and put much pressure on the remaining offense.
Hill is expected to return fully after a little more time, while Eichel is being listed week to week after having lower body surgery.
#4 Las Vegas Grand Prix sets controversial start time for 2024 race
Formula One came to Sin City for the Las Vegas Grand Prix and presented quite the spectacle. It even gained record viewership despite its late start time and early controversies.
According to the Federation Internationale De ‘L Automobile, the 2024 edition is set to start at 10 pm PST on November 23. That might anger some fans due to the cold desert air at that time. It could also leave businesses unable to operate during peak hours. And this means the race won’t start until 1 am EST, giving those on the East Coast little chance of catching the event.
These concerns were disregarded.
#3 Kyle Busch is happy about fans' perception after moving to RCR
[caption id="attachment_44781" align="alignnone" width="1024"]
Source. Kyle Busch[/caption]Las Vegas native Kyle Busch took the biggest leaps of his career last year after leaving Joe Gibbs Racing for Richard Childress Racing. He went on to win three races that season and fought his way to the final 12 in the playoffs.
A Lot of fans are coming around on Busch, and he talked about that during a recent interview about his move to RCR.
"I think it’s great. I’ve seen it happen with a lot of other big-name drivers throughout their careers as well, too." Busch said of his move to RCR. "I feel as though the move from JGR Toyota to RCR Chevrolet was a big deal in the fan base and the eyes of casual and avid fans, if you will. Just kind of like, ‘OK, well, we love this. This is a great mix.”
More: Las Vegas Raiders that could blow up in 2024
#2 NFL Hall of Famer predicts multiple Super Bowls coming to Las Vegas
[caption id="attachment_44779" align="alignnone" width="819"]
Source. Las Vegas Raiders[/caption]Super Bowl LVIII is coming to Las Vegas very soon, and it's getting exhilarating. This marks the first time Las Vegas has hosted the event, but according to many, it won’t be the last.
"The city is such a great spot. When you think about all the teams that playback east from the end of October through January, where there are now freeze warnings and ‘don’t let your dog out for two hours,’ [fans now say] ‘hey, let’s go to Vegas!’" Long said. "So I think fans from around the country have been making that trip, and I don’t know which teams are going to be there, but I think it’s going to be a great, great Super Bowl, and I think Vegas is going to be a place where it will return there."
This is going to be the biggest event in the history of Las Vegas sports.
#1 Antonio Pierce named new head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders
[caption id="attachment_44778" align="alignnone" width="819"]
Source. Las Vegas Raiders[/caption]After weeks of wild speculation, the Las Vegas Raiders will name Antonio Pierce, their longtime head coach. Everyone from Rich Bisaccia to Jon Gruden was name-dropped as a candidate, leaving fans in chaos. This also got more fans behind Pierce after taking the team to a 5-4 record this season.
Another positive is this steadies the ship and keeps the team under someone familiar. Then again, Mark Davis didn't have much choice after defensive star Max Crosby threatened to leave if Pierce didn’t get the job. There is no way the Raiders could afford to lose one of their best players.
Pierce getting the job is a great story, but this role comes with expectations. The fact that he has the locker room behind him only goes so far. He must also be careful about who he chooses as quarterback for next year. Picking the right man would make him look like a genius.
Next: 5 last long-term predictions for Las Vegas sports