In the spirit of our high school days, let’s look at some Las Vegas athletes that deserve their own superlatives. Some will be positive and funny, while others might be a little mean. Now, let’s break down the best and worst in Las Vegas sports so far this year.
#5 Worst fight of the year: Noah Gragson vs Ross Chastain at Kansas
Noah Gragson is still trying to find his footing at Legacy Motorsports and is having an even harder time making a name for himself. In fact, the Las Vegas native’s only memorable moment in the Cup Series happened at Kansas Speedway, where he got into a fight with Ross Chastain after an on-track incident.
Gragson got the worst of it after grabbing Chastain by the collar and getting brutally hooked in the jaw. It also didn’t help that he lost a bet a week before that forced him to shave his mullet into a bowl cut. Gragson tried to hit back, but his punches were blocked by security. It all just made him look like an idiot.
#4 Most valuable player: Jonathon Marchessault
There are so many Las Vegas Golden Knights who deserve this spot. To go from missing the playoffs in the final weeks of 2022 to winning a Stanley Cup a year later is a major accomplishment. An accomplishment that every single man played a role in. Giving this honor to just one player almost feels like an insult.
Players like Jack Eichel, who scored the most points in the playoff, and Mark Stone, who anchored the team, deserve the honor, but this one goes to Jonathon Marchessault, who won the Stanley Cup MVP. He also did so with some pretty impressive stats.
In 22 games, Marchessault recorded 13 goals, 12 assists for 25 points, 17 positive minutes on the ice, three power-play goals, and three power-play assists.
#3 Most hated: Josh McDaniels
Derek Carr is no longer a Las Vegas Raider, which means Josh McDaniels will now be the most hated person on the team. He deserves it, too, after a 6-11 record and spouting ridiculous excuses and promising change.
He signed Carr to a $121.5-million deal last season in hopes of locking in a long-term quarterback, but that blew up. He also lost to first-time Head Coach Jeff Saturday last season, making him look like an idiot.
McDaniels is just not being embraced by Raiders fans.
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#2 Best team right now: The Las Vegas Aces
The Las Vegas Aces are the best team in Sin City right now. They proved it by winning their first eight games of the season before losing to the Connecticut Sun.
Jackie Young, Kelsey Plum, A’ja Wilson, Candance Parker, and Chelsea Grey have become a dream team. Las Vegas even has many secret weapons, including MVP Finals winner Riquina Williams, Kiah Stokes, and Alysha Clark. All these pieces in place and Becky Hammon as head coach make this the best team in Las Vegas.
#1 Most likely to leave for another team: Joshua Jacobs
Josh Jacobs deserves better, and it doesn’t look like the Las Vegas Raiders will give it to him. This trend started in 2022 when the organization declined Jacobs’s fifth-year option. Despite this, Jacobs captured the rushing record in 2022 and carried the team several times.
This didn’t impress the organization, which wants to franchise-tag him in 2023. This will give him a piddly $10 million.
Next: 5 Las Vegas sports videos you have to see to believe!
