The Las Vegas Aces lose another critical game, John Fischer and Kurt Busch have big announcements, and Joshua Jacobs makes a decision. Let’s talk last week in Las Vegas sports (Aug 21 – 27).
#5 Kurt Busch announces retirement from NASCAR
Kurt Busch announced his retirement during a Friday evening press conference at Daytona International Speedway. The Las Vegas native suffered concussion-like symptoms last year after a qualifying crash at Pocono Raceway left him shaken up.
NASCAR later refused to allow Busch to compete the next day due to what looked like a concussion. Despite Busch’s diagnosis, he has worked tirelessly to get back behind the wheel. Busch even showed progress at one point while racing in the simulator, making this announcement so jarring.
“Racing at NASCAR’s highest level requires every last bit of focus, heart, stamina, and determination, and I know, right now, I can’t give what is required to compete at that level, week in and week out. So, I’m officially announcing my retirement from NASCAR Cup Series competition,” Busch told reporters.
“Over the last several months, being out of the car, I’ve appreciated the opportunity to remain actively involved with 23XI, Monster Energy, and the Toyota Racing family.”
#4 John Fisher says paperwork is filed for Las Vegas move
John Fisher and the Athletics have reportedly filed the proper paperwork to finalize their move to Las Vegas. The controversial owner claims the action is the result of Oakland not coming through on the finances and fear of losing their revenue sharing.
The city of Oakland, however, reports that it raised over $475 million for the new stadium. This is just over $100 million short of the A’s goal, but the city also has two grants in the works. Unfortunately, Fischer doesn’t think it is enough and is now officially moving his team to Las Vegas.
“In the end, we concluded that the city had not raised sufficient money to cover the commitments it made,” Fisher said. “We also had a deadline imposed by the collective bargaining agreement from a year and a half ago that required the A’s to have a binding agreement on a new stadium by January of 2024, or we would lose our revenue sharing, which would be hugely detrimental to the organization.”
#3 Las Vegas Aces lose to the Washington Mystics in the final stretch of the season
The Las Vegas Aces are showing major cracks in their armor, and a second championship could now be in doubt. Not only is this evident by the Aces taking their fifth loss of the season, but also because it was a 78-62 loss to the Washington Mystics.
Las Vegas lost to the New York Liberty in the Commissioners Cup and now took an L against the Mystics. Aces fans have to be sweating at this point as they watch it all unfold. The effort was led by Kelsey Plum, who put up 21 points, three assists, and three rebounds.
A’ja Wilson contributed 14 points and 11 rebounds, which didn’t help much. Jackie Young, who is usually a force to be reckoned with, only managed ten points, two assists, and five rebounds. The Aces now need to find a way to improve their rebounding numbers and defense before the postseason. Or they could get eliminated quickly.
Related: 5 times The Las Vegas Raiders didn’t listen to their fans
#2 Raiders sign Joshua Jacobs to a 1-year franchise tag
Joshua Jacobs signed a $12 million franchise tag deal last week that will keep him with the Las Vegas Raiders through 2023. Jacobs and the Raiders negotiated a new deal for much of the offseason, but things kept falling through. This prompted Jacobs to sit out of training camp in hopes of leveraging a better contract.
Now that the holdout is over, Jacobs is expected to be the week one starter for the Raiders when they face the Denver Broncos in Mile High Stadium. While many are happy that the holdout is finally over, the conversation is now shifting toward whether Jacobs is battle-ready after sitting out the preseason.
#1 Las Vegas Raiders lose preseason finale against Dallas Cowboys
The Las Vegas Raiders lost to the Dallas Cowboys 31-16 in their final game of the preseason. Aidan O’Connell captained the ship during the game, going 17 of 26 for 178 yards, no touchdown, and no interceptions. He was helped by Damien Williams, who scored the Raiders’ sole touchdown.
Daniel Carlson tried to keep things close by tacking on field goals, but the defense couldn’t get the Cowboys off the field. Dallas cut up the Raiders’ defense with 305 yards and two touchdowns in the air. The Cowboys also managed 153 rushing yards and two more touchdowns thanks to their Quarterback Will Grier.
Next for the Las Vegas Raiders is their September 13 season opener against the Denver Broncos at Mile High Stadium. The game will be an interesting AFC West matchup and a great chance to get their season on track. Adding Joshua Jacobs to the lineup might just be enough to earn a week one win.
Next: 5 bold predictions for Las Vegas sports in 2023
