Las Vegas News – Major League Sports & An Implosion
Las Vegas is an ever growing and changing city. Just as fascinating for a local as it is for a visitor. Whether you love the city or hate it, Las Vegas is definitely unique. The past few years we have seen a move away from gaming attractions with the addition of several festival spaces and even a new arena. Today I came across three stories that reflect this progress.
Riviera Implosion
Ready for another Vegas implosion? After the closure and toppling of the Clarion awhile back, we haven’t had a good implosion for awhile. Thankfully (or sadly) that will change on June 14 at 2am when the Monaco Tower (I believe the biggest one) at the Riviera will be imploded. The Riviera is being torn down to make way for more Convention Center space and an entrance with Strip Frontage.
Want to reminisce? I stayed at the Riviera on the last night and closed her down. Take a look.
New NHL Rumors Surface
According to various anonymous sources, the NHL will be the first major sports league to set roots in Vegas. Several rumors surfaced this week that the decision is made and it is a done deal. If approved, the team would play in Las Vegas at the brand new T-Mobile arena. It is a beautiful facility and I enjoyed seeing it for the first time at this year’s Freddie Awards. The final decision is supposed to be announced later in June!
Raiders Continue to Push for a Vegas Relocation
What if I was to say that a hockey team is just the appetizer? Well, Raiders owner Mark Davis appears to be warming up to the idea of a move to Vegas. The stipulation is that funding for a new stadium is approved and that isn’t guaranteed, but this is the first time there has been a serious chance of an NFL team coming to Las Vegas.
Whether this will happen or not is of course unknown, but it appears the team wants the move so badly, that they created a YouTube video selling themselves to Vegas. Take a look!
Conclusion
So there you have it. Out with the old and in with the new. The Riviera is slowly disappearing and Las Vegas continues to grow both as a city and as a tourist destination. While the NHL team seems to be almost a lock at this point, the thought of an NFL team and a new stadium is downright exciting.
What do you think? Will the Raiders move to Las Vegas and will Professional sports thrive here? Is it sad that historic buildings like the Riviera are disappearing in the name of progress? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!
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I stayed at the Riviera several times on week+ long stints with a Union I was deeply involved with. That was back a ways in the 20th Century though. Had fun there and I liked the place, though parts of it seemed a bit tired even then. Good bye, Riviera!
I had always thought the NFL owners were so against the sports betting angle in Vegas paired with their product; which is why they had previously nixed the idea of a team there. I’m sure the dollar signs and publicly funded stadiums would make any NFL owner weak in the knees now. It would be sport betting dream.
The Raiders and/or NHL in Vegas would be simply awesome. I’ve always thought that NFL would make the most sense, and I think the Raiders would be the perfect fit. The Bad Boys of the NFL in Sin City. As the video says, the Silver & Black in the Silver State. And the Raiders have a good following in SoCal and NoCal, which feeds in well to Vegas. Vegas is on the small side of professional sports markets, but could easily draw from California (and all over the country) for 10 home dates (including 2 preseason) per year. Everyone loves to go to Vegas, so you know that fans from the visiting teams would also flock to the games.
I think the NHL would also do well, with that beautiful new arena right on the Strip. More home dates in a smaller town is a bit problematic, but I have to think that the tourist population on the strip would again be hugely beneficial.