Las Vegas
Sin City is already home to replicas of the Eiffel Tower, and Brooklyn Bridge which are 1/3 in size of the originals, the world’s largest chocolate fountain, gift shop, and ferris wheel. Las Vegas also sports Nevada’s tallest building (Stratosphere Hotel and Casino) as well 24 hour entertainment and gaming, as well as $1.99 buffets … in 2017 it will also be home to their first professional sports franchise, a NHL Hockey Team.
Bill Foley and NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman (photo AP/John Lochew)
Las Vegas behind the “Vegas Wants Hockey” campaign ( http://www.vegaswantshockey.com ) started back in 2015 raised a ton of interest and money beating out Quebec City for the NHL’s 31st team. Backed by billionaire Bill Foley and his $500 million, the expansion franchise, that was awarded to the city Wednesday will play its home games at the 17,500-seat T-Mobile Arena that will be located just behind the New York, New York Casino.
T-Mobile Arena (twitter Vegas Wants Hockey)
The team does not have a name yet, but, I partial to “The Las Vegas Bones” (slang term for dice), we all know how exciting a craps table is in a casino.
Milwaukee Admiral fans will remember that Las Vegas had an IHL team from 1993 to 1999, the Thunder. The city also had an ECHL team from 2003-2014, the Wranglers, as well played host to a few NHL preseason games in the early 90’s.
Marc Rodger – Las Vegas Thunder
The biggest rub against the Entertainment Capitol of the World is the fact that where there is gambling there is most likely corruption, and that is something that professional sports does not need … in this day and age of social media and the internet, corruption can find you anywhere. Owners have also discussed the fact that their players are more likely to get “in trouble” if Sin City was their home base, but, again nowadays you can get in trouble anywhere… trouble allegedly found former Green Bay Packer James Lofton in Green Bay in the mid 80’s… the smallest city in professional sports.
So I say CONGRATULATIONS to Las Vegas on getting an NHL Hockey team, and I hope the NBA, NFL, and MLB are soon to follow … giving us sports fans another outlet while in the desert.
What names do you have for the expansion franchise???? The Las Vegas _____.
(photos courtesy of: getty, ap, usa today, vegas.com)
