5 Things Las Vegas Sports Fans Need to Worry About
There's always something to worry about in Las Vegas sports. From possible changes to the Las Vegas Aces to a former Raiders head coach returning, these are five things Las Vegas sports fans need to worry about.
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The Las Vegas Golden Knights have won the season's first seven games but are losing momentum. The defending Stanley Cup Champions are now 5-4-1 after a particularly bad stretch, including back-to-back losses. Las Vegas still sits atop the Pacific standings and is a few games ahead of the competition. They have 13 wins, four and two overtime losses so far this year.
The Golden Knights offense is also starting to struggle, and that’s not good news for those hoping for a back-to-back title. In a recent game, Las Vegas failed to score against the Penguins and even lost 4-3 to the Kings. There are also the two overtime losses to discuss, including a shootout loss to the Chicago Blackhawks.
The big takeaway is this isn’t the same team that went on the 7-0 run earlier this year. They aren't showing the same dominance.
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Source. YouTube[/caption]
The future of Noah Gragson is very much up in the air. There are rumblings that the Las Vegas native is going to Stewart Haas Racing in 2024, but nothing is confirmed. Gragson is honestly lucky to still have a career after liking a racially insensitive tweet and getting suspended by NASCAR earlier in the year.
Gragson had to undergo diversity training as part of his reinstatement process and later requested his release from Legacy Motorsports. Legacy Motorsports reportedly never planned to get rid of Gragson, which made them very surprised that he would give up his ride.
He has a slew of options in 2024, but it depends on what he does with them. For example, running in the back of the pack in SHR equipment could be a death blow. Or he may be able to revitalize a failing company. It all depends on how prepared Gragson is for the next chapter.
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Everything changes, and that could be a problem for the Las Vegas Aces. The organization will deal with multiple free agents this offseason, meaning the team could look very different. Riquina Williams is one player who might not be returning after a domestic violence incident against her wife.
Another person who might be on their way out is Candace Parker. She spoke to Good Morning America earlier this year and claimed she would only play if she weren’t in pain. Other free agents in 2023 include Kiah Stokes and Sydney Colson. There’s also the matter of Becky Hammon’s future in Las Vegas.
Hammon may look like a lock to return, but what's the incentive? She is already the first female coach to win back-to-back titles and looks poised for a third one. It seems like there is no point in her staying in the WNBA much longer when opportunities exist elsewhere.
Related: The 5 biggest questions for The Las Vegas Aces in 2024
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Futures are a difficult thing to predict in the NFL. One example is Aidan O’Connell, who struggles to make a name for himself. The rookie continues to try his best after taking the starting job from Jimmy Garoppolo but hasn’t done much with the position.
O’Connell is 2-3 as a starter and has completed 90 of 145 passes. This is good enough for a completion percentage of 62% and a passer rating of 70.6. Despite this, O’Connell still has only three touchdowns to six interceptions this season. These are not great numbers for a guy trying to convince leadership to give him the starting job long-term.
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Source. Facebook[/caption]
The Las Vegas Raiders have a history of making wrong decisions that hurt them for years. This has become increasingly evident in their selection of quarterbacks, game plans, and lousy head coaches. One of them is Jon Gruden, who left the NFL in disgrace after an email leak revealed his homophobic and racist rhetoric.
Despite this and a losing record as head coach, the Raiders might want him back. Hondo Carpenter of Sports Illustrated even claims he is among the early candidates being considered for the head coaching job. This will probably be a big mistake and lead to more misdirection.
The Raiders have many other options that they should take advantage of. There’s Rich Bisaccia, who helped the Raiders to the playoffs in 2022. Or they can continue to build on the success of Antonio Pierce and what he's managed to do. Anything is better than bringing back the man who helped sink the ship.
Next: Worst games of the Josh McDaniels era
#5 The Las Vegas Golden Knights slipping in 2023
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Source. Facebook[/caption]The Las Vegas Golden Knights have won the season's first seven games but are losing momentum. The defending Stanley Cup Champions are now 5-4-1 after a particularly bad stretch, including back-to-back losses. Las Vegas still sits atop the Pacific standings and is a few games ahead of the competition. They have 13 wins, four and two overtime losses so far this year.
The Golden Knights offense is also starting to struggle, and that’s not good news for those hoping for a back-to-back title. In a recent game, Las Vegas failed to score against the Penguins and even lost 4-3 to the Kings. There are also the two overtime losses to discuss, including a shootout loss to the Chicago Blackhawks.
The big takeaway is this isn’t the same team that went on the 7-0 run earlier this year. They aren't showing the same dominance.
#4 Noah Gragson being a bust at Stewart Haas Racing
[caption id="attachment_40649" align="alignnone" width="1024"]
Source. YouTube[/caption]The future of Noah Gragson is very much up in the air. There are rumblings that the Las Vegas native is going to Stewart Haas Racing in 2024, but nothing is confirmed. Gragson is honestly lucky to still have a career after liking a racially insensitive tweet and getting suspended by NASCAR earlier in the year.
Gragson had to undergo diversity training as part of his reinstatement process and later requested his release from Legacy Motorsports. Legacy Motorsports reportedly never planned to get rid of Gragson, which made them very surprised that he would give up his ride.
He has a slew of options in 2024, but it depends on what he does with them. For example, running in the back of the pack in SHR equipment could be a death blow. Or he may be able to revitalize a failing company. It all depends on how prepared Gragson is for the next chapter.
#3 Major changes coming to the Las Vegas Aces
[caption id="attachment_40691" align="alignnone" width="1024"]
Source. YouTube[/caption]Everything changes, and that could be a problem for the Las Vegas Aces. The organization will deal with multiple free agents this offseason, meaning the team could look very different. Riquina Williams is one player who might not be returning after a domestic violence incident against her wife.
Another person who might be on their way out is Candace Parker. She spoke to Good Morning America earlier this year and claimed she would only play if she weren’t in pain. Other free agents in 2023 include Kiah Stokes and Sydney Colson. There’s also the matter of Becky Hammon’s future in Las Vegas.
Hammon may look like a lock to return, but what's the incentive? She is already the first female coach to win back-to-back titles and looks poised for a third one. It seems like there is no point in her staying in the WNBA much longer when opportunities exist elsewhere.
Related: The 5 biggest questions for The Las Vegas Aces in 2024
#2 Aidan O’Connell not being the future of the Las Vegas Raiders
[caption id="attachment_38894" align="alignnone" width="1024"]
Source. YouTube[/caption]Futures are a difficult thing to predict in the NFL. One example is Aidan O’Connell, who struggles to make a name for himself. The rookie continues to try his best after taking the starting job from Jimmy Garoppolo but hasn’t done much with the position.
O’Connell is 2-3 as a starter and has completed 90 of 145 passes. This is good enough for a completion percentage of 62% and a passer rating of 70.6. Despite this, O’Connell still has only three touchdowns to six interceptions this season. These are not great numbers for a guy trying to convince leadership to give him the starting job long-term.
#1 Jon Gruden coming back to the Las Vegas Raiders
[caption id="attachment_40583" align="alignnone" width="819"]
Source. Facebook[/caption]The Las Vegas Raiders have a history of making wrong decisions that hurt them for years. This has become increasingly evident in their selection of quarterbacks, game plans, and lousy head coaches. One of them is Jon Gruden, who left the NFL in disgrace after an email leak revealed his homophobic and racist rhetoric.
Despite this and a losing record as head coach, the Raiders might want him back. Hondo Carpenter of Sports Illustrated even claims he is among the early candidates being considered for the head coaching job. This will probably be a big mistake and lead to more misdirection.
The Raiders have many other options that they should take advantage of. There’s Rich Bisaccia, who helped the Raiders to the playoffs in 2022. Or they can continue to build on the success of Antonio Pierce and what he's managed to do. Anything is better than bringing back the man who helped sink the ship.
Next: Worst games of the Josh McDaniels era