Is Vegas Becoming "The" Destination for Sports?
I was watching the news the other day right before the Superbowl and they were talking about how big of a deal it is that the Superbowl was actually being held in Vegas for the first time ever. In fact, I can't tell you how many times through the broadcast the announcers made a point of calling out that fact.
Then, the other day I saw this post by @buggedout talking about how the Australian National Rugby League is going to have the first two games of the season in Las Vegas.
The sporting world has seen it's fair share of gambling controversies, so bringing big ticket events to the city that is basically the capitol of gambling in the US is a big deal.
Sure, there has always been boxing as @buggedout mentioned. Even before UFC, there was boxing in Vegas and that seemed to work out pretty well. I'm sure there were a number of rigged fights and people taking a dive, but people just didn't seem to care as much.
Maybe because they knew the mob was running the whole thing anyway.
Maybe it was just the stigma of boxing being barbaric and not as classy as baseball. Who knows.
It is becoming apparent though that those taboos are slowly starting to fade away.
We started with boxing. Then we had mixed martial arts fights. Followed years later by Formula 1 racing and a professional hockey team. Now, Vegas has a football team and before long they should also have a baseball team.
Don't blink and they might start building a basketball stadium for some team to take over.
Add to that the leagues outside of the US mentioned in the linked post and it's pretty clear that Vegas is the place to be when it comes to sports.
Don't want to watch the actual game? No problem. Walk into one of the casinos and enjoy some free drinks in the sports book while you bet on pretty much any sport you could imagine.
Oh, I totally forgot that Vegas also has a professional soccer team in the MLS. That should be a really huge draw for the folks coming in from out of the country.
Is it reasonable to think that we might see the Summer Olympic games one day in Vegas? I'm guessing he proximity to water might hamper that, but then again, who knows.
Either way, I'm happy to see the city and those who visit embracing this new era for Vegas.
It's time to have a bit more optimistic outlook. Perhaps it's just that gambling is more accepted now. You know that just because it's legal doesn't mean there aren't any illegal shenanigans going on.
Thank goodness they aren't letting that stop them!
Sports Talk Social - @bozz.sports
Vegas has come a long way. It was kick started by mobsters and while there is still a lingering underbelly there it has become legitimate in many ways. Hopefully it will continue to evolve in a positive way.
I've actually heard some of the older folks say that Vegas was better when the mob ran it. People were nicer and you got treated better. Of course if you got caught cheating you got killed versus ending up in jail or simply banned! :)