VDawgg’s Take: Before I get into the debate about what team should move to Las Vegas, first, a recap of the NBA All-Star Weekend. The only interesting events that occurred during the All-Star weekend happened on Saturday. First of all, Charles Barkley, aka, the round mound of rebound barely beating out referee Dick Bevetta in a race was hysterical. It’s pretty sad that Bevetta, who looks like he is 90, almost won.
Other interesting events were the 3-point shootout (part of which can be seen here )where underdog, Jason Kapono of the Miami Heat, put on a very impressive display of shooting and beat out both Dirk Diggler (Dirk Nowitzki) and Agent Zero (Gilbert Arenas).
The Slam Dunk contest (here) was also really entertaining. Gerald Green, who won, was impressive, especially with his tribute to Dee Brown. My favorite dunk though, was Dwight Howard’s sticker dunk because of the creativity.
The biggest question of the week though wasn’t which was the better conference (that never really was ever in doubt) but whether the weekend was a success – which it was because nobody got in trouble – and whether that would lead to a professional team move to Sin City. First of all, I am going to eliminate the NFL and MLB because the two leagues have pretty much ruled out the possibility of moving to Vegas. That leaves the NBA and NHL.
Note to NBA: Stay away!
The major issues that now have whether a team can prosper during a full season. I think it can happen but not in the NBA, but rather the NHL for the following reasons.
- I agree with what Shaq said, there’s already too much going on in Vegas for people to want to see a game like the Hornets vs. the Grizzlies (for example). Vegas is growing fast, but it’s not a major city where there is enough of a demand for people who want to see sports when they can gamble or see the entertainment that’s available. And while, there are a lot of tourists, I don’t think an NBA game is at the top of the list of things to do – anyone who has seen an NBA game in person would probably agree.
- UNLV, is different because there is local pride attached to the university and because college games are far more exciting then the NBA. In addition to that, games are cheaper. I personally would rather pay less and watch a more exciting game (UNLV) as opposed to paying more for a game that’s only entertaining during the last two minutes, if its close (NBA).
- Besides there isn’t a team that is available that would have a big enough star to lure to games. The NBA would need a team with a megastar like Kobe Bryant, LeBron James or a young Shaq to be able to survive, and those teams are pretty firmly rooted where they are now. The Kings, Grizzlies and Hornets, all teams that could move, don’t have big enough stars to keep the crowds coming to games.
NHL: Vegas Baby, Vegas!
- First of all the NHL, has nothing to lose. Their ratings and attendance are terrible anyway. If they don’t really succeed here, it won’t be any different then anywhere else.
- In addition, they will have a better chance because there is no real competition in the area, and hockey is a lot more fun to watch in person then on TV. I definitely could see people wanting to see a hockey game in person, especially if there is a big star who would attract people.
- That brings me to my next reason; I have the perfect team to place in Vegas: The Pittsburg Penguins. The Penguins, who are now on fire, and are surging to the top of the Eastern Conference, have been struggling in Pittsburg and it’s clear that they need to move in order to make any sort of profit. Besides, they have the perfect star, which would be able to attract fans and viewers to pay attention, Sidney Crosby.
Vdawgg is a columnist for RGX Sports and will have a sports blog that will start posting in the near future. Information from Reuters News Wire Service was also used in this article. Any comments or emails can be sent to vdawgg_rgx@yahoo.com.
