It’s time we had a conversation about Las Vegas.
Las Vegas is changing. It’s growing, it’s assimilating, the rest of the country is assimilating to it. We’re not far at all from major companies moving their headquarters to Las Vegas in a spree, citing affordability and tax laws and all the things they’ve touted when moving to Texas or Nashville or Florida in recent years. We’re already on our way to all the things that are legal in Las Vegas being just as legal everywhere else in this country. The city is gobbling up professional sports teams, sure to house a team in each of the Big Four leagues within the next decade as long as Adam Silver doesn’t accidentally implode the NBA. One of those professional sports teams is probably going to win a championship within these next two weeks. They’re what’s got Vegas on our mind.
The Vegas Golden Knights epitomize New Vegas. They’re a flashy brand, but they’re family friendly in that branding and a solid, physical team on the ice. They’re young, but they have a distinct identity as opposed to resembling a mad lib, like some brand new office park or these cookie cutter MLS teams. In terms of power, they’ve been slept on, but results show up over time.
It’s unclear how to feel about the Knights. With a lot of expansion teams—Austin FC here in Austin, for example—some allegiance feels forced and manufactured. It’s a choice to be a diehard fan of these teams, and when it’s a choice, it’s different from it arising naturally, more like marrying someone halfway through your 30s because you have similar values and want similar things than marrying someone in your 20s because you’re in love with them. Each is ok, but with one of them there’s a calculation involved, and calculations take the soul out of things. With the Knights, it feels more authentic, possibly because Vegas for so long has possessed its strong identity without a competitive place to put it. Here in Austin, it’s different. Austin has always had UT. The Longhorns aren’t a natural fit for a lot of us, but they’re an option. Vegas had, what, UNLV basketball?
It probably helps as well that this is the NHL we’re talking about. Hockey, by nature, is not flighty or trendy. It’s tough and it’s steady and it’s day-in/day-out, the lowest-drama sport of the Big Four and the one that most values humility. Being a diehard hockey fan is more taxing than being a diehard of any other major American sports league, including the MLS and NASCAR and a whole lot below even those. By virtue of getting there first and making Vegas a hockey city, or at least giving hockey a head start there, the Knights headed off some fair-weather identification on behalf of their fans. The Knights have been startlingly good since their inception, sure, but look at their attendance numbers by season. They missed the playoffs last year, and it’s not like they were awesome in 2019. Fans keep showing up.
I guess where this is going is that I like New Vegas. I think it’s sad, in general, when originality fades, and I like the idea of Old Vegas as well, but if the Knights are a stand-in for this new giant city arising in the West, I have a hard time disliking either. Even with an originality decrease and the accompanying suburban bloom, Vegas should remain unique. It’s hard to ask for much more.
What if Tyler Herro Likes the Bucket Hat Too Much?
The story of the NBA Playoffs, at least in the bucket-hatted community, has been Tyler Herro’s dedication to the style, the injured shooter bringing attention to the cause all playoffs long by wearing just such a hat on the bench. Now, though, the hat might be on its way out. Because Tyler Herro might be on his way in.
Since Tyler Herro broke his hand against the Bucks, his hand’s been healing. It’s often how those things go. The human body is an extraordinary thing. Allegedly, his hand’s now healed enough that he could be able to play Game 3. Will he?
The question ultimately comes down to how much Tyler Herro enjoys wearing a bucket hat and, of equal importance, whether the NBA and/or the Heat will let Tyler Herro wear a bucket hat while he plays. Could it be a gametime decision? More than that. It could happen within the game itself. Picture it: Tyler Herro’s suited up, but wearing the hat on the bench. Erik Spoelstra calls his name. Does Herro respond? Or does he think of how cool he looks and say, “Nah, I’m good.”?
The history of basketball may hang in the balance.
Kevin Ollie Got a Job
After “working” for “Overtime Elite,” a “professional basketball league for 16 to 20-year-olds, based in Atlanta, Georgia” for the last two years as its “head of coaching and basketball development,” Kevin Ollie has gotten back into coaching, reportedly hired over the weekend by the Nets as an assistant coach.
Overtime Elite, for those who don’t know, is an alternative to college basketball for professional prospects that’s produced legendary NBA player…Dominick Barlow? Oh, shit. Dominick lives in Austin. Playing in the G-League up here. I better keep quiet. Bet he’s great. He’s made the most of his Overtime Elite tutelage of anyone to go through the system so far, so that should count for something. Overtime Elite GOAT?
Kevin Ollie, for those who don’t know, is up there for the funniest college basketball coach of all time and is Exhibit A on the trifold poster of why the NCA* *********t is a joke. Kevin Ollie won it! Nothing against the guy, of course. He’s just a goofball. But the NBA is a goofy league. He’ll be great.
Joe Kelly Already Got Right
After a rough Memorial Day Weekend, Joe Kelly went back up against the Tigers twice this past weekend and rung a few up, striking out three of the nine batters he faced in two scoreless innings while issuing only his second walk of the year. The highlight was this, which upset the spectacularly facial-haired Jake Rogers but netted positive vibes for the universe:
Among pitchers who’ve thrown at least ten innings this season, our guy is now 11th in xERA and—in an incredible development—13th in walk rate. Over his career, Joe Kelly has walked batters more than four times as often as he’s allowed them to homer. This year, he’s yielded two of each. That’s a little high on the home run side, but with the walks? Unbelievable. We are witnessing a Joe Kelly renaissance.
How Is Miguel Amaya Only 24?
Miguel Amaya’s descent from high-potential prospect to injured man was swift, and it appeared likely to be lasting, but I looked him up after he smoked that ball yesterday and he’s only 24? This doesn’t seem like it should be possible. We’ve been hearing about Amaya since 2017. This feels like one of those relationships where you hear when two people started dating and you notice both of their age and you recoil in horror.
Anyway, hope he keeps hitting missiles. Would be fun to have reasons to look upon the Cubs with optimistic eyes.
Fargo May Have Tricked Us
After Friday’s voting to determine Fargo’s new food and Saturday’s ordering of Fargo’s new food, Fargo…might not need food? We got back from Colorado last night and the pup immediately took a pretty normal dump. Reports on this morning’s were similarly positive. If this holds, we will have a lot of kangaroo-based dog food on our hands and nothing to do with it. Stay tuned. We’re going downstairs again once these are published.
Keep Suspensions Special
After yesterday’s race at Gateway (more thoughts on Gateway below), Austin Dillon tried to get Austin Cindric suspended for wrecking him, even though it looked nowhere near as intentional as Chase Elliott wrecking Denny Hamlin last weekend (and Dillon didn’t go online and immediately tweet damning data like Hamlin did). Will it happen? I don’t know. I only know what’s going on in NASCAR 70% of the time, at best, and right now I’m much closer to 15%. What I will say is this:
NASCAR needs to use suspensions judiciously. First, only use them when it’s egregious. Second, lean towards suspending the good drivers so it adds intrigue and builds narratives about rivalries and overcoming self-imposed obstacles and whatnot. Third, you do not want drivers flopping. As funny as that would be, you do not want drivers flopping.
(Ok, the Gateway thoughts: They need to call the speedway St. Louis.)
