‘Turf of Dreams’ not much to look at now

Shoeless Joe Jackson didn't appear magically from behind the barb wire fence as if some NFL savior emerging from the mounds of trash lining the adjacent sidewalk. No mysterious voice from the heavens implored me to go the distance, but if it had, I assume it would have referred to polishing off a second chocolate chip bagel from a nearby Einstein's.

This is no Iowa cornfield, and the only farming I have done lately is to roll a broken lawn mower out to the curb for a garage sale, but if you close your eyes and imagine what more than $1 billion might deliver Las Vegas in terms of a domed stadium, you just might see all that Ray Kinsella built and more.

You know, without Moonlight Graham.

One day after Las Vegas Sands Corp. announced it would lead a group of investors in building a state of the art stadium on 42 acres near UNLV, one day after it was learned Oakland Raiders owner Mark Davis would meet with Las Vegas Sands Chairman and CEO Sheldon Adelson about the site, one day after NFL commissioner Roger Goodell probably prepared himself to again support his league's archaic and foolish stance against this town housing a franchise because of sports gambling, curious minds stood at the place that could one day become a virtual Field (Turf) of Dreams.

For events, mind you.

Not, perhaps, as much economically.

I will say that at different points of the morning, UNLV police arrived to dismiss homeless folks from the premises. Either that, or the officers also believe the university has little chance of making the correct hire on its next basketball coach and wanted some input from the locals about potential candidates.

I hear one of the homeless guys really favors Rick Pitino.

It's not much to look at now, the land UNLV will reportedly offer the project so that its football team no longer has to stage home games 10 miles from campus. Sam Boyd Stadium is like many Las Vegas landmarks. More and more, it's showing its wrinkles.

Try to subdue for a moment the talk of an NFL team such as the Raiders making the domed stadium home, which would be a long, tedious, uphill fight for Davis to stage against his league should such a process eventually commence.

Davis indeed met with Adelson and other Sands officials Friday in Las Vegas, though neither side would comment on what was discussed.

There are pictures and everything.

But it was also announced later in the day the Chargers have decided to remain in San Diego for the 2016 season, that while the team has an agreement in place to join the Rams in Los Angeles, the city of San Diego essentially has one more year to try to get a stadium deal done with its team.

There is also this: The NFL is pledging $300 million to assist in building such a venue and keeping the Chargers home, which, should such a long shot be realized, would ultimately open a spot in Los Angeles for the Raiders.

Translation: Oakland coming to Las Vegas is far from a sure thing.

I'm not even sure if it has the slightest possibility of happening.

But should the Sands project move forward, a stadium such as the one proposed would at least give Las Vegas a chance at generating the sort of visitation numbers those supporting the project believe could occur.

It could bring the level of sporting events that help define our city as major league.

One of the central questions posed after Thursday's news was this: If the stadium is built, will people come?

One thing economists universally agree on is that the economic impact of sports stadiums from locals is not near what many assume, especially from an NFL team that might play just 10 games (two preseason and eight in the regular season) a year.

There isn't a lot of new spending from those who live in the city of professional teams, which means any stadium project in Las Vegas would have to offer the sort of massive events sure to draw fans from elsewhere. An NFL team would help with that to a point, but it alone wouldn't create a significant economic bump.

Las Vegas, however, is different because it relies so much financially on tourism, and the days of gambling being the premier reason many make their way here are gone. It's just one aspect now of a destination city and all its entertainment options.

This could prove a positive difference in the stadium issue, because the bigger the sporting events staged, the more opportunities will exist for filling hotel rooms.

It's enough, at least for now, to envision when standing behind the barb wire fence and amid the mounds of trash lining an adjacent sidewalk.

Now, if you tell me James Earl Jones will be the public address announcer, well, I can actually see those headlights on thousands of cars along Tropicana Avenue approaching the farm.

I mean the Turf of Dreams.

The Review-Journal is owned by a limited liability company controlled by the Adelson family, majority owners of Las Vegas Sands.

Ed Graney can be reached at egraney@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-4618. He can be a heard on "Seat and Ed" on Fox Sports 1340 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. On Twitter: @edgraney