The week officially commenced Monday with the Rams and Patriots officially gathered at State Farm Arena, the only time both teams will congregate in the same venue before Sunday’s game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Sports Columns
A look back at the people, places and things that made for a memorable sports year in Las Vegas.
Raiders coach Jon Gruden told his team after Monday’s victory over Denver: “Fellas, we’ve got one game left. It’s against the team we hate the most — the Kansas City Chiefs. They hate us, too, so it should be a heckuva game.”
The unlikely ending resulted in a swing of more than $1 million in favor of bettors at Las Vegas sports books: mid six figures at MGM Resorts and William Hill, six figures at the Westgate and just shy of six figures at Caesars Entertainment.
The Raiders fell for a sixth time in seven games Sunday, a string of defensive breakdowns that wouldn’t allow Carr’s solid effort to taste victory, the Colts leaving Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum a 42-28 winner.
If anger among Raiders fans about the relocation to Southern Nevada was a central theme at last year’s training camp, such a sentiment has now seemed to move toward more of an acceptance.
Mark Davis walked onto the red carpet wearing a Knights shirt only to discover his seats were next to Vegas players Fleury and Deryk Engelland and their wives, a chance for the Raiders owner to pick the brains of two of the hockey team’s more popular players.
David Humm was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1988. Except for family members, he didn’t tell anybody. He didn’t want people to feel sorry for him, for that was never his style.
This is the place folks like to say is a drinking town with a sports problem, where purposefully setting your friends on fire isn’t as much criminal act as communal endorsement of a longstanding love affair with all things Buffalo Bills.
Perhaps one reason Oakland general manager Reggie McKenzie is so confident in his evaluation of Gareon Conley’s character is how well the Raiders have drafted and signed when it comes to limiting such off-field issues.
Perhaps more amazing than owners voting 31-1 on Monday in favor of allowing relocation for owner Mark Davis and his Raiders from Oakland to Las Vegas was that gambling was barely mentioned before ballots were cast.
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