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1. A’s plan to buy land in Las Vegas, build stadium near Strip
The Athletics appear to be headed to Las Vegas after signing an agreement to build a $1.5 billion ballpark near the Las Vegas Strip. The Sporting Tribune’s Steve Carp has more on the major announcement.
Well, it looks like Las Vegas will be getting a Major League Baseball team.
I say that with tongue firmly implanted in cheek.
The Athletics, who are major league in name only, appear to be headed this way after they announced late Wednesday, they had purchased a 49-acre parcel of land at West Tropicana Avenue and Dean Martin Drive near Interstate 15 to build a ballpark which will seat between 30,000 and 35,000 at a cost of approximately $1.5 billion. It doesn’t say how much public money will be involved but you can rest assured there will be some sort of public funding component for the project.
I guess all that lobbying of the Nevada legislature by David Kaval, the A’s president, and others is paying off. The site is where the Wild West Hotel-Casino used to sit.
The Fertitta family, which runs Red Rock Resorts and Station Casinos and owns the property, which totals 100 acres, appears to have made yet another shrewd land deal. They’ll still retain half the land of the site.
2. Athletics agree to buy 49-acre site in Vegas for stadium
The Oakland Athletics agreed to buy a 49-acre site just off the Las Vegas Strip and hope to relocate to Nevada, team president Dave Kaval told the Las Vegas Review-Journal on Wednesday. The Sporting Tribune has more on the major announcement.
The Athletics plans to build a new ballpark on the site at Dean Martin Drive and Tropicana Avenue, just west of the New York-New York and Excalibur casinos. The Athletics have spent years exploring paths to a new stadium in Oakland, but they are still playing before sparse crowds at the 57-year-old Oakland Coliseum. The purchase agreement in Las Vegas was made with Red Rock Resorts, which runs Station Casinos.
“For a while we were on parallel paths (with Oakland), but we have turned our attention to Las Vegas to get a deal here for the A’s and find a long-term home,” Kaval told the newspaper. “Oakland has been a great home for us for over 50 years, but we really need this 20-year saga completed and we feel there’s a path here in Southern Nevada to do that.”
3. Lakers miss big opportunity in Game 2 loss
The Sporting Tribune's Mark Medina writes the Lakers missed a chance to take a commanding lead with Memphis' Ja Morant out.
Just when we think the Lakers might have championship material, we see that their foundation lacks some sturdiness.
Just when we think that Anthony Davis has become the dominant player we witnessed during the Lakers’ title run three years ago, we see that Davis can still shrink in big moments.
Just when we think that the Lakers have enough depth to make life easier for LeBron James and Davis, we see that their role players still have significant limitations.
Talk about a missed opportunity. The Lakers labored through a 103-93 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday in Game 2 of their first-round playoff series. The Grizzlies simply tied the series at 1-1. The Lakers still have home-court advantage as the series shifts back to Los Angeles for Game 3 on Saturday. But as much as the No. 7 Lakers should feel proud for stealing a home game against the second-seeded Grizzlies, they should also feel disappointed for not finishing the job.
4. Kings erase early deficit again, but Oilers hold on to even series
The Sporting Tribune's Derek Lee recaps the Kings' Game 2 loss to the Edmonton Oilers.
After the first period, it felt like the same old story for the Kings. They went down 2-0 early to the Oilers and had a mountain to climb. Of course, it’s not unfamiliar territory for LA, who had to do the same thing just two days ago in Game 1.
Leon Draisaitl kept cooking, adding three more points to the two he had in Game 1. Connor McDavid, after going scoreless in Game 1, got back on the scoresheet with the primary assist on Draisaitl’s power play goal which gave the Oilers a two-goal lead.
The Kings didn’t back down though, getting a couple of greasy goals from Phillip Danault and Gabe Vilardi, the latter drawing in for his first game in nearly a month after recovering from an undisclosed upper-body injury.
5. Angel City FC’s mistakes lead to a Challenge Cup loss against OL Reign
Angel City FC lost their first Challenge Cup game against the OL Reign after errors led to conceded goals. The Sporting Tribune’s Kamran Nia has more from “The Bank.”
High stakes often lead to mistakes. And that happened to Angel City FC in their opening National Women’s Soccer League Challenge Cup game against the OL Reign. With the Challenge Cup prize money increasing to $1 million this year, players’ interest in the tournament was heightened. Angel City forward Katie Johnson expressed this after the club’s previous game.
“I am very excited for the Challenge Cup… The money seems very nice. Money motivated,” she said.
Despite the increased stakes, many teams use the tournament as a way to test their depth. ACFC head coach Freya Coombe did that against the Reign by mixing her usual starters with rotational players.
Goalkeeper Brittany Isenhour, defender Jasmyne Spencer, and forward Scarlett Camberos all made their first starts of the season. “[The Challenge Cup] is a great opportunity to give some minutes… It is about being able to give people opportunities in different positions,” Coombe said. “It keeps the squad competitive for selection of league matches.
6. Eric Kendricks excited about direction of Chargers
The newest Chargers linebacker is excited about the potential of the team, writes The Sporting Tribune’s Fernando Ramirez.
To this point, the Chargers have signed one player who wasn’t on the team previously, linebacker Eric Kendricks from the Minnesota Vikings.
After spending nine seasons in Minnesota, he signed a two-year deal with the Chargers during free agency. Returning to Los Angeles after playing football at UCLA is a plus for the former all-pro, but he believes in what Brandon Staley and his staff are building.
“Honestly, they’re a good team,” Kendricks said. “They’re contenders, they have a good quarterback, a great coaching staff.”
Staley reached out to his newest linebacker and spoke for over an hour and a half. They were getting to know each other, and Staley explained how he fits into the defensive scheme.
Monday was the first day of off-season conditioning for players. Kendricks was present along with edge rusher Khalil Mack, defensive tackle Sebastian Joseph-Day, and center Corey Linsley, to name a few.
7. Odds and Ends presented by Circa Sports
Here are some odds at Circa Sports if you’re thinking about placing a wager today:
8. Ticket Time presented by TickPick
Here are the “get in” prices for tickets if you’re thinking about going to a game today:
7:00 p.m. – Winnipeg Jets at Vegas Golden Knights – $71
7:30 p.m. – Phoenix Suns at Los Angeles Clippers – $52
9. On the Air presented by Coca-Cola
Here are the game times and television channels for professional teams in the region today:
1:00 p.m. – Los Angeles Angels at New York Yankees – Bally Sports West
4:30 p.m. – Los Angeles Dodgers at Chicago Cubs – Spectrum SportsNet
7:00 p.m. – Winnipeg Jets at Vegas Golden Knights – TBS
7:30 p.m. – Phoenix Suns at Los Angeles Clippers – NBA TV
10. The Arash Markazi Show presented by The Sporting Tribune
On Wednesday’s show, the crew talked about the Lakers, Clippers and Kings doing what they had to do on the road to start the playoffs with a split as they return home for the next two games.
Listen to The Arash Markazi Show presented by The Sporting Tribune on The Mightier 1090 ESPN Radio in Southern California, 98.5 The Fan in Las Vegas and the Hawaii Sports Radio Network 95.1 FM and 760 AM in Hawaii. You can also listen to the show on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Play and Stitcher.
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That’s it for today. Talk to you tomorrow!
