Sphere is getting ready for its big debut in Vegas
Madison Square Garden’s $2.3 billion Sphere is preparing for its debut on Sept. 29 for U2 ahead of the F1 Grand Prix in November.
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1. Sphere is finally ready for its big debut in Vegas
Madison Square Garden’s $2.3 billion Sphere is preparing for its debut on Sept. 29 for U2 ahead of the F1 Grand Prix in November, writes The Sporting Tribune’s Norm Clarke.
Cloaked in secrecy but already building buzz as one of Las Vegas' most anticipated openings, Madison Square Garden’s $2.3 billion Sphere could be the ultimate experience of dollars and scents.
Due to open Sept. 29 with a U2 concert, the Sphere’s website is billing the giant black eight-ball-like bubble as “the world’s most cutting-edge venue” that will "redefine the future of entertainment.”
Excitement won’t be the only thing filling the air. The lucky few who have toured it were told the "next level" experience will include the latest frontier: linking an iconic light show with music and the use of fragrant scents.
Ticket prices will be “next level” as well, ranging from $501.35 to $1,495, easily the highest-priced show in town. U2 is returning from a four-year hiatus. Their five-week run will include 17 shows.
2. Angels defeat White Sox on walk-off
The Angels scrambled to claim a win in their series opener against the Chicago White Sox, writes The Sporting Tribune’s Marisa Flores.
Mike Trout sprinted and scored from third base on a wild pitch to lift the Angels to a 2-1 victory over the Chicago White Sox on Monday. It was the team’s second walk-off win this season, and both have come on wild pitches.
White Sox reliever Aaron Bummer threw a sweeper to Angels new addition Mike Moustakas that was low and in the dirt. When White Sox catcher Yasmani Grandal failed to get in front of it, Trout ran past and scored. However, the game didn’t start so smoothly for Trout as he struck out in his first three at-bats. He went on to start out the ninth with a walk, and Shohei Ohtani followed suit right after. They then followed with a double steal before closing out the night, 2-1.
3. Aces stay unbeaten at home despite turnover troubles
The Las Vegas Aces defeated the Indiana Fever 88-80 despite early turnover troubles and a slow start offensively, writes The Sporting Tribune’s Jared Feldman.
On a night when Kelsey Plum missed her first seven three-point attempts, she only needed one to turn things around.
Plum’s first made three-pointer came with 5:31 remaining in the game to give the Las Vegas Aces their first double-digit lead of the game as they came back to defeat the Indiana Fever, 88-80, to improve to 13-1 on the season and 7-0 at home.
“Her competitiveness is never in question, neither is her shooting”, Hammon said. “She shoots it. I always think it’s going in. I don’t care if she (has no points) coming into the fourth quarter or the third quarter, it does not matter. I always think it’s going in when it leaves her hand and it’s only a matter of time before she hits a couple.”
4. Avila is ready to start over again with the Rams
From captain at TCU to the new guy in L.A., Steve Avila is ready to take the next step in his life and career with the Los Angeles Rams, writes The Sporting Tribune’s Kamran Nia.
Texas has been Steve Avila’s only home for the first 23 years of his life. He was born and raised in Dallas. Then, he went to Texas Christian University (TCU) in Fort Worth, Texas, for college.
At TCU, Avila was a captain for their football team, leading them to the College Football Playoff (CFP) National Championship in 2023, losing to Georgia.
Avila loves the Dallas-Fort Worth area, as he relishes the tasty Mexican food and diverse culture. But after staying in the same place his whole life, he is ready to embrace his new home, Los Angeles.
After the Los Angeles Rams drafted Avila with pick No. 36 in the 2023 NFL Draft, he arrived in Los Angeles on May 12. And as Avila met his teammates and learned his way around the facilities, he understood he was starting fresh with the Rams, like when he was a freshman in college. So now, he is looking to build respect and make a difference, as he has done on his previous teams.
“I [was] talking to the other rookies like, ‘dude, we are just freshmen again,” Avila said. “Yeah, that's really what it is. But I've always found a way to gain the respect of my teammates, which leads to more of a leadership role. And that's something that I plan to do here.”
5. Club Tigres defeat C.F. Pachuca 2-1 in Liga MX Campeón de Campeones
Liga MX’s Club Tigres lifted their second trophy in less than a month after defeating C.F. Pachuca, 2-1, in the Campeón de Campeones hosted by Dignity Health Sports Park, writes The Sporting Tribune’s Anthony Bautista.
Returning to Dignity Health Sports Park for the seventh consecutive year that the competition has been held, the 2023 Liga MX Campeón de Campeones saw the league’s 2023 “Clausura” winner Club Tigres square off against 2022 Liga MX “Apertura” champion C.F. Pachuca on Sunday.
Tigres 2-1 victory earned the club its second trophy in less than a month and marks their fourth time winning this competition.
“We are very happy, very happy for today's achievement. The boys played a great game against a great rival who plays soccer very well, who has been playing well for a long time and came to this stage for a reason,” Tigres head coach Robert Siboldi said after the victory. “Today [the team] once again showed that they are hungry for victory, for achievements and to continue increasing the prestige for the institution and for our people, for our fans.”
6. Sparks win second straight against the Dallas Wings, 93-83
The Sparks get back to .500 after a second win in a row against the Dallas Wings at home, writes The Sporting Tribune’s Rey Moralde.
On Friday, the Sparks got the best of the Wings in a fantastic comeback. On Sunday, they made it two in a row. Los Angeles defeated Dallas on the day Nneka Ogwumike got named to the all-star team as a starter, 93-83.
The Sparks are now back at .500 and salvaged their home stand with those wins over Dallas. Their stay in L.A. ended with a 2-3 record and now they're going back on the road to play a couple of games against Chicago next.
Maybe this will be a turning point? At the very least, the Sparks have showed they can finish games the last couple of times.
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.
6:30 p.m. – White Sox at Angels – $15
9. On the Air presented by The D Las Vegas
Here are the game times and television channels for professional teams in the region today.
4:05 p.m. – Padres at Pirates – Bally Sports San Diego
5:30 p.m. – Dodgers at Rockies – SportsNet LA
6:30 p.m. – White Sox at Angels – Bally Sports West
10. The Arash Markazi Show presented by The Sporting Tribune
The Sporting Tribune’s Arash Markazi is joined by Armani Buckets and Brandon Deutsch to talk about the NBA draft and if the Warriors improved their chances by trading Jordan Poole for Chris Paul, if the Lakers once again hit a home run with their late draft picks, how the Clippers will look next season and why Michael Jordan would pass on Scoot Henderson with the second overall pick in the NBA draft.
Listen to The Arash Markazi Show presented by The Sporting Tribune on The Mightier 1090 ESPN Radio in Southern California, 98.5 The Bet 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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