Las Vegas Sports: Sin City Is Now ‘Win City’
Las Vegas used to be known as “Sin City”, thanks to our never-ending flow of gambling, strip clubs and organized crime. But it’s time for an update on our slogan. Because that’s not what we’re about anymore. Over the last decade, Las Vegas has acquired a lot of professional sports teams. And with how well our teams have been doing, we should be calling ourselves “Win City”.
The History Of Professional Sports In Las Vegas
It all started in 2017, when the Vegas Golden Knights began as an expansion team in the National Hockey League (nhl.com/goldenknights). When they first formed, people joked that they were the outcasts from other teams. Until the VGK went to the Stanley Cup finals their inaugural year.
Although the VGK fell short of the victory that year, they still ended up bringing Las Vegas its first Stanley Cup in 2023. When they defeated the Florida Panthers in Game 5 at T-Mobile Arena. And in that championship series, the Panthers failed to even score more than three points against our guys.
Now let’s move to our back-to-back champions in women’s basketball, the Las Vegas Aces. They started as the San Antonio Silver Stars in 2003 and played there for eleven seasons. But Texas wasn’t getting it done for the Aces. They moved to Las Vegas and renamed themselves in 2018, and have since won two championships: in 2022 and 2023, according to britannica.com.
Winning back-to-back championships put the Las Vegas Aces is a very elite club. As one of only three teams to have won at least two titles in a row, according to apnews.com. The other two are the Los Angeles Sparks, who won the 2001 and 2002 seasons, and the Houston Comets, who actually took the title every year from 1997-2000.
The Sports Teams In Las Vegas That Are Struggling
The most recent professional sports team to come Las Vegas is the Desert Dogs lacrosse team. They started in 2022 as an expansion team. If you watch a game, you’ll probably notice it’s like a cross between basketball and hockey. And we’ve got the best of both sports behind our team. World-famous hockey player, Wayne Gretsky is one of the owners. As is basketball great, Steve Nash. They co-own the Desert Dogs along with Dustin Johnson and Joe Tsai (nll.com).
As the official resident DJ of the Las Vegas Desert Dogs, I find myself a huge fan of lacrosse. The high energy, back-and-forth action, and excitement from the crowd makes watching a Dogs game a very unique experience. Unlike other professional sports that kill the music during the action, the Desert Dogs allows me to play throughout the entire game. With the experience behind the team and energy in the arena at a game, it will only be a matter of time before the Dogs score their first championship trophy.
And Now…The Raiders
“Win City”? Or “When City”? I’ve been a Raider fan all my life. From Oakland to Los Angeles, back to Oakland. And now in Vegas. The Raiders have seen their share of adversities. Although they have three Big Game championships, none of them have been in this millennium. I didn’t even have my driver’s license yet from the last time that the Raiders won the Lombardi. Although things are looking up for the Silver and Black, with the hiring of head coach Antonio Pierce, I’m excited about the direction of Raider Nation.
Whether it’s our two championship teams, or our two teams who need a little extra time to bring home that trophy, the important thing is we should stay committed to our city. Because Las Vegas sports is now on the map. And that, in and of itself, is a win.
Top 5 Sports Books In Las Vegas To Watch The Game And Bet
The George/Durango Casino & Resort Sportsbook
The George view into the sports book of Durango Casino and Resort
The Durango Casino and Resort just opened and has been getting a lot of attention. Station Casinos wanted to make sure that the Southwest part of the valley had their own casino to call home. They made sure to make it special. They offer the new food hall with lots of food choices. But when it comes to sports, they went all out. Not only does their sports book offer the hug screens showing all your favorite sports, but they offer lots of seating options. They have a bar with screens around the top of it. Not only will it show outside of but on the inside as well. And if that’s not enough, they built The George, a restaurant that sits right above the open sports book, so you can enjoy great food, while dining in a restaurant type atmosphere. They even extended it to an outside patio area with giant screens outside, outside bar, bar top gambling machines, fire pits, and more! The best part is dining is 24 hours at The George with brunch options on the weekend. This makes it for a perfect place to place bets and catch a game or two. This is why I made it my number two choice.
- Address: 6915 S Durango Dr, Las Vegas, NV 89148
- Hours: Open 24 Hours
- The George Hours: Open 24 Hours
