The fall Israel tour for US Politicians exploded while our congress could not find a speaker for our house. Everyone needed to get over to Israel to do their own research and show support. How about we all get busy and get something done in Washington? The atrocities in Israel and Gaza are scary but well reported. NBC’s Richard Engel has been on the phone with Hamas on the air, call him. We have had governors and senators alike make a beeline to the war zone. It is important to show support to their registered voters. The abomination that is the US congress requires immediate attention also. How the hell did Matt Eddie Munster Gaetz get to call the shots? He is creepy as f--. These elected officials had been unable to form a working government for weeks. We look like Italy for god’s sake.
The best distraction from these domestic and global maladies is also the most glorious occasion of the Yard sports calendar. The World Series is imminent with a new champion certain to be crowned. The WNBA season just wrapped with another title for our Las Vegas Aces. The reigning Stanley Cup champion Vegas Golden Knights have opened their 2023-24 NHL campaign with the best start ever by a defending champion, 7-0. The NBA commenced this week with the Nuggets beating the Lakers. UCLA is winning and USC not as much. The NFL is starting to get exciting, Raiders not so much. U2 christened the Sphere, and we are just getting started.
The 2022 champion Astros were vanquished by their fellow Texans, the Rangers. Houston for all their trash can lid cheating at the 2017 WS, did not win a home game during this ALCS. The Dodgers did not win a home game either, but they did not make the NLCS this year, next blog. Disappointing finish for the Dodgers but the baseball playoffs have been exciting. The Yankees, Red Sox, Giants and Padres were disappointed spectators. The Rangers run to the World Series was not widely anticipated. They had not made the playoffs since 2016. They paid a whole bunch of dough for the oft injured Corey Seager. Things jelled this year with Bruce Bochy coming out of retirement to change the narrative. Yard staff was never kind to Bochy’s oversized pumpkin head, his distinctive waddle to the mound, or his postgame mumble but he is the quiet genius of baseball clubhouses. He was masterful during the Giant’s surprising run nearly a decade ago. Bochy managed the 1998 San Diego Padres to the World Series before being swept by the New York Yankees. He is among the elite for post season brilliance. Yard staff hates to see Corey banging leadoff home runs for another team. He is a first class player and sorely missed in LA.
The Diamondbacks march to the WS was nothing short of unbelievable. They were in first place in June. They were in third place and under .500 in July. They won 84 games just enough into the playoffs. Arizona did not know they had fans until they won something important. It had been over 20 years. Phoenix is a swirling vortex of sports mediocrity most of the time, but this is big. We are happy for the Snakes and will root for the Rangers.
The Yard is putting most of our promotional budget into a Las Vegas Aces 2-time WNBA Champions awareness campaign. The WNBA has evolved into a highly entertaining, competitive summer alternative. The season is 40 games and Las Vegas went 34-6. The playoffs are the first team to eight wins and the Aces raced it 8-1. They were first in offense and first in defense putting together one of the greatest seasons in the league’s 26 years. The core group are all in their 20’s and under contract for three more seasons. Kelsey Plum is a well-documented Yard fave. Aja Wilson had a legendary game four. Playing 39 of the 40 minutes, Wilson logged 24 points and 16 boards against the massive NY Liberty front line. The Aces lost two starters in game three and were huge underdogs on the road. To underscore an earlier point for WNBA relevance, there were 18,000 New York basketball fans at game 4 in the Barclay Center in Brooklyn. The New York Liberty are the most successful professional basketball franchise in the region. They were world class pouters in defeat. Sabrina Ionescu gave her Steph Curry “night, night” signature celebration after winning game three. The Aces stuffed it down her angelic throat in front of another 18,000 in game four and on social media every chance they get. Little Sabrina refused to meet with the media following the game. Boohoo!
USC football fans were piqued for a championship season. Caleb Williams, the reigning Heisman winner, and Lincoln Riley the offensive guru would return Troy to the mountaintop. Expectations are always difficult to fulfill especially for USC fan. The past 20 years for UCLA fan have recalibrated our expectations. We have lowered the bar fast knowing the sad costs of a premature raise. In 2023, USC has been middling at best and their season is slipping beyond national title repair. UCLA does have a top defense this year for the first time in decades. USC, with two ugly losses and a near loss in the desert, they can only hope to beat UCLA to salvage the season. UCLA is one win from bowl eligible which was never to be proclaimed on high but kind of cool. Deion is bringing his megawatts Colorado Buff’s into the Rose Bowl on Saturday night. The Buff megawatts might be a bit shady of late, but it should be a litmus test for the Bruins hope for a brighter future.
Last Aces Note: The Aces historic WNBA season has largely gone unnoticed outside of Las Vegas. This team is special and may three-peat. The genius behind their consecutive titles is their coach, Becky Hammon. Raider owner Mark Davis owns the Aces as well. He recruited Becky from being a bench assistant with the San Antonio Spurs to being the highest paid coach in the WNBA. It was one of his best investments. She is an intense hooded fury pacing the sidelines during a game. She made all the right adjustments when two starters went down in game three. She plugged in Cayla George who had not played in the playoffs and told her to shoot and keep shooting. She missed seven three pointers, but she hit the first three and it changed the game. Tom Brady bought into the future and it is as bright as our Sphere. Ms. Hammon is on track to becoming the first female head coach of a men’s professional team.
Last notes: The state of Nevada had never won any professional titles before the Aces won their first title in 2022. There were not any professional teams in Nevada for most of sports history. We have suggested that the 1990 UNLV Runnin Rebels were close to professional. In 2023, Las Vegas is becoming the sports capital of the nation. Las Vegas professional sports teams have three titles in 2022-23. We are still researching but we do not believe any other city can make that claim. Lord Stanley’s trophy was a big deal, and we hope for another. These back-to-back WNBA titles have ignited the city. Besides the actual Super Bowl game, the most visited location for the SB is Las Vegas. In 2024, the SB will be here, and it is going to be schizophrenic.
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