The Dallas Cowboys are -9.5 favorites over the Seattle Seahawks in tonight's Thursday Night Football game. The total is 47.5.
The 40-year-old Burlington, Vermont-founded group Phish will play a four-show mini-residency at the Sphere in April. It will be the second musical act at the arena, following U2's long residency. Phish is the next best thing to seeing the old Grateful Dead; it's a jam band with four original members inspired by the Dead's improvisational style, combining long instrumental breaks and covering rock, pop, folk, blues, bluegrass, reggae and other genres. The band also has a following as rabid as the Deadheads and has sold nearly 10 million albums. Each show will feature a different setlist and unique visuals on the epic screen. The dates are April 18, 19, 20, and 21 and tickets can be "requested" at tickets.phish.com through Monday Dec. 11; the remaining tickets will go on sale to the public on Friday December 15.
In a new list compiled by Yelp of the 25 "Best New Restaurants of 2023," the top spot goes to Anima by EDO in the southwest valley at W. Russell Road just west of the Beltway. To qualify for the list, restaurants had to open after January 1, 2022, and the rankings were based on the number and ratings of reviews through August 7, 2023. Anima by EDO is the second in the EDO chain; EDO Tapas & Wine (W. Desert Inn and S. Jones) is a perennial favorite in our Eating Las Vegas series. They're both owned and operated by Oscar Amador, a James Beard finalist (Best of the Southwest) this year. Of the 25 best new restaurants, five are in Florida, three in California, two in New York, and two in Vegas; Martha Stewart's The Bedford also appeared, ranked at #22.
The Mirage volcano will be converted to a snowcapped mountain atop a block-long venue that will house various “fan experiences” in time for the Super Bowl. Paramount Global, parent company of CBS, which will broadcast the game, is creating the attraction that will feature content from shows such as Transformers, Yellowstone, and Star Trek, along with a “4D simulation gondola ride” at the mountain’s peak. Paramount Mountain will open on February 8. It’s not clear if it will remain after the Super Bowl, or if the volcano, dormant since F1 preparations began, will ever return.
A slot player from Texas lined up all three Wheel of Fortune Gold Spin jackpot symbols at Paris on Monday at 10 p.m. to haul in $1,390,820.
The big news today is Miriam Adelson, widow of the late founder and chairman of Las Vegas Sands Corp., Sheldon Adelson, has reportedly cut a deal with billionaire Mark Cuban to share ownership of the NBA's Dallas Mavericks. Adelson plans to sell $2 billion worth of stock in Las Vegas Sands to pay Cuban $3.6 billion, exactly 10% of her $36 billion net worth, for her share of the Mavs, for which Cuban paid $285 million in 2000. But according to several accounts, this is much more than an investment in a basketball team; it's no less than a merger of a pro sports business and a casino business. And not just any casino business, but one of the largest in the world, which spent millions on a failed -- so far -- campaign to bring commercial casinos to Cuban's home state of Texas. Furthermore, Cuban wants to build a new arena for the Mavs and, in the words of Sports Illustrated, "create a billion-dollar entertainment complex around it." For her part, Adelson has deep connections to both Donald Trump and Texas Governor Greg Abbot. The Adelsons and Cubans have other family ties, but suffice it to say that this is a marriage made in Texas-gambling heaven.
Ready or not, here it comes. As the grandstands are being deconstructed (the Bellagio Fountain Club is expected to be gone by New Year's Eve), room rates have already been announced at four Caesars' properties for next year's race, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal. At three -- Linq, Paris, and Planet Hollywood -- they're between 50% and 60% lower than the original rates announced for the inaugural race a year ago and closer to those after all the discounting was implemented as this year's race weekend drew close. They're not exactly bargains: The Linq is going for $333 a night, Paris $366, and Planet Hollywood $410 (all four-night minimums), while Caesars Palace is charging -- are you sitting down? -- $11,500 per night, because Caesars is the host hotel for the 2024 race, you see. Ah. That totally explains it. Anyway, in another departure from last year, the R-J reports that you can cancel your room for free until a week before the race; last year, you couldn't cancel at all.
Thanks in part to quickly growing enthusiasm for college women's volleyball, both in television viewership and record attendance at schools throughout the NCAA, a new professional women's volleyball league is starting up early next year. According to VolleyballMag.com, "On many of the platforms on which it is presented, it’s the third-most-viewed college sport behind football and men’s basketball." Thus, the Pro Volleyball Federation, "the latest attempt to establish a viable professional women’s indoor league in the United States," was announced last year at this time and has been gaining steam ever since. The inaugural season will launch on January 24; the seven teams include Las Vegas, whose name, the Thrill, has just been announced. Their home court will be the Dollar Loan Center in Henderson and season tickets will be available soon on the team website (which isn't quite live yet).
The Minnesota Vikings are -3 favorites over the Chicago Bears in tonight's Monday Night Football game. The total is 43.5.
The UK's Daily Mail has posted a series of 22 photos and a video of "the most eye-popping displays" since the Sphere started lighting up Las Vegas five months ago. We never get tired of seeing the incredible graphics, designs, and even ads the arena's creative team continues to come up and these are definitely among the best.
Ringo and and His All Starr Band will do a mini-residency of six shows at the Venetian Theatre in May as part of a 12-show tour that includes two in Mexico City. The Venetian appearances will be on May 22, 25, 26, 29, and 31 and June 1. Ringo, who of course needs no introduction, will be 84 in July, making Mick and Keith look like rookies on their competing tour (and fossils compared to the ageless drummer). No word on ticket sales yet, but there's plenty of time for that. We'll keep you posted.
The Baltimore Ravens are -3 favorites over the Los Angeles Chargers in tonight’s Sunday Night Football game. The total is 49.
West Virginia has become the fifth member in the Multi-State Internet Gaming Agreement that allows poker players in different states to play in the same games. The collective also includes Nevada, New Jersey, Michigan, and Delaware. West Virginia is the first state to be added since Michigan in 2022.
According to SportsHandle.com, which cited JMP Securities, which cited data from digital intelligence firm Sensor Tower, ESPN, in its new partnership with Penn Entertainment, launched its sports betting app ESPN Bet in the wee hours last Tuesday and since then, the app was downloaded 1.1 million times. That's a lot, nearly double the previous record. "By comparison," SportsHandle writes, "FanDuel previously held the record for most app downloads over a single six-day period with 468,000." And that was during the week leading up to the Super Bowl 2022, when New Yorkers could legally bet on the game online for the first time. It took FanDuel five weeks to break a million downloads, DraftKings six weeks, and Caesars Sportsbook 14 weeks. The article notes, however, "Customers who wagered on PENN’s previous sportsbook brand, Barstool Sportsbook, comprised a portion of last week’s downloads. The figures also do not address conversion rates between downloads and first-time deposits." Still, a million-plus downloads in six days indicates that mobile sports betting continues to grow in the U.S.
We reviewed the happy hour at La Popular, a favorite eatery in Mexico City that is starting to open venues north of the border, including the one at the Palms, a couple of months ago. It's a fine HH deal at a fancy Mexican place, with $5 beers, $8 margaritas, and a meal's worth of food for $8-$17. When it started, it ran 4-6 p.m., but now, the hours have been extended from 9 until close. If you want a late snack or even dinner, this is as good a place as any to get it.
With F1 behind us (for 11 months and 29 days, but who's counting) and the Super Bowl just ahead, plus the Raiders and Golden Knights in the midst of their seasons, boxing has remained in the shadows. But the fight tonight at Mandalay Bay (and broadcast on Showtime PPV 8 p.m. ET) is the culmination of a number of major bouts here this year. Two undefeated boxers, David Benavidez and Demetrius Andrade, will square off for the interim WBC super middleweight championship. Benavidez (27-0 with 23 knockouts) holds the WBC interim title and Andrade (32-0 and 19 KOs) is a two-division champion. All the money is on Benavidez, 26, a -430 favorite over Andrade, 35. Also, Benavidez lives in Vegas, so he's a local favorite.
A California man hit a $1,012,030 jackpot while playing Ultimate Texas Hold’em at the Venetian on Thanksgiving. He was dealt a royal in spades; he'd made the $5 side bet, which qualified him to win the Millionaire Progressive. As usual, the press release is titled, "$5 bet wins California man $1 million jackpot," as if he made just one $5 bet. It doesn't go into detail about how long he'd been playing and making $5 side bets.
This weeks vlog is a quintessential, exemplary, textbook 20 minutes on Vegas -- if we may be so bold as to say so. It starts off with the news that our old friend and best-selling author Jean Scott will be at Downtown Grand in early December to play in the blackjack and video poker tournaments, which is good news for us (we don't get to see her often enough, now that she lives in Georgia) and any fans who happen to be around. Then the discussion on the race is an eye-opener: the betting line, how the race went, Anthony's impressions after driving the circuit, Andrew's description of being at the race (and find out where he parked!), and Anthony's reaction to watching it on TV. From there, the guys take a brief interlude about the LVA holiday catalog before launching into the first Circa Survivor update in a while and a surprise related development for Anthony, which leads to a fascinating discourse on the subculture of Vegas advantage players and the percentage deals that the pros are always making amongst themselves. Anthony's story about winning a piece of the WSOP championship is a classic. The Question is the Week deals with slot-jackpot music and the Jackpot of the Week is as personal (to Andrew) as it gets, not to mention that it happened at the Downtown Grand. The whole thing is not to be missed on this long leisurely weekend! And it's right here for the clicking.
In a rare Friday NFL game today, the Miami Dolphins are -9.5 favorites over the New York Jets. The total is 40.5.
Appropriately enough, the Rolling Stones’ Hackney Diamonds tour, making a stop at Allegiant Stadium on May 11, is sponsored by the American Association of Retired People (AARP), the organization "dedicated to empowering Americans 50 and older to choose how they live as they age." If you're a member of AARP (and if you're over 50, you should be; it's the best membership program you can imagine, second only to LVA), you'll have access to a special presale. Sign up here for the member presale that starts at 10 a.m. (local time) on Nov. 29 and runs through 10 p.m. Nov. 30. There's an eight-ticket limit.
Today will be relatively warm, bright, and sunny with a high of 61, but then Las Vegas is in for a bit of a cold snap. Over the weekend, highs will be in the mid-50s, up to eight degrees colder than normal, and the lows will be in upper 30s, up to 10 degrees cooler than the typical temps in late November. Out at Red Rock Canyon, slightly higher in elevation, the lows could fall below freezing. In addition, cold winds will be blowing in from the northeast with a wind chill in the low 30s and even into the 20s. We hope the 300,000 people fighting crowds here tomorrow and Sunday brought sweaters and jackets. It warms up again into the low 60s and low 40s next week.
In today's final Thanksgiving game, the San Francisco 49ers are -7 favorites over the Seattle Seahawks. The total is 43.
In the second of today's three NFL Thanksgiving games, the Dallas Cowboys are -12.5 favorites over the Washington Commanders. The total is 48.
In the first of today's three NFL Thanksgiving games, the Detroit Lions are -8 favorites over the Green Bay Packers. The total is 47.
Happy Thanksgiving from everyone here at Huntington Press and the Las Vegas Advisor. It's a very busy weekend all over the city, with a record number of travelers moving around the country (as indicated by AAA) and even after three days of non-stop dismantling of F1 infrastructure, traffic is sure to be more of a headache than usual. Most restaurants are serving full Turkey Day dinners. The one we like, of course, is at Ellis Island: soup or salad, cornbread stuffing, mashed potatoes or candied yams, slow-roasted turkey, and a slice of pumpkin pie: guess how much*. Or you can opt for basically the same deal at Eiffel Tower Restaurant for $125. The sports books will be packed all day long with fans watching the NFL triple-header; the Vegas Golden Knights play at home on Saturday evening and Saturday night, while the Las Vegas Raiders also play a home game on Sunday against the Kansas City Chiefs. Metro police are out in force throughout the weekend in their annual DUI Blitz. (*$16.99!)
The Clark County Commission voted unanimously, 7-0, to deny another application for an extension of the permitting and financing process for the All Net Arena, which has been kicking around for more than 10 years as a development on the former Wet 'N Wild site just south of the Sahara. The slimmest thread of life is left: Five days are allowed for a "motion of reconsideration," in which the All Net team can show that the money for the project is actually in a company bank account. If that happens, we'll report on it. If not, it's all regret for All Net and we'll never bother you with it again.
Country superstar Garth Brooks, who announced 18 additional dates for performances at the Colosseum at Caesars in early 2024 following his sold-out performances there this year, has announced 18 new additional dates toward the end of the year. The dates are Sept. 26, 28, and 29; Oct. 3, 5, 6, 10, 12, and 13; and Dec. 5, 7, 8. 12, 14, 15, 19, 21, and 22. Tickets go on sale on Monday.
With the race behind us, all the erections around F1 are coming down. The work started Sunday morning right off and will continue 24/7 through late Wednesday to try to clear out as many of the structures as possible for the big four-day weekend. Still, the beast is alive and well and lane closures are too, mostly on Sands Avenue, Koval Lane, Harmon Avenue, and of course the Strip, at least for the foreseeable future. Estimates range from six to eight weeks for the total job, but with this weekend, plus Christmas and New Year's in the mix, we'll see how long it actually takes.
A mobile billboard has been spotted on the Strip with the famous tongue logo (from the Sticky Fingers album) and the message, "Pleased to meet you" (from the song "Sympathy for the Devil"). In other words, the Rolling Stones are advertising a new tour. The longest-lived rock 'n' roll band will make 16 stops in the U.S. and Canada next spring/summer, including Las Vegas at Allegiant Stadium on May 11. They're touring to support a new album, Hackney Diamonds, the band's 25th, released last month. Mick and Keith are still going strong after turning 80 this year and Ron Wood is a veritable spring chicken at 75. No word on who'll replace drummer Charlie Watts, who died last year. You can sign up at the presale site through next Tuesday for the presale that starts on Wed. Nov. 29.
The federal Surface Transportation Board has issued a 21-page ruling that authorizes a modified alignment of the track between southern California and Las Vegas, moving the $12 billion project another step closer to fruition. In its coverage of the ruling, RailwayAge.com reported numbers we're seeing for the first time: "According to the STB, current plans are to operate 50 trains per day (25 in each direction) between Las Vegas and Rancho Cucamonga; trains will depart from both Las Vegas and Rancho Cucamonga at 45-minute intervals and operate at speeds up to 180 miles per hour."
The Kansas City Chiefs are -2.5 favorites over the Philadelphia Eagles in tonight's Monday Night Football game. The total is 46.
A post on TheAtlantic.com shares a home movie shot by a Chicago cop and American Legion member of a train trip to Las Vegas with his wife and fellow Legionnaires in 1962. The footage was filmed in 16mm, the larger and higher-quality film format at the time, then color corrected and transferred to video recently by the filmmaker's grandson. The three-minute movie shows scenes downtown and on the Strip by day and night, with views of the Silver Slipper and Mint, covered in recent QoDs, and lots of neon signs and marquees graced by early-sixties performers. The good old days were definitely a different time in Vegas, as evidenced by this 60-year-old film. You can expand it to full screen by clicking the four arrows on the function line below the screen. (And thanks again to Canada Roy for the link.)
U2's residency wraps up in February, but the next residencies remain up in the air. On the recent earnings call, the CEO of Sphere Entertainment said they're in talks "with artists across a wide variety of genres" and now, the New York Post reports that those include Beyoncé, who reportedly toured the venue recently, Bon Jovi, and none other than Paul McCartney. The Post also floated Lady Gaga's name; her "Jazz and Piano" residency wrapped up at Dolby Live at the Park MGM, though rumors abound that she'd like to continue with it next year, but where hasn't been decided. Whoever succeeds U2, one thing's clear: Sphere adds a whole new dimension to the superstar-residency structure in Las Vegas.
Cirque du Soleil's annual Cyber Sale is here. Save up to 50% on tickets for select performances of KÀ at MGM Grand, Mad Apple at New York-New York, The Beatles Love at Mirage, and Mystère at Treasure Island. Twenty-five percent discounts are available for Michael Jackson ONE at Mandalay Bay and O at Bellagio.
The Denver Boncos are -2.5 favorites over the Minnesota Vikings in tonight’s Sunday Night Football game. The total is 43.
Las Vegas Review-Journal entertainment columnist John Katsilometes reports this morning that OPM, the Spiegelworld show at the Cosmopolitan, will shut down after the New Year's eve performance after a five-year run. Spiegelworld's restaurant that adjoins the OPM showroom, Superfrico, will continue operating. No word yet on a replacement show, but whatever it is, we're sure it'll be worth seeing. The production company's DiscoShow was supposed to open at the LINQ last year, but has been delayed until next summer in order to complete a new 500-seat two-level venue replacing the sports book.
That was quick. Two local law firms filed a class-action lawsuit against Formula One in Nevada state court on Friday night on behalf of 35,000 people who purchased tickets to Thursday’s practice run that was canceled after only nine minutes without refunds. As we reported on Friday, a manhole cover on the track became dislodged, causing damage to two of the race cars, stopping the practice, and prompting race officials to give the boot to every fan in the grandstands -- after having sat there till 1:30 a.m. waiting for the event to restart. The lawsuit alleges breach of contract, negligence, and deceptive trade practices. F1 issued a voucher code to affected fans via email good for $200 of race merchandise and the Las Vegas Review Journal reported that the voucher amount was the same "regardless of what was paid" for the tickets to the practice." The alacrity of the filing might lead one to suspect that local lawyers are loaded for bear and could jump on any possibility to sue the interlopers.
The quote from the Washington Post says it all: "The only thing predictable about F1's Las Vegas debut was the winner." Yes, perennial champion Max Verstappen placed first in last night's race at a tick under one hour and 29 minutes; second place went to Charles Leclerc at almost exactly a minute behind. Verstappen, as well, was consistent in his criticism of the race: "Instead of focusing so much on the entertainment side -- most just come to (Las Vegas to) have a party, drink, see a DJ, or a performance" -- F1 should focus more on educating American motorsports fans about the sport and what happens on the track. Other than that, the vaunted Las Vegas exposure was, according to our reader Bob, a bust: "90% of the race was filmed at track level or by in-car camera. With all the fencing, advertising, etc. along the track, you couldn't tell they were in Vegas. Might as well been racing in Iowa!" A classic car in the pre-race parade lap leaked oil all over a portion of the circuit 90 minutes before the start, blamed for causing a number of crashes. Race officials claim 315,000 people showed up for the race, though that's triple the number we've seen for months: 105,000 tickets sold. Formula 1 is already accepting deposits on next year's Las Vegas Grand Prix, scheduled for Nov. 21-23. Finally and inevitably, trying to block views of a 3.8-mile race were "laughable in places," in the words of Racing News265, "with some watching in reflections, riding escalators up and down, or peering through the barriers put in place." MotorSport.com posted three explicit photos of fans who ripped through or completely tore down the view-blocking screens. "Event staff attempted to replace the screens after they were damaged, but were unsuccessful." Welcome to the "people's discount" Las Vegas-style, F1!
In tonight’s Las Vegas Grand Prix, Max Verstappen is the -200 favorite. He’s followed by Charles Leclerc (+220), George Russell (+2250), and Carlos Sainz (+3350). The boatload of longshots is made up of Esteban Ocon, Daniel Ricciardo, Lance Stroll, Valtteri Bottas, Oscar Piastri, Guanyu Zhou, Yuki Tsunoda, Kevin Magnussen, and Nico Hulkenberg, all lined at +60050.
There'll be no strike on the Strip, though downtown casinos remain without contracts eight months after they expired, and Anthony and Andrew discuss that situation to launch this week's LVA YouTube Update. Then they talk about the next Station casino on the drawing board, the sale of the last two casino bastions of great Las Vegas values, Sphere getting into the F1 act and the odds on the drivers to win the race, and footage of the temporary bridge on Flamingo over Koval (at the 9:30 mark). The Question of the Week concerns payback percentages on mult-denom slot machines and the Jackpot of the Week is for three amazing jackpots on an NSU Deuces machine, including a dealt royal (pretty in spades!). If you stick around the blooper, it's the fastest ever (hint: five words in!).
The scuttlebutt is that the temporary bridge that allows four lanes of traffic on Flamingo Road to pass over the Koval intersection could become permanent. According to the Convention and Visitors Authority, "conversations have already started" among the county, the LVCVA, and F1 to leave it in place, given the increased efficiency of traffic at that busy intersection. In addition, the bridge was reportedly the idea of Governor Joe Lombardo, so it has some heavy momentum behind it. It also could be that this year's bridge gets taken down, since it was put up to be temporary, but next year's bridge will be constructed for permanence. We've been asked a number of times to post photos of that bridge and you can see a video of it here. (It takes a moment for it to come up on the right top of the page, then you have to suffer through a minute of ads. But it's a good look and you can toggle full-screen mode). We also have a little footage of our own, driving over the bridge heading west toward the Horseshoe; it's in this week's LVA YouTube update at the 9:30 mark.
"While the race may fill airports with private planes and penthouse suites with high-rollers, local businesses and workers say they have been disproportionately forced to pay the price — in reduced profits, layoffs, and exasperated hours stranded in traffic. They say that the losses suffered by everyday workers and small businesses are being overlooked." So declares the august New York Times. The story goes on to quote business owners along the route. Battista's Hole in the Wall: "The owner said he has stopped paying himself and can no longer afford to give his staff quarterly bonuses." The owner of a gas station: "You can't do this to a city"; he's had to lay off seven of 12 employees and doesn't know if can survive another year of the Grand Prix. Workers: A normally 15-minute bus rides now takes an hour; a half-commute takes 90 minutes. Not surprisingly, county commissioners and race organizers declined to comment for the piece. Then there's the Washington Post. After a glowing description of the positive overall economic impact the race is expected to have, the piece turns decidedly negative: “This is an unfamiliar sport to most Americans from an unfamiliar organization. F1 didn’t set themselves up for a warm welcome." And "A main complaint: F1 organizers are forcing locals to deal with their event they didn’t ask for and that they won’t be able to enjoy." And it's not only because of pricy seats; F1 has blocked the views from everywhere else. When the Gray Lady herself and the WaPo print such stories, we have to wonder how much of the vaunted "exposure" that FU F1 is supposedly bringing to Las Vegas is actually benefiting the place.
Major League Baseball owners voted yesterday to approve the Oakland A’s relocation to Las Vegas and it was unanimous; all 30 owners were in favor. (The A's needed 75% of owners to approve the move.) This is just another step in the lengthy process of the team's move to Las Vegas from Oakland. Further requirements include inking the stadium's operating agreement and a non-relocation agreement with the county, a second set of renderings for the stadium (after the first set didn't pass muster), a construction contract, and private financing. In addition, the A's still need a home field between 2024, when its lease at the Oakland Coliseum expires, and 2028 when the Vegas stadium is slated to open. Plus, there's the little matter of the Nevada teachers union strenuously objecting to the $380 million in public funding for the stadium and working toward a referendum on that in the 2024 election.
The race's first official practice started at 8:30 p.m. last night and managed to get through eight minutes before two of the race cars hit a loose water-valve cover, damaging the cars. That brought out the red flags, cancelled the session, and the road repair work (all the other drain covers had to be carefully checked) caused a 150-minute delay. The second practice didn't get going until 2.30 a.m., was extended from 60 to 90 minutes, and proceeded without incident; it did, however, run up against the 4 a.m. deadline for reopening the roads to commuter traffic. The bad news was that due to safety and contract issues, fans weren't allowed in the grandstands. (The bad news for the Ferrari team, whose car was one that was damaged, was that the entire race car had to be rebuilt, but because they changed key parts, F1 issued the team a 10-place grid penalty for the race. Tough referees!)
"Sphere Cam Live" has moved the camera, so you can see the F1 Pit Building and part of the racetrack. It will be there through the big race on Sat night. Activity there is picking up, as are the comments on the YouTube channel, which are always entertaining and sometimes even instructive. Catch Sphere Cam and nine others on our website here.
The Baltimore Ravens are -4 favorites over the Cincinnati Bengals in tonight's Thursday Night Football game. The total is 46.5.
It's all about the Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix this weekend but there are still plenty of events happening around town. If you're looking to avoid all the traffic headache, here's a look at some things to do around the valley.
Spiegelworld is selling some tickets to Atomic Saloon Show at Palazzo and OPM at the Cosmopolitan for $50 (regular $149) for performances through December 25 now through Sunday Nov. 19 at 11:59 p.m. If you're coming to Las Vegas between now and Christmas and you haven't seen either of these shows, we recommend them highly (if your tastes run toward the off-color and bawdy). Buy the tickets here.
To commemorate the Kefauver hearings held in the courtroom in the federal building that’s now downtown's Mob Museum, admission is free today for locals. Non-locals get 2-for-1 entry. LVA members can get $4-off admission anytime with our Member Rewards discount.
Although no timeline has been revealed for how long the dismantling of the F1 infrastructure -- grandstands, floodlight erector sets, barricades, visibility-eliminating screens from pedestrian walkways, etc. -- will require, we do know that the process will begin on Sunday morning right after the thing is over. This morning, 8NewsNow reports that Steve Hill, CEO of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, says it will take six to eight weeks to do the deed, which means the middle of January for everything to be gone, so New Year's Eve on the Strip will definitely be impacted, but we don't know how much.
Cello Tower had a ceremony yesterday, reminding us that something other than F1 is going on here. The 35-story condo tower broke ground at Symphony Park, the cultural center in downtown Las Vegas. The appropriately named Cello will boast 232 residences and eight penthouses, along with 40,000 square feet of such amenities as an elevated pool, pet spa, entertainment kitchen, and cold plunge, and some dining, retail, and public spaces. Part of Origin at Symphony Park, the total development, which includes Symphony Park III, the under-construction 22-story high-rise with 270 residences expected to be completed in 18 months, will be the first pedestrian-friendly consumer district downtown. Cello is slated for completion in two years. The total Symphony Park buildout will occupy 60 acres across the railroad tracks from Fremont Street that used to be the Union Pacific Railyard and is centered around the Smith Center for the Performing Arts.
In a press release issued yesterday, Thrive Cannabis Marketplace announced that it will open a lounge "this year." The dispensary, with five stores in Las Vegas (and two in northern Nevada), will open the lounge, apparently in the next seven weeks, at its flagship venue at 2975 South Sammy Davis Jr. Drive, behind Resorts World. The lounge, dubbed Smoke and Mirrors and in the works since 2021, will offer "a curated menu of cannabis products," along with food and beverage, DJs and live bands, comedy shows, movie screenings, and more.
The Las Vegas Review-Journal reports this morning that the last of the great bargain casinos in southern Nevada, Emerald Island and the Rainbow Club in downtown Henderson, are being sold. Emerald Island has been owned by the Brooks brothers, Mike and Tim, since 2003 and the Rainbow Club since 2020 and the two are beloved among Henderson locals for their dizzying array of comps, contests, giveaways, and promotions, plus "Cheer's"-type customer service and a decidedly hands-on Tim Brooks, who says he spends 75% of his time on the casino floor and knows 1,000 regular customers by name. The buyer is Las Vegas-based ECL Gaming, which owns and operates multiple historical horse racing venues in Kentucky. In a statement, ECL said it plans to maintain the existing company culture and "add to the guest experience as we continue to expand and grow the properties." Uh-oh. We hate to say it and don't want to jinx it, but in our experience, "enhancing the guest experience" is often code for enhancing owner/shareholder value. The terms of the deal haven't been disclosed, but the sale is expected to close in January. We'll see about the guest experience then.
On Saturday night, a gambler at the Cromwell won $1,155,366 by hitting a Mega Progressive jackpot on Face Up Pai Gow Poker. The California Pai Gow player was in town to attend the Raiders game (they beat the Jets 16-12 on Sunday night) and hit the progressive on his second hand at the table.
The Buffalo Bills are -7.5 favorites over the Denver Broncos in tonight's Monday Night Football game. The total is 47.5.
This video is as good a representation of U2's concert as we've seen. It's from opening night and shows the whole scene: outside the arena with the crowds on the way in (with some interviews), the band walking out onto stage, the view from various places inside, the revolving podium for Bono, and of course the projections onto the world's largest indoor screen. It's for the whole "Zoo Station" song and it's almost as good as being there. (And thanks to Canada Roy for the link.)
Chief Executive Officer of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Dana White has confirmed that he has booked Mexican Independence Day, September 16, 2024, at the Sphere to host an event. According to MMAJunkie.com, "There will be no shortage of obstacles in the way of facilitating a show at the Sphere that meets the UFC’s production standards." One example is fitting the UFC's octagon ring into the arena; another is how to employ the largest screen in the world to best effect. But always a paragon of modesty and reticence, White announced, "Remember that I said this to you tonight: I’m going to put on the greatest live-combat sports show anybody has ever seen.”
Taking advantage of an East Coast road trip and a game in Washington, D.C., tomorrow night, the Vegas Golden Knights will visit the White House today, where President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris will honor this year's Stanley Cup champions. Coincidentally, it's exactly five months to the day (June 13) that the VGK won Game 5 of the championship series to clinch the Cup. The team is also on a tear this year, with a 12-2-1 record and 25 points, the most in the league.
The Las Vegas Raiders and New York Jets are pick ’em in tonight’s Sunday Night Football game. The total is 36.
As for other Vegas News, another reason we're waiting anxiously for this race to be over is that almost all the news is about it. Here's a quick roundup (on a no-news Sunday). First, the owner of the Mercedes team, which has two cars in the race, has forbidden anyone who works for him to gamble during their time here. Second, Pirelli, which supplies special tires to most teams, is concerned about the "the big unknown" of the track conditions: ultra-smooth and fast surface, high speeds on the long straights, and cooler temperatures than most races, "all conditions that are quite difficult to manage” from a tire point of view. Third, the "big" story: The controversy over the location of the podium for the winner celebration has been settled. It was announced that it would be placed in front of the Bellagio fountains, but that's just the site of the post-race driver interviews, while the podium celebration will be held in front of the pit building at the start/finish line. Phew. We're glad that one was cleared up. Finally, the CEO of Liberty Media, parent company of Formula 1, issued a public apology to the people of Las Vegas. “I want to apologize to all the Las Vegas residents. We appreciate that they have their forbearance and their willingness to tolerate us,” he recited, looking and sounding like he was mangling whatever the PR flaks wanted him to say. Then, of course, he talked about the money: "We’re going to bring something like $1.7 billion of revenue to the area. So it’s not just for the benefit of fans who want to view. We hope this is a great economic benefit in Las Vegas." And it will be -- for F1, casinos, and construction companies. However, we were surprised by that $1.7 billion number, which is nearly a half-billion higher than the previous highly inflated estimate.
A feature story in this morning's New York Times covers the Las Vegas wedding scene. It wasn't paywalled for us (we accessed it by linking from a "Las Vegas news" search), but if it is for you, the reporter was in town around September 23, the 70th anniversary of Las Vegas' designation as the “Wedding Capital of the World.” Though primarily a human-interest piece, with photos of and comments from numerous couples getting married, it also goes into a bit of wedding-industry history, famous couples marrying here, the elopement trend, rock-bottom wedding prices (some less expensive than the license!) and ultra-high-end options (Cirque du Soleil, anyone?), courthouse, Elvis, and Neon Museum weddings, the officiant experience, and of course the numbers: 100 chapels and about 18,000 people who work in Vegas' $2.5 billion wedding industry, with 18,000 licenses issued in 2002. Worth a quick look if you can get to it.
Alex Pereira is a -125 favorite over Jiri Prochazka in tonight’s UFC main event. In the other featured match, Sergei Pavlovich and Tom Aspinall are pick ’em.
Look for Veterans Day deals through the weekend, including a free buffet for two at South Point today, a free poke bowl at Island Fin Poke Co today., 50%-off at Fogo De Chao today and Sunday, and 50%-off in STK at Cosmo today through Monday. The most creative deal comes from Crazy Horse 3, where veterans can get a free lap dance today until 6 pm. Be prepared to show military I.D. to get the deals.
The grand opening of the Durango is delayed a couple of weeks, two less weeks that the newest Station casino will be bringing the Strip to the neighborhoods. In other words, as Anthony points out in no uncertain terms, this joint will be no bargain whenever it opens. Then, Anthony and Andrew talk about Caesars, MGM, and the Culinary Union managing to avert a strike at the 11th hour (the Wynn signed on shortly thereafter). Of course, F1 is a major discussion. All the inconveniences of the last many months will be compounded next weekend, but the transformation of Las Vegas, according to Anthony, is truly amazing. The Rio is next up and Anthony reviews the history of the famous Carnival World Buffet, which the just-announced Canteen Food Hall is replacing; you won't believe the prices of the Carnival World when it debuted 30 years ago. No sir, those days are long gone. The Question of the Week is about a soccer bet that looked like a scalp (sports-betting lingo for an arbitrage situation where the bettor can't lose), but was probably misread. Still, it prompts a technical but interesting discussion in which Anthony shows how good he is at what he does. The Jackpot of the Week is similarly compelling, based as it is on the four-way progressive Double Double Bonus machines at the Downtown Grand. Be sure to watch straight though to the end for Andrew's Vegas song and this week's blooper!
The Silver Sevens hotel-casino has been renamed twice since it was the Continental, which opened in 1981. It became a Terribles when it was bought by Herbst Gaming in 1999, then Silver Sevens when it was bought by Affinity Gaming in 2013. Now, Affinity has announced that Silver Sevens will be renamed again, this time going right back to its roots as the Continental, in 2025. The porte cochere will be renovated to host a Pink Taco (of Hard Rock fame); additional improvements will include new food outlets, a new bar, and casino upgrades.
According to CNN, ticket prices for the race and hotel room rates are "plunging" ahead of F1. Tickets have dropped 35% in the past month, from an average of $1,645 to $1,060 for grandstand seats, which means they've declined 50% from the rack rate of $2,000 when they were introduced a year ago. Meanwhile, rates for still-available rooms are averaging $285, down from around $350 a month ago. And a Las Vegas Review-Journal story today reports that room rates are down 75% from a year ago, corroborating the CNN piece with rates at the Linq at $190, Planet Hollywood $260, and Caesars $550 (all with four-night minimums). Of course, we're not worried that Formula 1 and the casinos won't be making money; the 100,000 fans expected for the race mostly paid full price when they bought their tickets and reserved their rooms and whatever "bargain hunters" are biting at these "heavily discounted" prices are still paying a pretty-penny premium.
We hope none of this will affect you (it does us and man, is it a hassle!), but here are the road closures, including on and near the race circuit, starting next Thursday. On Thursday, the closures begin at 5 p.m. and will be in full force by 7 for the race cars to practice on the circuit starting at 8:30 and winding up around 2 a.m. Friday morning. The roads open again at 4 a.m. It's the same schedule for Friday evening and Saturday morning and Saturday evening/Sunday morning, though rather than practices, the actual race starts at 10 p.m. It should be over by midnight and the roads will start reopening at 4 a.m. Basically, forget about crossing the Strip on Spring Mountain, Flamingo, and Harmon and driving on Koval between Harmon and Sands avenues all three nights and early mornings. And may God have mercy on all of our souls.
To no one's surprise, the third and last of the Big Three Las Vegas casino companies reached a tentative agreement with the Culinary Union early this morning, averting any threat of a strike at 18 Strip hotels. Like with the agreements between the union and Caesars and MGM, the details weren't released, but in general, it's known that the new five-year contracts contain historic wage increases, reduced workloads, mandated daily room cleanings, and other worker wins.
The Chicago Bears are -3 favorites over the Carolina Panthers in tonight's Thursday Night Football game. The total is 38.
LPM, a restaurant serving cuisine "inspired by the south of France and coastal Italy," opens on November 14 at the Cosmopolitan in the long-vacant space that used to be occupied by Estiatorio Milos, the fancy indoor-outdoor Mediterranean restaurant that closed in 2020 and reopened at the Venetian. LPM has locations in London, Miami, Dubai, Hong Kong, Riyadh (Saudi Arabia), Limassol (Cyprus), and Doha (Qatar) and the Vegas venue will be the largest in the chain. The Miami menu features hors d'oeuvres from tapenade ($9) and Chilean sea bass croquettes ($19) to classic escargots ($28) and tuna tartare ($42); entrees such as pasta ($25), gnocchi ($27), snapper and baby chicken ($43), and a grilled rib eye ($95), with sides ($12); and desserts starting at $14 for a selection of sorbets and going up to $18 for crème brûlée. LPM will offer patio seating, very fancy cocktails, and a wine menu featuring Riviera rosé.
Sphere Entertainment reported a loss of $98.4 million in the third quarter and it was reported that the CFO, who'd been in his position for 11 months, abruptly resigned "after a bout of yelling and screaming from CEO James Dolan." We know that Dolan is a somewhat volatile executive and that third-quarter revenue was limited to two U2 concerts (on September 29 and 30); it was also revealed on the earnings call that the company earned a bit of revenue from advertising on the exo-Sphere, plus a few million from suite licensing, and had one-off opening expenses. But we can also tell you this: We went to see the movie, Postcard from Earth, last night and based on the size of the crowds, the brisk business at the concessions, a Coca-Cola ad on the dome, two more residencies reportedly in the works, and the "exSphereince" itself (up close to the two largest screens in the world), we predict this place will be a winner in the long run. Our review is in the works.
As expected after the Culinary and Caesars Entertainment settled their differences yesterday, the union and MGM came to a tentative agreement that was announced earlier this morning. That leaves the Wynn as the last domino to fall and with the two biggies done, negotiations with the Wynn scheduled for today, and the strike deadline looming (5 a.m. tomorrow), we'd bet on the third agreement being announced at the 11th hour and 58 minutes.
A new digital "museum" is opening on the Strip on Friday. Arte Museum bills itself as a "fusion of various digital-media technologies and visual creativity" to present the environment through a hyper-realistic projection through which "visitors experience nature unconstrained by time and space." The Korean digital-design company d'strict is opening the $25 million, two-story, 30,000 square-foot exhibition space at 63, the shopping center attached to the Shops at Crystals between Aria and the Cosmopolitan Friday morning at 10 a.m. The show, "Eternal Nature," surrounds guests with "towering waterfalls, vast beaches, blooming flowers, breaking waves, forest landscapes, the northern lights, and infinite star fields," plus a “Light of Las Vegas” zone, customized for this venue. Tickets are on sale now at lasvegas.artemuseum.com and we'll be reviewing the show soon.
Originally announced for a grand opening on November 20, right after F1 and just before Thanksgiving, the Durango's debut has been pushed back to December 5. The reason is "to give the company more time to train staff." Station Casinos issued a media alert yesterday afternoon, in which it stated that employees will be compensated (in both salaries and tips) for the two-week period and anyone with hotel reservations will be rebooked at another Station property or be given priority booking for future dates. The Durango is Station's $780 million 200-room hotel in the southwest valley on Durango Drive just south of the Beltway.
The Culinary Union and Caesars Entertainment have tentatively agreed on a new five-year contract for 10,000 hospitality employees at nine Caesars properties on the Strip. The agreement averts a strike against Caesars scheduled for Friday morning. The terms haven't been announced, final details are apparently still being worked out, and union members have to vote on the agreement, but according a union statement, it's a "record contract," the best in the union's history. Talks are scheduled with MGM Resorts today and the Wynn tomorrow ahead of the strike deadline.
We've known for a while that the Rio's beloved Carnival World Buffet has been relegated to the trash heap of history and that it will be replaced by a food hall. A press release yesterday lists six outlets that will grace the newly named Canteen Food Hall: Southland Burrito Company specializing in Sonoran-style (Southwestern) burritos; Shogun Ramen, a partnership between a master ramen chef (with 600 varieties of ramen created) and a Japanese restaurateur; Tony Luke’s, a south Philadelphia’s cheesesteak chain making its west coast debut; Tender Crush, New York-style chicken tenders; Nama Nama sushi from the creators of Tekka Bar (at the Cosmo); and Attaboy Burger, serving three burgers and a fried bologna sandwich.
Without a contract agreement in the next three days, 35,000 union workers could and probably will walk off their jobs and set up picket lines outside MGM and Caesars properties and the Wynn/Encore. An article in today's Las Vegas Review-Journal reports that some management personnel are training to obtain alcohol-management cards, so they can serve drinks to casino patrons. Other contingency plans are no doubt being made by the casinos. The story quoted a connected lawyer: The casinos "have an available pool of labor outside the union that’s probably at some point in their career worked in some of these jobs, worked their way up,” he said. “It’s not going to cover everything, but the hope is that you can cover enough that operations are not completely disrupted.” That's the hope, certainly, but we can't help wondering how many executives worked their way up from making beds and cleaning toilets and how many will work their way back down to it. The attorney also suggested that "employers may be more prepared than ever before, because they practiced how to operate on skeleton crews during the pandemic." Again, we're curious how people paying $800 per night for a normally $80 hotel room next week will feel about being attended to by a skeleton crew.
Schools Over Stadiums, the political action committee for the Nevada State Education Association, the teachers union, was in District Court in Carson City yesterday to try to protect a referendum it wants to appear on the 2024 ballot, in which state voters would approve or deny up to $380 million in public funding earmarked by the legislature for the Oakland A's new baseball stadium planned for the grounds of the Tropicana. The lawsuit was filed by proponents of the stadium, including three unions and business interests. The judge, in an initial ruling, rejected the language of the referendum, stating that it doesn't include the full text as mandated by the Nevada Constitution. The committee is expected to rephrase and resubmit the referendum. The committee would have to gather at least 103,000 signatures (10% of voters statewide) by July for the referendum to be included on next year's ballot. Then a simple majority of voters could overturn the stadium-funding law.
The Los Angeles Chargers are -3 favorites over the New York Jets in tonight's Monday Night Football game. The total is 41.
British rocker Rod Stewart launched his residency at Caesars Palace in 2011 and after 13 years is calling it quits. “Rod Stewart – The Hits” will conclude with the performer's 200th show next summer. The final dates that have just been added are July 24, 26, 27, and 31 and Aug. 2, 3, and 7. Tickets go on sale Friday at 10 a.m. PT. A few tickets also remain for Stewart's dates this month: Nov. 10, 11, 15, 17, 18, and 22 (though we don't recommend coming to Vegas for the last four shows during the height of the FU F1 misery).
Though the adverb is off by about a year, title of an article in yesterday's Wall Street Journal sums it up: "Why Now Is Suddenly a Bad Time to Visit Las Vegas." Nothing sudden about it, but even the normally sanguine WSJ is jumping off the Formula 1 bandwagon. "Braving traffic on the Strip might be the riskiest bet a person can make in Sin City these days," the story starts, then goes on to call getting around Las Vegas "an exercise in patience," with visitors complaining and locals worried that all the hassles will become an annual event. Indeed, in this month's LVA, Anthony wonders if, by the time all the temporary structures are removed, it'll be time to start putting them up again. The article makes mention of other problems, namely the cyberattacks and potential union walk out, then offers a line of Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority spin: "That marketing internationally is just really invaluable.” But the piece ends on a distinct down note, quoting a visitor who said about the race preparations, "I definitely do feel like it took away from the experience overall.”
The Cincinnati Bengals are -2.5 favorites over the Buffalo Bills in tonight’s Sunday Night Football game. The total is 50.5.
The Stanley Cup champion Vegas Golden Knights shut out the Colorado Avalanche 7-0 in their home game last night, bringing their record this season to 11-0-1. They've yet to lose a game in regulation, the only team in the league to remain undefeated outside of overtime. The Avalanche 2022's Stanley Cup winners, were 7-0 before losing three straight games to shutouts. Captain Mark Stone had two shorthanded goals, the first VGK ever to do so; the second was his 200th career goal. Jack Eichel and William Karlson also scored two goals. Goaltender Adin Hill saved 41 shots for his sixth career shutout. And speaking of sports, Anthony and Deke are at the Raiders game today.
This is an excellent video that shows all the temporary construction on the Strip for the race. Not only does it take you on a narrated walking tour of the entire circuit, but it has a map of the track with a big red arrow to show you where you are along it in the video. Never has there been such a transformation of Las Vegas -- and it's all temporary. Until next year. Click and rejoice in all the preparations for the entertainment of the 1%.
Don’t forget to move your clocks back an hour off of daylight saving time. The football schedules today will run according to the adjusted time, so you get an extra hour to get your bets in.
The Venetian/Palazzo have announced a new/old smoking policy for its table games. The casinos banned smoking at the tables in 2020 as part of the statewide mask mandate over COVID. But starting on Monday, table-game players will be allowed to smoke cigarettes, cigars, and vape products at the tables again. Any unoccupied table can become smoke-free at the request of the first player to sit down, though if the tables on either side have smokers, the benefits, if any, are marginal. No laws or regulations ban smoking in casinos in Nevada; only one, Park MGM, is completely smoke-free.
A story on Motorsport.com describes the Las Vegas race circuit as "limited to [the city's] densely built grid system, made up of a collection of long straights connected by hairpins, slow 90-degree corners and chicanes, with the only high-speed corners expected to be easily taken flat-out." (A chicane is an artificial narrowing or turn on a road or auto-racing course.) According to Max Verstappen, the Belgian/Dutch/Red Bull race driver who won the 2021, 2022, and 2023 Formula One World Championships, "If you look at the layout of the track, we are there more for the show than the racing itself." He also said that the race is less about the "spectacle" than "the potential partners and the whole thing around it," which we interpret as the money and raising the profile of the sport. Another driver, Thai/British Alex Albon, however, expressed a little more enthusiasm to Motorsport: "It's a simple circuit in terms of layout, quite easy to learn. The track is interesting, with a few combined corners. One thing which will be interesting is the roughness and the bumps of the track; how well of a job have they done on that? And there are a lot of opportunities for overtaking (a move by one car limiting the turning mobility of another). The straights are absolutely massive."
The hard-rock and heavy-metal German band Scorpions is returning to Las Vegas for a second residency at the Bakkt Theater at Planet Hollywood. The Scorpions played nine shows, all sold out, in Vegas in March and April 2022 and will put on another nine shows to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the band's classic album Love at First Sting (with the hits "Rock You Like a Hurricane," "Still Loving You," and "Big City Nights"). The dates are April:11, 13, 18, 20, 24, 26, and 28; and May 1 and 3. General-public tickets go on sale next Thursday.
Due to street closures and detours, plus an unusual amount of traffic, during the Las Vegas Grand Prix, Reid International has issued instructions for everyone flying in and/or out of Las Vegas over F1 weekend. The airport is calling it the "4-3-2-1 Plan": Plan to drop off your rental car or be picked up for your trip to the airport (4 hours early); have your bags checked (three hours); get in line at security (two hours); be at your gate (one hour). Also, the airport warns that taxis and rideshares will be in high demand, so also plan accordingly for that. And if you happen to be flying in, "transient general aviation aircraft" must receive prior permission (via the PPR program) for landing at and taking off from all three southern Nevada airports: Reid International, Henderson Executive, and North Las Vegas Airport. PPR will be in effect November 9-21.
At 9 a.m. this morning Eastern time, Maine became the 35th state, plus Washington, D.C., where residents can make sports bets. Sports betting was legalized in August 2022, but the rollout was purposefully slow. Maine's four federally recognized tribes have exclusive licenses to run mobile sports betting apps. Caesars Sportsbook will operate its app on behalf of a tribe and DraftKings has an "agreement in principle" with another. Maine's two brick-and-mortar tribal casinos can also accept sports bets.
Upwards of 35,000 Culinary Union members are preparing to walk off their jobs on Friday November 10 if agreements aren't finalized with MGM, Caesars, and Wynn. The workers have been without contracts since April and negotiations have dragged on since May. With the FU F1 festivities starting five days later, negotiations could come down to the wire; any disruption to the Las Vegas Grand Prix would be a serious hardship, but a general strike would be disastrous.
The Pittsburgh Steelers are -3 favorites over the Tennessee Titans in tonight's Thursday Night Football game. The total is 36.5.
We’re shooting an episode of our “Beers with Anthony and Andrew” YouTube series live at the Downtown Grand today. The shoot will begin around 2 pm in the area in front of the sports book. Come have some beers with the boys.
At yesterday's Gaming Control Board meeting, in which the Board recommended licensing for Fontainebleau, a representative from the Teamsters Union local warned that the new resort could face a labor dispute when it opens. During the public-comment portion of the agenda item, the union business rep noted that Fontainebleau Development has entered into an agreement with the Culinary Union, but claimed, "There were initial communications with Fontainebleau Development, but they’ve been completely unresponsive for months, despite repeated attempts to continue discussions on our part. Without such an agreement, there will be a labor dispute at the Fontainebleau, including picket lines on opening day and continuing afterward. Given our decade-long relationship with the Culinary Union, we expect they will honor our picket line.” She also mentioned the company's plan to connect Fontainebleau to the Las Vegas Convention Center, whose employees are represented by the Teamsters. The Board, apparently, was unimpressed; the members didn't address the issue.
As mentioned in this month's Advisor, plastic screening has been installed on the pedestrian walkways over the Strip. Is it so that the plebians who don't want to pay $2,000 for a seat in a grandstand can't get a freebie from the overpasses? That's the way it looked, but a story in this morning's Las Vegas Review-Journal reports that the view blockers were "requested by the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department." Well, whoever put them up and for whatever reason, apparently some pedestrians are taking exception to screens and some are being ripped down. It's not often that we see this kind of "people's protest" in Las Vegas, but the grass-roots anger over the long-term inconveniences from this race for the rich is, obviously, starting to manifest.
The Texas Rangers and Arizona Diamondbacks are pick ’em in Game 5 of the MLB World Series. The total is 8.5.
The Las Vegas Raiders made a lot of changes in the offseason in an attempt to improve on last year's dismal performance (six wins, 11 losses, including seven out of nine on the road and four of eight at home). So far, the changes haven't worked; the team is 3-5 this year, including an embarrassing loss to the Chicago Bears (30-12), a team that was 1-5 at the time, and a rout by the Detroit Lions on Monday Night Football this week. Last night, it was announced that the team has relieved both the head coach, Josh Daniels, and the general manager, Dave Ziegler, of their duties. Daniels is the first head coach to be fired this year, halfway through his second season with the Raiders (9-16 during his tenure). Too bad. We would've liked to see the Raiders make a run for the Super Bowl, scheduled for the team's home field in February (and we would've like to see a solid team paly the game we're going to this Sunday against the New York Giants). The linebacker coach has been named interim head coach.
Nevada's largest botanical cactus garden, decorated with over a million Christmas lights and holiday decor, returns to Ethel M's Holiday Garden starting Friday night. It'll be open 5-10 p.m. through New Year's Eve and for the first time since the pandemic, no reservations are required. Pictures with Santa, a complimentary four-ounce cup of our hot chocolate (5-7 p.m.), food truck, and raffle prizes are all included this weekend.
Traditionally, the month of November puts high temperatures in the 90s in the rear-view mirror; the record high for the month is 87 (November 1, 1988). But it can definitely get down to the chilly side; the record low is 16 (Nov. 13, 1938). The normal high/low temperatures start out at 73/52 in the beginning of the month and drop steadily to 60/41 at the end. It's typically a dry month, with average rainfall of just under a half-inch over three or four days.