First off, let me just say it’s good to be “back”.
I put "back" in quotations because I never actually left the City of Las Vegas, but I did step aside from covering the local sports scene to cover (primarily) hoops nationally for organizations such as Ballislife and Field Level Media. That work and those employers are still very much a part of my life, but in recent weeks I haven’t been able to shake the ever-present urge in my spirit to opine on what’s happening in the Las Vegas sports scene.
Thankfully, Arash and The Sporting Tribune, who have become family over the years, have always left the door open for me to come waltzing back in with my black book of hot takes. Upon seeing the angst and general degradation of hope that has stricken my alma mater UNLV’s football program after a disastrous loss to Wyoming on Saturday, I’m not even entering through the door. I’m barging through the walls, Kool-Aid Man style.
Before we get started, however, let’s explain a couple of things.
What I’m not doing with these columns is reporting. I’m not going to have the latest scoop or signing, and any speculation I make on a player transaction, coaching hire, or rumor mill subject is exactly that. TST has an outstanding team of reporters on the ground in Las Vegas who are at every game, practice, and press conference and have all of these scoops. Go to them for the news. Come to me when you want to read some nonsensical ranting about it.
To expand on that, the vast majority of these columns won’t be written from a press box. As much as I love being on that side of things, a big reason why I wanted to pursue other avenues of sports journalism was because I was kind of getting bored of it. Throughout the last year, some of the most fulfilling work I’ve done is provide boots-on-the-ground coverage of the 1v1 streetball scene, where instead of being escorted to a postgame press conference or locker room scrum, I have to make my way through crowds of hundreds of courtside fans to get impromptu interviews and content. In a way, I feel more comfortable in that chaos.
My hope is to incorporate some of that here. Whether it’s going to a Raider Nation tailgate, a sold-out Aces game, or the campgrounds at the Speedway during NASCAR weekend, the purpose is to get a true pulse on where the Vegas sports community is. I want more perspectives than just the few players teams roll out for media availability each week.
What I’ve noticed in the time I’ve been away from the press box, both locally and nationally, is a steepening disconnect between credentialed reporters and the fans consuming their content. A big reason for that is that press conferences have increasingly become showcases for content creators instead of a forum to get answers about the team, and because of that, players and coaches are less willing to speak candidly. People covering the team earnestly don’t get the answers they need, and fans don’t get the explanations they long for. It’s a self-fulfilling prophecy.
I also think the rigidity of old sports journalism standards isn’t exactly helping bridge these gaps. At the end of the day, if you dedicate your life to writing about sports, you love sports. You’re a fan. When I covered UNLV sports, which I have a genuine emotional attachment to, I found it incredibly challenging to hide my bias and look at things level-headed and objectively. Every time the Rebels fell short against Boise State, I imagine I looked like the Warheads candy logo trying to keep expletives out of my game stories. Rest assured, my head will be far from level in these conversations.
And anyway, you know what happens when people don’t get the explanations they need? Speculation. Predictions. We’ll have plenty. I also want to hear the most unhinged theories, rants, and musings all of you passionate Vegas sports fans have about the teams in this city. If you disagree with me, please call me out on Twitter and tell me just how wrong I am. Just be warned, the response might come in the next column.
And Dan Mullen, don’t let the door hit you on the way out, buddy.