Sunday News Round-up: Utah Mammoth Stomp VGK With Hockey Sweater Exchange Ploy; Lights Hawk Cheap Tickets; Raiders Use Vegas Showgirls At Draft Event
By Alan Snel, LVSportsBiz.com Publisher-Writer
LAS VEGAS, Nevada — Ah, Vegas Golden Knights, remember the good ol’ days in the inaugural season when fans were giddy and every marketing move turned to gold.
Well, the Utah Mammoth — in Year 2 — pulled a VGK-like move and welcomed 7,000 hockey fans who traded in their Golden Knights jersey for a new Mammoth sweater before Game 3 Friday.
Mammoth owner Ryan Smith drew national attention for his VGK-for-Mammoth jersey exchange, and the line of fans was a long one:
The Mammoth staffers dumped the VGK jersey trade-ins into a bin Friday. Game 4 is in Salt Lake City Monday with the Mammoth holding a 2-1 lead in the Best-of-7 first round matchup. Keep in mind the Golden Knights were also down, 2-1, to Minnesota in the first round a year ago and came back to win in seven.
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In Las Vegas’ cluttered sports team market, the Las Vegas Lights are trying to eke out a presence with cheap tickets and taco deals.
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The Vegas Golden Knights are not the only team that hires the Las Vegas showgirl for work. The showgirls are seen at every VGK game dancing behind the opposition’s net during warmups and the Las Vegas Raiders also hired two showgirls for a fan draft party at the Raiders’ practice facility in Henderson.
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Speaking of the Raiders, here is the official LVSportsBiz.com editorial position on their selection of 22-year-old Fernando Mendoza with the NFL’s first overall pick: “With the Raiders having two atrocious seasons in a row and so many visiting team fans attending games at Allegiant Stadium, Mendoza can definitely provide a marketing lift by instilling some stability and continuity in a franchise that has struggled to achieve an identity since relocating to Las Vegas in 2020. Maxx Crosby has been the face of the Raiders since the team moved here. But he’s not a quarterback. The person who occupies that position typically can add a tangible ‘face of the franchise.’ More than anything, Mendoza represents hope and a sense of renewal for a moribund franchise.”
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The A’s will not be in Las Vegas until 2028, but their presence here cannot be denied. They have planted roots with their high-tech welcome center in the southwest valley to job advertisements seeking candidates to do everything from overseeing IT to building the brand in this very competitive market.
Their Triple-A affiliate, the Aviators, even sell A’s garb in the team store at Las Vegas Ballpark in Downtown Summerlin.
PSA
