Monthly Archives: January 2021

LAS VEGAS (KTNV) Las Vegas had a memorable year of weather in 2020. We endured a historic stretch of dry weather for much of the year, as well as one of the warmest years in our 83 years of weather records.

HISTORIC DRY STRETCH

Let's start with the rain, or lack thereof, in 2020.

Between April 21 and December 16, a stretch of 240 days, there was no measurable rain (0.01" or more) at McCarran. This shattered the old record of 150 dry days, set back in 1959.

LOOKING BACK: Rain officially reported in Las Vegas, halts record-breaking dry streak

There were only 18 days with measurable rain all year, for a total of 2.35" of precipitation in 2020, which is just 56% of our annual average of 4.19". Talk about a big contrast from the 6.87" we picked up in 2019.

For context, the wettest year in Las Vegas was 1941 when we picked up 10.72" across 52 days of measurable precipitation (consequently, 1941 is also our coldest year on record).

The driest year Las Vegas has seen since 1937 (when records began) was 0.56" in 1953, so it has been worse in the past.

TURNING UP THE HEAT

Due to the lack of monsoon humidity, clouds, and downpours this summer, the heat dominated the forecast. Triple-digit heat occurred at McCarran at least once a month between May and October.

There were a total of 97 days at or above 100 this year, which is just behind 1947's record of 100 days at or above 100, and far beyond the 1981-2010 average of 70 days at or above 100.

LOOKING BACK: Las Vegas to see above-average temps on Election Day

The hottest temperature measured at McCarran this year was 114, which happened once in August and once in September.

While we're at it, the coldest temperature recorded this year was 31 in February. The average temperature this year was 71.5, good for the fifth hottest year on record (records go back to 1937).

It's interesting to note that the ten hottest years in our weather history have occurred since 2003.

WHAT TO EXPECT

What do we expect as the calendar flips to January of 2021?

A La Nina pattern of cooler than average ocean temperatures in the equatorial Pacific Ocean usually means temperatures that are a bit above-average and precipitation that's decidedly below-average here in Las Vegas.

While it only takes one storm system to deliver a heavy rain event to the Desert Southwest, the overall impression for the first couple months of the new year will be for dry conditions to prevail.

Originally posted here:

Year in Review: 2020 was memorable year for Las Vegas area weather - KTNV Las Vegas

Its been a doozy of a year for us all, and thats especially true for the local arts community, which faced the outright cancellation of live entertainment in 2020. But the arts are all about resilience, finding hope and weaving gold from the most plague-infested straw. So we asked notables from Las Vegas creative community to share their thoughts and New Years Resolutions for 2021. Heres to better times!

Performing Arts

The outsider spirit drives circus and comedy. Its not just resilience. Its an anti-fragile ethos. Struggle makes it stronger. The hunger of the artist and the hunger of the crowd will fuel shows and art with burning energy in 2021. David J. Foster, comedy & circus producer

My word and intention for 2021 is to elevate. When I think of that word, it gets me hype[d] and excited about the things I want to do in my life. It reminds me of my worth, and it holds me accountable to maintaining a standard of actions and mindset that are necessary to achieve the big things I want for my life. Destiny Faith, actress & producer

Coming into 2021, I wish our entertainment communityfrom the Strips shows to the Smith Center to Downtown and community theatercan return to live performance once again. As for me, my resolution is to look beyond what Ive considered theater and expand my skill set to explore outside the box. Anita Bean Sande, performer

I resolve to face 2021 with a new appreciation for being in the moment and to live in a state of gratitude. During these nine months, I have realized that I took so much for granted. It becomes crystal clear that I have lived my life rushing through every moment, always on the precipice of the next production or project. Always on the go and working months in advance meant little time for reflection and celebration of accomplishments. Then suddenly it all stopped. Nothing to do nothing, but to be in the moment. Therefore, I resolve to maintain what I have learned about being in the now: in the moment. And I am resolute to live in a state of gratitude. In all of this time of uncertainty, the one thing that has remained constant is the support of this community of artists. I am supremely grateful to be part of this astounding the Las Vegas arts communitywith its amazing people. The arts will survive this time, and we will be required to be stronger than we were before. Norma Saldivar, Chair, UNLV Department of Theatre & Executive Director, Nevada Conservatory Theatre

My resolution is to be more considerate, less wasteful and to stop making excuses to be less than I accept from others. Colin Cahill, performer in Atomic Saloon Show & comedy duo Mak and the Cheese & co-owner of Fly Fearless Yoga

We are hopeful for an end to the pandemic and a return to in-person performances and to have the support to be able to remain operating until that day comes. Our resolution is to continue to find ways to bring theater to the community, if only a limited basis for now. Walter Niejadlik, President of Las Vegas Little Theatre

Im incredibly proud of the groundbreaking work The LABLV created this year and honored to work with the brilliant artists of Las Vegas. As challenging as 2020 was, it brought the Vegas community of producers (over 40 organizations) together to form the Producers Alliance of Southern Nevada, PALSNV. Im excited to continue to connect and create more opportunities for our incredible community through the arts. Kate St-Pierre, Artistic Director of the LAB LV & President PALSNV

If nothing else, 2020 taught me that any long-range season planning is hubristic at best. So my resolution for 2021 is to take everything a day at a time. This encourages me to appreciate the small moments that really make up the backbone of a life. Troy Heard, artistic director of Majestic Repertory Theatre

Literary Arts

2020 felt like our chrysalis year. With the Strip and Downtown stages going dark, so many of us performers felt lost in a quarantine cocoon. For 2021, I want to emerge from the darkness better than before. I want to see the world differently. No fear, only excitement and a playful anticipation of what is to come, like a butterfly beating its wings for the first time. I want to fly again, connect again. I want to love more. And I want hugs, lots and lots of hugs. Ashley Vargas (MsAyeVee), teaching artist & Program Director for Poetry Promise Inc.

I resolve to take my time, to rest often. Vogue Robinson, poet

For writers, seclusion and making word count are often synonymous. We are not in the clear with COVID, so Im leaning into writing. Not worrying about what Im missing, lamenting what I cant do or shaking my fist at 2020. Im just going to write sh*t, and write sh*t and write more sh*t in hopes someone will want to read it and it will mean something to them, which is the whole reason to do this work in the first place. I hope lots of other writers, aching to be heard and read, do the same. We need your words more than ever. Remember writers, seclusion can suck, but its also your superpower. Kim Foster, James Beard Award-winning food writer

Visual Art

2020 was a year for reflection and making moves toward a vision that decolonizes the arts and other marginalized communities. Culturally, when we look to strengthen our present community, we reflect seven generations back and plan seven generations ahead. So what have we learned from where we stand in 2020? We are reminded that there are still deep-seated inequities affecting our communities, and that two virusesCOVID and racismhave claimed the lives of many people we hold dear. We also have agency to push the narrative towards equality, social justice, healing and cultivating a stronger future for all through the arts in 2021. Fawn Douglas, Nuwu Art

In light of how fantastically awful 2020 was, the most pertinent words of resolve for the upcoming year come from Winston Churchill: If youre going through hell, keep going. JW Caldwell, artist and art handler

For myself this upcoming year is about connecting to the outskirts of the universal mind beyond the veil; creating more grand artworks and immersive experiences extracted from dreams that promote the deep feelings and celebration of the highest self. Watching my fellow art community colleagues adapt to these beautiful paths has been exceptionally delightful to witness. Las Vegas is continuing to enact its relevancy as a reflective monolith in the desert providing hope, dreams and new beginnings for many. Taking a moment to ponder and simply be in the moment is heavily needed this upcoming year. Vegas always finds a way to thrive, and as a community we stand strong together in our perseverance. The desert is always full of unsuspecting magic. The universe of love is just a fragment away, and the portal to activate it is within you and all of us together. Heather Hermann, Owner & operator of Metropa Studios, neo-noir artist, performer and immersive designer

Express gratitude and love, creativity and care. Nurture relationships that grew or have been fortified during the pandemic and through advocacy and organizing work with other artists. Continue to advocate for the arts/arts education in Las Vegas, and in particular, to help shine a light on the important role of artists and cultural institutions in our community and the critical work they do. Im looking forward to working with Justin Favela on Live in America, a live art festival in Northwest Arkansas where well have the pleasure of highlighting Las Vegas within a national context and to current and future collaborations with Desert Arts Action Coalition. Wendy Kveck, artist

As I approach 2021, there are undeniably moments of deep reflection about 2020 and an assessment of whether my goals have changed, as a human being, an artist, a business owner, or whatever. While it may be surprising to some, the only thing that has changed for me is the monumentally increased belief that arts and culture will restore the our cities, our communities, and our world, by bringing out the best of our humanity. My resolutionsor as I like to call them Re: Solutionsfocus on building upon my lifelong mission being of service to my community: through art, mentorship, through the nonprofits I founded or co-founded this past summer, through the exhibitions of local working artists I curate in the gallery, through art residencies in my working studio, etc. Nancy Good, artist & gallerist of Core Contemporary

My hope is to push myself to new realms in 2021 as a creator: to further hone the self discipline I developed in 2020 while prolifically producing new work. I am especially eager to reconnect and rekindle my relationship as a creator with the Las Vegas community. Kent Caldwell, sculptor & performer

Make more work. Thats my main concern in the new year after how destabilizing 2020 has been. While drawing and illustration have begun to take on a more prominent role in my work, Im most eager to revisit my painting practice after working as a studio artist for a company the past few years. I plan to re-examine themes about the body and mortality in my work while also engaging topics new to my oeuvre such as class issues, isolation and loss. Ideally Id like to connect with other artists working in similar themes and potentially curate an exhibition. Wendy Chambers, artist

For this year, my resolutions are simple: to study the resolutions you published [in 2019] and be inspired by them. And to continue to offer a high quality exhibition space for our outstanding local artists. Priscilla Fowler, gallerist & owner of Priscilla Fowler Gallery

Filmmaking & Music

While my vision of 2021 is drenched in an opaque fog, an unknowable territory, I hope to finish post-production on the film we shot during quarantine. The film is a coming-of-age-tale set in 1994 Las Vegas, and, save one brief cameo from Sean Astin, the film features an all-female cast. During the year we will also continue releasing music under our GC Records label. The first of many releases will kick off in January with Las Vegas rock/punk/folk act Lawn Mower Death Riders. Shahab Zargari, filmmaker & co-owner of GC Records

My resolutions: I would like to finish another two screenplays, produce another short film or two and go back to my roots and work on a theater production. Jeff Zampino, screenwriter

Res: let people know when I appreciate them and why, commit to buying an artists album if I listen to it more than once on a streaming service, encourage and inspire new artists to complete their projects and offer them assistance if they need it. Brian Garth, producer, sound engineer & singer/guitarist of Black Camaro

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Las Vegas creatives share their resolutions for 2021 - Las Vegas Weekly

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Looking ahead at what's coming to Las Vegas in 2021 - FOX5 Las Vegas

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) You can have the best seat in the house for the Las Vegas New Years Eve celebration and fireworks show safely from your home.

KLAS-TV, Channel 8 and 8NewsNow.com will be able to bring you the best views of the downtown fireworks show its the only fireworks exhibition happening in the Las Vegas tourist corridor and its taking place at the Plaza Hotel & Casino on Fremont Street.

The fireworks show will kick off when 8 News Now Weather Anchor Tedd Florendo launches the first fireworks at the stroke of midnight. Thats just one of the highlights in the 3.5 hour Las Vegas New Years Eve Countdown to 2021 special that begins at 8:58 p.m.

The show will be hosted from Circa which is the newest resort property in Las Vegas and just held its grand opening on Monday. The special will feature Las Vegas entertainment acts including the evenings musical host, Zowie Bowie, who is a six-time Best of Las Vegas winner. In fact, because no guests are allowed at the performance, you can only see it during the television special.

There will also be lots of celebrity greetings, and a live look at celebrations from around the country as the clock strikes midnight. The show will be broadcast across 13 West Coast television markets.

While the show will celebrate leaving behind 2020 and entering 2021, it will also focus on how you can help those who are facing difficult times due to the pandemic. There will be an opportunity for viewers to give back to local food banks by donating to theSouper Bowl of Caringwhich is a movement working across the nation to tackle hunger in local communities.

Since the organization started 30 years ago it has raised more than $163 million to feed the nations hungry. Any donation you make goes directly to a food bank in your community.

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Get the best view of the fireworks with Las Vegas New Years Countdown to 2021 show - KLAS - 8 News Now

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) Although there wont be the annual New Years Eve fireworks show on the Las Vegas Strip, there will be one in downtown Las Vegas from the rooftop of the Plaza Hotel & Casino.

8 News Now got a preview of the pyrotechnics that will welcome in 2021.

Nathan Tanner, the pyrotechnics director at the Plaza, explains how this fireworks show will be different that what is usually done on the Strip.

The things they usually use on the Strip is a 1.3 G explosive. Those type of shells have mortar shells, lift charges, more of an explosion.What we have here is closer to a 1.4 G class. Its a close proximity. We also throw in a lot of stage pyro too.

Tanner says revelers can expect a more immersive experience.

I like to make this a 360 display.Ill put the audience in the middle of the show.I like it where the audience is looking all around, instead of just sitting there looking in the distance.

The Plaza is the only Las Vegas resort property doing a fireworks show.

We definitely wish we werent the only show in town.Vegas isnt the same without its live talent. We are currently thinking about others like us who are ready to get back to work.For us, its about them, Tanner said.

8 News Now Weather Anchor Tedd Florendo will literally push the button to start the fireworks show.

The fireworks will go off at midnight and you can watch it live on KLAS-TV, Channel 8 and 8NewsNow.com in a special Las Vegas New Years Eve Countdown to 2021, which will be broadcast across 13 West Coast TV markets, showcasing Las Vegas entertainment acts, celebrity greetings, celebrations as the clock strikes midnight on the East Coast, Midwest, Rocky Mountains and West Coast. The show will start at 8:58 p.m. and go until 12:35 a.m.

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What to expect from Las Vegas downtown New Years Eve fireworks show - KLAS - 8 News Now

Its completely understandable if you didnt get out to see What You Mean to Me, the recent show by the Neon Museums 2020 National Artist in Residence Victor Ehikhamenor. (Its safe to assume that you had other things on your mind.) But youve got another opportunity to experience it, albeit virtually: The Museum has posted an interactive, 360-degree tour of Ehikhamenors show to its website, direct from its Ne10 Studio.

Having viewed the show two different ways nowin person and in my browser (though Im curious to see how it looks through a VR headset, another available option)I can say that the show has an emotional impact even at a distance. Ehikhamenor, a Nigerian-American artist whose creativity isnt confined to a single medium, faced several unusual challenges in mounting What You Mean to Menot least of which was coming back to Las Vegas, a city he has visited often and knows well, and finding nearly all of its familiar elements closed up or locked down. In an interview during the shows closing reception, Ehikhamenor said that a coronavirus-stricken Vegas was just one element casting a shadow across the art he made.

I have family friends here; Ive come here every single year since 2014. So, it's like a second city for me. I have never seen it this chill, you know? Ehikhamenor says. When you go to places like this or New York, you realize how much [COVID-19] has pushed things back. I feel sorry for the businesses, and I feel sorry for the workers, but we can't talk too much about the businesses when there's also a human carnage, you understand? People are really suffering.

Ehikhamenor felt great empathy both for those suffering from COVID-19 and for the businesses hobbled by the necessary shutdowns needed to control the virus. At the same time, there's a deeply polarized political fight going on, one he felt he needed to acknowledge through the work.

I came right on time to be able to voteflew from Nigeria [and] got to Maryland, because thats home for me. So, I was able to quickly vote, but I've never seen it that charged up. People were using people. I mean, you could be a Republican, could be Black, could be whitebut I realized that the entire country had been manipulated.

Immediately, he began work on Red State, Blue State, Black State, ETC. A loosely-draped, painted canvas that suggests the American flag and several African flags, covered in intricate black swirls; two stark lines of red and blue neon jut upward into the piece, angled toward each other as if in conflict. It depicts Americas internecine struggle with an empathy similar to that he feels for our citys virus-stricken and endangered businesses. And it does so through the use of neon elements, a medium he confesses hes come to love.

Im very much a tactile guy. I needed to explore the medium, and I couldn't have done that from afar, he says. The Neon Museum residency, he says, was a perfect opportunity to embed himself in neon; he drew pieces that were fabricated by local firm Hartlauer Signs, a collaboration he describes as pure human creativity and a lot of fun. That joy of discovery finds perfect expression in the all-neon piece "Harvesting Light and Fireflies With My Brother, a jigsaw puzzle-like panel of colorful neon shapes that begs to be replicated much, much larger. And considering the artists newfound enthusiasm, it might well be.

This is my first neon piece, but it wont be my last, Ehikhamenor says, grinning.

See the virtual tour of What You Mean to Me at neonmuseum.org.

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Virtually tour the 2020 Neon Museum artist in residence's show - Las Vegas Weekly

Josie Lepe / AP

San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan walks on the sideline during the second half of an NFL football game against the Arizona Cardinals in Santa Clara, Calif., Sunday, Sept. 13,2020.

By Case Keefer (contact)

Thursday, Dec. 31, 2020 | 2 a.m.

Insert cautionary tale or warning about betting the last week of the NFL regular season here.

I feel like I write some version of the same thing every year pertaining to Week 17, and the message is similar to one youll find in any other betting preview. But its for good reason.

Theres nothing trickier in football betting than handicapping the final full slate where the results of most games range somewhere from minor to meaningless in terms of significance. Some teams will go all out. Some teams will exert minimal effort throughout. Some teams will switch their approach midway through.

And its not so simple figuring out which sides fall into which boxes.

Taking it easy at the betting window might be the smartest advice for Week 17. Of course, thats not an option here as I continue on a season-long quest to pick every game.

Twenty-nine games are left including the playoffs with more than half of them on tap for Sunday so lets make the most of it.

Read below for picks on every Week 17 game, separated into three confidence categories and listed in rough order of confidence. Lines are the best currently available in Las Vegas on the chosen side. The record for the year stands at 124-109-7 after going 9-6-1 last week.

Plays (38-34-1)

New England Patriots -3 vs. New York Jets Sell high on the Jets. I cant believe I just typed those words either, but thats where we stand with a team once favored to go 0-16 now being priced with too much respect after winning two straight games.

New York Giants +2.5 vs. Dallas Cowboys The line on this game a week ago was New York -3.5, and a five-point swing is way too much for Dallas 37-17 win over Philadelphia. The Giants mostly neutralized the Cowboys in a 37-34 loss in their first meeting this season and that was with Dak Prescott playing more than half the game.

San Francisco 49ers +6 vs. Seattle Seahawks By raw EPA (expected points added), the Seahawks are the ninth best team in the NFL and the 49ers are 12th. In other words, theres less separating these teams than conventional wisdom indicates.

Minnesota Vikings -6.5 at Detroit Lions The Lions have been outscored by 61 points the last two weeks, and considering their injuries, have a real case to make as the worst team in the NFL at the moment. I cant pass up a chance to bet against them at less than a touchdown one last time.

New Orleans Saints -6.5 at Carolina Panthers The Saints already rank first in Football Outsiders DVOA, and now they might be peaking heading into the playoffs. Theyve outgained their last two opponents yes, including the Chiefs despite a 32-29 loss by nearly 1.5 yards per play since Drew Brees returned.

Leans (34-27-3)

Chicago Bears +5.5 vs. Green Bay Packers Despite three straight wins and covers, the market is still showing some hesitation with the Bears. Theres no such holdup with the Packers, which are hitting their power-rating peak after blowing out the Titans 40-14. That means its time to sell high, though preferably only if this spread hits 6 again.

Philadelphia Eagles +2.5 vs. Washington Football Team Philadelphia was a 4-point favorite on last weeks lookahead line and not even its elimination should account for this big of a shift. Jalen Hurts isnt a finished product at quarterback but hes still preferable to either Alex Smith or Taylor Heinicke.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers -6 vs. Atlanta Falcons If the Buccaneers plan to play everyone, then this line is at minimum 1.5 points too low. And Buccaneers coach Bruce Arians says he plans to play everyone, and its easy to believe him with the No. 5 seed and a game against the NFC East champion available to clinch.

Arizona Cardinals -2.5 at Los Angeles Rams This line implies a 7-point dropoff from injured Rams quarterback Jared Goff to the backup John Wolford. Im not so sure the change shouldnt be worth at least another half point considering Wolford was an undrafted afterthought and has never started an NFL game.

Guesses (52-48)

Los Angeles Chargers -3.5 vs. Kansas City Chiefs The Chiefs have committed to resting their starters. If the Chargers first string cant beat the Chiefs second string, then the organization is further behind in a rebuild than realized.

Miami Dolphins +2.5 at Buffalo Bills The Dolphins opened as a 1-point favorite, and considering that theres been no clarity on if the Bills will play their starters, the shift might have been unjustified. The Bills are a much stronger team, but the motivational aspects of this game with the Dolphins needing a win to reach the postseason couldnt be any more divergent.

Tennessee Titans -7 at Houston Texans Tennessee -7.5 is the correct number and thats where this line sits everywhere in the world except one place Treasure Island. Thats an important half-point that wont be around much longer.

Cleveland Browns -9 vs. Pittsburgh Steelers The Steelers are giving every indication that winning this game isnt a priority while the Browns will be going all-out to clinch a playoff spot by their own volition. Pittsburgh might have to be the pick at 10, but double digits are a necessity to entertain the idea and not all sports books are there yet.

Baltimore Ravens -11.5 vs. Cincinnati Bengals Backing Baltimore requires paying a bit of a premium, but its worth it for as well as its playing. I dont anticipate betting against the Ravens any time soon quite possibly not for the rest of the year.

Denver Broncos +2.5 vs. Las Vegas Raiders Both teams are beaten-up and reeling, making it hard to know what to expect. That makes this feel like more of a pickem and a game where I would take points with either side.

Jacksonville Jaguars +14 at Indianapolis Colts Im not comfortable laying a huge number with a somewhat underachieving Colts team. Given that Indianapolis must win, it might be the pick at any smaller number but the spread looks unlikely to budge.

Case Keefer can be reached at 702-948-2790 or [emailprotected]. Follow Case on Twitter at twitter.com/casekeefer.

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Vegas pick'em: NFL Week 17 winners against the spread - Las Vegas Sun

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Mike Mayock needs to continue to bolster the Raiders secondary. (Photo by Don Juan Moore/Getty Images)

The Las Vegas Raiders have a gifted but very young cornerback group, as the truth is theres a lot of potential there with the right coach. Depending on whos the defensive coordinator in 2021, the Silver and Black should target these cornerback prospects in April.

Fans might be dubious regarding the notion of drafting a cornerback, but the Raiders still need help at the position. In fact, the pass defense was putrid all year long, so addressing this position shouldnt be above reproach.

We all know that Trayvon Mullen is a promising young defensive back, but other than him, most of the Raiders corners wouldnt be starters on other teams. Again, though, I must emphasize the coaching aspect. Its entirely possible that this unit could potentially be special but Paul Guenther didnt know how to utilize these players.

Subpar tackling and missed assignment indicate that something just wasnt working.

Whether Rod Marinelli stays on permanently, or Jon Gruden hires an outsider, the team still needs depth at corner. There should be question marks surrounding Damon Arnette considering how much he struggled to stay on the field this year, and battling fans on social media should be the least of his concerns, so maturity should be a worry.

Isaiah Johnson could be more than serviceable but Gruden himself said he still has a ways to go. As you can see, the unit is anything but solidified. Throughout the upcoming NFL Draft, the Silver and Black will have the chance to add some noteworthy studs.

So who should the Raiders target at cornerback?

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Intriguing CB prospects the Las Vegas Raiders should eye in April - Just Blog Baby

Charlie Riedel / AP

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes throws a pass while being chased down by Atlanta Falcons Jacob Tuioti-Mariner during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 27, 2020, in KansasCity.

By Josh Dubow, Associated Press

Friday, Jan. 1, 2021 | 1 a.m.

After getting gashed by Cleveland for nearly 500 yards and six touchdowns and still coming out on top in a high-scoring, back-and-forth thriller, Baltimore star linebacker Matthew Judon summed it up well.

Thats how football is, man, he said after the Ravens won 47-42 on Dec. 14. You leave enough time (against) a good offense, and they go right back and score.

Thats NFL football in 2020, where no lead is safe, no point total high enough and offensive records are getting shattered weekly in whats on pace to be the most prolific scoring season in a century of pro football.

The reasons for the scoring spree are numerous. The virtual offseason made building defensive cohesion more difficult. The lack of fans in the stands made life easier on road quarterbacks. Rule changes that seemed to de-emphasize offensive holding, while cracking down on defensive pass interference only made scoring easier. Analytics friendly coaches were more aggressive than ever on fourth downs, creating short fields for defenses that managed to make a stop or gave offenses an extra chance at success.

It has all added up to teams averaging 24.7 points per game heading into Week 17, more than a point higher than the previous NFL record of 23.4 set in 2013 and even slightly ahead of the highest-scoring season in the wide-open AFL (24.5 ppg in 1961).

While all those factors conspired against defenses, Raiders quarterback Derek Carr prefers to look at it a different way.

I think we can all agree theres been a lot of good quarterback play this season, he said. You go around, you look at a lot of teams, you look at a lot of guys and youre like, wow, a lot of these teams that are scoring, well they have a quarterback that has been in the system a while or someone thats there guy or a young guy thats playing well, whatever it is. I think were seeing more of that.

While a quarterback crediting his fellow passers for the runaway scores may seem predictable, there is more than a bit of truth to the theory.

A league that struggled to find competent quarterbacks not too long ago is having a much easier time filling spots of late. With NFL teams adopting more of the spread concepts that have proliferated through the college game, rookies are more able to step right in and thrive, as evidenced by the Chargers Justin Herbert throwing a rookie record 28 TD passes this season.

Herbert is not alone, joined by others in the 25-and-under crowd like Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, Deshaun Watson, Lamar Jackson and Kyler Murray having nearly immediate success.

The increase in younger quarterbacks also means more mobile ones as the NFL has already shattered the record for QB running with 8,754 yards and 118 TDs. Thats more than 3,000 yards ahead the quarterback rushing total from 2010, the year before Cam Newton entered the NFL, and 38 TDs more than the next highest season, which was last year.

Theyve been given opportunities to do it early in their career, Raiders coach Jon Gruden said. The old school method was to let them sit for a year and watch. I think thats part of the reason. Secondly, a lot of these guys are very talented. Theyre way further along throwing the football, understanding how to attack defenses. They do it year-round. A lot of these guys have their own private, quarterback coach. So, theyre further along, I think, in terms of training and in terms of the overall passing game nowadays as opposed to 20, 25 years ago.

Quarterbacks are coming into the league more prepared, making it easier than ever to play young guys. Improved training and nutrition, coupled with fewer hits on quarterbacks, has helped older ones like Tom Brady, Drew Brees, Philip Rivers and Aaron Rodgers stick around at a high level, giving more teams quality options.

Of the 18 teams heading into Week 17 still in the playoff race, 13 are led by QBs who entered the season either 25 or younger or 37 or older. Quarterbacks across the league have posted a 93.7 passer rating, which is on pace to top the previous record of 92.9 set in 2018 and nearly 10 points higher than the mark of 84.1 a decade ago.

Heres a look at a few other notable facts and factors that explain the scoring spree:

Visiting quarterbacks are posting a higher passer rating this season than home ones with scoring almost identical (24.8 ppg at home, 24.6 for road teams). Those marks are similar to last season when fans were in the stands, but from 2014-18, home teams outscored road teams by 2.3 ppg and had a passer rating 3.9 points higher.

Teams have gone for it a record 617 times on fourth down, converting on 336 of them. That aggressiveness has led to only 1,781 punts, 378 fewer than last season with one week to go. There have been 173 TDs scored this season on drives that included a fourth-down conversion, up from 139 last year and 105 in 2017, when coach Doug Pedersons aggressiveness helped the Eagles win the Super Bowl.

There have been an NFL record 30 times that a team lost a game despite scoring at least 30 points, up from 16 all of last season. Many of those have happened in epic rallies. The 42 double-digit comebacks are the most through Week 16, and the nine times a team has won after trailing by at least 17 points is two shy of a record.

There have been 5.89 penalties per game against the offense, a drop of more than one per game from the previous low mark since 2000 of 6.95 in 2001. There have been nearly 300 fewer offensive holding penalties this season, while pass interference flags are up slightly.

Original post:

NFL on pace to set scoring record in 2020 season - Las Vegas Sun

By Pepper Trail

Friday, Jan. 1, 2021 | 2 a.m.

In Oregon, the Klamath Basin wildlife refuges have fallen into their winter silence. The huge, clamorous flocks of geese that fill the sky during migration have moved south.

This summer, a different silence gripped the Basin a dead silence. The 90,000 acres of marshes and open water that make up the Lower Klamath and Tule Lake National Wildlife Refuges are a small remnant of vast wetlands that once filled this region on the Oregon-California border.

With over 75% of those wetlands now converted to agriculture, the refuges are a last precious oasis for nesting waterfowl and other marsh birds. For this oasis to burst with life, it simply needs water. Sadly, nothing is simple about water in the Klamath Basin. And this summer, that led to tragedy.

All the water in the basin is promised to somebody and almost every year, far more is promised than is available. The protected wetlands of the national wildlife refuges come last on the list, and are chronically starved of water. In 2020, the situation was so critical that the Bureau of Reclamation, which controls the water, released three emergency allocations to the refuges, totaling 14,000 acre-feet. It was not enough, and compared with the 147,000 acre-feet received by irrigators, barely a drop in the bucket.

The resulting stagnant pools were perfect breeding grounds for bacteria that produce a botulism toxin deadly to birds (but harmless to humans). The toxin is taken up by aquatic invertebrates that filter-feed on the bacteria, and then reaches fatal concentrations in waterfowl and other birds that eat the invertebratesAfflicted birds lose muscle control. Unable to hold up their heads, poisoned ducks often drown in the water that should have given them life.

The Klamath refuges regularly suffer outbreaks of avian botulism in late summer, when the water is lowest. In a normal year, a few hundred birds might be brought in for treatment.

This summer, the outbreak was a conflagration. More than 3,000 poisoned birds were treated by the rehabilitation organization Bird Ally X. They were the lucky ones. Among rescued birds that survived the first 24 hours, over 80% could be released, a testimony to the tireless work of volunteers, the support of conservation organizations, and the expertise of Bird Ally X staff.

But most poisoned birds never made it to treatment. Field surveyors at the refuge gathered the bodies of about 20,000 dead birds, a number equivalent to the population of Klamath Falls, the regions largest city. The California Waterfowl Association estimates that at least three times that many died. So at least 60,000 dead birds. Dead mallards, with their emerald-green heads. Dead northern shovelers, with their comically enormous bills. Dead northern pintails, long-necked, long-tailed and elegant.

A host of seemingly legitimate claims on the Klamath Basins water exist: farmers whose roots in the region go back generations, tribes whose ties to endangered Klamath River salmon and Klamath Lake suckers stretch to time immemorial.

But older than any human claim, any human right, are the rights of the wild. How easily we forget that water is wild. We claim it, we fight over it, but we did not make it. The water of the Klamath Basin created a world of overflowing abundance, of lakes filled with suckers, a great river bursting with salmon, and also of marshlands filled with ducks and grebes and ibis and egrets. Our use, our heedless overuse, has almost destroyed that world.

There are glimmers of hope. The dams that choke the Klamath River may be finally nearing removal, to the great benefit of salmon. Over $6 million was recently made available to the wildlife refuges to lease additional water. But the comprehensive plan needed to assure a supply of water sufficient to prevent a recurrence of 2020s botulism tragedy remains elusive.

In my minds eye, I see the 60,000 dead birds gathered in a great poisoned pile, a pyramid of lost lives. The bodies are perfect and unmarked. The feathers are still beautiful. If the masters of the Klamath Basins water, all the contending parties, could be brought to stand before that awful sight, would they fall silent for a moment? Would their hearts soften? Can we, at least, agree that this must never happen again?

Pepper Trail is a contributor to Writers on the Range, writersontherange.com, a nonprofit dedicated to spurring lively conversation about the West. He is a conservation biologist and writer in Ashland, Ore.

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When water dries up, it can be deadly - Las Vegas Sun