Monthly Archives: June 2021

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How to participate in Juneteenth this weekend in Las Vegas - FOX5 Las Vegas

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Yannick Ngakoue has said all the right things since being signed by the Las Vegas Raiders, and Raider Nation should be as excited as he is that he is here.

Needing help in the pass rush, the Las Vegas Raiders made a play for edge rusher Yannick Ngakoue in free agency, signing a player in free agency that fixes a major issue on this roster. The defense as a whole was atrocious last season, ranked in the bottom three in the NFL, so it was obvious that the franchise would target that side of the ball this offseason.

Target the defense they did, bringing in talent via free agency, and spending five of their seven draft picks on that side of the ball. That gives new defensive coordinator Gus Bradley a ton of talent to work with, and in Ngakoue, they get a player who significantly upgrades them at a position of need.

However, one member of the media, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports actually felt the Ngakoue signing was the worst in the NFL this offseason. That take is just laughable, as Ngakoue is back with the person who drafted him in Gus Bradley, and joins a defense that needed playmakers, making him a perfect fit.

Ngakoue even recently stated that he and Crosby are the best pass-rushing duo in the NFL, which should get the fan base fired up as well. It is good to see players coming in and putting on the jersey and feel pride about being a Raider, something that should spill over into the field of play.

For a team that notched only 21 sacks as a unit in 2021, the addition of Ngakoue is a monster one, and his impact is going to be felt on all three levels of the defense.

The bottom line is, Ngakoue can get after the quarterback, and his presence is going to be felt way more than just what kind of statistics he puts up in 2021. He was brought in to cure a real problem on this defense, and fans should be just as excited that he is here, as he is that he is putting on the Silver and Black.

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Get as excited about Yannick Ngakoue as he is about the Las Vegas Raiders - Just Blog Baby

At its peak in 2006, the Las Vegas Strip generated $569 million in monthly gambling revenue and the region's casinos had never been healthier. But a wave of expansion and a pandemic in 2020 left the region in dire straits. In 2020, Las Vegas averaged just $311.1 million in monthly gambling revenue and for a period of time, the entire strip was shut down.

Casino stocks adjusted by raising money and cutting costs, but for more than a year the question for investors has been, how long will the recovery in Las Vegas take? Companies have been hinting that by fall 2021 business should return to a more "normal" level, but we're seeing a jump in gambling activity already. In April, the Las Vegas Strip reported $483.4 million in gambling revenue and it's likely that will continue to rise as COVID-19 infection numbers fall and vaccination rates rise. Las Vegas may already be back and could be better than ever by the end of the year.

Image source: Getty Images.

The recovery in Las Vegas is impressive, but it hasn't been even. Corporate customers, who drive weekday stays, have not returned in any meaningful way, but weekend consumers have come back quickly. In early May, Caesars Entertainment (NASDAQ:CZR)COO Anthony Carano said the Las Vegas Strip was sold out on the weekend for the foreseeable future.

It will likely take much more time for the weekday business to return. Conventions and business travel is normally planned months, or even years, in advance, so we likely won't see the full recovery of Las Vegas group stays until late in 2021 or into 2022.

Carano said that Caesars could have better convention and group business in the future than it did in 2019, saying, "Group and convention room nights on the books for the second half of '21 versus '19, are currently pacing up approximately 20%, and we're seeing good rate growth as well. 2022 group revenue on the books is pacing up approximately 15%."

Wynn Resorts (NASDAQ:WYNN) CEO Matt Maddox had similar thoughts on his conference call, "the back half of '21 looks good, '22 is really strong." MGM Resorts (NYSE:MGM) CEO Bill Hornbuckle was more muted, saying, "With the larger groups expected to return at scale in '22, our business in '22 and '23 is on pace with pre-COVID levels."

There's a partial recovery today with weekends performing well but weekdays are still struggling. Based on management's comments, the weekday business could be extremely healthy by late 2021.

What's wild is to think that Las Vegas could actually be better off post-pandemic than it was in 2019. But that could happen, and bullish management comments indicate they expect a strong recovery.

It's hard to project revenue and EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization), a proxy for cash flow from casinos, in Las Vegas, but we can get an idea of demand by looking at room rates. I'll use Wynn Las Vegas as an example of where it seems room rates are headed.

In 2019, Wynn Resorts' average daily room rate (ADR) was $269 per night. That fell to $235 in 2020, although revenue per available room was only $70. But looking at Wynn's booking calendar, rates are exploding.

Casino companies don't give out rooms booked for future dates or rates, but we can get an idea of the booking trends based simply on their booking sites. For a weekday in July (Monday thru Thursday), rates for a standard king room at Wynn Las Vegas range from $159 to $399 per night. Weekend nights (Friday thru Sunday), which remember are in high demand, range from $254 to $719 per night. If we look out to September, weekday rates range from $319 to $509 per night and weekends are $339 to $899 per night, with nearly half of weekend nights currently priced over $800. There are also six nights in September that are completely unavailable at Wynn.

This isn't a perfect proxy for demand, and prices can depend on events and the time before a booking, but the direction of rates seems clear. The trend to higher room rates bolsters management comments that demand is extremely high later in 2021, and it's possible that room rates could exceed 2019 highs by later this year. That could translate to better revenue and profitability as well.

Is it too late to get into casino stocks? The three biggest publicly traded operators in Las Vegas have actually done well for investors over the last three years. Only Wynn Resorts is down, and that's partly driven by the decline in Macau, where the company generates most of its revenue.

WYNN data by YCharts

I do think casino stocks will continue to do well as the economy recovers and people flock back to Las Vegas. There's likely to be high demand for entertainment and conventions over the next few years as consumers and businesses reconnect.

As a bonus, we could also see casino companies reinstate or increase dividends once cash flow starts flowing again. Casinos are actually built to be great dividend stocks because casinos require high upfront costs but generate cash for decades. And if revenue is growing then there's more leftover for investors, just another reason to be bullish on Las Vegas over the next few years.

This article represents the opinion of the writer, who may disagree with the official recommendation position of a Motley Fool premium advisory service. Were motley! Questioning an investing thesis -- even one of our own -- helps us all think critically about investing and make decisions that help us become smarter, happier, and richer.

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The Las Vegas Strip Is Back and May Be Better Than Ever - The Motley Fool

A brutally hot stretch of weather forced the Raiders to alter their work schedule during mandatory minicamp. So there they were last week, before the crack of dawn, congregating at their Henderson headquarters as they raced to beat the heat with a pair of 7:30 a.m. practices to conclude an illuminating eight-week offseason program.

Bleary eyes notwithstanding, a foundation was laid over the past two months. The sturdiness of which will get tested next fall when the Raiders play what is generally considered among the 10 toughest schedules in the NFL.

As head coach Jon Gruden bid farewell to his players for the rest of the summer, a growing level of optimism and confidence flowed throughout the sprawling facility. Gruden publicly alluded to it when he declared expectations are rising.

There is a belief among these Raiders that they are capable of taking a big step forward, which leaves little room for the sort of excuse-making they used to explain away two straight second-half swoons.

A focused offseason resulted in talent upgrades and greater depth along the defensive line and secondary. An offensive line that struggled with availability and performance got younger and perhaps more athletic and powerful. More firepower was added to a top-10 caliber offense, and the growth of Henry Ruggs could lift that group to another level.

Gruden entrusted his defense to Gus Bradley, not just in scheme and messaging but as a significant voice in talent acquisition. A young core has a year under its belt and is coming off the first full offseason program in two years.

For the first time in years, the Raiders genuinely believe they have the talent in place to be real players in the AFC playoff chase.

Theres a certain level of championship effort we need to get to, Raiders quarterback Derek Carr said. Theres a certain level of championship finishing that we have to do. If we can do that, I believe the sky is the limit for us.

Here are five takeaways as the Raiders depart for their summer break.

Leatherwood seems to fit

The Raiders raised eyebrows with the selection of Alabama tackle Alex Leatherwood with the 17th pick in last Aprils draft. Only time will tell if they reached too far on the former Outland Trophy award winner or locked down the right tackle position for the foreseeable future.

At quick glance he looks like a fit for the Raiders zone-run scheme, which relies on athletic tackles motoring to spots to seal off defenders. Leatherwood looked athletic and explosive throughout OTAs. If that carries over to the regular season, the Raiders will be in a better position to create the punishing run game that is a staple of Grudens offense.

Arnette odd man out?

While the media didnt get to see the Raiders first-team offense and defense work together in 11-on-11 settings, the open portions of practice offered a curious look at Arnette, who seemed to do more observing than participating during drills.

Meanwhile, Arnettes name never came up in media updates with Gruden or Bradley, both of whom mentioned a bunch of defensive backs but conspicuously omitted Arnette, the 19th pick in last years draft.

The signing of veteran Casey Hayward put Arnette on notice that his grip on a starting job was loose, at best. And it appears Hayward has already ripped it away from the second-year corner from Ohio State.

While moving inside could be a possibility, Bradley mentioned Nevin Lawson and recent draft picks Nate Hobbs and Amik Robertson as more serious candidates for that job. Behind the scenes, there is skepticism Arnette could handle that position switch.

The rhetoric could be the Raiders way of motivating Arnette, but it looks like he has his work cut out for him to get back on solid footing with the coaching staff.

Linebacker depth uncertain

A big part of OTAs was the prolonged look Gruden and general manager Mike Mayock took of their roster ahead of training camp, and even casual observers could detect a level of uncertainty behind starting linebackers Cory Littleton, Nick Kwiatkoski and Nicholas Morrow.

The Raiders have hope that backups Tanner Muse, Javin White and Divine Deablo will be able to contribute. But among them, only White has appeared in an NFL game and of the 56 snaps hes played, 44 came on special teams.

The Raiders signed veteran Darron Lee this week to add some experience, but unless the youngsters prove in training camp they can be trusted, the Raiders might have to look outside the building again to beef up this group.

Ruggs ready to blossom?

The 12th pick in last years draft didnt deliver the individual numbers normally associated with that spot in the draft, and the Raiders sent Ruggs into the offseason with a lengthy list of items to focus on.

The regular season will ultimately reveal if he checked off all the boxes, but Ruggs looked bigger, stronger and more explosive during OTAs. His quarterback detected a much improved player.

The way hes running routes. Hes being violent in his cuts, Carr said. I think something clicked in his head.

That needs to carry over to the regular season, when it will be incumbent on the Raiders to use Ruggs more than they did last year when he was targeted just 43 times in the pass game and was featured only nine times on runs.

Rookies impress in secondary

Through free agency and the draft, the Raiders added six players that could end up playing significant snaps in the secondary. Hayward is the odds-on favorite to win one of the outside cornerback spots, and while veteran Nevin Lawson is the penciled-in starter in the slot, keep an eye on Hobbs, who has drawn praise from teammates and the coaching staff.

I feel like hes going to be really talented, veteran cornerback Trayvon Mullen said of Hobbs. He practices hard, he goes through his drills really well. I like the way he approaches practice.

Moehrig appears to be the frontrunner at free safety, but the Raiders are anxious to see the former TCU standout and Gillespie in pads before making a final determination. Both rookies could end up making impacts.

Contact Vincent Bonsignore at vbonsignore@reviewjournal.com. Follow @VinnyBonsignore on Twitter.

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With OTAs in the books, expectation level rises for Raiders - Las Vegas Review-Journal

Jim Headley/The White Mountain Independent via AP

In this Saturday, June 19, 2021, photo courtesy of The White Mountain Independent is a pickup truck which hit a group of cyclists in Show Low,Ariz.

Saturday, June 19, 2021 | 3:45 p.m.

SHOW LOW, Ariz. A driver in a pickup truck plowed into bicyclists during a community road race in Arizona on Saturday, critically injuring several riders before police chased the driver and shot him outside a nearby hardware store, authorities said.

Six people were taken to a hospital in critical condition after the crash in the mountain town of Show Low, about a three-hour drive northeast of Phoenix, police said. Helmets, shoes and crumpled and broken bicycles were strewn across the street after the crash, and a tire was wedged into the grill of the truck, which had damage to its top and sides and a bullet hole in a window.

Two other people went to a hospital themselves, city spokeswoman Grace Payne said, and one of the severely injured was later flown by medical helicopter to a Phoenix-area hospital.

The suspect, a 35-year-old man, also was hospitalized in critical but stable condition.

We dont know the motivation, Payne told The Associated Press. We know he fled the scene.

Police said a Ford pickup truck struck the bicyclists about 7:25 a.m. in downtown Show Low during the annual 58-mile (93-kilometer) Bike the Bluff race, then fled. Officers pursued the driver and tried to stop him before he was shot, authorities said.

Payne said the driver did not comply when officers tried to arrest him, but the circumstances of the shooting were not immediately released. Neither were the identities of the suspect and victims.

Officials said the race had 270 participants.

Our community is shocked at this incident and our hearts and prayers are with the injured and their families at this time, police spokeswoman Kristine Sleighter said in a statement.

The Navajo County sheriffs office and Arizona Department of Public Safety were helping investigate. U.S. 60, the main street in the town tucked in the White Mountains, was closed in the area.

In a separate incident in December, a truck plowed into a group of cyclists outside of Las Vegas, killing five and injuring four. The driver in that casewas sentenced this month to a minimum of 16 years in Nevada state prison for driving under the influence of methamphetamine causing death.

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Driver rams cyclists in Arizona race, critically injuring 6 - Las Vegas Sun

Published Saturday, June 19, 2021 | 8:12 p.m.

Updated 1 hour, 48 minutes ago

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) America's biggest swimming stars shined brightly on the next-to-last night of the Olympic trials.

Their only complaint? Both wanted to go a bit faster Saturday.

Caeleb Dressel added another event to his Tokyo program, powering to a dominating victory in the 100-meter butterfly.

Katie Ledecky blew away the field in the 800 freestyle, winning by more than 5 seconds in a race where the battle for second provided the only drama.

Ledecky locked up her fourth individual race at the Olympics with a time of 8 minutes, 14.62 seconds, adding to her victories in the 200, 400 and 1,500 free.

Leading right from the start, Ledecky was essentially racing herself. She started out under world-record pace but tailed off when it quickly became clear no one could beat her.

It's challenging, she said of being so far ahead of the field. Sometimes I feel like Im going faster than I am."

Ledecky finished more than 10 seconds off her world-record performance at the Rio Olympics.

It was a fine swim, she said. I thought Id be a lot better than that given how good my prelim swim felt.

Fifteen-year-old Katie Grimes outraced veteran Haley Anderson for the second spot at the Olympics, knocking more than 11 seconds off her personal best to touch second in 8:20.36.

Anderson, who already made the Olympic team in marathon swimming, just missed out on a race at the pool. She finished 15-hundredths of a second behind the youngster after a race covering 16 laps.

"Speechless," said Grimes, who races for a club in Nevada. I wasn't expecting that. I just wanted to finish it. I'm so honored to be in this meet, to be going to Tokyo."

In an interesting twist, Grimes is the same age as Ledecky was when she won her first Olympic gold with a surprising victory in the 800 free at the 2012 London Olympics.

To be able to be on the team with her, Grimes said, is gonna be awesome.

As with Ledecky, no one was even close to Dressel as he finished the fly in 49.87 just off his world record of 49.50 set two years ago at the world championships in Gwangju, South Korea.

No world records have been set through the first seven days of the U.S. trials. Dressel thought he had a shot in the fly.

I wouldve liked to have been faster to put on a little bit of a show for the crowd, he said.

No complaints, though.

This meet has gone as according to plan as it could have, he said.

Tom Shields claimed the second spot on the U.S. team by touching next in 51.19. Shields was an Olympian in 2016, taking gold as part of the 4x100 medley relay.

Dressel, who had already made the Olympic team with a victory in the 100 freestyle, made it 2-for-2 on the night when he returned a short time later to win his heat in the semifinals of the 50 free.

Dressel is hoping to swim three individuals events in Tokyo and perhaps all four relays, giving him a shot at joining Michael Phelps, Mark Spitz and Matt Biondi as the only swimmers to win seven swimming medals at the Olympics.

At the last world championships, Dressel became only the second swimmer after Phelps to win eight medals at a major international competition. The 24-year-old Floridian claimed six golds and two silvers, though two of those were in non-Olympic events.

He said there's room for improvement in the 100 fly.

I was a little too excited coming home, he said. "I was a little sloppy at the end."

With Phelps now retired, the burden is on Dressel and Ledecky to step up at these pandemic-delayed Olympics.

Grimes wasn't the night's only surprise. Regan Smith, who has already won the 100 back, faded to third in the 200 back to miss out on a second individual event in Tokyo.

Rhyan White took the victory in 2:05.73, with 18-year-old Phoebe Bacon claiming the second spot in 2:06.46.

Smith finished third in 2:06.79, more than 3 seconds off her personal best.

White and Bacon are both headed to the Olympics for the first time.

Two Olympic veterans bounced back from disappointing performances to keep their Tokyo hopes alive.

Simone Manuel, who revealed that she was diagnosed with overtraining syndrome after failing to advance from the semifinals of the 100 free, moved on to the final of the 50 free with the third-fastest time (24.50).

Im just trying to race as best as I possibly can with whatever my body has, Manuel said. Im a person that fights to the end. I'll never know what the 50 is going to be if I dont go out there and give it a try.

Nathan Adrian is facing the same predicament in the mens 50 free after failing to qualify in the 100.

The eight-time Olympic medalist was third-fastest in the semifinals at 21.78, trailing only Dressel (21.51) and Michael Andrew (21.55).

Adrian must finish in the top two in Sunday final to make his fourth Olympic team.

The first Black woman to win an individual gold medal in swimming, Manuel wont get a chance to defend her historic title in the 100. But revealing her health and mental struggles relieved some of the pressure she was feeling coming into the trials.

Ive gotten a lot of nice messages and responses from people, Manuel said. It makes me think that Im not alone.

She added, I just want to see whatever Ive got. I want to walk away with my head held high after this meet.

Abbey Weitzeil was fastest in the women's 50 free, posting a personal best of 24.27 to take the top seed into the final. She already won the 100 free at these trials.

I'm super excited. I havent done a best time since 2015, the 24-year-old Californian said. I was really shocked when I saw the screen, but I cant let my guard down.

___

Follow Paul Newberry on Twitter at https://twitter.com/pnewberry1963 and his work can be found at https://apnews.com/search/paulnewberry

___

More AP Olympic coverage: https://www.apnews.com/OlympicGames and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

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Night of the stars: Dressel, Ledecky keep winning at trials - Las Vegas Sun