Success for Las Vegas’ sports teams includes connecting to community
A hockey fan wearing gear from the opposing team waits in line at the Golden Knights team store at T-mobile Arena on the Strip. He is waiting to buy Vegas apparel — a scenario that played out repeatedly during the franchise’s maiden season.
“One of my favorite things is seeing a fan in a Red Wings jersey standing in line to buy a Golden Knights jersey,” said Kerry Bubolz, the Golden Knights’ president. “That happened at just about every single game.”
The team’s massive first-year success, everything from standing-room-only crowds for practice to finishing with the best record for an expansion team in any major sport, shows Las Vegas and professional sports are a good match.
That was one of the messages during a panel discussion last week featuring the area’s sports executives organized by the Latin Chamber of Commerce.
In addition to Bubolz, panelists at the event at Nevada State College in Henderson included Marc Badain, president of the Oakland Raiders; Rushia Brown, player programs and franchise development manager for the WNBA’S Las Vegas Aces; Chuck Johnson, general manager and vice president of marketing for the Las Vegas 51s; Brett Lashbrook, owner of the Las Vegas Lights FC; and Jeff Motley, vice president of public relations for the Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
Before major professional sports arrived with the Golden Knights, one concern was potential distractions for a team in a 24-hour town. When Vegas started winning games early in the season, some credited it to the “Vegas flu,” or the visiting team getting caught up enjoying the Las Vegas nightlife.
“We enjoy the narrative around it with the national media, and I think there were other visiting teams that actually thought it was the reason why they didn’t play so well when the played us,” Bubolz said. “If that was their mindset and the
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