NFL News: Around the league in 32 plays
By Ben Almquist
It’s Friday, Addicts, and time for another weekly roundup of all the NFL news and rumors from around the league.
We’re officially in the doldrums of the NFL offseason as the news has slowed down considerably. That’s great news for players and coaches who get to take vacations with their families and friends, but terrible news for those of us needing our NFL fix.
More from Kansas City Chiefs News
- Former Chiefs cornerback in legal trouble in Las Vegas
- Chiefs news: Travis Kelce wants to host fan ‘chug-off’ in Germany
- KC Chiefs send Dave Merritt to NFL coaching accelerator
- Creed Humphrey lands on PFF’s Top 25 Under 25 list
- Tyreek Hill, Davante Adams prove themselves away from star quarterbacks
So, as expected, not a lot going on around the league this week. And I’m not one for the “Player X hopes to have better season” headlines. But there is still some stuff to talk about. And the big one this week involves the long standing rivalry between the Chiefs and the Raiders, as the latter seeks to move in on virgin territory (as it were) for NFL teams.
Lead Story: Raiders Get A New Ally In Bid To Move To Las Vegas
There is still considerable opposition to the idea of moving an NFL franchise to Las Vegas. Many within the league, as well as some owners, believe that moving a team to “Sin City” will open the doors for gambling to play a major role in how the league operates. However, a recent measure by the NHL may end up tearing down that opposition.
Despite its recent funding issues, the NHL has approved Las Vegas as the site for its 31st league franchise. Not only has it been approved, it’s been fast tracked as the league will hold an expansion draft next year and have the new team out on the ice competing.
That will make the NHL the first professional team sporting league to crack the Vegas money market. The NFL will not sit back idly on that for long. And that’s terrific news for the Raiders and Al Davis, though the Oakland fans may not feel the same way.
There will still be some objections in the league though. Largely, the ownership objections will likely come from a money perspective as they see their own investment opportunity missed. However there will be many that blindly hold onto the objection of a city known for gambling having influence over an NFL franchise. That’s something that many are very afraid of.
Though, why they’re afraid of that only when it involves a team in Las Vegas is a mystery to me. It’s not like gambling isn’t already a major part of professional sports as a whole, and the NFL in particular. I mean, let’s face it, if people want to gamble on football, there are more than a few avenues to take. Heck, the Giants, Jets, and Eagles all play less than an hour and a half from Atlantic City, New Jersey.
Many fantasy football leagues are money based. Players pay their dues and the winner gets the pot. They risk money with the hopes of winning more money. And the emergence of daily fantasy sites like Draft Kings and Fan Duel have made that style of betting on football even more popular. Not to mention the fact that you can actually make legal bets on games, players, and individual statistics with bookies from anywhere in the country.
And it’s not like many in the league haven’t accepted this premise. Tony Romo runs a very popular fantasy football convention every year. Of course, that has also come under fire from the league both this year and last. Several players, past and present, provide some sort of cameo features for fantasy leagues. And even NFL.com runs its own popular fantasy league.
What had been a “slowly but surely” proposal has now been fast tracked thanks to some competition from an unlikely source in the NHL. But you can almost guarantee that the NFL leadership won’t allow a “lesser league” to corner the Vegas market. Especially not when the primary candidate for the NFL incursion into “Sin City” will be via one of its most popular franchises.
Next: Around The League