Case Keefer
Assistant Sports Editor
Story Archive
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SportsLehner looks sharp in Golden Knights’ return despite giving up three goals
Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2020 Mark Stone had a full-circle moment as he stepped onto the ice for the Vegas Golden Knights’ first official game of the NHL restart in Edmonton. At opposite ends of the Rogers Place rink in Edmonton in net were Robin Lehner and Ben Bishop, two goalkeepers who ...
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SportsTraining camp amid a pandemic: Raiders dealing with limited time in new facility
Friday, July 31, 2020 A couple construction workers dug around a small plot of dirt presumably clearing the way to put in some final signage. Another moved a cone to allow a luxury vehicle to drive through an entrance road that was otherwise closed.
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SportsAiming for value: Your guide to betting the start of the NHL postseason
Thursday, July 30, 2020 The NHL’s protracted return-to-play procedures have given sportsbooks plenty of time to offer full betting menus, and the value isn’t all gone yet. Here are five worthwhile wagers to consider going into the qualifying round, which begins on August 1.
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A&EVegas Golden Knights rising defensive star Shea Theodore reflects on an emotional, enormous year
Thursday, July 30, 2020 Great as Max Pacioretty and Mark Stone have been, a strong argument could be made that the 24-year-old blueliner was the Golden Knights’ single most valuable player this season.
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SportsShould winning the NHL’s iconic prize mean any less in 2020?
Thursday, July 30, 2020 Some pundits are suggesting that this year’s eventual winner should by default sit in the bottom tier of hockey champions throughout history. It’s a preposterous assertion that should be extinguished immediately.
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SportsLas Vegas' soccer scene is kicking it up a notch
Thursday, July 9, 2020 Players from Southern Nevada have become prominent fixtures in Major League Soccer, which restarted its season with a tournament in Florida.
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A&EHyperX Esports Arena looks to build on burgeoning interest in video games
Thursday, July 2, 2020 Esports is one of few industries to thrive during the pandemic, and Ryan Polidan has seen it firsthand. HyperX shut down with ...
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A&EFive sports, five bets: What to wager on this weekend
Saturday, June 20, 2020 Please excuse the title of the column for this week, as it’s going to be more like, “five leagues, five sports.” That wasn’t initially the plan but lightning strikes in Hilton Head, S.C., caused a suspension in play late in the second round of the RBC Heritage golf tournament ...
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SportsSix of Clubs: Your guide to top local golf professionals as the PGA Tour resumes
Thursday, June 18, 2020 It’s golf’s time to take its turn as the focal point of American sports, with the PGA Tour recently returned from a 12-week absence due to the coronavirus pandemic. The world’s premier golf tour restarted its altered schedule June 11-14 at the Charles Schwab Challenge at Colonial Golf Course in Fort Worth, Texas, and has no plans to slow down for the rest of the year.
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A&EAllegiant Stadium will host upcoming NFL season’s Pro Bowl
Tuesday, June 16, 2020 The NFL is already starting to live up to commissioner Roger Goodell’s promise to bring a number of league events to the market. ...
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SportsFive sports, five bets: What to wager on this weekend
Saturday, June 13, 2020 I’m going back to the racetrack and octagon again this week, as well as dipping into a couple new sports markets. From games taking place Saturday morning to future bets that could last into early 2021, this column is meant to find value and dispense betting advice for those seeking weekend action.
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SportsHeart of a lioness: Amanda Nunes’ UFC reign has been dominant, groundbreaking
Thursday, June 11, 2020 The first pandemic-era UFC title fight turned out unique for more than its closed-to-the-public setting. Amanda Nunes also showed a rare level of joy, mercy and compassion throughout a record-breaking unanimous-decision victory over Felicia Spencer at UFC 250, staged June 6 at the promotion’s Apex facility in Las Vegas.
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NoiseAlbum review: Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit’s ‘Reunions’
Thursday, June 11, 2020 Always an accomplished balladeer, Isbell’s at his best here when he and his backing band are at their loudest.
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SportsHow Las Vegas gym and fitness operations have changed since reopening
Thursday, June 4, 2020 From small, locally owned training businesses to corporate-run gyms, the workout experience will likely look this way around the Valley for the next several months.
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SportsRaiders will arrive to Las Vegas sooner than planned with NFL policy change
Wednesday, June 3, 2020 A handful of Raiders got a tour of the team’s under-construction new Henderson headquarters, the Intermountain Healthcare Performance Center, in January and came away raving. ...
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A&EDifferent but doable: UFC’s restart a glimpse into how live sports can work
Monday, June 1, 2020 In the final seconds of the first round of the first fight back since the coronavirus interrupted sports in Las Vegas, Chris Gutierrez instinctively rushed at ...
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A&ENo issues as UFC returned to Las Vegas with action-packed, fan-free fights
Saturday, May 30, 2020 A lot hinged on the success of the UFC’s Saturday night return to Las Vegas with the first live sporting event in Nevada since the widespread coronavirus shutdowns began more than two months ago. ...
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A&EEven amid uncertainty, demand for Raiders tickets soars
Thursday, May 28, 2020 The ticket industry’s biggest moment since March came early this month, with the reveal of the 2020 NFL schedule. Unsure what to expect—with no promise games will even be played, let alone with fans in attendance—executives from SeatGeek, one of the world’s largest ...
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SportsChasing the Chiefs: Catching up to Super Bowl champs has been Raiders’ focus
Wednesday, May 27, 2020 Last year’s NFL postseason played a major role on how the Raiders are approaching their inaugural upcoming season in Las Vegas. Yes, the Raiders missed the playoffs ...
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SportsHow Liberty improbably stopped Bishop Gorman's 10-year football reign
Sunday, May 24, 2020 Liberty coach Rich Muraco couldn’t hear anything after Bishop Gorman missed a field goal in the first possession of the Desert Region championship football game ...
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SportsReport: Raiders to sign cornerback Prince Amukamara
Tuesday, May 12, 2020 The Raiders didn’t strike out on improving their cornerback corps through free agency after all. Las Vegas agreed to a deal with perhaps the top ...
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SportsFour bets to make on UFC 249
Saturday, May 9, 2020 Regardless of what league or organization staged it, the first major American sporting event back from the coronavirus disruption was always going to make for blockbuster betting action. It’s arguably going to be even bigger since it’s one of the most jampacked mixed martial arts cards in recent memory.
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SportsGoing game-by-game: Raiders need upsets to beat .500 in local debut season
Friday, May 8, 2020 Part of the fun of having a local NFL team is running through the schedule upon its release, marking wins, losses and potential turning points of the season. So let’s dive right in ...
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Sports
Half of Raiders' home games scheduled for primetime in first season in Las Vegas
Thursday, May 7, 2020 The Las Vegas Raiders will host the New Orleans Saints in the first game at their new home, scheduled for Monday Sept. 21 ...
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A&EWhat to watch when mixed martial arts returns with UFC 249
Thursday, May 7, 2020 Dana White was determined to make the UFC the first major sports organization to return from the widespread coronavirus shutdowns, and it looks like he’ll get his wish on Saturday, May 9.
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Sports
No minicamp, no problem: Raiders relying on rookies to prepare on their own
Monday, May 4, 2020 Most of the Raiders’ coaching staff watched as Lynn Bowden Jr. aced an informal test on their offensive concepts administered on a pre-draft Zoom call. Bowden, a do-it-all ...
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SportsHow 2020’s draft class could transform the Raiders’ attack
Thursday, April 30, 2020 For several days, the Las Vegas Raiders IT department helped set up and explain all the technology old-school general manager Mike Mayock would utilize for this year’s NFL’s Draft. Although Mayock said he had no complaints and that the virtual three-day draft went off without a hitch through its conclusion April 25, his team might ...
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SportsProjecting the Las Vegas Raiders’ 53-man roster following the NFL Draft
Monday, April 27, 2020 One positive about the Las Vegas Raiders not having any picks below the fourth round is that all of their selections from last week’s NFL Draft will almost certainly ...
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SportsUNLV's Javin White leads list of Raiders' undrafted free-agent acquisitions
Saturday, April 25, 2020 Javin White will continue his football career in Las Vegas for a sixth consecutive season. ...
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SportsRaiders diversify attack with versatile athletes on second night of NFL Draft
Friday, April 24, 2020 Lynn Bowden Jr. starred as a quarterback in the final eight games of his career at Kentucky. In the previous season, he was the Wildcats’ leading receiver. ...
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SportsRaiders couldn't risk losing out on 'tough as nails' Damon Arnette in NFL Draft
Thursday, April 23, 2020 If speed is the one-word summary to explain the Raiders’ first pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, then grit is the best descriptor for their second selection. ...
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SportsStyle and speed: Henry Ruggs was a natural first pick for Las Vegas Raiders
Thursday, April 23, 2020 Of all the shots of first-round picks reacting to teams selecting them from their living rooms during the 2020 virtual NFL Draft on Thursday night, Henry Ruggs’ stood out as among the most memorable. ...
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A&EIndefinite timeout: From the Knights to the Lights, Las Vegas’ sports teams plan for uncertain scenarios
Thursday, April 23, 2020 There’s a sense that the NBA and NHL, the two major leagues that paused their seasons in mid-March, will set the precedent for when to restart their seasons. Both have TV deals that ...
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SportsFive players with Las Vegas ties could have their names called this weekend during NFL Draft
Thursday, April 23, 2020 The 2020 NFL Draft, moved from Las Vegas to a virtual format, is likely to change the second half of that narrative, as fans stay home to fight the spread of COVID-19, desperate for current sports content to watch. The first round was always going to draw massive viewing numbers, but expect records to fall for Friday’s second and third rounds, along with Saturday’s conclusion of the fourth through seventh rounds.
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Sports
Virtual NFL Draft setup doesn’t bother originally planned host Raiders
Wednesday, April 22, 2020 Mike Mayock's enthusiasm is notable, because if any franchise suffered a significant loss with the event moving online, it’s the Raiders. And yet they aren’t letting it faze them.
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A&EWorld Series of Poker postponed to fall because of coronavirus concerns
Monday, April 20, 2020 The World Series of Poker will not be held over the summer in Las Vegas for the first time in 16 years, but tournament organizers are still determined to stage the event for a 51st ...
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A&ENFL Draft remains vital to Las Vegas Raiders, even if it won't be staged here
Thursday, April 16, 2020 The 2020 NFL Draft was poised to become the grandest draft presentation in the history of the league, all because of Las Vegas.
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SportsPoker boom: Nevadans are staying home and playing cards at record levels online
Thursday, April 9, 2020 Like nearly every other sports league or gaming company, the World Series of Poker saw events derailed due to the coronavirus crisis ...
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SportsHow the major combat sports are fighting the coronavirus disruption
Wednesday, April 8, 2020 The two sports that currently maintain Las Vegas’ status as the fight capital of the world are handling the coronavirus pandemic in vastly different manners. Mixed martial arts at the highest level is set to resume on Saturday, April 18, with UFC President Dana White having secured a secret location — reportedly an American Indian casino in California — for the ...
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A&EAnalysis: NBA finishing the season in Las Vegas would be a win for all sides
Friday, April 3, 2020 The NBA has long embraced Las Vegas even when other major professional sports leagues were intent on keeping their distance. That’s largely been forgotten with the NHL and NFL ...
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A&EWilliam Hill has turned to everything from sumo to table tennis to keep sports betting going
Thursday, April 2, 2020 Shortly after all the major professional and collegiate American sports leagues announced cancellations or postponements due to the coronavirus, Nick Bogdanovich called a staff meeting with a simple message to impart.
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SportsThree undervalued NFL teams by the odds as free agency slows
Saturday, March 28, 2020 NFL free agency is settling down, and therefore, the local betting odds are doing the same. After the markets bounced around for the last week and a half following ...
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SportsWith sports on pause, Raiders score big in free agency
Thursday, March 26, 2020 Following the comings and goings of a large number of players has given many people at least a brief respite from stressing over the current state of the world. In particular, Las Vegas Raiders fans have found an escape, as the team has been highly active ahead of moving into Allegiant Stadium at the start of this season.
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SportsVirtual madness: Five NCAA Tournament games to stream while missing this year’s action
Thursday, March 19, 2020 Of all the sporting events canceled because of the coronavirus, the NCAA Tournament hits the hardest. It’s not March without college basketball, so even in the midst of a global pandemic, let’s indulge in some. Hundreds of games from past tournaments are up on YouTube; here are five worth revisiting to keep the March Madness tradition alive.
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SportsThe great goalie debate: Who should start for the Golden Knights in the playoffs?
Wednesday, March 11, 2020 One major question is bubbling under the surface of the Vegas Golden Knights' torrid stretch over the last couple of weeks with no indication of fading anytime soon: Who should be the goalie in the Stanley Cup playoffs?
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SportsVegas Golden Podcast: Upcoming road trip poses reasons for concern
Thursday, March 5, 2020 The road is getting at least a little bit rockier. Everything went smoothly for the Vegas Golden Knights in February, especially with the way the month ended on an eight-game win streak. ...
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NewsSwipe left, Raiders: Tom Brady is a bad match for Las Vegas this year
Thursday, March 5, 2020 Quarterback A is a 28-year-old who completed 64% of his passes for 7.9 yards per attempt to rank 10th in the NFL in quarterback rating this past season.
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SportsVegas Golden Podcast: Everything is coming together for the Golden Knights
Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2020 With 18 games left in the regular season, the Vegas Golden Knights sit in better position than they have all year. ...
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SportsRanking the Golden Knights’ 10 best wins of the season after a major coup
Friday, Feb. 21, 2020 Alec Martinez tried to jump but instead knee-planted into the ice. Mark Stone grimaced and swung haymakers with Deontay Wilder-esque force into the air. Ryan Reaves shouldered ...
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SportsLas Vegas' biggest heavyweight fight in years features two giants of the ring
Thursday, Feb. 20, 2020 Heavyweight megafights have eluded Las Vegas for more than two decades, since a golden period that stretched from the 1990s into the early 2000s. The dry spell ends February 22, when undefeated fighters Deontay Wilder and Tyson Fury meet in a pick’em championship bout at ...
