It’s Green Felt Journal time again. This week, I talk about the impact of football on Las Vegas in Vegas Seven:
Even though Las Vegas doesn’t have an NFL team, football is a popular pastime in the city, and one that has a huge economic impact on the area.Yes, there are the Locomotives of the United Football League and the UNLV Rebels, but football’s real impact here isn’t felt on the field or in the stands—it’s in the sports books and bars of the Valley.
via Even with no NFL team, Vegas scores big during football season | Vegas Seven.
I decided to write this after I did a little poking around to check on some of the claims of “economic impact of a new arena” proponents. Even without a team, it’s clear that football generates a lot of economic activity in the area.
This is also as good a time as any to announce that I’m now officially an award-winning columnist. The Nevada Press Association has honored me with second place in the “Best Local Non-staff Column” category. Here’s the description:
2. David G. Schwartz, Vegas Seven
“Schwartz’s column is everything you’d expect a column on the gaming industry not to be — accessible, well-sourced, pertinent and insightful. ‘Real baccarat players like their privacy.’”
I still can’t figure out whether that’s a back-handed complement or not, but I’ll take it.
Congratulations also to Vegas Seven stablemate Michael Green, who beat me out for the top spot in the category.
And fellow gaming writer David McKee took home not one, but two awards for his work for another Las Vegas weekly paper.
You can read about all of the award-winners here.