A decade ago, it was almost unimaginable that professional sports would be played in Las Vegas, for obvious reasons.
However, ever since the Golden Knights played their first game at T-Mobile Arena, southern Nevada has become one of the hottest (literally and figuratively) sports cities in the country.
In a wild, and ironic, turn of events from 10 years ago, Las Vegas will host the Super Bowl next month in a match made in heaven - the most wagered-on game every year in the gambling capital of the world.
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Pro Football Hall of Famer and "NFL on FOX" co-host Howie Long has partnered with On Location, an event management company that sets up trips for fans to some of the biggest sporting events in the world, as an ambassador and will be in Vegas in the days leading up to the big game.
"I’m looking forward to meeting and hanging out with some fans throughout the weekend. Some of my favorite moments and memories happened at Super Bowls, both as a player and a broadcaster, and as a dad with a son that played in two and was fortunate enough to win two," Long said to Fox News Digital recently. To say it’s a spectacle, the Super Bowl in general in whatever city it’s in, but to have it in Vegas is, to me, amazing."
Vegas was not a full-time host of professional sports until 2017, let alone the biggest game of the year. However, Long says this is long overdue, and Las Vegas has always been a perfect spot to play host.
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"When you think about it, what do you need for a Super Bowl? You need a gazillion restaurants, you need a gazillion hotel rooms, and you need events and places to go. I think Vegas is probably, 10 years ago, I probably couldn’t imagine it happening, but now, I’m excited to partner with On Location to help the fans create their own lifelong memories there. It’s going to be a great weekend."
Long even admits that next month's events were unheard of not that long ago. Now, this Super Bowl has the potential to be one for the history books.
"The city is such a great spot. When you think about all the teams that play back east from the end of October through January where there are now freeze warnings and ‘don’t let your dog out for two hours,’ [fans now say] ‘hey, let’s go to Vegas!’" Long said. "So I think fans from around the country have been making that trip, and I don’t know which teams are going to be there, but I think it’s going to be a great, great Super Bowl, and I think Vegas is going to be a place where it will return there."
The Super Bowl awaits its two teams, but the big game will be Feb. 11 at Allegiant Stadium, the home of the Raiders, right off the Strip.
