Where else in the United States , let alone the world, can find a big giant ball in the middle of the Las Vegas desert, that’s actually a concert and entertainment venue.
It’s located at 255 Sands Ave in Las Vegas, Nevada right off the Las Vegas Strip, and like everything else in the city, the outside of The Sphere is an entertainer also.
The inside of the Sphere is a concert hall, and the 2024 NHL Draft is going to be held here in the last week of June.
Now because it’s Las Vegas where it seems that EVERYBODY is an entertainer, the Sphere is no different.
You can’t get inside to see a concert because it’s too expensive?
Just look outside from your hotel window.
One moment the outside of the Sphere looks like a globe, the next moment, it’s an emoji complete with eyelashes.
You never know what design its going to have on it from minute to minute.
Enjoy the pictures from the newest form of entertainment in Sin City .
If you didn’t know, the Sports Diva is gonna tell ya.
The 416 is one of the nicknames for the city of Toronto, Canada, along with “The Six” and T. O.
It’s also the area code of the city, but we aren’t talking about that just yet.
The last time I visited was in 2016 for the World Hockey Championships, which Canada won, of course.
I’m not even going to mention how badly the United States team played because it was embarrassing, and like the other team’s, the United States team was made up of players who played on National Hockey League teams, so make it make sense people.
From 27 January until 3 February, the Sports Diva is back in The True North and you just KNOW there’s something hockey related going on up here.
It’s the National Hockey League’s All Star weekend and you know they’ll be hockey players and hockey related things going on all over the city .
The Sports Diva is going to be taking advantage of all this hockey stuff, and just the vibe of one of my favorite cities, and I’m bringing you, my blog readers along with me.
Besides celebrating the birthday of one of my Circle of Sisters on June 1st and Memorial Day weekend, one of the reasons we went to Las Vegas was to go to a watch party featuring the home team, Vegas Golden Knights.
They were playing the Dallas Stars in the Western Conference championship for the right to represent the western conference in the Stanley Cup finals against the team in the east, Florida Panthers.
If they had won Saturday night, we would have been going to a watch party for the first game of the Stanley Cup Finals on Wednesday night, May 31st, but nope they lost on Saturday night, May 27th.
Monday nights game was the important game and being the Sports Diva that I am, I suggested to my friend that since our hotel was in Downtown Las Vegas, not far from CIRCA, let’s go to a hockey watch party at a place called Stadium Swim.
Now this is Las Vegas where nothing is what it’s supposed to be.
Where else can you go to a pool and right above you are big movie like screens that show basketball, hockey, baseball and any other sports right in front of you?
May 31st was no exception.
Normally it’s $20 to get into Stadium Swim but on the nights the Golden Knights play, it’s free if you’re wearing something that has Golden Knights on it.
I’m talking about a hat, jersey, or shirt.
Wear that VGK swag loud and proud which is what half of Vegas wore that night.
No half the town wasn’t there enjoying the game, it just seemed like it.
The Golden Knights won the game and did what they couldn’t do two nights before.
They’re going to be representing the Western Conference in the Stanley Cup Final.
Imagine if you will, you and your family, you and your friend or just you alone, saved up a lot of money to see your favorite team in the basketball, soccer, baseball, football or hockey finals.
It’s what a 30 Plus Teams Tour is all about and it doesn’t matter if it’s an away or a home game.
Your team is one win away from going to the final championship, something they haven’t done in years.
It’s been so long that you’re trying to remember who was on the team back then.
You’re so excited that you and other fans want to greet your team at the arena back home but you can’t.
Unfortunately, real life has crept into your 30 Plus Teams Tour.
Members of the team that you root for have been not only been yelled at by opposing fans, but they’ve been getting death threats as well as having their home addresses and phone numbers splashed all over social media.
It’s gotten so bad that not only do the local police have to get involved but the FBI because some “fan” and I use that term very loosely, decided to make terrorist threats including a pipe bomb to several players which in this case happen to be members of the Florida Panthers of the NHL.
The fact that the idiot who sent the threat took down their post means nothing.
What are we doing here people?
It doesn’t matter if you’re a fan of the New York Yankees, Manchester United, Real Madrid or even the Florida Panthers and Carolina Hurricanes of the NHL, the Sports Diva wants to know.
ARE WE SERIOUS RIGHT NOW?!
The reason we do a 30 Plus Teams Tour is to see a city and if we’re lucky, go see our teams play.
Under NO circumstances do we send death threats to opposing players or our own players because of their race, religion or just because their team is beating the crap out of our favorite team’s players.
The world, especially here in the United States, where there seems to be an incident every day, is crazy enough.
Sports is meant to be a relief from all that madness.
Unfortunately it’s not because some people didn’t get that memo that it’s sports and it’s not that serious.
No matter where your 30 Plus Teams tour takes you, one thing is a must.
Do all sorts of research especially if you’re just looking to see if your team is going to be playing in that city.
This was a conversation between one of my Circle of Sisters and I at the beginning of hockey season around Thanksgiving time.
“I just checked the Rangers schedule,” she said
“I’m tired of going to the same cities. I’ve never been to Montreal and they play the Canadiens on March 9th. “
That sounded like a plan to the Sports Diva.
I had been to Montreal many times, but I’d never been to their new arena, Bell Centre or in French, Le Centre Bell, before.
You do know the Sports Diva’s motto right?
No, not staying home is NOT an option, the other favorite motto.
Have a sports team, will travel.
Also, going to a game there was on my bucket list, so why not make that eight and a half or nine hour bus ride from New York City up to Montreal.
Bell Centre is located in Downtown, or in French, Centre-Ville, Montreal.
The actual location of the arena is 1909 Avenue des Canadiens.
You know you’re special when there’s a street named after you, just saying.
As I mentioned in my post on the Best Western Plus-Hotel Europa, the arena is conveniently located around the corner from the hotel we stayed at.
There are other hotels around the arena as well as Windsor Gare, the train station, and the green line Bonaventure station of the Metro.
There’s also many restaurants in and around the area, but we followed the crowd and ate at McDonald’s, but not just any McDonald’s.
This McDonald’s is right across the street from the arena and inside, this being Canada, everything hockey including a big picture of former Montreal Canadiens goaltender, Ken Dryden.
As you walk around the plaza , there’s plaques, statues and retired numbers of former players.
It just shows you how much this team is loved in this city and how much hockey dominates the country.
As for watching the game and the experience in the arena, yes Virginia, this is French Canada.
Pretty much ALL announcements are in French, including commercials on the big scoreboard, penalties, goals and even the starting line up of BOTH teams.
“What is he saying?”, asked my friend
“He’s saying the next game is against New Jersey Devils.”
“No before that”
“Oh he’s giving who scored the goal for Montreal.”
As for the game, the Sports Diva, her friend and many of the fans who either are from New York or are New York fans who came for the game, went home happy, and had sore throats from yelling and screaming at the double overtime game.
The atmosphere in the arena was electric and at times I didn’t know if I was at a concert, a club or a hockey game, maybe all three.
In between periods, there was a deejay playing tunes and of course, people were dancing in their seats and in the aisles.
I call this the “Vegas Golden Knights” effect because the T Mobile Arena in Las Vegas was one of the first arenas to do this, now it seems like every hockey arena is doing this.
Even though we sat way up in section 315, we were able to see everything, no obstructed views or anything, unlike watching a game and spending part of your rent money in Madison Square Garden in New York City.
I enjoyed myself at the game and not just because my team won.
Centre Bell is a beautiful arena and it was nice to cross another thing off my bucket list.
I arrived in Boston on Wednesday, November 23rd, the day before Thanksgiving.
The Boston Celtics were playing the Dallas Mavericks that evening at TD Gardens, formally Boston Gardens.
I didn’t have a ticket, but being the Sports Diva that I am, I want to be where the action is, especially since the Celtics are my favorite basketball team.
So putting on my best Celtics outfit, I left the hostel and headed down to the arena.
I wanted to watch the game with other Celtics fans, but first a stop in the Boston pro sports shop where I couldn’t decide if I wanted a hat, a jersey, or something else.
I decided to get a Celtics pin with the name and number of my favorite Celtics player.
The game was almost on so I needed to get something to eat.
I saw Banners Kitchen and Tap, which is located right in the plaza of TD Gardens, at 89 Causeway Street.
When I went inside, the hostess asked if I had a reservation.
I didn’t, so she asked if I wanted to sit at the bar.
Oh yeah, food, booze AND a humongous screen tv that showed the game,( which the Celtics won by the way.)the Sports Diva was in her element.
I had never eaten here before and boy am I missing out.
I ordered a Samuel Adams beer on tap and a pound of Buffalo Bourbon Chicken Wings, which were really delicious AND finger licking good, and I didn’t even need Blue Cheese or Ranch dressing to dip my chicken in, the sauce was good enough for dipping.
The bartenders were so friendly and helpful, even my server was friendly.
Banners is not as expensive as I thought it would be being as close to the arena as it is.
For two beers, nine dollars each and Buffalo Chicken Wings, which were $14, plus tip, I paid less than $50.
When I went back to the hostel after the game was over, I was full.
It looks like I have another restaurant to add to my list of restaurants to eat at on a 30 Plus Teams Tour, Banners Kitchen and Tap, Boston.
As I said in my last post, for my last full day in Las Vegas before I went back to the cold of New York City, the plan was to visit as many casino hotels as possible and take in everything else happening in Las Vegas for that weekend.
Not only were hockey players invading the home of the Vegas Golden Knights, T Mobile Arena, but over at Allegiant Stadium, home of the Las Vegas Raiders football team, the NFL All Star game, the Pro Bowl, had football players invading Las Vegas also.
It was the first time in sports history that two sports leagues were having their all star games in the same city, and not only was Las Vegas more than ready for it, the Sports Diva was in her element.
This is what I came for, to see all the hockey goings on in town.
I didn’t go to the Fan Fest on Friday because I was trying to rush back to my hotel in Downtown Las Vegas and pack for a 6am flight the next day.
Plus I wanted to see my favorite part of any sports all star game.
Not the all Star game itself, but the festivities before like the Home Run Derby in Baseball, The Slam Dunk and 3 Point Contest in Basketball and in hockey, Fastest Skater, Hardest Shot, Most Accurate Shooter, Mascots Dance Off and the Breakaway Competition in which players from the different teams come up with creative ways to score on the goaltender .
As for the football all star skills competition, nope, sorry not a fan of that.
Anyway, as I said, I had plans for Friday.
My Vegas Golden Knights friends had other plans for me.
My friend LB: “Jo Ann where are you now?”
“I’m just walking into Resorts World now.”
My friend LB: “Lisa and I are staying at Park MGM.”
Park MGM Hotel and Casino are across the street from T Mobile Arena, but I figured we were going to watch the Skills Competition from the girls room.
“Okay, I was going back downtown to my hotel and watch the Skills Competition.”
My friend LB:”Lisa has an extra ticket to the Skills Competition, you wanna go?”
I didn’t know if half of Las Vegas Boulevard could hear me screaming, but the Sports Diva screamed as though one of her teams had just won the championship or something.
Oh hell yeah, I wanted to go.
Packing could wait, the Sports Diva had a hockey All Star Skills Competition to go to.
Need I mention that LB and Lisa are Vegas Golden Knights seasons tickets holders so we sat in their seats watching the mascots act the fool with fans, dancing with the Vegas Bellas, who are the showgirls who preform at Golden Knights games.
The mascot dance off was won by the Pacific Division mascots from Vancouver, Los Angeles,Anaheim, San Jose and of course, Chance from Las Vegas, who did a routine with the showgirls to a song by The Weekend, “Blinded By The Lights.” Very appropriate for Vegas if you ask me.
The Metropolitan Conference mascots, led by Gritty from Philadelphia, Sparky The Dragon from The New York Islanders, Iceburgh, the Pittsburgh Penguins mascot, and The Eagle from the Washington Capitals, came in second dancing to The Harlem Shuffle.
Outside of the Fastest Skater and Hardest Shot Competition, which was won by Jordan Kyrou of the St. Louis Blues (and really is one of the fastest skaters I have ever seen and I’ve seen some pretty fast hockey skaters in my time)and Victor Hedman of the Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay Lightning, everyone was waiting for the Breakaway Competition.
The event was won by Alex Pietrangelo of the home town VGK, but even the Vegas fans were booing this decision.
Like me, they thought it should have gone to Trevor Zegras of the Anaheim Ducks, who shot into the net blindfolded while the mascots threw dodgeballs at him.
It could have even gone to Alex Debrincat from the Chicago Blackhawks, who dressed like Alan from the movie The Hangover.
You can’t get any more Las Vegas than that.
Debrincat brought the house down when he came out with Derek Carr, the quarterback of the Las Vegas Raiders who threw a football , which Debrincat caught and then shot it into the net.
It got really crazy when the All Stars were announced and the loudest boos weren’t for players from the Los Angeles Kings or San Jose Sharks, the rivals of the VGK, no it was reserved for Tom Wilson of the Washington Capitals, who believe it or not is the second most hated man in hockey.
After the competition was over, it was time for me to go get something to eat and finally pack because the shuttle van was coming to take me to the airport at 3:30am.
I always love my 30 Plus Teams Tours of Las Vegas, but this one was really good and what a surprise.
Youpi and SpartaCat, the Ottawa Senators mascot, meeting the crowdBlades the bear, the Boston Bruins mascot
The Fan Fest on both days started at 3pm, Las Vegas time.
I didn’t expect to stay long after seeing the exhibits and playing games.
The game sponsored by GEICO, I won another stuffed animal, a camel.
If you’ve ever seen the GEICO commercial, you know this is kinda funny.
“HUMP DAY!”
I was going to stay maybe an hour or so, but I noticed they were doing an interview with former players so I stayed.
But then I heard a lot of noise coming from the other side of the hall near where the DJ was playing music.
It wasn’t the music, it was the mascots from most of the 32 teams.
Some teams like New York Rangers, Seattle Kraken and Detroit Red Wings don’t even have mascots, and I didn’t see the mascot from the Calgary Flames, Harvey The Hound, either.
But other mascots were there, including the mascot that seems to be the one everyone knows, Gritty from the Philadelphia Flyers.
The mascots played dodgeball, which got the crowd going and just mingled with the crowd.
Hunter the Lynx, the Edmonton Oilers mascot, got just a little too up close and personal with the Sports Diva and I was behind the glass.
As I said, the plan was to stay maybe just an hour or so.
So much for plans.
I ended up staying until 7pm and it started at 3pm.
I had one more full day in Vegas and I had a whole day of exploring Vegas on my list of things to do that Friday before I left to go back to New York, so I wasn’t going to go to the second day of Fan Fest.
Or at least I THOUGHT I was going to do other things in Vegas on my last day in the city.
My Vegas Golden Knights posse had OTHER plans for the Sports Diva.
Finn, the Vancouver Canucks mascot, Wild Wing, Anaheim Ducks mascot, Victor E Green, Dallas Stars mascot and Hunter, Edmonton Oilers mascotTommy Hawk, the Chicago Blackhawks mascotManitoba Moose, the Winnepeg Jets mascotBailey, the Los Angeles Kings mascotSabertooth, the Buffalo Sabres mascot and Carlton the Polar bear, Toronto Maple Leafs mascotLouie, the St. Louis Blues mascot with Chance, the Vegas Golden Knights mascotNordie, the Minnesota Wild mascotHowler, the Arizona Coyotes mascotIt’s Youpi, the Montreal Canadiens mascot. If he looks sort of familiar, it’s because Youpi was the mascot for the Montreal Expos baseball teamLouie saying hi to the crowd, S. J. Sharkie, the San Jose Sharks mascot is close byPoor Bernie the St. Bernard, Colorado Avalanche mascot, got hit by a dodgeball from one of the Eastern Conference mascots. SpartaCAT, Ottawa Senators mascot and Lightning Bug, Tampa Bay Lightning mascot aren’t showing any sympathy for Bernie. Victor E Green had to help up the poor baby. Ok back up, Hunter. You’re a little too close up and personal to the Sports Diva
This was one, no the main reason why the Sports Diva did a 30 Plus Teams Tour of Las Vegas.
Usually my trips to Las Vegas are twice a year, February and June.
This year there was a real reason to go to Vegas at this time and it had NOTHING to do with gambling.
If you know the Sports Diva, you know that my mottos are, “Staying home is NOT an option”, and my favorite one, “Have a hockey team, will travel.”
Las Vegas does have a hockey team, the Vegas Golden Knights and from February 4-5, they and the city of Las Vegas hosted the NHL All Star game and Fan Fest, which was at the Las Vegas Convention Center and ran from Thursday February 3 until Sunday February 6.
The All Star game was on Saturday February 5, but by the time it came on at 4pm, Eastern time, the Sports Diva was back in New York City.
The Skills Competition has always been my favorite but more about it in another post.
I was ready for two days at convention center for Fan Fest.
It didn’t happen, I only ended up seeing one day of Fan Fest, but that was okay by me.
It was fun seeing all things hockey, including the antics of the mascots from many of the teams including the host mascot, Chance, who is a lizard or as they call them in Nevada, Gila Monsters.
What I didn’t expect, though, was a history lesson on hockey.
The first exhibit as you walked into the west hall of the convention center past the banners of all 32 NHL teams was the exhibit showing the contribution to hockey by not just blacks but women and Native Americans (or First Nations, as they’re refered to in Canada as well.)
I saw names of players that I remembered watching over the years and players that I didn’t even know were black or Indigenous.
I wish this exhibit had been bigger or had as long a line as the line to see the Stanley Cup did.
In a few hours God willing, the Sports Diva will be on a Delta Airlines jet from JFK.
As usual, it’s for a 30 Plus Teams Tour.
I’m really excited about this particular 30 Plus Teams Tour.
There is a game going on but that’s not it.
It’s the NHL All Star Weekend, and that means not only will I be in the host city but also some of my favorite and not so favorite hockey players as well.
Did I forget to mention that also in my suitcase are two sharpie pens for autographs?
Besides the All Star game, there’s the four day Fan Fest from February 3-6, culminating on Saturday, February 5 with the NHL All Star game.
There’s going to be a few posts about all the fun and not so fun stuff going on, so you just KNOW that the Sports Diva is going to be acting the fool along with everyone else.
Did I mention where all this craziness is going to happen?
30 Plus Teams 30 Plus Dreams 
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