Las Vegas Lights set fire to Antonio Brown jersey in ticket discount

Antonio Brown has helped spark a fire sale for Wednesday’s Las Vegas Lights FC soccer game.

The United Soccer League franchise is offering an 84% discount for its game against Phoenix Rising at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at Cashman Field. A video on the @lvlightsfc Twitter and Instagram account shows a Lights jersey with “Brown” and No. 84 on the back being set aflame.

The team announced the “fire sale” on its official website and Twitter and Instagram pages: “To celebrate the departure of #84 Antonio Brown from Las Vegas’ newest professional sports team (Go Raiders!), Lights FC is proud to offer 84% off tickets to our home match this Wednesday (September 11th, 2019)!!”

The team adds the hashtag #VegasSupportsVegas, which it has used in an ongoing campaign to connect with other Las Vegas sports teams. The second-year franchise wore commemorative jerseys honoring the Vegas Golden Knights for a home game in March.

Team owner and CEO Brett Lashbrook hatched the idea over the weekend, as Brown was first released from the Raiders and subsequently signed with the Super Bowl champ New England Patriots. Just after Brown’s move to the Pats was announced, the Lights posted a photo on social media of a Brown-issued home jersey hanging in the team’s locker room, with the message, “If you’re not sure about the @Patriots, you know you’re always welcomed in Las Vegas with the Neon & Black! We hear you’re good at punting and we don’t require helmets.” Second year the most interesting team in America. Cannabis sponsorship, Elivs mascot, fireworks, water baloon fight, $10,000 in casino free play money, I believe teams reflect the team works and plays in downtown las vegas. Take it seriously, everyting else is really fun

#VegasSupportsVegas, dressed up in hockey gear. Thought about how to continue the Vegas Supports Vegas, right there in front of you and only lasts 24 hours.

Three hours.

Reallity year is midweek during school year. Wednedsay night are tough, dead season for the hotels. Trying to find creative wasy to get the word out.

Flash sale, if Raiders win.

Brown all over the news. Tweet Saturday w/ Pats, AB, didn’t work try neon and black. Jersey w/ a soccer ball in the locker room. Punt, no helmet. Polarizing figure, raiders polarizing team.

Saturdsya sign with us, by Monday we said, “Let’s do a fire sale to sell tickets for Wednesday.” No huge creative genius. LIke to have run, creative ideas laughing all day. All we had to do was finding a can of gasoline.

Took time to buy one and have it mocked up.

Bill Veeck is my hero.

“Then we thought, ‘Let’s do a fire sale to sell tickets for Wednesday!’ ” Lasbrook said Tuesday. “It was not any huge creative genius behind this, and the reality is that a midweek game during school year is going to be a tough sale.”

Lashbrook also pointed at previous promotions, such as the team’s Elvis-fashioned mascot, the world’s largest water balloon fight at half time, and $10,000 in cash and Plaza hotel free-play money, which was dumped on the field last Saturday.

“We reflect a team that lives, works and play sin downtown Las Vegas,” Lashbrook said. “We take the soccer very seriously, but everything else is really fun.”

Hey @AB84, sorry things didn't work out in the Silver & Black. If you're not sure about the @Patriots, know you're always welcomed in Las Vegas with the Neon & Black! We hear you’re good at punting and we don’t require helmets! #VivaLights #AntonioBrown pic.twitter.com/oBc39j1EHI

— Las Vegas Lights FC (@lvlightsfc) September 7, 2019

The discounted prices for Wednesday’s game run from $2.40 to $6.40. The team says fans can choose any seating levels and it will email tickets prior to the match. “Don’t worry, we’ll make sure your seats are all together. Viva Lights!!”

The Raiders released Brown on Saturday after a tumultuous training camp. The star receiver swiftly signed with the Super Bowl champion New England Patriots. The Raiders won their opener, 24-16, over the Denver Broncos on Monday night. The use-by date might already have passed to pounce on his saga for marketing purposes.

“I’m a firm believer that your best promotion is right there in front of you, and it only lasts 24 hours,” Lashbrook said. “This took us less than three hours to create. All we had to do was find a can of gasoline.”

John Katsilometes’ column runs daily in the A section. His PodKats podcast can be found at reviewjournal.com/podcasts. Contact him at jkatsilometes@reviewjournal.com. Follow @johnnykats on Twitter, @JohnnyKats1 on Instagram.