Ed Graney’s best of 2023: A’s, Little League, NFR make top stories

By Ed Graney

Las Vegas Review-Journal

1 year ago

The Oakland A's fans protest at the Oakland Coliseum during a baseball game between the A&#x201 ... — The Oakland A’s fans protest at the Oakland Coliseum during a baseball game between the A’s and the Cincinnati Reds, on Friday, April 28, 2023, in Oakland, Calif. (Bizuayehu Tesfaye Las Vegas Review-Journal) @btesfaye

Raiders owner Mark Davis watches team warm ups from the sideline before an NFL game between the Detroit Lions and the Raiders on Monday, Oct. 30, 2023, at Ford Field in Detroit. (Heidi Fang/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @HeidiFang

Golden Knights center William Karlsson cheers toward the crowd as the Knights take the stage to celebrate their Stanley Cup Final win outside T-Mobile Arena on Saturday, June 17, 2023, in Las Vegas. (Ellen Schmidt/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @ellenschmidttt

Lisa Lockhart of Oelrichs, SD., races home during Barrel Racing in the National Finals Rodeo Day 2 at the Thomas & Mack Center on Friday, Dec. 2, 2022, in Las Vegas. (L.E. Baskow/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @Left_Eye_Images

The Henderson All-Stars pitcher Nolan Gifford and assistant coach Chris Petty leave the field as Tennessee players, left, celebrate their win during the Little League World Series in South Williamsport, Pa., Tuesday, Aug 22, 2023. Tennessee won 2-1. (Bizuayehu Tesfaye/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @bizutesfaye

Review-Journal columnist Ed Graney has been a staple of the Las Vegas sports scene for years, offering his thoughts on everything from UNLV athletics to the National Finals Rodeo to the Raiders, Knights, Aces and A’s.

Here are his favorite stories from 2023 along with his thoughts on each:

1. ‘We want our team’: A’s fans emotional about proposed Las Vegas move

Fans of the Oakland A’s, needless to say, weren’t happy with the team’s impending move to Las Vegas. They staged rallies and protests and let their voices be heard loud and clear. This piece had myself and a photographer travel to Oakland in April to get an up-close-and-personal look at how they were reacting to the Las Vegas move.

2. Graney: Pin the blame on Mark Davis for Raiders’ failures

The firings of Josh McDaniels as coach and Dave Ziegler as general manager of the Raiders fell directly on the shoulders of owner Mark Davis. He’s the one who hired both to turn the franchise around. They failed miserably during their short tenure. Davis needs to get his next picks right.

3. Graney: Knights parade one to relish and remember

You can say one thing about the Golden Knights — even during a grand celebration for winning the Stanley Cup, they never forgot their short history in Las Vegas. That included helping the town heal after the Oct. 1 mass shooting. The Knights partied like nobody’s business at their championship parade, all the while honoring those who lost their lives.

4. NFR Day 2: Legendary barrel racer continues to ride on at 58

The National Finals Rodeo hit Las Vegas again this December and Lisa Lockhart returned for a 17th straight time. She’s 58 and still one of the best barrel racers out there, having won more prize money at the NFR than anyone in history at their event.

5. Henderson All-Stars eliminated in Little League World Series

There are few events like the Little League World Series and Henderson became the second team in Nevada history to qualify this past August. Like with Mountain Ridge in 2014, the kids from Henderson did their state proud. They were one of the final six teams in the bracket. Their memories will last a lifetime, a trip not lost on the team’s manager and players.

Ed Graney, a Sigma Delta Chi Award winner for sports column writing, can be reached at egraney@reviewjournal.com. He can be heard on “The Press Box,” ESPN Radio 100.9 FM and 1100 AM, from 7 to 10 a.m. Monday through Friday. Follow @edgraney on X.