As Las Vegas gears up to host Super Bowl LVIII on February 11th at Allegiant Stadium, excitement is palpable in the air. However, amidst the anticipation of the big game, an unexpected incident has captured attention.
While both the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers have arrived in the city for the championship showdown, an NFL player has been allegedly attacked by a wild animal in Vegas.
NFL player reportedly attacked by Coyote at Lake Las Vegas
On Tuesday, speculation emerged on social media that an NFL player, possibly from the Kansas City Chiefs or San Francisco 49ers, had an encounter with a coyote at Lake Las Vegas.
Las Vegas Locally reported that the incident occurred while the teams were in town for Super Bowl LVIII preparations. However, specific details of the attack and the player’s identity were not provided.
Coyote attacks on humans are uncommon unless provoked, but details of this particular encounter are unknown. The Henderson Police Department issued a press release stating they had no reports of such an incident involving a coyote and a professional athlete.
“Our office has received multiple inquiries reference an alleged coyote attack/bite in the Lake Las Vegas area involving a professional athlete. Our office has no record or report of any incident involving a coyote nor a professional athlete.”
Despite media attention, no NFL team or player neither confirmed nor denied the rumors. The incident remains unresolved, leaving questions about its validity and the identity of the player involved.
Why are Chiefs, 49ers staying in Lake Las Vegas, not Strip?
The NFL has decided that the teams won’t stay close to the Las Vegas Strip before the final game. It is nothing new for the NFL to take extra measures to protect the players and this decision has been taken for the same purpose.
After landing in Las Vegas, the Kansas City Chiefs went to stay at Westin Lake Las Vegas and the San Francisco 49ers, who recently lost Terry Beasley, went to Hilton Lake Las Vegas.Â
As the big game will be held in the city of Las Vegas, the place is expected to become a financial boon with thousands of tourists coming to the city for the coveted game. To ensure the players rest and practice in a quiet area this decision has been made to keep them away from the main area.
Another important reason is that the city has long been associated with gambling, nightlife, and some other activities that could have put the players in danger. The league is aware of the dark side of the city and doesn’t want to take any risk before Super Bowl LVIII, which will broadcast on two networks this year.
The properties where the Chiefs and the 49ers are staying are about 25 miles east of The Strip. The NFL vice president released a statement clarifying the reason for not letting the players stay in The Strip.
“We traditionally have teams stay a distance from the stadium and from a city where there’s room enough for the club and family,” NFL executive vice president Jeff Miller. “Most clubs prefer a quieter environment. Obviously, they’ve got their eyes set on their one specific goal, and any distraction during that week is a distraction they don’t want to deal with. So, I don’t think that it’s too terribly different from previous years.”
Lake Las Vegas is a beautiful and peaceful area. It will be an ideal environment for the players to stay focused and prepare for the Super Bowl game.
The Chiefs and 49ers will face off at 6:30 p.m. ET/3:30 PT. The losing team will head back home while the winning team will stay there for a conference on Monday and celebrate the victory.
