Even since becoming a member of ESPN as a sideline reporter in 2017, Las Vegas native Stormy Buonantony has watched her hometown’s sports activities panorama evolve in methods she by no means imagined.
In speedy style, the NHL’s Las Vegas Golden Knights, NFL’s Las Vegas Raiders and the WNBA’s Las Vegas Aces reworked from native sports activities followers’ pipe desires to realities; the Golden Knights and Aces introduced dwelling titles. The Las Vegas-based Final Combating Championship has grow to be a worldwide phenomenon.
From Saturday to Wednesday, Sin Metropolis is dwelling to main occasions showcasing these sports activities entities on ESPN platforms (see sidebar beneath).
Buonantony, who might be reporting from Birmingham, Ala., from the South Florida-UAB soccer recreation Saturday (3 p.m. ET, ESPN2), marvels that her hometown is dwelling to those spectacles and extra.
Rising up in close by Summerlin, Nev., because the daughter of former St. Louis Cardinals system pitcher Wealthy Buonantony and gymnast Cheri Shipp, she grew to become an enormous sports activities fan. However even she had her doubts that Las Vegas would grow to be dwelling to not solely main league sports activities franchises however champions (the NHL’s Golden Knights, the WNBA’s Aces) as effectively.
“Surreal. I give it some thought on a regular basis, to be sincere,” mentioned the 2014 San Diego State grad, who additionally covers the XFL for ESPN. “This can be a neighborhood that was instructed for therefore lengthy sports activities couldn’t work right here – I totally believed if I needed to work in sports activities, I couldn’t do it right here.”
Not solely is there this convergence of main occasions within the coming days on ESPN platforms, however “in just some months, the identical metropolis will even host Formulation 1 [in November on ESPN] and a Tremendous Bowl, and I can’t think about working anyplace else.”
Earlier than becoming a member of fellow commentators Beth Mowins and Kirk Morrison in Alabama for her school soccer project, she answered just a few questions for Entrance Row.
Between your ESPN and VSIN, The Sports activities Betting Community, assignments, what’s a typical week like for you?
I host a 2-hour each day present on VSIN known as “The Lombardi Line” with former NFL GM Michael Lombardi. My week revolves round prepping my present, which is primarily NFL-focused, and for my ESPN school video games. I’m continuously studying, watching tape, and on calls with coaches and gamers in addition to betting analysts and oddsmakers. I additionally just lately received married in August, so I’m very lucky to have an understanding important different this time of yr!
From 2019-21, you coated the Golden Knights as a rink-side sideline reporter. What’s your most cherished reminiscence from that point? The place will you be in the course of the Stanley Cup banner elevating on Tuesday on ESPN?
Whereas I had a front-row seat to some nice on-ice moments, my most cherished reminiscences are off the ice: issues like future HOFer [goalie] Marc Andre Fleury pranking me like I used to be a part of the staff or being the primary individual to interview [winger] Mark Stone after he was named the primary captain in franchise historical past! As for the banner elevating, I’ll be watching from dwelling. I used to be within the constructing for Recreation 5 as a fan once they gained the [2023] Cup, although, and I’m undecided something can evaluate to that!
Recreation Day with an opportunity of snow showers
pic.twitter.com/rDJu8yifw3
— Stormy Buonantony (@StormBuonantony) January 22, 2021
What’s been your favourite ESPN project up to now?
I’ve had a number of nice video games and surprising upsets in my time with ESPN, however my favourite project might be doing ESPN Radio sideline protection for the 2023 Sugar Bowl. It was my first New 12 months’s Six bowl recreation, and I received to share some nice tales about Bryce Younger and Will Anderson in what ended up being their final recreation at Alabama earlier than going Nos. 1 and three general within the NFL Draft.
