JUAN RAMÓN ARRASATE had witnessed the rise and fall of jai alai in Miami. Now, he was preparing to see the new faces of the game.
Arrasate had arrived in Miami from Spain in 1978 and played for 20 years, mostly in front of big, enthusiastic crowds. In 1986, he even appeared in a "Miami Vice" TV episode about jai alai titled "Killshot."
But jai alai, the world's fastest-moving ball sport, fell off in the 1990s and didn't get a boost until 2018, when Florida banned greyhound racing and casinos needed a parimutuel activity (in which all bets are pooled) to continue offering slots and table games.