Las Vegas Mayor: Pro Team in Southern Nevada a 'Guarantee'

Have you ever imagined what it would be like toSports. Vegas is Switzerland with slot machines.
attend a Monday Night Football game live in LasThe hometown loyalty is to the point spread and
Vegas? What would the NBA or NHL playoffevery precious edge that she provides. People
experience bring to 'Sin City'? Or how about anthere are fans of everyone and no one, with
Opening Day MLB start in the desert?I can tellallegiance based on whoever provides the best
you exactly what it would be like. The back ofopportunity for a payday. Sports fans in Las
your game ticket would be a scratch-off lotteryVegas are mercenaries, bounty hunters and war
game for lap dances and convertibles. Thereprofiteers. And it's unlikely that their attitude will
would be brilliantly lit slot machines in theever change.That is what strikes Fear into the
bathroom stalls. At halftime, an opposing fanrulers of the major sports. They are afraid of
would be lowered into a cage and fed to a pair ofpoint-shaving or players consorting with criminal
white Bengal tigers. The vendors would beelements. They are scared of anything that could
seven-foot mutants from Eastern Europe and thebe viewed as a conflict of interest and their
cheerleaders would be South American vixens.hard-line stance against gambling is done in an
There would be midgets and clowns and a gianteffort to preserve the integrity of the game.
money tree that one lucky fan would get to(That is, the integrity remaining after sham
shake at each home game.It would beofficiating, performance enhancing drugs and
beautiful.Las Vegas and a professional sportsuneven distribution of wealth.)Needless to say, this
team are a natural fit. There are few things asstance by owners and executives is the height of
American as the cultish pride, monetary excesshypocrisy. Goodman stated that the NFL's public
and choreographed violence involved in proactions and outward opposition to gambling is "the
athletics in this country. It's in our blood. It's ourmost disingenuous reasoning" that he'd ever heard.
birthright. And America's Playground is the onlyHe also believes there's already illegal gambling at
city in the country that could possibly match thatlive sporting events in most other sports."There's
sort of frenzy and bacchanaliamore bets taken during an NBA basketball game
stride-for-stride.The population of Las Vegas hasat Madison Square Garden then there is on that
tripled over the course of the last 20 years to 1.8game here," Goodman said. "Think about it, you
million, and it remains one of the fastest-growinggoing to sit around watching 10 guys run up and
cities in the country. Its economy pumps out adown the court for two hours without some
staggering $72 billion annually, with nearly 38 millionmoney going around? I didn't think so."For my
tourists blowing through town each year andmoney, the owners and execs are the real
contributing their mortgage/retirement/child'scriminals. They are vicious and vile, feasting on the
college fund to that honey pot. If we assumeflesh of children and old people. Just look at Al
three-fifths of all Las Vegas visitors are sportsDavis. They loot the public treasury for a new
fans - a measurement the Founding Fathersstadium. They charge $8.50 for a beer. They
would approve - that would yield a pool of roughlyclaim their low-rent, second-rate organizations are
24 million fans to draw from."I've said before thatperpetually "rebuilding". They draft emotionally
just like Dallas is America's Team, I truly thinkunstable and intellectually shallow children, get
that a team in Las Vegas would be the World'sthem hopped up on Potential and mescaline and
Team," Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman said.turn them loose on society. Then the players are
"We really have the type of cosmopolitan peoplecut loose after they become multiple felons.It's
out here that would embrace the hometowninconceivable that owners and league executives
team."Goodman is an outspoken, martini-swilling,can pass judgment on Las Vegas or legalized
showgirl-loving Philadelphia native and the ace inprofessional gambling on the basis of some moral
the hole for the city's bid for pro sports. He isauthority. They have more blood on their hands
disarmingly honest, and has the guile and zeal onethan most, and since they wouldn't resist the
would expect from an attorney who used tourges of greed and temptation they don't expect
defend such ruthless mobsters as Meyer Lanskyanyone else to either."They don't realize the
and Anthony Spilotro. Goodman is on record inNevada sports books and the league are on the
support of canings and thumb amputations assame side," Kornegay said. "We both want 'true'
punishment, and has shown up in publicgames. If anyone gets hurt on a crooked game
surrounded by Elvis impersonators. Would you betit's the sports books. This is why we have so
against him?Goodman has lobbied and proddedmany policies, regulations and procedures to make
owners and commissioners in all major sports tosure the games stay true.""Someday they will
relocate or expand to his orgiastic oasis. Vegasrealize that they need us a lot more than we
currently hosts major events in boxing, NASCAR,need them," Goodman said of sports leagues.The
Arena Football, Triple-A baseball and tennis. Also,NHL and MLB have stated that if Las Vegas was
the city locked up a bid to host the 2007 NBAawarded a franchise the casinos and books would
All-Star Game. They will be the first non-NBA cityhave to agree not to take bets on the home
to do so.With the recent financial difficulties of proteam. This arrangement was a condition of
sports franchises in Florida, Portland, Seattle, Sanhosting the NBA All-Star Game, and had been in
Diego and New Orleans, the number of potentialplace for UNLV and Nevada athletics until recently.
suitors for Las Vegas seems to be at its pinnacle.The NBA has said that the books would have to
Goodman said that discussions have been "realagree not to take any action on any NBA games
hot" with the NHL.However, not everyone shares- period - before Las Vegas would be given its
his optimism."I believe Las Vegas will not beown team.Over $2.5 billion was gambled through
seriously considered until someone steps up andlegal channels in Las Vegas in 2005. Nearly $400
builds a new arena to host a team," said Jaymillion of that was on the NBA. Those are high
Kornegay, executive director of the sportsbookstakes for casino owners and operators,
at the Las Vegas Hilton. "Right now it seems likeespecially since they form the backbone of the
Las Vegas is just being used as a pawn for somelocal economy but stand to gain little from the
owners to strike deals around the country."Sinpresence of a pro team. Also, what if Las Vegas
City's greatest strength is also its greatestwere awarded an MLB team and it made the
weakness when it comes to seducing a team intoWorld Series, or if they got an NFL team and it
its hypnotic trance. The reason there isn't a teamplayed in the Super Bowl? There would be riots in
in Las Vegas already has little to do with being thethe street and potentially billions of dollars
47th ranked television market, its lack of alost.Should Las Vegas have a pro sports team?
state-of-the-art arena or its graveyard of defunctCould it even handle one? We will see. But when
pro franchises since 1976. No, Las Vegas doesn'tasked what the odds of Las Vegas having a pro
have a team today because it permits legalizedfranchise by 2010 were, Goodman didn't hesitate:
gambling and is seen by some as a modern"It's a guarantee."Hmm. A guarantee in Vegas? If
Sodom and Gomorrah.It's true that gambling andyou're willing to buy that, I'm willing to bet that
hedonism are at the soul of Las Vegas. But that'syou'll be welcome in Sin City anytime.
what gives it such a unique relationship with