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. The
attend a Monday Night Football game live in Lashometown loyalty is to the point spread and every
Vegas? What would the NBA or NHL playoffprecious edge that she provides. People there are
experience bring to 'Sin City'? Or how about anfans of everyone and no one, with allegiance based
Opening Day MLB start in the desert?I can tell youon whoever provides the best opportunity for a
exactly what it would be like. The back of your gamepayday. Sports fans in Las Vegas are mercenaries,
ticket would be a scratch-off lottery game for lapbounty hunters and war profiteers. And it's unlikely that
dances and convertibles. There would be brilliantly littheir attitude will ever change.That is what strikes Fear
slot machines in the bathroom stalls. At halftime, aninto the rulers of the major sports. They are afraid of
opposing fan would be lowered into a cage and fed topoint-shaving or players consorting with criminal
a pair of white Bengal tigers. The vendors would beelements. They are scared of anything that could be
seven-foot mutants from Eastern Europe and theviewed as a conflict of interest and their hard-line
cheerleaders would be South American vixens. Therestance against gambling is done in an effort to
would be midgets and clowns and a giant money treepreserve the integrity of the game. (That is, the
that one lucky fan would get to shake at each homeintegrity remaining after sham officiating, performance
game.It would be beautiful.Las Vegas and aenhancing drugs and uneven distribution of
professional sports team are a natural fit. There arewealth.)Needless to say, this stance by owners and
few things as American as the cultish pride, monetaryexecutives is the height of hypocrisy. Goodman stated
excess and choreographed violence involved in prothat the NFL's public actions and outward opposition to
athletics in this country. It's in our blood. It's our birthright.gambling is "the most disingenuous reasoning" that he'd
And America's Playground is the only city in theever heard. He also believes there's already illegal
country that could possibly match that sort of frenzygambling at live sporting events in most other
and bacchanalia stride-for-stride.The population of Lassports."There's more bets taken during an NBA
Vegas has tripled over the course of the last 20 yearsbasketball game at Madison Square Garden then
to 1.8 million, and it remains one of the fastest-growingthere is on that game here," Goodman said. "Think
cities in the country. Its economy pumps out aabout it, you going to sit around watching 10 guys run
staggering $72 billion annually, with nearly 38 millionup and down the court for two hours without some
tourists blowing through town each year andmoney going around? I didn't think so."For my money,
contributing their mortgage/retirement/child's collegethe owners and execs are the real criminals. They are
fund to that honey pot. If we assume three-fifths of allvicious and vile, feasting on the flesh of children and old
Las Vegas visitors are sports fans - a measurementpeople. Just look at Al Davis. They loot the public
the Founding Fathers would approve - that would yieldtreasury for a new stadium. They charge $8.50 for a
a pool of roughly 24 million fans to draw from."I've saidbeer. They claim their low-rent, second-rate
before that just like Dallas is America's Team, I trulyorganizations are perpetually "rebuilding". They draft
think that a team in Las Vegas would be the World'semotionally unstable and intellectually shallow children,
Team," Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman said. "Weget them hopped up on Potential and mescaline and
really have the type of cosmopolitan people out hereturn them loose on society. Then the players are cut
that would embrace the hometown team."Goodman isloose after they become multiple felons.It's
an outspoken, martini-swilling, showgirl-loving Philadelphiainconceivable that owners and league executives can
native and the ace in the hole for the city's bid for propass judgment on Las Vegas or legalized professional
sports. He is disarmingly honest, and has the guile andgambling on the basis of some moral authority. They
zeal one would expect from an attorney who used tohave more blood on their hands than most, and since
defend such ruthless mobsters as Meyer Lansky andthey wouldn't resist the urges of greed and temptation
Anthony Spilotro. Goodman is on record in support ofthey don't expect anyone else to either."They don't
canings and thumb amputations as punishment, andrealize the Nevada sports books and the league are
has shown up in public surrounded by Elvison the same side," Kornegay said. "We both want
impersonators. Would you bet against him?Goodman'true' games. If anyone gets hurt on a crooked game
has lobbied and prodded owners and commissioners init's the sports books. This is why we have so many
all major sports to relocate or expand to his orgiasticpolicies, regulations and procedures to make sure the
oasis. Vegas currently hosts major events in boxing,games stay true.""Someday they will realize that they
NASCAR, Arena Football, Triple-A baseball and tennis.need us a lot more than we need them," Goodman
Also, the city locked up a bid to host the 2007 NBAsaid of sports leagues.The NHL and MLB have stated
All-Star Game. They will be the first non-NBA city tothat if Las Vegas was awarded a franchise the
do so.With the recent financial difficulties of pro sportscasinos and books would have to agree not to take
franchises in Florida, Portland, Seattle, San Diego andbets on the home team. This arrangement was a
New Orleans, the number of potential suitors for Lascondition of hosting the NBA All-Star Game, and had
Vegas seems to be at its pinnacle. Goodman said thatbeen in place for UNLV and Nevada athletics until
discussions have been "real hot" with therecently. The NBA has said that the books would have
NHL.However, not everyone shares his optimism."Ito agree not to take any action on any NBA games -
believe Las Vegas will not be seriously considered untilperiod - before Las Vegas would be given its own
someone steps up and builds a new arena to host ateam.Over $2.5 billion was gambled through legal
team," said Jay Kornegay, executive director of thechannels in Las Vegas in 2005. Nearly $400 million of
sportsbook at the Las Vegas Hilton. "Right now itthat was on the NBA. Those are high stakes for
seems like Las Vegas is just being used as a pawncasino owners and operators, especially since they
for some owners to strike deals around theform the backbone of the local economy but stand to
country."Sin City's greatest strength is also its greatestgain little from the presence of a pro team. Also, what
weakness when it comes to seducing a team into itsif Las Vegas were awarded an MLB team and it
hypnotic trance. The reason there isn't a team in Lasmade the World Series, or if they got an NFL team
Vegas already has little to do with being the 47thand it played in the Super Bowl? There would be riots
ranked television market, its lack of a state-of-the-artin the street and potentially billions of dollars lost.Should
arena or its graveyard of defunct pro franchises sinceLas Vegas have a pro sports team? Could it even
1976. No, Las Vegas doesn't have a team todayhandle one? We will see. But when asked what the
because it permits legalized gambling and is seen byodds of Las Vegas having a pro franchise by 2010
some as a modern Sodom and Gomorrah.It's true thatwere, Goodman didn't hesitate: "It's a guarantee."Hmm.
gambling and hedonism are at the soul of Las Vegas.A guarantee in Vegas? If you're willing to buy that, I'm
But that's what gives it such a unique relationship withwilling to bet that you'll be welcome in Sin City anytime.