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