Friday, August 12, 2005
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

JOHN L. SMITH: Plenty of court dates means there's still time to play Name Lance Malone

It was just a joke, people. But, come to think of it, you might be onto something.

A recent column on former Clark County Commissioner Lance Malone playfully solicited possible nicknames for the reputedly stand-up guy, who thus far has refused to turn into a cooperating witness despite being convicted on federal criminal charges in San Diego and facing an even tougher battle in Las Vegas.

"Lance the Stance," said one of you. "Lance the (unprintable)," chimed another. "Lan-sky," another said. "Malone the Man," added another. "Lance the Loser," offered another.

With motions due in the coming weeks in Malone's Las Vegas case and sentencing coming up in the San Diego case, he's far from finished with the justice system.

Attorney Dominic Gentile insists his client remains unflinching in his determination to prevail in the Las Vegas case.

But, just to be safe, let's say the jury is still out on Malone's moniker.

HALL OF INFAMY: What does this say about how we really play the game? In a recent USA Today/CNN/Gallup Poll, a majority of Americans surveyed believes Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa and Barry Bonds should be elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame despite their links to the sport's ongoing steroid scandal.

The same poll revealed that only 40 percent of those surveyed said recent steroid violator Rafael Palmeiro should be elected to baseball's pantheon.

Don't worry, Rafael. If your case follows the current trend, fans won't even remember you had a problem in a few months -- especially if you return and knock a few more home runs.

Fair play is nice, but home runs are nicer. Winning at all costs is more important than following the rules. Isn't that it?

And baseball banned Pete Rose for betting on ballgames.

Not for throwing a game. In fact, no one ever accused Rose, the all-time hit king, of cheating or enhancing his performance with steroids.

Sosa has been caught corking his bat and is suspected of corking his biceps, but he's already been forgiven by the public and Major League Baseball.

The fact Rose ran to first base with the Gold Sheet sticking out of his back pocket doesn't make him all bad.

CHIPS AHOY: A recent column on the characters who assemble each year to buy and sell vintage casino chips has generated a crush of response from collectors and folks with a few gaming tokens rattling around in a drawer.

From pure silver coins from the defunct Debbie Reynolds casino to an old Del Webb Sahara Tahoe chip and even a $5,000 Dunes baccarat chip, there's no shortage of potential buyers and sellers out there.

The official name of the organization is the Casino Chip & Gaming Token Collectors Club, and you'll find them online at ccgtcc.com.

GYM UPDATE: Barry's Boxing could be headed home if a deal is worked out between the amateur gym's operators and officials from the Treasures topless cabaret, which earlier this year purchased the building that has housed the program for the past decade.

Treasures evicted the young fighters, and Top Rank boss Bob Arum stepped up to help by offering his facility.

Now Las Vegas City Council members Lois Tarkanian and Lawrence Weekly are answering the bell, and the parties met Thursday at City Hall to see whether an agreement can be made that will return Pat Barry's kids to their old stomping grounds.

SNAKE EYES: A scathing feature story in this week's Los Angeles Times put a hard spin on the national debate over compulsive gambling.

According to experts quoted in the story, about 4 percent of Americans experience "mild to severe" gambling problems. That includes about 1 million Californians.

According to one study, almost 20 percent of compulsive gamblers file for bankruptcy protection compared with 4.2 percent of nongamblers.

ON THE BOULEVARD: Owners of Cheetahs are starting to put pressure on author Brent Kenton Jordan, whose book "Stripped: Twenty Years of Secrets From Inside the Strip Club" embarrassed Michael Galardi and his crew and, more important, raised troubling questions about the after-hours behavior of local cops and politicians.

Of late, Jordan has received a letter asking him to remove a picture of the Cheetahs sign from his Web site.

That's ironic, considering the folks at R&R Partners have unsuccessfully attempted to have Cheetahs discontinue ripping off its "What happens here, stays here" advertising slogan.

Have an item for the Bard of the Boulevard? E-mail comments and contributions to Smith@reviewjournal.com or call 383-0295.