If you're looking for celebrities in Las Vegas this week, take a map and a sandwich.
They're here, somewhere among the 65 miles it would take to check all the booths at the weeklong Consumer Electronics Show or at CES-related parties.
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Former Southern Cal quarterback Matt Leinart drew a crowd on Tuesday at the Polaroid booth. He's the new face of Polaroid, having just signed a three-year deal.
Leinart interviewers were told in advance: no questions about Britney Spears, whom he was seen with in Scottsdale over New Year's weekend. Leinart has a 10-week-old son with a girlfriend.
Oscar-winning actor Billy Bob Thornton and British singer-songwriter Graham Nash were at the Palms recording studios on Monday night for a recording academy/Intel event. Thornton has an album coming out soon.
Media mogul Rupert Murdoch, whose empire includes Fox TV, was spotted dining Monday at Aquaknox (Venetian). Demonstrating it's nonpartisanship, AquaKnox also was the site of a luncheon for The New York Times earlier in the day.
Jeffrey Katzenberger, who founded DreamWorks SKG in 1994 with Steven Spielberg and billionaire music mogul David Geffen, attended the Hewlett Packard party at Pure Nightclub at Caesars Palace. H-P was unveiling its new $15,000 Voodoo personal computer.
Gibson Guitar's tent featured Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys and Joan Jett on Tuesday.
Today's celebrity lineup includes:
• Former NBA star Dominique Wilkins, "The Human Highlight Film," 11 a.m.-1 p.m. and 2-4 p.m., Haier America, LVCC Central Hall, Booth #14438.
• Hulk Hogan of VH1's "Hogan Knows Best" reality show, is signing autographs from 1-3 p.m. at booth No. 13613 in the Las Vegas Convention Center's Central Hall (Petters Group Worldwide/Polaroid booth).
• Slash from Guns N' Roses and Velvet Revolver, 2 p.m., Gibson Guitar Central Plaza, CP-1.
• Wilson at the Gibson Guitar Happy Hour, 5:30 p.m.
THE SCENE AND HEARD
Broncos wide receiver Javon Walker was "just trying to get away from Denver for a little bit" when he went night-clubbing in Las Vegas last week, team sources told the Rocky Mountain News. A sighting of Walker at Tryst (Wynn) on Thursday raised some eyebrows. Broncos coach Mike Shanahan said Walker was unable to attend teammate Darrent Williams' funeral in Texas because he was "devastated" and "going through some heavy grief right now." Williams reportedly died in Walker's arms in a limo after a New Year's Eve drive-by shooting in Denver. ...
VH1's "Fame Game," filmed in Las Vegas and hosted by Robin Leach, got off to a solid ratings start, according to Leach. "VH1 is ecstatic," said Leach. "We got a .73 in the key important demo (18 to 49 year olds) rating with a 1.54 share number for the same demo group. In the cable universe that's a number that stacks up against regular network TV viewing." With "Fame Games" leading into "Hogan Knows Best," the block from 9-11 p.m. was described as VH1's highest-rated week ever, "obliterating the previous record by 23 percent," said Leach. The show features C-list celebrities battling it out in what Leach described as "train wreck entertainment."
SIGHTINGS
Leinart, checking out the Ohio State-Florida national championship football game at the Hard Rock Hotel's sports book before heading to Stack (Mirage) for dinner and, later, a drink with New York Yankees slugger Jason Giambi, who was celebrating his 36th birthday with his wife and friends. ... Pat O'Brien of the syndicated TV show "The Insider," at Stack (Mirage) after attending "Love" on Sunday. ... The skate-punk band Unwritten Law, at The Rainbow Bar & Grill after their performance at the House of Blues (Mandalay Bay). ... At ESPN Zone (New York-New York): ESPN personalities Mike Tirico and Dr. Jerry Punch, and Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, who was attending a CES event; NFL Hall of Famer Warren Moon was in Sunday, watching NFL action. ... "Deal or No Deal" host Howie Mandel, checking out "BODIES...The Exhibition" (Tropicana) on Sunday.
THE PUNCH LINE
"I was the fattest baby in Clark County (Ark.). They put me in the paper. I was like a prize turnip." -- Billy Bob Thornton
Norm Clarke can be reached at 383-0244 or norm@reviewjournal.com.
