Barkley is miffed by debt publicity
Former NBA star Charles Barkley says Wynn Las Vegas and Clark County District Attorney David Roger "will get theirs" for the way they handled his $400,000 gambling debt.
In town for a World Series of Poker celebrity tournament, Barkley told a Las Vegas radio station that he "didn't appreciate" how the Wynn and Roger handled the civil complaint.
"It pissed me off. I'm going to get the DA here one of these days," he told ESPN affiliate KWWN-AM, 1100, in an interview at the Rio, site of the World Series of Poker.
"I paid it the next day, and then they wanted another $40,000," said Barkley, an NBA commentator for TNT.
"But like I said, every dog gets their day, and they will get theirs at some point," he said.
After the gambling debt hit the headlines, Barkley said he was taking a hiatus from gambling. He showed up in Las Vegas this week to play in Don Cheadle's $5,000 buy-in charity tournament, Ante Up for Africa.
Barkley complained that the media have been hounding him in Las Vegas about his gambling.
"The media is monitoring me. Only the idiots monitor me. I should be able to gamble, but I stopped to take the pressure off of TNT. They are afraid of the media."
MICHAEL DARRIN R.I.P.
Emmy-winning choreographer Michael Darrin, who helped Paula Abdul's "Cold-Hearted Snake" video debut at No. 1, died Wednesday at a Las Vegas hospital.
He was 62.
Darrin's dance partners on world tours included Juliet Prowse and Cyd Charisse, and he choreographed some of the biggest shows in Las Vegas.
He choreographed his last show in Australia from a wheelchair about a year ago. He died from Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, ALS, often referred to as Lou Gehrig's disease.
He won the Emmy for Outstanding Achievement in Choreography for "Cold-Hearted Snake" in 1990. He also was a choreographer for the Academy Awards.
Friends gathered around Darrin on Wednesday at St. Rose Hospital at Durango and 215. Darrin was watching the TV show "So You Think You Can Dance" before he died.
ROMANO'S ALL-INTO IT
About 1:15 a.m. Friday, a flurry of activity erupted around a table and numerous camera flashes went off during the World Series of Poker's main event action.
At the center of the hub-bub was "Everybody Loves Raymond" star Ray Romano, a participant for the second year in a row.
His opponents at the table had requested photos with the popular funnyman and he accommodated them.
Asked if he minded all the attention, Romano told one of my spies, "I just love it. What makes poker so special is the bond you make at the poker table. You don't get that anywhere else."
He's playing much more confidently this year, he said, after reading Doyle Brunson's poker book "Super-System."
THE SCENE AND HEARD
Harry Morton, whose father, Peter Morton, sold the Hard Rock Hotel about two years ago, recently bought the Viper Room in Los Angeles. He has hired Jeff Beacher to bring his "Madhouse" characters for the grand opening weekend, which coincides with MTV's Video Music Awards weekend in early September.
The Square Apple, the new nightclub at 1000 E. Sahara, was misidentified here based on misinformation provided by someone who indicated he was part of the ownership. The club offers '70s, '80s, and '90s live music every night.
SIGHTINGS
Former "Beverly Hills, 90210" star Brian Austin Green and Hollywood newcomer Megan Fox, at "O" (Bellagio) on Thursday, amid reports that their engagement was called off. ... Shannon Elizabeth, getting a surprise visit from her boyfriend, Derek Hough, her partner on "Dancing With the Stars," while she was dining at Tao. She had just told reporters on the red carpet that Hough was out of town, working with his band. ... Wayne Newton, flanked by Bally's "Jubilee!" Showgirls, making the "shuffle up and deal" call, followed by the UNLV marching band performing "Viva Las Vegas" to open the main event of the World Series of Poker.
THE PUNCH LINE
"Can always win at poker by saying: 'See your 10 and raise you 19 billion.' " -- From David Letterman's Top Ten Coolest Thing About Being the Wealthiest Man in America
Norm Clarke can be reached at (702) 383-0244 or norm@reviewjournal.com. Find additional sightings and more online at www.normclarke.com.
