UNLV coach sees through trickery

UNLV head football coach Mike Sanford received some advice from a coaching legend on Friday.

Sanford was on KLUC-FM 98.5 with Chet Buchanan and The Morning Zoo when the station had John Madden join in and offer pointers on how UNLV should play Oregon State today.

Sanford's suspicions were confirmed when the fake "Madden" recommended the "Turducken quesadilla defense."

On the telephone was comedian Frank Caliendo, best known for his impersonation of Madden, the longtime NFL broadcasting analyst.

Sanford "laughed like crazy," said Buchanan. "He said 'many of our defenses are named for birds so this will fit right in.'"

Madden popularized the turducken, which is a boneless chicken stuffed into a boneless duck, stuffed into a boneless turkey.

Caliendo was on the show to promote his arrival at the Monte Carlo next month. He recently signed a 10-year deal with the resort. He opens Oct. 12.

'LET'S MAKE A DEAL'

Taping for the CBS game show "Let's Make a Deal" begins Tuesday at the Tropicana.

Tickets cannot be purchased for the show, which is being hosted by Venetian headliner Wayne Brady.

Tickets are only available through showtickets4locals.com, which offers a free signup.

Attendees have to dress in costume.

The show starts airing Oct. 5.

TOP CHEF ODDS

Michael Voltaggio remains a narrow choice over Jennifer Carroll in the Las Vegas "Top Chef" competition on Bravo.

Voltaggio, head chef at The Dining Room at The Langham, Huntington Hotel & Spa in Pasadena, Calif., is listed as the 5-2 favorite over Philadelphia's Carroll, the 7-2 choice, according to John Avello, director of the race and sports book at Wynn Las Vegas.

Avello offers odds for entertainment purposes only. No wagers are taken.

Kevin Gillespie is Avello's third pick at 4-1 and Voltaggio's brother, Bryan, is next at 7-1.

Twelve contestants remain in the competition.

THE SCENE AND HEARD

Dick Feeney, co-owner of "The Tribute to Frank, Sammy, Joey and Dean," told Vegas Confidential that Sandy Hackett agreed to a $40,000 buyout three years ago and signed off on it. Hackett, who co-produced the show and played Joey Bishop in the Rat Pack tribute, was terminated on Wednesday. Hackett's attorney on Thursday threatened a legal fight over copyright issues. Feeney said Hackett agreed to the buyout 18 months before it was finalized on Sept. 2, 2006. Feeney said the show will continue at the Plaza without interruption. ...

Colony Capital, the company that saved Neverland Ranch from foreclosure, has decided not to go ahead with plans to trademark the sprawling property. According to the celebrity Web site, TMZ.com, Colony Capital, a major investor in the Las Vegas Hilton, asked the U.S. Patent Office to start Neverland trademark applications last month. Colony had filed the trademark applications in the event Neverland was turned into a Graceland-style tourist attraction for Jackson fans. ...

Guy Babylon, keyboard player in more than 1,000 shows for the Elton John band, died in Los Angeles last week. He was 52. He had played in John's band since the late 1980s and became lead keyboardist in 1992. He won a Grammy Award in 2001 for his work arranging John's stage musical "Aida," according to published reports. ... Rapper and reality show icon Flavor Flav, spotted in Henderson on Friday. He told a fan he's lived in Las Vegas for five years.

SIGHTINGS

British actor Julian Morris of "ER," "Valkyrie" and "Sorority Row," dining at Picasso (Bellagio) on Thursday after spending the afternoon at Tao Beach (The Venetian). Also at Picasso: a Japanese rock star described as "the Britney or Madonna of Japan" at a table for 12 on the patio. ... Flamingo headliners Donny and Marie, celebrating their one-year anniversary at the hotel with cake on Wednesday. Godiva chocolates were handed out to the audience. ...

THE PUNCH LINE

"To prepare her for the difficult job of filling Paula's shoes, Ellen (DeGeneres) will be fitted with a Vicodin drip, she will be spun around for an hour, and beaten on the head with a frying pan." -- Jimmy Kimmel

Norm Clarke can be reached at (702) 383-0244 or norm@reviewjournal.com. Find additional sightings and more online at www.normclarke.com.