Kornegay runs into no lockout on first tee

Fans of the NBA might be panicked now that their favorite players are locked out along with those in the NFL.

It might also seem as if Las Vegas sports books would be worrying over the status for the coming seasons.

But that's not the case.

Jay Kornegay, vice president of the race and sports book at the Las Vegas Hilton, was mostly worried about his golf game Friday when his practice swings were interrupted by a call from the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

"We're looking at the NFL first, and just hoping they sign on the dotted line and we can get on with it," he said.

Kornegay, like most sports book bosses, is moving along as if the football season and the books' busiest time of year will occur as scheduled. The only changes have been in references to deadlines for various NFL pick 'em contests. At the Hilton, Kornegay said the wording has been changed to "11 a.m. the Saturday before the season starts" instead of casting it in stone as Sept. 11.

You still can bet on which teams will win NBA conference titles and the championship for the 2011-12 season.

If the NFL and NBA fail to complete their seasons, you can get your bet back, Kornegay said.

■ PBA'S 'BOTTLEGATE' -- The only time a bowler gets upset over a beverage traditionally is when he was the only one not to strike in a "beer frame" and had to buy the next round.

PBA pro Sean Rash took it to a new level at the PBA Team Shootout in Chicago during a June 1 match against Jason Belmonte.

Rash became enraged because the water bottle Belmonte held made crunching sounds, and Rash thought it was an intentional move to distract him before he released the ball.

Rash spun toward Belmonte after striking and unloaded a verbal attack during taping of the match, which airs at 11:30 a.m. Sunday on ESPN (30).

"Take that, you bottle-bitch," Rash yelled as he turned from the foul line. "Really? Lots of (bleep) class right there."

The PBA fined Rash an undisclosed amount for the outburst, calling it "conduct unbecoming a professional."

Belmonte promises to be more careful when picking up a plastic water bottle that, by the way, is provided to competitors during PBA telecasts.

For many, this is about as exciting as pro bowling gets.

■ CAM'S PAYBACK -- John-Patrick Smith is a four-time All-American and a two-time Southeastern Conference tennis player of the year at Tennessee.

The conference's 12 athletic directors selected him as the SEC male athlete of the year over Auburn quarterback Cam Newton to mark the first time a Heisman Trophy winner in the league did not collect the honor.

"No offense to John-Patrick Smith, but voting for him over Newton for this award is like voting for a guy playing the kazoo over Springsteen on 'American Idol,' " writes Mark McCarter of The Huntsville (Ala.) Times and al.com.

Newton was mired in controversy during his only season at Auburn when it was learned his father accepted money from one of the national champion's boosters to get Newton to attend the school.

As Fark.com notes: "I guess they felt (the honor) should be awarded to an amateur athlete."

COMPILED BY JEFF WOLF
LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL