Feb. 08, 2007
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

NORM: Strip resorts ad-apt to All-Star Weekend


An adidas ad drapes the side of the Luxor pyramid for the upcoming All-Star Game.
Photo by John Gurzinski.

Now that's a wrap!

NBA sponsors are draping their super-sized promotional wraps over the facades of numerous Strip casinos, including MGM Grand, Mandalay Bay, Luxor, and Ballys.

Luxor's east side has an adidas ad of Kevin Garnett and Dwight Howard where the "Hairspray" ad was a year ago. Workers were putting up a Sidekick T-Mobile wrap at Mandalay Bay on Wednesday.

Bally's has an adidas ad on its north wall, while the lion at MGM Grand will be wearing an adidas jersey. Also on the MGM Grand will be a 300-foot-wide by 180-foot-high adidas ad with Tracy McGrady and Gilbert Arenas.

There are rumblings that the roof of the Thomas & Mack Arena, site of the Feb. 18 All-Star Game, will be painted with a giant "EAS," for the supplement company.

MORE ANGELIL NUMBERS

Spies tell me Rene Angelil ranks somewhere between the $1 million-a-week gambler that Jan Jones mentioned last week and the syrupy Caesars Palace news release that played it down with some funny numbers.

Here are some new numbers: I'm told Angelil, who has a $1 million credit line at Bellagio, has lost more than $2 million there on table games (not poker), not a lot compared with the whales.

"Michael (Jordan) and Tiger (Woods) win or lose that in one trip," a spy said.

But what Caesars Palace ignored was that Angelil frequently plays with the big boys in live poker games that would not show up in tournament records.

How wild are the live games? I'm told Daniel Negreanu recently dropped nearly $1 million in one night.

THE SCENE AND HEARD

I'm hearing the NBA is in hot pursuit of Bette Midler, the original Diva Las Vegas, to sing the National Anthem at the All-Star Game. Makes sense, given all the talk that she is Celine Dion's successor at Caesars. ...

Is illusionist Criss Angel spilling a big sweeps-week secret? That's part of the tease when he joins KVBC-TV, Channel 3 (NBC) entertainment reporter Alicia Jacobs tonight in Part 2 of her feature on him. Part 1 introduced Angel, who has been living in the Luxor's penthouse suite while shooting a reality show and reportedly preparing for a rumored $200 million Cirque du Soleil-created magic show. In Part 2, Angel provides a big hint about his future at Luxor when he and Jacobs, who have dated, share a magical kiss. ...

The Palms is putting the Hugh Hefner Sky Villa on eBay, with a starting bid of $80,000 for a three-night stay for All-Star Weekend. The offer includes four tickets to the NBA All-Star Game.

SIGHTINGS

At Pure (Caesars) on Tuesday: magician David Copperfield and UFC stars George St Pierre and Keith "The Dean of Mean" Jardine. ... Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich, dining at Aquaknox (Venetian) on Tuesday with his wife, Callista. ... New York Yankees manager Joe Torre and his wife, getting chatted up Tuesday at Piero's Italian Cuisine by owner Freddie Glusman. ... Bernie Taupin, Elton John's longtime lyricist, at Joe's Seafood, Prime Steak & Stone Crab (Forum Shops at Caesars) on Tuesday. ... Kevin Spacey, Kate Bosworth and Jim Sturgess, shooting scenes at Red Rock Resort with 100-plus extras at Rande Gerber's Cherry nightclub, the pool area and the casino floor. ... Vintner Grill, the hot new eatery on Charleston, was a gathering point for some of the city's top chefs and sommeliers on Monday. Among the star-chef crowd: Alex Stratta of Alex (Wynn); Julian Serrano, Picasso (Bellagio); Mark Purdy, Alize (Palms); Terence Fong, Chinois (Forum Shops at Caesars); Bruno Davaillon, Mix (The Hotel at Mandalay Bay); and Luis DeSantos, wine director and master sommelier, Wolfgang Puck Fine Dining Group.

THE PUNCH LINE

"She poisons your Tang." -- From David Letterman's Top Ten Signs an Astronaut is Trying to Kill You."

Norm Clarke can be reached at 383-0244 or norm@review journal.com