Sean DeFrank
The Numbers Guy
Johnny Avello, The Wynn’s executive director of race and sports book operations
Johnny Avello has been called the “Wizard of Odds,” posting lines on everything from sporting events to the Academy Awards to American Idol.
But the 57-year-old’s career in Las Vegas started in 1979 under far less prestigious circumstances. The Poughkeepsie, N.Y., native had planned to move to Atlantic City after graduating from the New York School of Gambling, but the city that inspired the board game Monopoly wanted dealers from gaming schools in New Jersey. That led Avello to move here and take a job as a dealer at the Hilton, where he also started writing betting tickets part time in the sports book as a clerk in 1985. That led to jobs at the Sands and Bally’s, where he became sports book director in 1995.
Read More »Colin Cowherd
The voice behind The Herd talks about success, partying and why Las Vegas will never get a major sports franchise
Colin Cowherd has come a long way since beginning his professional career as a play-by-play announcer for the Las Vegas Stars in 1987. He was named Nevada Sportscaster of the Year five times while at Channel 3, before moving in the early ’90s to Tampa, Fla., and then Portland, Ore. Cowherd, 46, and based in Bristol, Conn., is now one of the biggest names in sports talk radio, hosting The Herd With Colin Cowherd five days a week and co-hosting SportsNation with Michelle Beadle on ESPN2.
Read More »‘It Starts With Me’
Rebels’ junior receiver Payne catching on just fine in new role as team leader
In his first two years at UNLV, Phillip Payne learned what it takes to be a leader on the football field. Now he’s applying those lessons to his own game.
The wide receiver had the luxury of playing last season alongside Ryan Wolfe, the Rebels’ all-time leading pass catcher, and his freshman year with Wolfe and Casey Flair, who is second on the career receptions list. Their presence helped take much of the pressure off of Payne, and they also showed their young teammate what it takes to get better.
Read More »Local amateur skateboarders, BMX riders get chance to show their stuff
In a quest to find the top amateur skaters and BMX riders in the country, the Gatorade Free Flow Tour is coming to Las Vegas on Sept. 4-5. SkateCity Indoor Skatepark will host the event, which is open to male and female amateur competitors 21 and younger.
The tour features 30 skateboarding and 17 BMX competitions at 30 parks across the United States. Winners from each event will be flown to the finals in Salt Lake City on Sept. 16-19.
Read More »Nationally ranked Bishop Gorman eyes another state football championship
It’s time for the Nevada version of Friday Night Lights to get into full swing, and once again Bishop Gorman High School is the team to beat.
The Gaels won their second state championship in three years in 2009, outscoring opponents 799-137 in going 15-0, and appear in position to repeat this year.
Read More »Saints Have Plenty of Competition in Quest to Repeat
Colts, Vikings, Cowboys among NFL teams drawing heavy attention from bettors
Now that Brett Favre’s annual ESPN-fueled will-he-or-won’t-he melodrama has reached its expected conclusion, we finally have a clear picture of the upcoming NFL season, which is definitely good news to Jay Kornegay.
No longer will the Las Vegas Hilton sports book executive director have to play a guessing game with the season’s odds wondering if the 40-year-old quarterback is going to suit up for one more year with the Minnesota Vikings.
“Favre is a big pain in the you-know-what,” Kornegay says. “He’s driving us nuts. He’s basically a tree-killer because we keep changing our customer sheets all the time.”
Read More »The Trouble With Cashman Field
It may be old, but it’s all we’ve got. And it’s not going away
There’s been a lot of speculation about the future of professional baseball in Las Vegas. Mayor Oscar Goodman has come out this month and said that a major league team is looking at the city, and the 51s’ player development contract with the Toronto Blue Jays expires next month, although the parties seem likely to renew their partnership through 2012.
Regardless of those developments, this is certain: No matter which team is playing here in the next few years, it will be housed at Cashman Field.
Read More »More Bang for Your Buck
Handy new guide rates the city’s strip clubs
When planning a night out in Las Vegas, sometimes the most important decision is figuring out which strip club to visit. The choices are many: topless club or totally nude? Do you want to spend less than $100, or are you willing to unload a wad of cash? Are you after lap dances, or does a good stage performance do the trick?
Read More »Primed for More
Veteran alt-rockers Primus regroup for tour, anticipated new album
Les Claypool is a man who doesn’t stay idle for long, and is constantly moving forward. After fronting Primus for more than a decade, he has spent most of the last 10 years tending to a variety of musical, literary and cinematic projects. So when weighing his options following his most recent solo tour, he surprised even himself when a rekindling with Primus guitarist Larry LaLonde began to develop into something more.
Read More »Get your swings in this summer at indoor batting cages
Looking to blow off some steam? Or maybe you’re just seeking some indoor recreation to escape the heat. Here is a two-word solution: batting cages.
While the number of facilities has dwindled in recent years, there are still a few places throughout the Valley to come inside and hone your swing.
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