Local
Cuban behind pro football effort in Vegas
That rumor-spreading fishwrapper affectionately known as “The New York Times” is at it again, reporting today that Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban is one of the main players in an effort to start professional football league that would place a team in Las Vegas, and Cuban would be the owner of the local franchise. A story in today’s “Review-Journal” says Sam Boyd Stadium director Darren Libonati has not been contacted by anyone in the potential eight team United Football League. Las Vegas last had a football team (we’re intentionally leaving the word “pro” out of it) in the XFL, which played from 2001 to … later in 2001, when the league – created by World Wrestling Entertainment owner Vince McMahon -- folded. Libonati said the Outlaws averaged 25,000 fans per game that season and could support a pro team here. Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman also has not been contacted about the UFL and e-mails to Cuban went unanswered, the “Review-Journal” said.
National
Quaratine? What quarantine?
We at LasVegasWeekly.com rarely uses CNN as a source since the ridiculous Larry-King-called-us-stalkers debacle. However, in a bid to show good faith, we logged on to CNN.com and were fascinated by the following story: “A man infected with the extensively drug-resistant form of TB known as XDR TB knew he was not supposed to travel overseas but did so anyway, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Dr. Julie Gerberding told CNN's ‘American Morning’ on Wednesday. The man, who is quarantined at an Atlanta, Ga., hospital, told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that Fulton County health officials had said they ‘preferred’ he not travel, but knew about his plans for an overseas wedding and honeymoon.” Our crack stringers didn’t let the story rest there. Placing a quick call to the man’s fiancée gleaned the following quote (which we’ll bet Larry the K does NOT get!): “If I’d known the SOB had TB I would have ‘preferred’ not to have a honeymoon with him. Who knows what else he has?” Apparently nobody. But we’ll find out, whether it means another silly lawsuit or not.
International
Elvis ripped off in death … again
We put in a quick call today to our brethren at “The London Times” and grabbed this gem: “Thousands of pieces of Elvis Presley memorabilia are up for auction after their owner was jailed for funding her passion for the King through larceny. Excited fans are already studying a catalogue that could raise £500,000. The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) is putting the collection up for sale next month after confiscating it from Julie Wall, 46, who pleaded guilty to theft and was jailed for three years in 2005. Working as a cashier for North Kesteven District Council in Lincolnshire, she was in charge of counting the weekly takings from the council’s eight car parks. She took £10,000 in coins each month. She held back hundreds of pounds from each cash box then exchanged them for notes used in other council operations.” The King was unavailable for comment. And we actually did try to reach him.
Sports
Med students win game played with sticks
That bastion of American medical talent, Johns Hopkins University, now also boasts the nation’s champion men’s lacrosse team. “This is sensational, just sensational,” said Wifred Hestenburger, who identified himself as “the guy who sent key tactical advice to the team’s coaches via email.” “It just goes to show you that this school isn’t just about healing people and junk like that.” Meanwhile, LasVegasWeekly.com was unable to reach anyone from the Duke camp despite several faxes sent to a number we got from the mailroom guy. However, one source told us that in the locker room after the game, there was some talk of contesting the outcome of the match in court. One fan did tell somebody who told us that the general gist was: “We’ll fight this thing in court and prove that Johns Hopkins’ entire case for being national champions is based on a lie.” This rings a bell with us somewhere and we plan to scour our archives to look for a related story. As always, we’re on it.