More Cosmopolitan: Some straight shots of a cool opening party

By John Katsilometes

Friday, Dec. 17, 2010 | 6 a.m.

At this writing, I am on Mom’s couch in Boise, Idaho. The fire, she is raging. And as Steve & Eydie once said, baby, it’s cold outside.

Though the locals seem to feel an overnight low of 21 degrees is really not so chilly. I’m embarrassed, in fact, to be wearing both a scarf and reddened cheeks.

It’s hard to believe that 24 hours ago I was at the Cosmopolitan Las Vegas gala opening. I scrambled from there to McCarran International Airport, a stop in Portland (the one in Oregon, thankfully), then Boise, home of the most star-crossed 11-1 football team in NCAA history. But for the conversion of a 26-yard field goal in Reno …

In an unlikely turn of events, Boise State will be in Vegas in a few days, playing in the MAACO Las Vegas Bowl against the Utah Utes, while this Vegas person who would love to be at that game is in Boise. I have never seen the Las Vegas Bowl live. I have always been in Idaho when it has been played. In another quirk of personal positioning, I was in the crowd at the last time BSU was knocked off on the Smurf Turf, in December 2005, when the Broncos were dumped by Boston College 27-21 in a heavily sleeted Humanitarian Bowl at Bronco Stadium.

That said, or written, I have still hold warm memories of the Cosmopolitan opening, lo so many hours ago in Las Vegas. As I told the eminent Alexandra Berzon, one of the dignitaries I encountered during Wednesday’s throw-open-the-doors shindig, I’ve been lucky enough to have attended quite a few resort openings since moving to Vegas in 1996 (the weekend the Stratosphere opened, as it happened). This was among the most entertaining, no doubt. I’ve got photos to prove it, too, from the terrace of my room on the 58th floor, looking out at bedazzled Strip, to a cool poolside performance by Brandon Flowers.

Let us enjoy, shall we? And keep warm, sports fans.

Follow John Katsilometes on Twitter at twitter.com/JohnnyKats.