Wednesday, April 18, 2001 | 9:57 a.m.
Jeff Haney's sports betting column appears Wednesday. Reach him at 259-4041 or [email protected]
Think back, XFL bettors, to this past January, just before the upstart football league made its debut.
Before He Hate Me.
Before the Jay Leno punch lines.
Before watching the TV ratings plunge each week became a sport unto itself.
Heading into the season, there was a school of thought that said gambling on the XFL would give the league a much-needed boost -- that Las Vegas lines on the games would bring them an air of legitimacy, easing the concerns of sports fans who weren't sure what to expect from a football league run by a pro wrestling magnate.
As it turned out, that school of thought was probably right on target.
In fact, according to one local oddsmaker, while bettors' interest in the XFL did lag, it never dropped off the face of the earth the way the ratings did.
"Sure, the handle fell off some from the very beginning of the season, when (the XFL) had the novelty factor going for it," said Rich Dressler, sports book supervisor at the Imperial Palace on the Strip. "They stumbled for a while, as any new business will, but we always had decent action on it."
After starting off strong and declining toward the middle of the 10-week regular season, XFL betting picked up again for this past weekend's playoff games, Dressler said.
The main culprit in the slump in XFL betting action, Dressler said, was the league's lack of offensive firepower -- also a likely reason many viewers tuned out.
"People want to see scoring, no matter what game you're talking about," Dressler said. "The general pattern in all sports is people like to bet the 'over' and then root for a lot of points.
"With the XFL, they made several adjustments (in rules), because they had to do something to increase the scoring. They got criticized for it, but they had the right idea. They were in a tough spot."
The IP is expecting heavier action for Saturday's league championsip, the "Million Dollar Game," between San Francisco and Los Angeles.
"We just put it up, and most day-to-day bettors are focusing on baseball, but we'll probably see a lot of action Friday and Saturday," Dressler said. "As in any sport, the quality of play improves in the playoffs, and that attracts the public. That's definitely what we're seeing here."
L.A. opened an 8-point favorite in the Million Dollar Game, though most early action has been on the underdog, driving the line down to 7 1/2 at some spots.
Wood winner Congaree, a lightly raced Bob Baffert trainee, has been bet down to 5-1 to win the Derby, according to Las Vegas Sports Consultants, which supplies lines to casinos in Nevada and throughout the world. Congaree opened as high as 40-1.
Monarchos, runner-up in the Wood, also commands a short price in the Derby at 6-1, down from an opening line of 100-1.
A year ago, Fusaichi Pegasus used his Wood victory as a springboard to a stirring Kentucky Derby win.
Blue Grass winner Millennium Wind -- who went wire-to-wire in the race while recorded a Beyer speed figure of 114, tops among 3-year-olds this year -- is an 8-1 shot to win the Derby, after opening at 100-1.
Blue Grass runner-up Songandaprayer, owned by a group headed by former Duke basketball star Bobby Hurley, is listed at 40-1.
Bettors aren't expecting much from the Arkansas Derby field, as winner Balto Star is 20-1 in the Derby future book.
Santa Anita Derby winner Point Given, also a Baffert horse, remains the Derby favorite at 8-5.
According to Dell, on the proposition "Will Michael Jordan return to the NBA?" the "Yes" side is a rather heavy 5-9 favorite ($90 wins $50) while the "No" is a 7-5 underdog ($50 wins $70).
First, Rio Las Vegas lawyers went after the offshore establishment -- a move that certainly has precedent, as other U.S. casinos also have tried to quash efforts by Internet sports books to "borrow" similar or identical names.
Then, the Rio legal team turned its attention to the Prescription, "demanding" the removal of banner advertisements and other references to Rio International from the website.
"Should you fail or refuse to do so, our client will immediately file a motion for contempt and sanctions against you with the U.S. District Court for the District of Nevada," part of a letter written to the Prescription operators read.
The feisty Prescription fired back by comparing the Rio Las Vegas to Attila the Hun and posting this succinct, if slightly biased, hotel review: "The Prescription, with its massive readership base in Las Vegas, highly recommends the Bellagio, having stayed at and rated this phenomenal establishment. We were less impressed with Rio Hotel & Casino."
At the Imperial Palace, Irwin opened at 5-2, followed by Nelson (7-2), Fleisher (5-1), Colbert (8-1) and Mike McCullough (8-1).
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