Super day for Ravens, Stern’s fans

Jace Radke

Monday, Jan. 29, 2001 | 11:18 a.m.

For the thousands of fans who gathered at the Hard Rock hotel-casino Sunday, the Super Bowl was only the warm-up to four hours with radio shock jock Howard Stern.

Elmer Morales and two friends spent Sunday morning driving to Las Vegas from Southern California to watch the football game and to catch a glimpse of Stern and his crew of radio personalities, including Jackie "The Jokeman" Martling, Robin Quivers and "Stuttering" John.

"There's nowhere better than Vegas to watch the Super Bowl, and plus we knew Howard was going to be here," Morales said.

Morales had his money on the Ravens, but had also bet the under on a game that would eventually go over the posted spread of 33.

"We came up here to have a good time and cheer, and we did," Morales said. "I guess we were half right on our bets."

Las Vegan Aaron Koshan won his Super Bowl bet, but was more interested in the show Stern was going to put on and the free cocktails he was drinking.

"I bet the over, but it was only for five bucks," Koshan said. "I'm mainly here for the free drinks, and of course to see Howard."

Stern didn't let his fans down as he took over the casino at 7 p.m. with a four-hour show that aired nationally this morning, and live in Las Vegas on X-treme Radio 107.5 KXTE-FM last night.

Stern, who normally broadcasts his show from New York, was disappointed in the Super Bowl.

"Of course the Giants lost in the Super Bowl, and that's very, very, depressing for me," Stern said. "It seems like most people in Vegas were rooting for Baltimore."

Stern, who had never before brought his show to Las Vegas, said he plans to return.

"I love being in Las Vegas," Stern said. "It's Sin City. Wherever I go people seem to embrace me, and it has been the same here. I'll be back in Las Vegas again."

Stern spent his show playing high stakes blackjack with such celebrities as Reggie Jackson, David Brenner and Robbie Knievel, but at the end of the night he made a bet for one of his listeners.

Stern teamed up with goldenpalacecasinos.com to place a $100,000 bet on one hand of blackjack for a Maryland listener, who was a rape victim. The woman was dealt a 19 to beat the dealer's 18 and walked away with the $100,000 she won, and the Internet company recouped its bet.