VegasBeat — Timothy McDarrah: With game IX days away, hotels prepare

Friday, Jan. 23, 2004 | 10:46 a.m.

Nine days and counting until the biggest day on the Las Vegas gaming calendar -- Super Bowl Sunday.

It is a pretty big day on the party calendar, too. Every hotel and casino in town has special events scheduled.

"It is by far the biggest day of the year for us," Robert Walker, race and sports book director for MGM MIRAGE, told VegasBeat in a telephone conversation Thursday.

Despite the fact that the Carolina Panthers and New England Patriots are hardly marquee teams, Walker is optimistic.

"We're still looking at Christmas, New Year's and March Madness all rolled into one."

Walker said an estimated $71 million was wagered (legally, statewide) on last year's game. The biggest bet he has ever seen placed was $4.8 million at The Mirage -- on the St. Louis Rams to win Super Bowl XXXVI outright over the Patriots.

The Patriots -- and The Mirage -- won that one, 20-17.

The largest party in town, and the most expensive at $135 per ticket, is at the Riviera. Former NFLers Billy Kilmer, Deacon Jones, Jim Langer, Pete Johnson and a lineup of pro cheerleaders will all be on hand to mingle, sign autographs and talk football.

Former San Francisco 49ers Keena Turner, Ted Kwalick and Gary Plummer will be at the Stardust party, along with actor Mickey Jones ("Home Improvement") and former UNLV hoops coach Jerry Tarkanian.

The other parties will not have any players, but will have unlimited food and drink:

John Hanson of ESPN Radio (heard locally on KBAD 920-AM) will be broadcasting live throughout the game from Monte Carlo's Brew Pub.

Blue Oyster Cult will be performing at The Orleans Arena after the Super Bowl party. There is also a $500,000 passing-accuracy contest on the agenda.

The Arena Football League's Las Vegas Gladiator Girls will make an appearance at the party at the Zumanity Theatre at New York-New York.

Cigar-maker CAO is the official sponsor of "Super Bowl XXXVIII Weekend" at the Palms. A series of private celebrity events is on tap.

Hawaiian Tropic models will appear at the Aladdin's party in its main theater. Another attraction is its "Super 6 Bowl Pix" game. If you match all six game outcomes on your card, you can win $100,000.

In case the game gets boring, the Sahara is offering mud wrestling at its party.

The only free Super Bowl hotel event on the Strip that we're aware of is at the Barbary Coast. Hot dogs and $1 beers will be available at the party in the main lounge.

No song

Britney Spears has "politely declined" Las Vegas Motor Speedway's request to sing the national anthem at the March 7 UAW DaimlerChrysler 400, track spokesman Jeff Motley told VegasBeat over the telephone Thursday.

Motley added that Spears said she might attend the race as a spectator. She'll be in town that weekend for a performance at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.

Next up on the track's wish list to sing the anthem: "American Idol" winner Ruben Studdard.

Absent

That $100,000 table at Saturday's Celine Dion "Woman of the Year" tribute dinner at Caesars Palace to benefit the Nevada Ballet Theatre is still available.

Organizers have put the package -- it includes a future backstage meal with Dion, some trinkets from Cartier and other goodies -- up for auction on eBay.

Also, despite the presence of every prominent name in Las Vegas on the invitation (from Arum to Boyd to Cashman down, alphabetically, to Wynn ), and tables ranging from $3,500 to the aforementioned $100,000, Dion herself won't actually be attending the dinner portion of the high-priced event.

Diva Las Vegas has a performance of "A New Day ..." scheduled for that evening at The Colosseum and the show must go on.

Instead, Dion will meet some high-rollers and invited guests at an early reception and then return to the Caesars Ballroom about 10:30 p.m. to watch a video tribute to her from Oprah Winfrey before receiving her award.

Fly, Robin

Robin Leach is at it again, promoting Las Vegas on national television.

On Thursday he was in New York City taping a new segment for "The View." He has come up with a cooking challenge where viewers of the popular ABC daytime talker who fancy themselves as star chefs get to face off in a kitchen against some culinary stars -- and each other.

Among the chefs participating will be Bobby Flay, Mario Batali and Rocco Di-Spirito, star of last summer's reality hit "The Restaurant."

Leach will host each weekly segment. Network execs loved his suggestion that the three best viewer-chefs come to Vegas, when "The View" is filmed here next month, for a final cook-off.

They'll each work with Spago Chef David Robins for the final battle, which will be televised, and judged by Leach, "View"-ers Barbara Walters, Meredith Viera, Joy Behar, Star Jones and Elisabeth Hasselback, and Wolfgang Puck.

Today, Leach appeared on the national "Fox and Friends" morning show (which airs locally on the Fox News Channel, Cox Cable channel 21, from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. daily) before jetting back to attend the opening tonight of Clint Holmes' new show at Harrah's.

VegasBits

Pair: One of the players on MTV's "Real World: Paris," Las Vegas native and resident Christina Trainor, got engaged Sunday to Vegas club personality and DJ Michael Fuller. They met while working at the club Ice last year. They are vacationing in Hawaii. No wedding date has been set ...

Party: Jason Mewes, who worked the cash register in Kevin Smith's New Jersey comic book store before going on to appear in Smith's films "Clerks" and "Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back," is hosting a "Star Wars"-themed "CliQue Strikes Back" party Saturday night at Risque. CliQue is the promotion company that has made the Paris Las Vegas club into quite the hot spot lately ...

Soul: Jim Belushi's band has been booked to perform Jan. 31 at the grand-opening party for the new Fletcher Jones Imports car dealership on West Sahara Avenue ...

Stunt: "Extra" reporter Samantha Harris will spend today rehearsing with the cast of "Sirens of TI" and perform in their 6 p.m. show at Treasure Island ...

Looking up: "Las Vegas" co-star Josh Duhamel is flying high these days. Not only did the NBC drama place at an impressive No. 17 in the national ratings last week, but today his new movie, "Win a Date With Tad Hamilton!" opens nationwide.

From Sun wires

Bennifer no more: Those who want to see Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez as man and wife will have to settle for the on-screen version.

Lopez ended the engagement, a spokesman at Dan Klores Communications confirmed Thursday.

Those who still need a dose of "Bennifer" can see Lopez, 34, and Affleck, 31, together in "Jersey Girl," due out March 19. Lopez plays Affleck's wife -- although she dies 12 minutes into the movie.

Fonda in movie: Jane Fonda is ending her 14-year retirement from acting to appear in a film opposite Lopez.

Fonda will appear in "Monster-in-Law," playing the difficult mother of Lopez's fiance, her publicist said Thursday.

Fonda, 66, last appeared in the 1990 film "Stanley & Iris." She retired from acting after marrying her now ex-husband, media mogul Ted Turner.