Mayor hopes Steelers can change his luck

Dan Kulin

Sunday, Feb. 5, 2006 | 12:33 p.m.

Did the mayor just jinx the Steelers?

Or will he pull off a perfect betting day?

Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman has yet to win a Super Bowl bet with Mix 94.1 FM radio team Mark and Mercedes. And this year the mayor is taking the Pittsburgh Steelers in the big game Sunday over the Seattle Seahawks.

Perhaps it's confidence, or taunting, but the radio duo gave Goodman the favored Steelers without forcing the mayor to give up any points. The Steelers are favored by four.

The mayor, known as a frequent sports bettor, said Wednesday he would likely put cash on the Seahawks in an effort to "middle" his bets. So, if the Steelers win the game by less than four points, he will win both bets.

But on Thursday, the mayor backed off, saying he still was not sure he would bet money on the Seahawks, even though he said he really likes the team.

So far, the Goodman vs. morning team bets have forced his honor to dance and sing with "Mr. Happy" at the corner of Sahara and Fort Apache; dress up as one of the Village People and stand on the corner of Sahara and Rainbow; and make lemonade as a temporary Hot Dog on a Stick employee.

The loser of this year's Super Bowl bet will have to dress in drag and perform for an hour on the corner of Rainbow and Flamingo. A statement from the radio station said, "Early indications are that the mayor will be dressing as Britney Spears if he should lose."

But betting without having to give up any points has the mayor confident.

"If I can't win this bet, I deserve to be in drag," he said.

Goodman also hinted that he may decide his immediate political future this weekend.

For months, there has been speculation over whether Goodman might run for governor or senator this year. And while a run for office in Carson City appears to have fallen by the wayside, the mayor was wooed by top Democrats in Washington, D.C., last week.

Goodman, a Democrat, left the capital without giving a definitive answer as to whether he would challenge incumbent Republican Sen. John Ensign.

"I told them I'd get back to them," he said.

But when asked again about his political plans recently, Goodman followed up his pat "I'm the happiest mayor" answer, by adding: "I think over Super Bowl weekend a lot of things will be settled."

An estimated $700,000 of the $1 million that the City of Las Vegas set aside to help Hurricane Katrina victims afford housing here will be spent during the year, City Manager Doug Selby said.

Forty-seven families already are receiving assistance thanks to the city money and another 23 families are in the process of securing housing.

In September, the council set aside $1 million earmarked for local affordable housing projects and made the money available to help pay for temporary housing for hurricane victims who had moved to Las Vegas. The $1 million was part of a federal grant awarded to the city.

Dan Kulin can be reached at 259-8826 or at dan@lasvegassun.com.