John Katsilometes

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Riviera CEO Andy Choy takes a gamble with classic casino: Sunday, May 27, 2012; Ask Andy Choy what he studied in college and he smiles slightly. “I was actually a probability major,” he says after a one-beat pause. “I was a statistics major. So, I actually study the odds and understand it beyond the periphery.” That quality, understanding odds beyond the periphery, is vital to the success of Choy and the hotel he operates, the Riviera.
Business is a family affair for Golden Gaming’s Blake Sartini: Monday, Feb. 20, 2012; Consider the ram, and its significance in the life of Blake Sartini. It is the official animal of his home state — Nevada. When he hunts big game, Sartini often tracks the powerful and elusive desert bighorn sheep.
Las Vegas' gold buckle — the NFR — is likely here to stay: Thursday, Dec. 1, 2011; The contract that keeps the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas, where it has been hosted since it was corralled from Oklahoma City in 1985, is due to expire after the 2014 event.
MGM Resorts tells Cirque to shutter 'Viva Elvis' at Aria: Wednesday, Nov. 23, 2011; MGM Resorts has asked Cirque du Soleil to replace its show “Viva Elvis” at the Aria by the end of 2012, citing poor ticket sales. The move is the first time that the Canadian company, which has come to dominate the big-production showrooms on the Strip, has been asked to shut a show since arriving here in 1993 with its first permanent show, “Mystere” at Treasure Island.
Dave Rice has strong hand in first season as UNLV coach: Thursday, Nov. 10, 2011; If you know Dave Rice, the answer is self-evident. But you ask anyway, because the response flips open his character:
Have you ever gambled?
The 43-year-old head coach of UNLV’s men’s basketball team, a man who has spent much of his adult life in Las Vegas, grins slightly. He blinks, as if waiting one extra count to deliver the obvious:
“No.”
Race for the Nerf: Celebrity/Media NFL Picks Week 1: No Burton means a new champ is guaranteed; Sunday, Sept. 11, 2011; Kerry Collins is the first QB to start a game for Indianapolis since current 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh.
Photos: Smith Center is Ribbon of Life's new home in 2012: Monday, June 27, 2011; Golden Rainbow's Ribbon of Life AIDS/HIV benefit drew 1,100 to Paris Theater, but next year the show will be in the 2,050-seat Reynolds Hall ...
George Maloof: TPG partnership good for the Palms and family: Maloof says the partnership with TPG and Leonard Green will allow the family to expand the Palms brand; Monday, June 27, 2011; George Maloof seems forever to be looking around, pacing through his own Palms resort and competing properties with his head on a swivel, checking out everything from a casino’s carpet patterns to the fixtures in the men’s room.
Daytime Emmys photos: Pat Sajak, Marie Osmond, Oprah and Vanna: Monday, June 20, 2011; There was a roar for Susan Lucci, forever wed to the idea that millions of fans will watch TV during the daylight hours long after All My Children ...
Five unique items up for sale at Gold & Silver Pawn: Saturday, June 18, 2011; Motorcycles, cannons, cars, even Super Bowl rings have been sold or pawned at Gold & Silver Pawn, home of the History Channel’s hit reality show, “Pawn Stars.” Bloody bayonets from the Civil War share space with unopened bottles of Dom Perignon from the 1920s, vintage Coke machines from the 1950s and action figures dating to the 1930s.
The character of the closing of the Sahara in 140 characters or less: Tuesday, May 17, 2011; Sun columnist John Katsilometes moved into the Sahara for the iconic Vegas casino’s final four days. Over those 96 hours, Johnny Kats posted nearly a message an hour on Twitter. Limited to 140 characters per message, here are a few highlights of those posts.
Just build it already: Why Las Vegas can't land a pro sports team: The clock is ticking. Las Vegas is either going to build a sports arena—and attract professional sports here—or it’s not; Monday, April 18, 2011; We’re at the home of the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo!” Boyd Polhamus’ booming voice asserts. “Let it be here for forever! VIVA LAS VEGAS!”
Celebrity/media NFL picks Week 3: Giant helmet toss turns into a completed pass; Saturday, Sept. 25, 2010; We've seen players throw jerseys, footballs, and even themselves (Lambeau Leap!) into the crowd during an NFL game – but never a helmet.
MDA Telethon tweets from @johnnykats: Monday, Sept. 6, 2010; Tweets from @johnnykats on the 45th annual MDA Jerry Lewis Telethon.
Photos: Biscayne Steak, Sea and Wine grand opening at Tropicana: Monday, Aug. 30, 2010; Tropicana’s extensive renovation to a South Beach theme took another step last week with the grand opening of Biscayne Steak, Sea and ...
MGM increases room rates on day of potential Pacquiao-Mayweather fight: Thursday, July 1, 2010; Room rates are spiking at MGM Resorts properties on the Strip for Nov. 13, when the boxing match between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. could likely happen at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.
Apparel convention provides glimpse into fashion future: Thursday, Feb. 18, 2010; You spot the silver Imani Uomo suit with the purple-and-white striped tie and matching kerchief and ask, “How much would I pay for this, retail?” The gentleman standing a few feet from the suit, who knows all you need to know about the garments, says, “You can’t.”
The King at 75: An oral history of Elvis Presley: On the occasion of Elvis's 75th birthday, friends talk about the man they knew — and what might have been; Friday, Jan. 8, 2010; Some have been fired, more than once, by a boss who often enlisted his father to deal the bad news. They’ve had their dates yanked right from their arms, left helpless to protest. One has been cheated on, publicly, the transgressions splayed across tabloid newspapers. They’ve witnessed random gunplay, blown-out TVs, shattered chandeliers and shot-through hotel ceilings.
Longtime pal recalls Danny Gans: Wednesday, Dec. 23, 2009; In 2009 entertainment manager Chip Lightman saw the act he helped bring to Las Vegas, “Donny & Marie Osmond,” vault to the top of Strip entertainment at the Flamingo Las Vegas as one of the city’s top-selling productions, and he helped broker the deal that brought Garth Brooks to Wynn Las Vegas.
Actress Brittany Murphy's death shocks Las Vegas friends: Entertainer Wayne Newton: 'We truly loved her.'; Sunday, Dec. 20, 2009; The death of Brittany Murphy this morning at age 32 was a shock to one of her closer friends in Las Vegas, Tricia McCrone, the sister-in-law and publicist of Wayne Newton.
Goodman raises bar for New Year's fireworks on Strip: Tuesday, Dec. 15, 2009; Agreeing with anyone who observed the limp, landlocked production ushering in 2009, Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman said today during an appearance at Fashion Show Mall, "Last year was a terrible disappointment. We decided if we were going to have a fireworks show, it would be the best fireworks show in the world."
Kiss ready to cram outrageous spectacle into small theater: Friday, Nov. 27, 2009; Kiss, the indefatigable glam-rock pioneers who spawned a billion Halloween costumes and their own teenage army, returns to Las Vegas on Saturday for a show at the Pearl at the Palms. This fall the band, still powered by founding members Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons, released its first studio album in 11 years, “Sonic Boom.”
Kanye West, Lady Gaga cancel Las Vegas concert: Thursday, Oct. 1, 2009; We won’t get to see the Kanye West/Lady Gaga travelling road show at Mandalay Bay Events Center on Nov. 13 after all. The co-headlining tour, featuring two of the more conversation-provoking stars in contemporary music over the past several weeks, was abruptly canceled this afternoon. An MGM Mirage spokesman and a news release issued by Live Nation confirmed that the 34-city tour was scuttled today, but gave no reason why.
Goodman marks Mob Museum progress: Internal construction begins at building that served as courthouse; Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2009; An homage to the legendary shooting of seven men in 1929 will be on display when the Las Vegas Museum of Organized Crime and Law Enforcement opens in early 2011. In a news conference this morning at the museum site on Stewart Avenue between Fourth Street and Casino Center Boulevard, Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman announced that the brick wall from the St. Valentine's Day Massacre would be part of the so-called Mob Museum's exhibit.
Aerosmith’s back in the saddle again: Friday, July 24, 2009; Aerosmith is on one of those extended tours that serve no purpose other than to bring the band once more to the masses. Its most recent album, “Just Push Play,” was released eight years ago.
‘Southern Belle’ of 702.tv gets real in SOAPnet show: Tuesday, June 9, 2009; To say Emily Gimmel feels comfortable in front of a camera would understate reality — or in this case, reality TV.
Roy Horn: More than birthdays to celebrate: Almost six years after vicious attack by tiger, Horn’s rehabilitation is ongoing; Thursday, May 14, 2009; You watch Roy Horn walk, gingerly but with little aid, and you wonder how much more improvement remains in his tireless quest for rehabilitation.
Danny Gans: A star of our own: No other current entertainer was identified as closely with Las Vegas as Danny Gans; Saturday, May 2, 2009; Terry Fator had a great seat Friday afternoon in what was once the Danny Gans Theatre at The Mirage: middle section, second row, third from the aisle. But the stage sat still as Fator, seated nearly alone in a darkened theater that today is named for him, absorbed the news that the man who inspired him to move to Vegas had died.
Gathering for a good cause, and good-bye to Siegfried & Roy: Monday, March 2, 2009; Montecore sat onstage, uncaged, unleashed. A few feet away stood Roy Horn, donning a Gothic-style, black-and-white stage costume and acknowledging an audience standing and applauding a singular dramatic moment in Las Vegas history.
New Miss America 'blessed' to win crown: Miss Indiana becomes 83rd pageant winner in televised Las Vegas event; Saturday, Jan. 24, 2009; She said it over and over tonight: “I’m blessed. … So blessed. … This is a blessing. … I’m so very blessed. … I have the blessing of family. ... The scholarship money is a blessing.”
Despite changes, Miss America pageant still reigns: Winner to be crowned tonight in televised event at Planet Hollywood; Saturday, Jan. 24, 2009; Memories of Bert Parks warbling, “There She Is, Miss America” might have faded, and the newly crowned Miss America now takes her first steps in her new sash and tiara on the Strip, but the tradition of Miss America remains powerful in the culture of beauty pageants. Tonight, a new Miss America — the 82nd — will be crowned at the Planet Hollywood Theatre for the Performing Arts.
No. 4: U2 plays tribute show after 9/11: Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2008; The audience swayed to the classic-rock house music, and when the familiar guitar intro to “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” kicked in, whoever was manning the volume jacked it up past nine, to 11, and out marched the band whose soaring live performance would certainly pay tribute to the still-wrenching tragedy. As the band charged into “Elevation,” the lights stayed up, almost to the song’s end as fans bounced and roared. Maybe America wasn’t quite “back,” but U2 was.
No. 12: Brooks' friends fill Mack four straight nights: Country singer sets arena record with more than 72,000 fans; Monday, Nov. 10, 2008; It was the summer of that year, a scorching mid-August week in Vegas, but no ticket was hotter than a ducat for Brooks’ electrifying shows at the Thomas & Mack Center.
No. 18: 'Woo-Woo' steals show in Tark's return: Rosegreen grabs 21 boards as Rebels beat Tarkanian in front of 18,000; Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2008; February 17, 1997, amid the dizzying hype of former UNLV coach Jerry Tarkanian’s first game at the Thomas & Mack as a visiting coach, was Warren Rosegreen’s time to shine. He collected, often violently, 21 rebounds as the Rebels beat Fresno State 78-64 in a Western Athletic Conference battle in front of 18,024 at the T&M. It was the largest crowd in more than three years to see a game at the arena. “I’ll be over it,” Tarkanian said afterward. “I just wish we should’ve shot better. We haven’t rebounded well all year, so that’s nothing new. But I thought we would shoot better.”
No. 19: Phish fans out in force: Monday, Nov. 3, 2008; Phish and legions of fans waded into the Thomas & Mack on Sept. 30, 2000.
Felix Rappaport: Thursday, Oct. 2, 2008; Following are excerpts from the radio show Our Metropolis, a half-hour issues and affairs program that airs Tuesdays at 6 p.m. on KUNV 91.5-FM and is hosted by the Greenspun Media Group’s John Katsilometes. Tune in next week to hear the rest of this interview with Luxor President Felix Rappaport, or listen to the show at lasvegasweekly.com.
LAX “Surprise” guest no ordinary Joe: Thursday, July 31, 2008; It’s late-Wednesday, early Thursday in Vegas, and you know what that means: club night for The Johnny.
Torres can't slip Holt this time: Sunday, July 6, 2008; Well, uh, no 11th-round controversy this time. Three knockdowns. One knockout. It took but a minute.
At LV Phil event, hearts go boom: Friday, July 4, 2008; Chuck and Carol Coleman first experienced the fireworks in 1994. But it wasn't on the Fourth of July. It was in October.
All the Joy and Wayne: Deep into a career that started in Las Vegas lounges nearly 50 years ago and made him a cultural icon, Mr. Las Vegas still does it his way.; Friday, Dec. 7, 2007; The car sits stationary, gleaming in the sun, but the wheels in Wayne’s Newton’s brain are spinning, burning rubber. His Rolls-Royce is dented. It’s the slightest imperfection, no larger than a dime, appearing as if someone has pressed a thumb hard into the car’s fender. The disfigurement is so indecipherable that it has long escaped notice by dozens of discriminating eyes that tend to the structures, vast menagerie and exotic vehicles at his home, Casa de Shenandoah.
FABULOUS LAS VEGAS: Monday, June 18, 2007; Last night we listened distractedly as a woman was murdered in the next room. She pleaded, yelped and wailed. There were loud thumps and crashes, indicative of angry and purposeful bludgeoning. She may have been crocked with a lamp.
FABULOUS LAS VEGAS: Tuesday, June 5, 2007; Whenever I lay my eyes on Pamela Anderson, I think "levitate."
John Katsilometes keeps on top of the city's trend in European-style pools, the latest of which will open May 15 atop Flamingo Las Vegas: Sunday, May 6, 2007; And apparently, so will topless sunbathing.
John Katsilometes tastes a slice of Americana at the Clark County Fair and Rodeo in Logandale: Friday, April 13, 2007; I was walking along a gravel path Thursday afternoon when a small man approached and asked if I would like a massage. I told him no. Then he grabbed my shoulder and asked again.
John Katsilometes reminisces with Wayne Brady about MGM theme park: Friday, March 30, 2007; I mean, Wayne Brady.
John Katsilometes reports on a unique wedding ceremony for a similarly unique couple in the downtown arts district: Monday, March 26, 2007; Funkhouser owns the antique and crafts store the Funk House, serves as the president of the nonprofit arts organization Whirlygig and is founder of the weekly art walk/crafts fair/street party First Friday. Dominguez operates his own flooring company, the aptly titled Fabulous Floors of Las Vegas. The two met at Dino's, which sits across from Olympic Garden on Las Vegas Boulevard South, on Valentine's Day 2006. In July, again at Dino's, during "Karaoke Night with Danny G" and with the Bee Gees classic "Words" droning in the background, Dominguez brought forth a sheet cake with a proposal scrawled across the frosting. She accepted, and on Saturday exchanged vows in front of about 60 friends and family.
John Katsilometes meets a man who met Sammy Davis Jr. 67 years ago and showed up to honor the legend Thursday: Friday, Feb. 16, 2007; Miller met Davis, who was then a member of the Will Mastin Trio, in Harlem in 1940. Miller was a member of a jazz outfit called the Three Chords, and the acts toured the vaudeville circuit for several years. But the Three Chords were never more than a support act, while Davis ascended to worldwide stardom. In 1960, Miller and Davis parted ways.
John Katsilometes on a report that puts the elbow-through-the-Picasso episode to the test: Thursday, Feb. 1, 2007; Now someone has put that contention to the test. On Monday, Michael J. Lewis, author and art writer for the online publication Commentary Magazine, wrote: "An elbow thrust, however fierce or well-aimed, is not likely to puncture a linen canvas," explaining that paintings are not stretched very tightly and typically have a little bit of "give." Lewis asked a friend of his who is a painter to see if he could pierce a taut canvas with his elbow. Lewis writes: "Working with heavy cotton duck canvas (a weaker fabric than the Belgian linen that Picasso likely used), he was only able to put a bowl-shaped depression into the canvas, despite repeated attempts. The insurers will be investigating this case carefully. Perhaps they'll ask to take a cast of Mr. Wynn's elbow."
John Katsilometes takes in a news conference for Miss America, which is totally different than Miss USA: Friday, Jan. 26, 2007; The Miss America president and chief executive also said the pageant is pleased with its relationship with cable outfit CMT, which took over as the pageant's TV home after Miss America and ABC parted ways after the 2005 pageant. As CMT Executive Producer Sarah Brock noted, 35 million viewers watched last year's pageant.
John Katsilometes reports that Arizona Charlie's Decatur plans to bring back the Palace Grand Theatre: Monday, Jan. 22, 2007; But in May 2000 the theater was turned into a 500-seat bingo hall. A sold-out performance by Bobby "Blue" Bland seemed to serve as the old theater's send-off. But last week General Manager Ron Lurie said he is in discussions for the design of the new ballroom and plans to turn the bingo center back into an entertainment and banquet facility. "We're talking to architects and drawing plans. We'd like to start relatively soon," Lurie said. "We'd like a flexible, multipurpose facility. We'd go back to chair seating, cocktail tables, and it would be for 500 to 600 people."