BY JIMMY VACCARO
This past weekend only shows how the dynamic of “down time” has changed in the last three or so decades in Las Vegas.
Yes, we had our weekend surge of visitors, but never enough to wait 20 minutes to get your car out of valet or hearing the coffee shop hostess in her most diplomatic voice and tone saying it will be at least 30 minutes to seat you and your party.
That is the negative, but the positives easily outweigh all of the above. There was a time in the first week of December when I was sitting at a dead blackjack table with the pit boss discussing our Christmas plans. The only other voice, especially during the weekdays, was a guy betting $3 a hand screaming for the cocktail waitress.
We had two major events that are now commonplace filling this void. The Pacquiao-Marquez fight drew an immense fight crowd and naturally the National Finals Rodeo attracted as many, if not more. Two types of customers, but all very welcomed to start our December menu.
It all meshed well, but we might not have half the equation. Manny took a short right that will put a damper on the biggest fight since Leonard-Hearns a few years back. Boxing still doesn’t get “it.”
The rodeo and the likes of big events do and that is going to hurt the future of big fights in our city. I don’t want to go back to what Vegas was – talking to the pit boss and hoping for a good weekend crowd.
Take care, Jimmy V.
(Re-printed from Gaming Today)
