BULKY DOCUMENTS
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`(exceeds 300 pages)
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`Proceeding/ Serial No: 91 1 62078
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`Filed: 03-27-2006
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`Title: Trial Brief; Notice of Filing; Depositions
`and Deposition Exhibits; and Index to Notice of
`Reliance Documents
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`Part 9 of 10
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`Copyright 2005 PG: Publishing Co.
`Pittsburgh Post—Gazette (Pennsylvania)
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`May 4, 2005 Wednesday SOONER EDITION
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`SECTION: ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT, Pg.C—5 ENTERTAINMENT DIARY
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`LENGTH: 248 words
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`BODY:
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`Impressionists in Vegas
`
`The Museum of Fine Arts in Boston will loan paintings by Monet, Renoir, van Gogh and others to the Bellagio
`Gallery of Fine Art in Las Vegas for a seven—month exhibit that begins in June.
`
`The exhibit will feature five paintings by Claude Monet, including "The Water Lily Pond," three paintings by Pierre
`Auguste Renoir and two late landscapes by Vincent van Gogh. In all there will be 34 paintings by l6 artists, including
`pre—and postimpressionists.
`
`Young Lions award
`
`Andrew Sean Greer, the 34-year-old author of the historical novel "The Confessions of Max Tivoli," has won the
`New York Public Library's Young Lions Award, given annually to an emerging author.
`
`Library President Paul LeClerc called Greer's book, the story of a boy born with the body of an old man, "a. truly
`original novel that offers fresh perspective on questions of love and age through an elegant balance of parody and
`profundity." Greer receives $10,000.
`
`I Muti's triumphant return
`
`Riccardo Muti, who resigned as music director of Milan's La Scala last month, made an emotional return to the opera
`house as a guest conductor.
`
`Monday night's concert, in which Muti led the Vienna Philharmonic, had been organized before he stepped down
`amid a labor dispute last month after 19 years at La Scala. Workers at La Scala had accused Muti of trying to turn the
`opera house into his personal fiefdom, and several performances were called off because of the feud.
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`Copyright 2005 The Chronicle Publishing Co.
`The San Francisco Chronicle
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`MAY 4, 2005, WEDNESDAY, FINAL EDITION
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`SECTION: EDITORIAL; Pg. B9; DEBRA J. SAUNDERS
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`LENGTH: 769 words
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`HEADLINE: Runaway country
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`BYLINE: Debra J. Saunders
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`BODY:
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`WHEN THE feds quickly announce they won't press charges against runaway-bride Jennifer Wilbanks, 32, when the
`Albuquerque police chief discusses the "stress that she's been through" and law enforcement in Georgia is still noodling
`over whether to prosecute her for staging a kidnapping that didn't happen, you know you live in a country where actions
`mean nothing.
`
`Don't get me wrong: There have been serious consequences to Wilbanks' apparently premeditated hoax —- she bought
`‘ her bus ticket a week before running off, and left behind her keys, wallet and ring, which made her disappearance look
`like a kidnapping, or worse. Many suspected that Wilbanks' fiance, John Mason, had killed her. Cable TV news reporters
`were happy to inform viewers that Mason had not agreed to a police polygraph. In such an atmosphere, some vigilante
`could have hurt Mason. Then there was the nightmare endured by terrified family members and friends.
`
`The mayor of Duluth, Ga., estimates that Wilbanks' faux kidnapping and solo honeymoon in Vegas cost taxpayers
`some $60,000 for personnel. Now, if there is a real kidnapping, concerned neighbors may be less likely to join the search.
`
`Worst of all, her phony alibi was unconscionable. Wilbanks‘ tall tale —- that she was kidnapped by an armed "Hispanic
`man" and white woman in a blue van — smeared and brought suspicion to Latinos, Latino/white couples and even blue
`van owners.
`
`The outrage isn't that Wilbanks skipped out of her 600-guest, 14-bridesmaid and 8—bridal shower wedding. (I should
`care? I didn't pay for it.)
`
`The outrage is her apparent effort to report a false abduction. Backing out of a wedding — that's between two people.
`Staging a kidnapping — where govemment agents and citizens join the search — is America's business.
`
`Jilted fiance Mason told Fox News‘ Sean Hannity that Wilbanks' guilt "has got to be consequence enough for me."_
`Mason also said Wilbanks is "a victim here as well." And: "Haven't we all made mistakes?"
`
`After the hoax came to light, the minister who was to have presided over the wedding, the Rev. Alan Jones, told CNN,
`"John said ‘everybody has a right to make a mistake.‘ He said 'the Bible calls that sin.‘ He said ‘the Bible also says every
`time we sin, we crucify Christ anew. And Christ forgives us and that's what grace is all about.‘ "
`
`Maybe Mason is in shock and doesn't really knowwhat he is saying. But when other people, who aren't in his sorry
`shoes, are saying the same thing, his excuses warrant a response.
`
`I don't know why, but this nonsensical understanding of forgiveness — as if it should be given instantly, regardless of
`circumstances — seems to be popular among a growing faction of Americans, on the left and the right, who are caught up
`in a mania for forgiving.
`
`They don't get it. Forgive and forget are not synonyms. Forgiveness is not something that should be granted
`automatically. You forgive people after they've admitted to what they did wrong and apologize.
`
`Georgia Bureau of Investigation agent Carter Brank told the Associated Press that Wilbanks "was somewhat
`remorseful" but she "didn't come right out and apologize."
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`Or you forgive afler time has elapsed and you choose to set aside your anger. You can forgive without making excuses.
`
`Note to Mason: You can forgive your fianc, but that doesn't mean you still have to marry her.
`
`Besides, the wannabe groom's comments don't speak of forgiveness. They suggest a clear unwillingness to confront
`the fact that an adult woman who would plan and carry out such a hoax, and subject her parents and fiance to such terror
`and suspicion, is utterly devoid of character.
`
`(It's odd how the left sees the devout as being harsh and inflexible, yet here Mason and his spiritual mentors are
`dismissing this cmel act as a simple mistake, almost as if it were beyond the hapless Wilbanks' control. People I talk to
`in San Francisco are appalled at Wilbanks' stunt, while Duluth's good Christian gentlemen shrug that Wilbanks needs
`"treatment," as Mason told Hannity, "for lack of a better word.")
`
`There is one other explanation: Wilbanks is mentally ill. Although her friends and family say she is not.
`
`If she is not mentally ill, she should face greater consequences than her dubious sense of guilt.
`
`The runaway bride's father, Harris Wilbanks, told Hannity that his daughter needs "some space and some time." I
`agree. In fact, I would like to see Wilbanks get that space and time —— as long as the space is a cot in a jail cell and the time
`is spent reflecting behind bars.E-mail: dsaunders@sfchronicle.com.
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`Copyright 2005 Scripps Howard, Inc.
`_ Scripps Howard News Service
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`May 04, 2005, Wednesday
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`SECI‘ION: SPORTS
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`LENGTH: 896 words
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`HEADLINE: Andrade rejuvenates career at 4l
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`SOURCE: Winston-Salem Joumal
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`I
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`BYLINE: JOHN DELONG
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`DATELINE: CHARLOTTE
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`BODY:
`
`It's hard to fathom that Billy Andrade has joined the forty—something crowd, and it's even harder to tell it by looking
`at him.
`-
`
`Andrade doesn't look like he has aged a day - well, maybe a week or two — since the late 1980s when he was a three-
`time All—American at Wake Forest.
`
`Fact is, though, he turned 4| in January, and he is very aware of it.
`
`"I'm old," Andrade said with a chuckle yesterday afiemoon.
`
`The comforting news is,>old doesn't necessarily mean over the hill on the PGA Tour anymore.
`And
`
`Coming into this week's Wachovia Championship at Quail Hollow, he ranks 35th on the money list with $820,745 in
`oflicial earnings — with four Top 25-finishes and a tie for second at the Heritage already to his credit.
`
`It's the continuation of turnaround that started after he hit 40 last year, and it has him in a positive frame of mind as he
`prepares for Thursday's opening round.
`
`''I haven't had a start like this in a long time, and that's nice to see," Andrade said. "I've hit the ball from tee to green
`nicely in the past year, and now I'm making some putts, so I'm a lot more confident with my whole game.
`
`"I'm looking forward to this week. This is a tournament where you can't fake it around here, you have to hit a lot of
`good golf shots and you have to play well. So I'm anxious to see if I can get it going this week."
`
`Andrade, who teamed with Len Mattiace to lead the Deacons to the 1986 NCAA golf title, now boasts career earnings
`of more than $10.25 million in I8 years on the Tour. His best year came in 1991, when he finished 14th on the money list.
`He has four Tour victories to his credit, the most recent coming at Las Vegas in 2000.
`
`He seemed to be headed the wrong direction not that long ago. First, he dropped to 97th on the money list in 2003
`with no wins and three Top Ten finishes. Then last year, he had only one Top Ten finish and fell all the way to l24th on
`the money list — dangerously close to losing full—exempt status that goes to the top 125.
`
`He credits this year‘s success to a decision to change putting grips. He experimented with "The Claw" grip at Pebble
`Beach in February, liked the results, and has putted better and better as the year has progressed.
`
`Andrade comes into the Wachovia ranked third in putting.
`
`"I'm not really a statistics guy, but I looked at my stats and my total rank in putting for my first 15 years was like 19 or
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`20," he said. "And the lst two years, my rank was 88 and 90—something.
`
`''I started out the first week in San Diego and really putted lousy and missed the cut. I made the cut at the Hope but
`I finished like 50th. I took a week off and came back to Pebble Beach, and I said, 'You know, those greens are a little
`bumpy, and I have never putted well there, so if there's ever a place to try it, it's now."'
`’
`
`The change brought dramatic improvement immediately.
`
`Andrade finished llth at Pebble Beach, with a third-round 63, and followed that up with a tie for 12th at Doral two
`weeks later, and a tie for l lth at the Honda three weeks later.
`
`He comes into the" Wachovia after a tie for second at Heritage and a tie for 13th at Houston in his last two tournaments.
`
`"I've always tried different things," Andrade said. "One year, I won two weeks in a row putting like Fuzzy Zoeller. I
`won in Canada putting all bent over. I won in Vegas putting a dilferent way. I've never putted just one way. So trying the
`Claw wasn't really a stretch.
`
`"But I'm going to stick with it, because it's a lot of fun. I'm very comfortable with it. I'm not fighting it. I don't have
`any anxiety over the fact that I'm not getting the ball to the hole. It's been very peacefirl." ~
`
`He also insists that last year wasn't as bad as it appeared.
`
`He couldn't make any putts, but otherwise it was a good year for ball—striking — and growing.
`
`"It was a struggle, but it was probably the most-satisfying year of all my years, with my against the wall and having
`to go out there and suck it up and do it," Andrade said. "You know, if you play long enough, you're going to have yers
`where you get away with it and you don't do a very good job. I had some years where it looked good on paper, but in my
`heart I knew I got away with it. I played pretty well a couple weeks and it kinda put me over the edge, so to speak."
`
`These truly are encouraging times for the fortysomethings on Tour.
`
`Vijay Singh, 42, has won I I tournaments in the past two years and is No. 2 in the world rankings, after being No. I
`much of last year. Joey Sindelar, 47, is the defending champion this week. Fred Funk, 39, won the Players Championship
`in March. Jay Haas, 51, has been a consistent contender for the past several years.
`
`"Absolutely, I think I can win again," Andrade said. "If you don't really feel you can win any more, maybe you should
`try something else. I really feel I'm at a nice level right now, and seeing guys like Joey win here, and Fred Funk win
`the Players Championship, and Jay Haas having a two-or three-year stretch where he's played unbelievable golf, and of
`course Vijay, that all bodes well for guys over 40.
`
`"I feel like I'm a young 41, and I feel like I've got a lot of golf lefl. I've had a nice career, but I still want to win. I want
`to win a lot more. I want to play on a Ryder Cup team. And all those things are still possible."
`
`(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service, www.shns.com.)
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`672 of I026 DOCUMENTS
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`Copyright 2005 Seattle Post-Intelligencer
`THE SEATTLE POST—INTELLlGENCER
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`May 4, 2005, Wednesday FINAL
`
`SECTION: LIFE AND ARTS, Pg. D2
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`LENGTH: 508 words
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`HEADLINE: WIN—WIN WEEKENDS FOR VEGAS‘ WYNN HOTEL
`
`BODY: The opening of the Wynn hotel in Las Vegas over the weekend attracted everyone from Liz Taylor to the Leonard
`Lauders. Add Connie Chung, Robert Wagner and Jill St. John, Natalie Cole, Donna Karan and dozens of other known
`names to the list. They arrived in so many private planes the overflow had to fly into nearby Hendersonville airport.
`
`And_ as the New York Post so politely put it, this was the "older money" weekend. On May 7, the younger crowd — as
`in hot director Brett Ratner-will test the place.
`
`So just what's so special about this_$2.7 billion hotel? How about a forest, waterfalls, 18 restaurants, a Ferrari
`~ dealership and Dior, Chanel, Brioni, Vuitton and Cartier stores. Do shop in on your next Vegas trip.
`
`Paris Hilton had a face—off with her wax replica at the New York Madame Tussaud museum this week New York's
`Daily News reports, "The paraflin double seemed to mimic the hotel heiress‘ blank-eyed stare perfectly." Hilton, however,
`was not amused. "I'd like it to be in a pretty dress," she told a reporter. "And I'd cut the hair; it's too long."
`
`Is therea wedding in the works for Justin Timberlake and Cameron Diaz? People reports it's set for next weekend in
`Southern France.
`‘
`
`"Word of the upcoming nuptials apparently was leaked because one of Ozzy and Sharon Osboume's aides told the
`British tabloid News of the World that the Osboumes wouldn't be able to attend daughter Kelly's_gig in London next
`Saturday ‘because they'll be in Nice for J.T.'s wedding.”
`
`The Grand—Hotel Du Cap Ferrat, supposedly the place where the couple met duringa Cannes Film Festival, is fully
`booked the weekend the wedding is to take place. Timberlake's spokesman had no comment and Diaz's rep didn't respond
`to questions about this oh—so—vague event.
`
`"For Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt, happiness is a warm gun," reports The Associated Press. What? Jolie said she and
`Pitt leamed to trust each other while training to be assassins for their film "Mr. and Mrs. Smith." Apparently, when there's
`a loaded gun at your back, you'd better be a quick study. "You have to trust each other to cross under or over and only
`move when the other person moves," she explained.
`
`Jolie is being featured in the upcoming issue of Vanity Fair where she discusses her preference for a lover rather than
`a committed relationship. "I think women are much easier about having a lover than a man is, even,“ she said.
`
`Goldie Hawn's memoir "A Lotus Grows in the Mud" is being released this week. But she's quick to note that it isn't
`a tell—all or a gossipfest about the entertainment industry. ''I wrote it for anyone who is interested-in transformation or
`transition or understanding that the lotus does grow in the mud," Hawn told AP. The title comes from a Tibetan monk she
`, met. He used the lotus "as a symbol of the human spirit, and said it could only grow when faced with the challenges and
`obstacles of life."
`
`The book chronicles her childhood, career, first marriage and longtime relationship with partner Kurt Russell.
`- P-I
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`NOTES:
`PEOPLE
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`(I) Colc(2) STUART RAMSON/AP: David Lauren, son of fashion designer Ralph Lauren, escorts presidential niece
`Lauren Bush to the gala opening of the Chanel exhibit at the Costume Institute of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in
`New York.
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`Copyright 2005 Computer Information Network Inc.
`The Sports Network
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`May 4, 2005 Wednesday
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`SECTION: Daily Racing Form - DRF (News Story)
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`LENGTH: 764 words
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`HEADLINE: Plenty of Derby parties on tap
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`BODY:
`
`By DAVE TULEY (DRF) - Churchill Downs is the center of the horse racing universe this weekend with the l3lst
`running of the Kentucky Derby and all of its ancillary pomp and circumstance.
`
`' But Las Vegas can lay claim to being the biggest party outside ofLouisville, Ky., with all the festivities it has tied to
`Derby Weekend. In fact, there's almost too much going on, as even the most devout fan can't be two or three places at the
`same time.
`
`At noon Friday, Richard Eng - turf editor of the Las Vegas Review-Joumal, host of the Raceday Las Vegas Wrap-
`up Show, and contributor to Daily Racing Form — will be signing copies of his new book, "Betting on Horse Racing for
`Dummies" at the Gambler's Book Shop at I 1th Street and Charleston. Anyone buying a copy ($l9.99) will receive a
`coupon for a free T—shirt at the Plaza casino downtown and also a one-day clubhouse pass for the current Hollywood
`Park meet.
`
`During the day Friday, bettors can advance wager on the Derby at all race books, but it's also Kentucky Oaks Day for
`the fillies, and two casinos are celebrating Ladies Day. At the Imperial Palace, all "fillies" making $30 in Oaks wagers will
`receive an officially licensed hat and T-shirt set. Up the Strip at the New Frontier, all customers (male and female) making
`a $20 wager on the Oaks, which has a post time of 2:45 p.m. in Vegas, will get a Kentucky Oaks commemorative glass.
`The two Winchell's Pub & Grills in town - one at 10620 Eastern Ave. in Henderson and the other at 5445 Simmons
`
`St in North Las Vegas — will be rocking for the Oaks as owner Ron Winchell's Summerly is the co-third choice with
`Runway Model at 6-1 on the Oaks morning line, behind Sis City and In the Gold. Last year, Winchell owned the ninth-
`place finisher in the Derby, Tapit, who was the Wood Memorial winner.
`
`The festivities pick up intensity on Friday night with three handicapping seminars.
`
`Jason Levin, host of the "Inside Racing" and "Thoroughbred Weekend" radio shows, and author of the 2002 book
`"From the Desert to the Derby," will be hosting a seminar at the Hard Rock race book at 6 p.m.
`
`On the north end of the Strip, Stratosphere race book host Jay Kessler and handicapper Jerry Jacovitz of Jerry J's
`Power Page will hold a seminar at 6:30 p.m. Free refreshments will be served starting at 6 p.m.
`
`On the east end of town, the "Track Talk" radio crew of Gordon Jones, Patrick McQuiggan, and John Kelly will host
`a seminar in the Sam's Town race book at 7 p.m., along with Gulfstream Park TV analyst and Jones's daughter, Joanne
`Jones.
`’
`
`The Derby talk will be flooding the radio airwaves on Saturday morning. The "Track Talk" group will return to the air
`at 7:30 a.m. on KLAV AM—l340. The other must—hear radio for racing fans is the "Raceday Las Vegas" show with Ralph
`Siraco at 8:05 a.m. on KSHP AM~l400.
`
`Levin will also be broadcasting from the Hard Rock, and he will not be the only out—of—town radio personality
`originating from Las Vegas on Saturday morning. Felix Taverna of KOGO AM-600 in San Diego will host his show from
`the Caesars Palace race book at 7 a.m. At 9 a.m., Caesars will also host a handicapping seminar with clocker Toby Turrell,
`workout analyst Bmno Delulio, and handicapper Larry Zip.
`
`Siraco, after his radio gig, will hold a seminar with Jon Lindo at 9:30 a.m. in the Mardi Gras Ballroom at the Orleans.
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`The Sports Network May 4, 2005 Wednesday
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`The Orleans is the site of the biggest annual Derby party in Las Vegas and the Mardi Gras ballroom is sure to be
`packed. Tickets can be picked up in the Orleans race book, and include free hot dogs, soda, and beer, plus tickets for
`T-shirts to be given away at l p.m. In the race book, Derby T-shirts or mint julep glasses will be given away with a
`$20 wager. Similar parties are also being held at the other Coast Casinos properties, in ballrooms at the Gold Coast and
`Suncoast, and in the race book at the Barbary Coast.
`
`Most of the race books in town also will be giving away souvenirs with wagers of$20 or more on the Derby, including
`but not limited to the Palms (cap), Las Vegas Hilton (glass), Imperial Palace (glass), New Frontier (glass), Arizona
`Charlie's East and West (1‘—shirt), and Jerry's Nugget (T—shirt).
`
`Big parties are also being thrown in separate ballrooms at the Aladdin and at Bally's. The Bally's soiree is a VIP party,
`but $l00 tickets are available to the public for those who want a more upscale all-you-can-eat buffet, including carving
`stations, and an open bar.
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`All in all, there's something for anyone wishing to enjoy the sights and sounds of Kentucky Derby 13].
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`Copyright 2005 Star Tribune
`Star Tribune (Minneapolis, MN)
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`May 4, 2005, Wednesday, Metro Edition
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`SECTION: VARIETY; Pg. 2E
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`LIZNGTH: 557 words
`
`HEADLINE: Site dangles bags by the month
`
`BYLINE: Susie Eaton Hopper, Staff Writer
`
`BODY:
`
`For those who want designer handbags but either don't have the cash or don't want to spend it for a short-lived passion,
`Kara Richter has an answer. Her company rents purses in more than 170 styles from Chanel, Prada, Cole Haan, Coach
`and more, on the lntemet, at frombagstoriches.com. Arranged into five collections, the bags cost from $ l9.95 to $179.95
`a month (plus shipping). There are also discount programs and home purse parties. The company, based in Forest Lake,
`started the site last fall.
`
`Where did you get the Internet rent-a—bag idea?
`
`I was looking for a business idea and I wanted to do something with fashion without having to commit to a retail store.
`We liked Internet ideas and borrowing online — like golf clubs — people don't want to keep the same thing forever.
`How does it work?
`/‘
`
`The customer goes to the site and shops by collection. She makes her choice and we ship it to her in from one to three
`business days. It's a simple process. We tell her when it will arrive and send a reminder when it's been a month.
`
`Who is your customer?
`
`The Marshall Field's shopper, middle income, age 25-45; people who want to be able to have a variety of designer
`things who can't justify the cost or who get bored with the bag. We are starting to get more women from 50 to mid—50s.
`Bags are not cut for any particular body style, so anybody can carry any style.
`
`Does the customer ask for your advice?
`
`I suggest trying something
`She's asked what would be best for going to Vegas or Atlantis (resort) on a company trip.
`completely new or different. Take that step. I urge them to go outside their comfort zone. If you usually only carry small
`bags, go big.
`
`How did you decide what lines to put in your collections?
`
`We wanted the customer to have the ability to carry brands they see celebs buy or they see in Harper's Bazaar or
`Vogue. Some brands needed to be there — Gucci, Fendi — they are the standards. Now, we're looking more at newer lines
`like Luella and Tanner Krolle.
`
`Which bag is your personal favorite? And which is your favorite on the site?
`
`It was a Bulgari with the name written all over it and it was in "Sex and the City." I pick purses that stand out. The
`Bottega Veneta is my favorite on the site. The leather is like butter.
`
`What happens to the bags once they are no longer suitable for renting?
`
`They have about a six—month lifetime. Then we make them available to customers at a substantial discount or consign
`them.
`
`Who cleans and repairs your handbags?
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`We work with St. Croix Falls Cobbler Shop (102 S. Washington St., St. Croix Falls, Wis., I-715-483-5798) on leather
`and Brighton Cleaners (4535 I-lodgson Rd, Shoreview, 651-482-9088) on our cloth bags.
`'
`
`How do you feel about the controversy over fake designer bags, since you authenticate your bags?
`We need to come down with copyright infringements. People who buy them are politically incorrect. They are part 0
`the problem. It's an ethical choice that some people are not making the right decision on.
`'
`
`Do you have advice for the woman who wants a bag that will last?
`
`You get what you pay for. There are great values in the $150-$300 range. Look for a pebbled surface, a moc croc, not
`a shiny surface. Stay away from light-colored linings.
`
`Susie Eaton Hopper is at shopper@startribune.com.
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`676 of 1026 DOCUMENTS
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`Copyright 2005 Sun—Sentinel Company
`Sun-Sentinel (Fort Lauderdale, FL)
`
`May 4, 2005 Wednesday Broward Metro Edition
`
`SECTION: SPORTS; Pg. lC
`
`LENGTH: I553 words
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`~ HEADLINE: VEGAS WAITING IN WINGS;
`DESERT MAY BE ABLE TO SATISFY A 'l‘EAM'S WANDERLUST.
`
`BYLINE: Mike Berardino Staff writer
`
`DATELINE: LAS VEGAS
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`BODY:
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`Late in the 2003 season, during a difficult road trip, Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria commandeered the intercom on a
`cross-country flight from San Francisco to Pittsburgh and announced a change in itinerary.
`~
`
`"We're heading to Vegas," he said as the team charter filled with cheers.
`
`With Friday's deadline looming to get the Marlins‘ latest stadium proposal passed in Tallahassee, South Florida's
`baseball diehards can't help but fret._If the Orange Bowl plan gets shot down, could Loria again divert his franchise to the
`desert, this time for good?
`-
`
`On the surface it seems possible, especially when you consider two high—ranking Marlins oflicials met with Las Vegas
`city officials in December. What was supposed to be a secret meeting reached the public's attention, and with that leak
`came a fresh round of speculation.
`
`It also increased optimism among the cadre of baseball people who make their olfseason homes in Las Vegas, among
`them Cubs pitcher Greg Maddux, White Sox slugger Frank Thomas, Yankees first baseman Jason Giambi, Mets hitting
`coach Rick Down and former managers Russ Nixon and Dick Williams.
`J
`
`i"l'd love for them to get a team," says Maddux, a product ofVegas’ Valley High and a member of the Southern Nevada
`Sports Hall of Fame. "I live there. It would be kind of cool to be able to take my kid to some games {after retirement] and
`not get on a plane to do it."
`
`Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman has made no secret of his interest in luring a major league franchise to his booming
`city. He even has multiple downtown sites in mind for a possible stadium.
`
`With its metropolitan population of 1.6 million, according to 2003 estimates, Las Vegas isn't just one of the fastest-
`growing cities on the continent It has become a magnet for sponing events, hosting regular stops on the PGA, NASCAR,
`boxing, motocross and bull—riding circuits.
`
`The Triple—A 51s, the top farm team of the Los Angeles Dodgers, play at 9,334—seat Cashman Field. However, the
`Pacific Coast League entry has averaged just 4,486 fans a game over the previous three seasons, ranking it 25th out of 30
`Triple-A teams.
`
`In addition, the Gladiators of the Arena Football League and Wranglers of the East Coast Hockey League call the
`Orleans Arena home.
`
`''I think they could support a baseball team right now," says White Sox outfielder Aaron Rowand, another Vegas
`product. ''I say that because of the market and the way the city's grown so much the last five years. Prior to that they
`wouldn't have had the hometown fan base to support a major league team."
`
`According to the U.S. Census Bureau, just three metropolitan areas larger than Las Vegas lack a major sports franchise.
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`Riverside-San Bemardino-Ontario in Southern California ranks 14th; the Providence, R.l., area ranks 32nd; and the
`greater Norfolk, Va., area is one spot behind.
`
`Las Vegas was the 36th—largest Metropolitan Statistical Area in 2000. However, with 30,000 new residents each year,
`it could rank much higher in the next census.
`
`UNLV basketball hasn't been the same since renegade coach Jerry Tarkanian was forced out in the early 1990s, with
`average attendance at the Thomas & Mack Center dropping below l2,000 in recent seasons.
`
`Nevertheless, Sin City seems to grow closer by the year to its goal of luring one of the four major sports. In the
`meantime, city olficials are bidding for the 2007 NBA All—Star weekend, and early indications are positive.
`
`The Oakland A's investigated the area several years back, but baseball was still adamant about blocking franchises
`from moving. Now that the Montreal Expos have moved to Washington, D.C., baseball's three—decade—plus streak of
`franchise stability is over.
`
`And with it, the possibilities for putting a team in Vegas seem to have improved exponentially.
`Main attraction?
`
`It's 9 p.m. on a Tuesday night on Las Vegas Boulevard, and Mike Albertson is waiting for the water show.
`
`The famed Fountains of Bellagio are due to roar back to life any moment now, accompanied by the music of Elton
`John or Frank Sinatra. Albertson‘s wife Stacey and their two pre-teen children stand nearby, the kids swapping turns on a
`handheld video game.
`
`A question is posed: What if Vegas had a big-league baseball team? Would this family from Houston be interested in
`attending a ballgame?
`‘
`
`"If the timing was right, sure," Mike Albertson, 42, says. "But back home we can see baseball anytime we want. Plus,
`this is our first time in Vegas."
`
`They attend 12 to l5 Astros games a year, so the attraction of a ballgame might be greater in someplace like Phoenix
`or Denver. But it is not as alluring here in the land of 24-hour sensory overload.
`
`"in a place like this, with so much to do, it would be hard to get the family fired up to go see a baseball game,"
`Albertson says.
`
`A short walk up the Strip, Joe Massione stands in front of The Mirage awaiting the next simulated volcanic emptioh.
`An art designer from St. Paul, he seems happy to escape freezing temperatures.
`
`How would big-league baseball rank on his list of options?
`
`"Not very high," admits Massione, 5|. "If it was NASCAR, then I'd be interested. But if they had a ball team, I
`wouldn't go, not with so much going on. I could stay home and go to a ballgame."
`
`Yes, but that would be at the depressing Metrodome. A big-league team in Vegas almost certainly would play in a
`$500 million jewel with a retractable dome to shield fans from triple-digit heat.
`
`"I wouldn't be surprised to see one of these big hotels buy a team," Massione says.
`
`The volcano "erupts." Flamethrowers light up the night sky. Gentle applause follows the brief exhibition.
`
`Here come Lenny Hryciuk and his wife'Stacey, too late for this show but more than willing to wait another 15 minutes
`for the next one. The couple from Alberta, Canada, often drives two hours to see Tn'ple—A games in Edmonton, so they
`might be willing to catch a big-league game in Vegas.
`
`"If you're already here, eh, it wouldn't be hard at all to go see the game," says Lenny, a 40-year-old oil—field worker
`with a thick white mustache.
`
`Adds his wife: "It's a good break from gambling.“
`
`The biggest on-street crowd is another couple hundred yards down Las Vegas Boulevard. Here at the Sirens of
`Treasure Island, they run four free shows nightly, complete with mock pirate-ship battles.
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`As the crowd disperses from the final show, Howard and Doris Feist of Milwaukee admit they couldn't see a big-
`league team thriving in Vegas.
`
`"I would worry about hometown loyalty," says Howard, 76. "I don't know if they've got any hometown loyalty out
`here."
`
`Vegas attracts nearly 37 million annual visitors, with only 5 percent claiming they come mainly to gamble. Wouldn't
`they be eager to leave behind the keno sheets, free cocktails and $4.99 lobster feasts for a few hours at the ballpark?
`
`"Would we go?" Feist says. "I doubt it."
`
`More than gambling
`
`Those who know Vegas best insist the city, afier burning throu