Author: horse-racing-free-tips

Las Vegas is undoubtedly the casino capital of the United States, if not the whole world. In every square inch of Las Vegas, you will find a casino. They are so many casinos in fact that visitors in Las Vegas do not even get to visit all of them.

Bellagio, is one of the first-class hotel casinos that you should not miss when going to Las Vegas. Operated by the MGM Mirage, Bellagio features 3982 rooms and suites. In addition to its casinos, this gigantic megaresort also features a theater, the O Theater, some lounges and bars such as the Fontana Bar, Allegro Bars and the Nectar Bar.

It also boastsgreat dining venues such as the Picasso, Prime Steakhouse, Le Cirque, Sensi, Osteria del Circo and MICHAEL MINA and six outdoor pools and a spa. One of the main attractions of the Bellagio is its Fountains, an eight acre lake that provides stunning views at night. There is also the Conservatory and the Botanical Gardens as well as the Dale Chihuly glass sculpture.

Buffalo Bill’s, which is located in the Primm Valley, is 30 minutes away from the Interstate. This hotel-casino has 1,242 rooms including the suites that are used for wedding packages. Some rooms even have wet bars and Jacuzzi tubs. Among the dining sites that Bufallo Bill’s offers are the Baja Bar & Grill, Wagon Master Coffee Shop, La Salsa Mexican Grille, Miss Ashley’s Buffet, and Frisella’s Roastery.

The hotel casino also has a huge entertainment venue called the Star of the Desert Arena, which has 6000 seats. This is where concerts and other shows are held. In addition to this, Bufallo Bill’s also has a movie theater and comedy bar, where tourists can relax and wile the night away. One of the main attractions that this hotel-casino provides is the Desperado rollercoaster as well as the Turbo Drop Thrill ride.

Circus Circus sits in South Las Vegas. This is the first themed resort in the city, which is operated by the Mandalay Resort Group. It has 3770 rooms, some of which have video check-out counters. Dining venues in the hotel include the The Steak House, Stivali Italian Ristorante, Blue Iguana Las Vegas, and The Pink Pony. Part of the attraction in Circus Circus is the AdventureDome indoor theme park and the circus shows in the Big Top.

Another big thing in Las Vegas is the Excalibur hotel which is also nestled in the South. Another project of the Mandalay Resort Group, Excalibur has 4008 rooms all in all. Because of its King Arthur time theme, restaurants in Excalibur are named after places and people in King Arthur’s court such as the The Steakhouse at Camelot, The Camelot, Sir Galahad’s Prime Rib House, and the Round Table Buffet. There are also frequent dinner shows and comedy acts in their comedy bars. In keeping with their theme, the casinos are transformed into a Renaissance Faire complete with jugglers, magicians and troubadours.

The Luxor is actually named after a place in Egypt, which is an tourist destination. Its building is topped with the brightest beams of light in the whole of Las Vegas. In fact, it can actually be seen when you are riding the space shuttle. It has 4408 rooms, which are divided into the Pyramid and in towers. Like the Excalibur, the names of the restaurants in the Luxor also have Egyptian flavors to them. Among the restaurants that you should try when visiting there are the Sacred Sea Room, Papyrus, Nile Deli, Hamada’s, and of course the Isis.

Once upon time, the Nets wasted draft picks on stiffs like Yinka Dare. Players with modest talent such as Chris Morris had the gall to write “trade me” on their sneakers. Players with more talent but not nearly as much as they thought, like Stephon Marbury, wrote “All Alone” on their ankle tape. And throughout all this, fans and New York media alike responded with Derrick Coleman-like enthusiasm: whoop-de-damn doo.

Then after the 1999-00 season, Rod Thorn took over a Nets team that desperately needed someone with his professionalism and player evaluation skills. Rod Thorn’s first major move was to select Kenyon Martin as the number one pick in the draft. While Martin suffered through an injury-plagued first season, by his second season he was a major defensive presence and a huge part of their running offense.

In 1984, Rod Thorn made what was clearly his best draft pick while GM of the Bulls, selecting Michael Jordan. However, in 2001, after having one full season to evaluate the Nets’ needs, Rod Thorn had what would have to be considered the best off-season of his career. The Nets drafted Eddie Griffin and then turned around and dealt him for three picks which they turned into Richard Jefferson, Jason Collins, and Brandon Armstrong.

Richard Jefferson turned into one of the Nets’ brightest stars. A great athlete who plays outstanding defense, Jefferson is also one of the league’s most efficient scorers, getting 19.5 points on fewer than 13 shots a night. Jason Collins doesn’t wow you if you look at the stat sheet, but he does so many little things when he is on the court, he is well respected by his teammates and considered a winner throughout the league. Brandon Armstrong, a reported sharp-shooter who can’t shoot, offered less of an impact.

But it was Thorn’s trade that off-season that really turned things around. Thorn traded talented but selfish potential superstar Stephon Marbury for an older Jason Kidd. Kidd instantly energized the franchise, guaranteeing a winning record the year he joined the franchise. Kenyon Martin, Kerry Kittles, and Keith Van Horn immediately improved their game and Jefferson and Collins’ NBA initiation couldn’t have gone smoother with Jason Kidd leading the charge. The reenergized franchise made it to the NBA Finals in both 2002 and 2003, ultimately losing to more talented Western Conference foes (Los Angeles Lakers and San Antonio Spurs).

Thorn made a couple of errors along the way in his quest to find a bona fide center. He traded Keith Van Horn for a miscast Dikeme Mutombo, who never fit in with the Nets running style, and then signed Alonzo Mourning to a terrible 4-year, 20-million-dollar contract only to see him miss most of the season due to his kidney ailment. However, the Nets look like they have finally found their center in Nenad Krstic whom they drafted in 2002 and stashed in Europe for a couple of years to develop his game. Krstic has become an offensive force for the current Nets, averaging 13.5 points per game on a better than 50% FG percentage.

Thorn also saved the Nets’ organization when they were in danger of sliding back into the abyss. Faced with demands from ownership to cut costs, Thorn shipped off Kenyon Martin, Kerry Kittles, and Lucious Harris. Fans were outraged, but Denver is now stuck with Martin’s bloated contract, and Kerry Kittles is semi-retired after playing only 11 games last year. Thorn made the correct choice in Richard Jefferson over Kenyon Martin, and then made another great move by stealing Vince Carter from Toronto for the incredible bargain price of Eric Williams, Aaron Williams, Alonzo Mourning (who refused to suit up for Toronto), and a couple of harmless draft picks.

The Nets start their series against the Miami Heat equipped with three superstars acquired by Thorn and a budding fourth in Krstic, also drafted by Thorn. While you could quibble with his bench choices that backfired this year (Mark Jackson and Jeff McInnis), the Nets are surely thrilled to have this Thorn on their side.