Las Vegas Weekly

December 9, 2009 · 10:38 AM

Oscar Goodman: Tiger Woods coverage ‘great’ for L-A-S V-E-G-A-S

By John Katsilometes

Mayor Oscar Goodman and Santa Claus ride inside a classic Cadillac Eldorado into the Fremont Street Experience to perform the Christmas tree lighting ceremony in downtown Las Vegas on Dec. 8, 2009.

Photo: Leila Navidi

For Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman, the whole tawdry package is an early holiday gift.

And the man at the center is Tiger Claus.

“This is great for the city because they spell the city’s name right, L-A-S V-E-G-A-S,” Goodman said at the ceremonial lighting of the official Las Vegas Christmas tree on Fremont Street. “It’s great for the city to have its name out there, as long as they spell it right. Las Vegas, Nevada.”

Goodman was speaking to the Tiger Woods conundrum, in which the golfing legend has been linked to as many as 10 women (11, if you count his wife, Elin Nordegren), including at least three with ties to Las Vegas.

The original suspected mistress, former Tao nightclub hostess and Turnberry Place condominium owner Rachel Uchitel, has denied an affair with Woods. Uchitel has retained raptor-like attorney Gloria Allred to represent her legally and, we suspect, spiritually. Others with Vegas links are Vegas cocktail server Janine Grubbs and Light Group VIP hostess Kalika Moaquin, who has worked at the Bank and Bare Pool Lounge. As my man URL, Ubiquitous Robin Leach, has been energetically blogging and tweeting, Woods has been known to chip around such Vegas fun spots as the The Mansion at MGM Grand, Bellagio and, we suspect, Binion’s.

Asked if this all doesn’t fly in the face of our city’s promissory slogan, “What Happens in Vegas Stays in Vegas,” Goodman shook his head.

“No, it’s a great reminder that you can have fun in Las Vegas,” Goodman said. “Adult fun, that it’s a playground for adults. It’s salacious, and there’s nothing wrong with that.”

Let’s see. “There’s Nothing Wrong With That” could be an effective ad campaign. Sort of has a nice ring to it … but not a wedding ring.

More mayoral notes

The one Las Vegas city councilman who seems always in attendance at Goodman’s events is Gary Reese. He was wearing a leather NFR jacket tonight, looking the part during National Finals Rodeo week. Reese wants Goodman’s endorsement, a lot, if he runs for mayor. … Goodman is featured in the E! Entertainment reality TV show Holly's World, which is a loosely scripted, 30-minute program about Holly Madison’s life in Las Vegas. In the show, Madison is mulling a run for mayor, employing the slogan “Less Traffic and More Fun.” Or maybe it’s the other way around. Whatever, this show sure spins the Silly Meter. I mean, if anyone thinks Madison is going to successfully court choreographer Nick Kenkel, forget it. And how’s the acting quality? Goodman is the best actor in the show. But the vivacious Mad Maddy is hard not to watch, and her high-intensity entourage -- especially the often unintentionally hilarious Angel Porrino -- is accurately depicted. … Goodman arrived tonight in a 1959 Cadillac Eldorado convertible, and I don’t know how that beast passed smog inspection. … This had to be the fastest tree lighting ever -- Goodman was onstage for about 90 seconds, tops. Afterward, he said he had 10 Menorah lightings and 53 more tree lightings to preside over this holiday season. … Asked if his performance in tracking polls, which have him running strong in a statewide race, factors in his decision to enter the gubernatorial election, Goodman said, “The only poll I care about is the one at Costco.” That means he is concerned only about regular folk, many of whom shop at Costco, or he’s really interested in trays of free samples.

Follow John Katsilometes on Twitter at twitter.com/JohnnyKats.

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