Las Vegas Weekly

July 19, 2010 · 2:26 PM

The Phantom makes his argument for building two dome facilities

By Robin Leach

Anthony Crivello (The Phantom) in Phantom -- Las Vegas Spectacular at The Venetian.

Photo: Erik Kabik/Retna/www.erikkabikphoto.com

From July 14 through Aug. 4, Robin Leach will be relaxing under the Tuscan sun on his annual vacation and will keep his eyes on what’s happening in Las Vegas from Italy. Meantime, a kindly crew of Las Vegas celebrities and VIPs has agreed to write guest columns for Vegas DeLuxe.

By Anthony Crivello, guest columnist

Las Vegas is caught in a sports/entertainment financial quagmire. And until we see momentum or resolution, the city and Nevada economy will be subject to the same monetary ills currently tied to the world financial system.

For years, fans and some local politicians -- spearheaded by Mayor Oscar Goodman -- have called for state funding and resolutions to construct modern sports facilities in Las Vegas, which would meet the standards laid out by the NFL and Commissioner Roger Goodell, World Cup Soccer, Major League Baseball, the pro rodeo circuit and beyond.

Its home field and lack of facilities negatively strap UNLV football. Truth be told, the same holds true for UNLV basketball in spite of Lon Kruger’s recent success. His job becomes more arduous when attempting to recruit top-flight high school basketball players. And without Kruger, the UNLV basketball program would most likely revert to a negative state of limbo, caught between “Jerry Tarkanian’s Glory Years” and the program’s recent upsurge. And if we want to keep Kruger in Las Vegas, we better start looking to upgrade UNLV’s home court and profile, as well.

Without modern facilities reflective of a “new Las Vegas,” the city will succumb to ills faced in recent times … in a revolving cycle.

There is no doubt that gaming fuels a huge portion of what is Las Vegas. But Las Vegas’ recent financial history -- as tied to the U.S. and world recession -- and the lack of diversification events to draw Las Vegas visitors has shown us better planning is needed for this city and this state to avoid the pitfall of being named The Place With the Highest Rate of Foreclosures in America.

One solution to break the logjam is the construction and operation of two domed facilities that would be potentially used by and meet the standards of the NFL, World Cup Soccer, pro soccer in general, NBA, NCAA, etc., and service the needs of future mega-conventions.

Now, how does this tie to the entertainment world in Las Vegas? As we can all imagine, those facilities create a venue capable of multiple usage, as well as other viable jobs not tied directly to casino operation. Construction of those structures creates construction jobs. And with multiple use year round, jobs are created to maintain and operate each facility.

Events scheduled in proper seasonal display create a continuing influx of tourists and spectators in Nevada. The spillover effect from those events becomes calculable monetarily to all residents of Nevada, be it from additional tax revenue or tourists gracing stores to shop.

Imagine if you will a 100,000-seat stadium the likes of which was constructed by Jerry Jones, owner of the Dallas Cowboys. Then imagine Soccer’s World Cup Final here. Then imagine this facility used for corporate events and tied to tourism. Imagine it surrounded by and becoming home to restaurants, shops, museums and perhaps even the UNLV or Nevada Sports Hall Of Fame. All creating more tourism, more work, more jobs, greater profile … and more people from around the world gambling, shopping and seeing shows!

My fellow Nevadans, the Super Bowl is looking for new hosting sites in new facilities (I pause to imagine …). Allow me to create a dream for a moment … Steve Wynn or Sheldon Adelson takes on the project. Perhaps a casino and/or foreign investment are tied to it. Let’s face it, folks, this city and country are slowly and ever increasingly becoming owned by investors from “far shores” who have deeper pockets than all of us. But that is fodder for another article.

If tied to UNLV, the profile of the university increases immediately, as does the TVQ of the Western Athletic Conference (again, UNLV’s leap to the Pac 10 or 12 or whatever it is now also is fodder reserved for future columns.)

How can cities like St. Louis and Kansas City, or more recently Oklahoma City, maintain and secure pro franchised teams and Las Vegas and Nevada are not able to follow their lead?

Now I know there are many complications to this conundrum. I know city and government officials are not on the same page when this issue comes up. But we need to find resolution and cooperation and an entity, be it individual or corporate or means, to make the future a reality.

Until a resolution to this problem is created, Las Vegas and Nevada may purport to be points of destination, but they will never equal the stature of the great cities that lead in providing for its residents or the country.

Anthony Crivello currently stars as The Phantom in Phantom -- The Las Vegas Spectacular at The Venetian and is a former host of Tony Crivello and the Sicilians on Fox Sports Radio/Lotus Broadcasting.

Tomorrow’s guests columnists are comedians Grandma Lee and Louis Anderson.

Robin Leach has been a journalist for more than 50 years and has spent the past decade giving readers the inside scoop on Las Vegas, the world’s premier platinum playground.

Follow Robin Leach on Twitter at Twitter.com/Robin_Leach.

Follow Vegas DeLuxe on Twitter at Twitter.com/vegasdeluxe.

Follow VDLX Editor Don Chareunsy on Twitter at Twitter.com/VDLXEditorDon.

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