Wally Hall's Bowl Diary: Just in time to offer few final thank yous

WALLY HALL
ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE

LAS VEGAS -- Final entry in this year's bowl diary, and what better time than to pass out a few thank-yous.
First, I'd like to thank the folks from the Vegas Bowl and the Convention and Tourism bureau for the great job they did. From start to finish, they were very helpful.
A thank you to Gonzalez's Mexican restaurant in New York New York. It was really good, which I wasn't sure we'd ever find good Tex-Mex here.
A thank you to all the folks at the Tropicano for setting a standard for rudeness. I never thought my money would be so unwelcome. I felt like I was at a funeral more than a casino.
A thank you to the folks at Rio and the Golden Nugget for making my money feel more valuable than it really is.
A thank-you to the folks at Tropicano for reminding me why I didn't stay there.
A thank-you to Bob Holt, our man on the Hog Hoops, who learned how to play blackjack and brought a new idea to the old game when he after he received his first card (an ace), asked seriously: "May I double down now?"
A thank-you the folks at the Tropicano for being a living example -- right in the shadows of New York New York, MGM and Excalibur -- of how seedy a casino can seem.
A thank-you to my daughter, Whitney, who rode the Manhattan Express with me months ago so I didn't have to do it again.
A thank-you to the Democrat-Gazette sports staff for turning out tons of copy on this game for all those who couldn't make it.
A thank-you to the folks at the Tropicano for helping me remember that all of Vegas is not glitz and glamour.
A thank-you to the photographers for their pictures.
A thank-you to the folks at the Tropicano for demonstrating just how helpful and friendly the folks at MGM are.
A thank-you to the Democrat-Gazette for playing host to a hospitality room at the Golden Nugget for the loyal Razorbacks fans who made the trip .
A thank-you to the folks at the Tropicano -- and it probably should be pointed out none of my feelings has to do with gambling, I won money there -- for the stroll down memory lane by not replacing carpet, painting or cleaning the glass on the doors.
A thank-you to Deputy Sports Editor Jeff Krupsaw for sharing a trifecta and an exacta ticket with me that made this a winning trip.
A thank-you to the folks at the Tropicano for not being from the South.
A thank-you to the Golden Gate casino for their "Vegas' Best" 99 cent shrimp cocktail. I ate five.
A thank-you to the folks at the Tropicano for their insufferable attitudes that led to me leaving while I still had some of their money on the table.
A thank-you to Steve Wynn for building such incredible hotels that you can tour them for a couple of hours, for free, and have a good time without gambling.
A thank-you to the folks at the Tropicano for reminding me how rude people can be for no reason.
A thank-you to the unidentified craps shooter who put me ahead the first day, and where I stayed the entire trip. Which may have been a first for me.
A thank-you to the Tropicano for upstaging all the rude and inconsiderate people who walk along and just suddenly stop.
A thank-you to Houston Nutt for making his staff and players so accessible for interviews this week.
A thank-you to the Tropicano for any number of other things I could come up with that are not good memories.
A thank-you to everyone who was part of this diary this week.
And, finally, a big thank-you to all the folks at the Tropicano who tried but couldn't spoil a good bowl week.
Now, it is on to basketball and then, hopefully, to Virginia for Christmas.
So maybe there is one more thank-you hanging out there. Thank you, Delta pilots, if you don't strike or slow down service during Christmas.

This article was published on Friday, December 22, 2000

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