At one time, the world’s largest tradeshow, COMDEX was in Las Vegas, but the brainey, geeky computer engineers were smart enough to know the odds and didn’t gamble much. Result: COMDEX is no longer in Vegas. Indeed, the vices rule the economy in Las Vegas.

As for Ute drinking habits, I don’t know how much they sell, but they do make money on Budweiser in Rice Eccles Stadium.

This does shoot holes in the argument that BYU travels well. Yes, the team can sell tickets in any stadium in America, but that’s all the fans buy. Even Yewt fans will buy souvenir shirts, while the Cougar faithful have a hard time parting with a dime.

I was there for the Oregon whooping in Vegas. That was a sweet game. Sat in the endzone where all the scoring happened.

I’m hoping for a BYU BSU showdown in Vegas. Hoping the 4 and 5 of the PAC don’t qualify.

I live in BSU country and can’t stand them, I need redemption baby!

WHY? You ask:

There was a lot of talk last year with the Las Vegas Bowl not really liking BYU for 1 main reason…BYU fans don’t drink (Generally).

Sure we sell out the stadium, but the liquor profits take a HUGE hit. With Utah going to the Bowl game they will get the same ticket sales with more liquor revenue. I’m not saying Utah fans are drunks, but I think it is safe to say there are more drinkers there than at BYU.

But I still maintain will win the conference. Both Utah and TCU go down this weekend. Then Utah beats TCU and BYU beats Utah to wrap it all up.

Then instead of writing and talking about BYU’s great season with only one loss, the media and some fans will talk about how they think the Las Vegas bowl is a lousy bowl and BYU lost its chance at a BCS.

And when Bronco retires after a 10-year stint at BYU or goes elsewhere after a 5-year stint, the silly fans and media will wonder why?

The Holiday Bowl has gained in stature and gone on to bigger and better things. The organizers know what they are doing which actually bodes well for a good player experience at the Poinsettia Bowl.

Problem is, the Poinsettia Bowl pits us against the 7th place Pac Ten team. That’s right, the Poinsettia Bowl is today what the Holiday Bowl was in 1980.

Let’s see… 7th place, Pac Ten. Yep, bring on UCLA!

But, not so fast…The Bruins have won only three games this year and could finish the season with four, assuming they can beat either Washington or ASU on the road. Either way, UCLA is done after they get trounced by USC in December.

Whew, that was close. We should send “thank you,” cards to Fresno State for making this one almost mathematically impossible.

Just in time, the Poinsettia Bowl organizers have announced a contingency with the WAC. Back to the Future, right? Or, Forward to the Past… whatever.

Fresno State, San Jose State, Boise State? Not that it wouldn’t be a good game, but Boise State is probably heading for another BCS berth so it won’t be a game that advances BYU in national stature.

My son and I have traveled to the Las Vegas Bowl during the last two years and I stand by my previous comments that the venue is garbage. It was barely adequate for a U2 concert, but at that we weren’t looking for something to eat at halftime.

Regarding Las Vegas as a bowl hosting city…

BYU fans do tickets but we don’t gamble and $70 football tickets don’t keep the lights on in Las Vegas.

Utah fans probably don’t gamble much since lots of them are actually LDS. (Hard to believe, huh!)

Do TCU fans gamble? Not likely. Remember what the “C” stands for and they are the heart of Texas, which means they probably gamble as much as Baylor fans.

Air Force fans? Maybe some of the guys who are stationed at Nellis AFB would buy game tickets and the Cadets will travel, but that is still not a win for casino owners because AF students have little money but a lot of brains.

I guess the LV Bowl exists to support UNLV’s conference, but not too much because the casino owners, which is where all the money comes from, don’t care so much about that either.

As it stands, the LV Bowl is a stinky deal for the MWC and it isn’t likely to change. Armed Forces, Emerald… and it it’s New Mexico, I not only won’t travel, but I might not even watch.

We find ourselves in the same place as the WAC conference in 1980. No progress. (However, the 1980 game was spectacular. Yep, unlike most of you guys, I was actually alive to watch that one.)

Besides I am traveling for some hunting and don’t think the misses will let me travel again to a bowl game!