Poker decent, blackjack lousy at new Hooters

Some of my friends who are sharp gamblers contend that leveling criticism against casino-industry executives for their foolhardiness is so easy, it's like shooting fish in a barrel. I don't know. Sometimes I think that remark is insulting ... to actual fish in actual barrels everywhere. In this example, a blackjack table employing a continuous shuffle machine had a sign on it to prevent "mid-round entry" by players. The thing is, with a continuous shuffle machine there are no rounds. It's all one big round. If you take it literally, no one would ever be allowed to enter the game, I guess. Sigh.

If you're interested in the Hooters casino on Tropicana Avenue from a gambling perspective, I hope you're a poker player because the place is a blackjack wasteland.

It's not news that paranoia strikes deep among people who run blackjack pits in Las Vegas, but Hooters takes it to a new low.

Excuse the Interjection: Batman speaks out

Actor Michael Keaton made a stir this week when, after throwing out the first pitch at the Pirates home opener, he held an impromptu news conference to complain about the way the Pittsburgh franchise is being operated. Should we care what Batman thinks about the Pirates?

Columnist Jeff Haney's take: Yes, and good for the Caped Crusader for speaking his mind. In this age of political correctness run amok, it's refreshing to hear a heartfelt opinion - with no apparent hidden agenda - rather than the usual predictable, vapid tripe we've come to expect from most Hollywood types.

More than one villain and no real solution as boxing lands another blow against its own image

It's a stretch, but forget for a moment all the ancillary nonsense that surrounds big-time boxing.

What makes boxing a great sport is that it showcases controlled violence -- emphasis on "controlled."

So even though the object is to hit the other guy so hard that he loses consciousness, when it takes place in a strictly managed environment under a set of rational rules and regulations, a boxing match can be a sublime spectacle.

Without those rules and regulations, though, it would deteriorate into utter chaos, even barbarism.