Columnist Joe Delaney: Sports, Mexican Independence make for plentiful entertainment options

WE WERE THERE in Yankee Stadium on the last day of the 1961 baseball season, when Roger Maris deposited home run No. 61 into the close-up right-field corner stands. ... The crowd response was far short of what it should have been. ... Maris did it in 162 games so baseball added an asterisk because Babe Ruth had hit his 60 in 154 games.

Mark McGwire, St. Louis Cardinals, and the Chicago Cubs' Sammy Sosa have had copious coverage and almost unanimous fan support in their respective assaults on Maris' record. ... McGwire's 61st homer came in the 143rd game of the regular season, no asterisk for him. He then broke the record.

This has also been the most exciting U.S. Open tennis tournament in years, with a number of come-from-behind wins in five-set matches. ... The first weekend of the NFL season started well, while Notre Dame's upset of Michigan was a great start for college football.

That's entertainment

There are weekends in Las Vegas when sports takes precedence over all the other entertainment areas. ... January's NFL Super Bowl, college basketball's March Madness, the World Series, plus horse racing's Kentucky Derby, Preakness, Belmont and Breeder's Cup races are examples, as well as heavyweight championship fights. ... All are major entertainment events, in both showrooms and sports and race books.

Despite the abbreviated outcome of their first fight, Oscar De La Hoya and Julio Cesar Chavez should put at least 14,000 people into Thomas & Mack Center on Sept. 18, with heavy sports book action as well. ... It will contribute to the Mexican Independence Day weekend.

This year, the Mexican Independence Day (actually on Wednesday) weekend starts on Saturday and continues through Sept. 20, making it a star-studded, nine-day, two-weekend event.

How it started

Eight years ago, there was the First Annual LV International Mariachi Festival and not much else happening that September weekend. ... The festival, held in Thomas & Mack Center, moved to the Aladdin Theatre for the Performing Arts for the next six years, returning to Thomas & Mack on Sept. 19 this year, the day after the title fight.

Alejandro Fernandez starts the 1998 Mexican holiday observance here this Saturday with a four-day stand in the Rio Hotel showroom. ... Danny Gans is on vacation. ... Freddy Fender takes his Tex-Mex music to Whiskey Pete's this weekend.

Caesars Palace has singer Lucero, Monday and Wednesday. ... El Puma, better known as Jose Luis Rodriguez, and impressionist Julio Sabala are at the LV Hilton Sept. Wednesday and next Thursday, Sept. 17. ... Vikki Carr is the Orleans attraction Sept. 17-20. ... Vicente Fernandez, Alejandro's father, plays the Luxor Hotel Theatre, Sept. 18 and 19, and Paul Rodriguez performs those nights at the Monte Carlo.

Action central

Thomas & Mack Center is the true center of the second weekend's action with De La Hoya vs. Chavez on Sept. 18 and the Mariachi Festival, featuring Mariachis Vargas de Tecalitlan, Sol de Mexico de Jose Hernandez, Los Arrieros de Mexico, Marimba Nandayapa, Pedro Fernandez, Yolanda Del Rio and Ballet Folklorico de San Juan de Julie Gallegos.

Usually, from Labor Day until the Sept. 15 (the day the estimated income tax payment is due) was a dead period for Las Vegas. ... Not any more, thanks to the continuing growth of LV's annual Mexican Independence Day observance.

Star policy: It's Louie Anderson (Bally's); Chicago (Caesars); Dennis Miller (Desert Inn); Patsy Cline Tribute (Gold Coast); Wayne Newton (MGM Grand); Siegfried & Roy (Mirage); Roger Whittaker (Orleans); and Roger Kennzington's Hypno-Odyssey (Sahara). ... Lance Burton will re-appear at the Monte Carlo on Sept. 22; Danny Gans is due at the Rio on Wednesday.

On Broadway

Broadway is represented in LV with "Stomp" in the MGM Grand Theatre this week, replacing "EFX," plus Michael Flatley's "Lord of the Dance" (New York, New York); and "Tap Dogs" (Stratosphere). ... There is the new Broadway Cabaret at the San Remo and the Michael La Rocca Show (World Trade Center). ... All that is missing is a hotel showroom for touring or locally produced Broadway shows. ... See you Friday.

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