We’ve had the first official shock of the American Idol season. Lilly Scott, the waitress with the jazzy vibe, was sent home along with the more expected selections of Todrick Hall, Alex Lambert and Katelyn Epperly. While I was not happy with her version of Patsy Cline’s “I Fall to Pieces,” I didn’t think it would be enough to send her home.

Once Paige Miles was safe, a bit of a shock considering how she was lambasted by the judges for her take on “Smile,” Katie Stevens started bawling and never stopped for the rest of the night. It was not because she was sad about Alex and Katlyn leaving. She was sure she was next, and when it was down to Lilly and Katie, most of America agreed with her. So when Lilly’s name was called, a tearful Crystal Bowersox was really sad that Lilly was leaving, as were a lot of  surprised Idol fans at home.

Conan O’Brien has announced the dates for his Legally Prohibited From Being Funny on Television Tour and Atlantic City has made the cut.

O’Brien will be at The Borgata Event Center on May 30. Tickets are priced at $155, $125 and $95 according to The Borgata’s Website, though tickets in other cities start at $39.50.

Other stops are at the Tower Theater in Upper Darby Pa. on June 7 and Radio City Music Hall in New York June 1 and 2.

O’Brien, who of course was controversially bounced from his Tonight Show gig earlier this year, bills the 30-city tour as “a night of music, comedy, hugging, and the occasional awkward silence.”

He also tweeted “Hey Internet: I’m headed to your town on a half-assed comedy & music tour. Go to www.teamcoco.com for tix. I repeat: It’s half-assed.”

The tour begins April 12 in Eugene Ore.

Temple fans celebrate last year's victory.

I am so excited about the return of A-10 basketball to Boardwalk Hall starting tomorrow.
I’ll be blogging all weekend from my perch on press row to let fellow hoop heads know what is happening as Temple goes for the three-peat against a strong field of A-10 teams including Xavier, Richmond and Dayton. Go here to check out my preview of the tournament.

Katelyn Epperly

Tim Urban (‘’Hallelujah”) and Alex Lambert (“Trouble”) didn’t make it as easy as I expected with their performances last night on Idol. They still aren’t great but I think one of them is safe. I fear that singer/dancer Todrick Hall was given the kiss of death when Simon suggested that Broadway material was his best choice. I don’t disagree, and unlike the judges, I thought his take on Queen’s “Somebody to Love” was weird. And, though teen angel Aaron Kelly was pitchy as hell on Lonestar’s “I’m Already There,” I think he holds on for another week.
The no doubters for survival remain Casey James, Lee Dewyze, Andrew Garcia and “Big Mike” Lynche who brought Kara to tears.
So who goes for the guys? Todrick Hall and Tim Urban.
As for the ladies, Paige Miles just had a horribly off night with “Smile” and I fear she will be smiling through her tears when she is eliminated tonight. And, as much as I love Lilly Scott, she frankly butchered a song by one of my all time singers, Patsy Cline. “I Fall To Pieces” describes her pitchy presentation. Still, I think she is safe.
Didi Benami bounced back nicely with her impressive rendition of Fleetwood Mac’s ‘’Rhiannon.” I wouldn’t be shocked if she was sent home for her body of work, but she did make it tough.
Katie Stevens might be in trouble since she did what the judges asked, did a “young song,” Kelly Clarkson’s “Breakaway,” and made it forgettable. However, I think the lady joining Paige will be Katelyn Epperly, whose version of Carole King’s “I Feel the Earth Move” was exactly the type of karaoke performance that Idol haters insist is the norm and the not the exception.

A pair of eights was all it took to decide one of the biggest tournaments yet at Caesars World Series of Poker circuit event as that hand was enough for a $61,599 cash out of a $190,120 prize pool. Amateur player Paul Vogel, 42, of Merrick N.Y. won a $1,000 + $80 No Limit Hold’em tournament, Event 7 on the schedule, after nearly 100 hands of heads-up action with the No. 2 finisher, Keith Crowder, 39 of Philadelphia. Crowder took home $32,320.

Paul Vogel

Vogel entered the final table as the chip leader, but Crowder nearly drew even with him at one point. The final hand had Crowder drawing on and Ace, Queen after the flop with Vogel holding his pair. The eights held up and Vogel won the WSOP ring at stake.
Vogel plays mostly online, he told the WSOP blog, but has competed twice in the WSOP Main Event.
The tournament was the third largest buy-in of the event, but several of the event’s tournaments have approached $60,000 for the top cash. A $1,500 + $100 deep-stack tournament began Wednesday and the circuit event’s main tournament, a $4,900 + $250 event starts Friday (March 12). The winner of that tournament gets a $10,000 seat at the WSOP Main event in July at the Rio in Las Vegas. Go here to follow the circuit event and here for a schedule of tournaments.

Carmen Fasola

A beef-and-beer benefit will be held for Carmen Fasola, a longtime state corrections officer at Cumberland County’s Bayside State Prison who succumbed to a brain tumor recently.

The benefit will be held at the Millville Elks Lodge — located at 1815 E. Broad Street in Millville, NJ — to assist the family he left behind. It will take place from 6pm-midnight on Friday, March 26, at the lodge, and will include dinner, beer & soda, popcorn and cotton candy, a Chinese auction and a 50/50 drawing.

If you cannot attend the benefit, donations are being received by Carmen’s wife. Please mail them to:
Diana Fasola
P.O. Box 816
Hammonton, NJ 08037

Join Hearts Afire Radio Show Hosts Carl and Martie Granieri as they welcome special guests Don Williams, Barbara Altman, Michele Dawn Mooney of NBC TV 40, Political VIPs and people of Good Will from churches and organizations from all over South Jersey to an uplifting musical event to benefit the earthquake victims in Haiti.
The show will broadcast live on WOND Radio, 1400AM from 1- 6 pm on Sunday, March 14, from the Ocean City Music Pier. It will feature the 100 Voice Hearts Afire Inter-Denominational Praise Choir and 10-piece Praise Band, made up of musicians and singers from the casino showrooms of Atlantic City. It is sponsored by Tropicana Hotel Casino.
All proceeds go directly to Food for the Poor, a Miami-based U.S. non-profit that has been on the ground in Haiti for 25 years and receives annually the highest ratings possible for efficiency and reliability. With only four percent operating costs, 96 percent of every dollar goes right to those in need. Donations are being accepted 24 hours per day by clicking here.

As if we didn’t have enough great basketball happening with the Atlantic 10 Men’s Basketball Tournament this weekend, the field was announced today for the 2010 Legends Classic taking place at Boardwalk Hall Nov. 26-27. Syracuse University, currently ranked No. 3 in the country and expected to make a splash in the NCAA tournament this year out of the Big East, is in the Legends’ field, joined by Michigan out of the Big 10, UTEP (University of Texas at El Paso) out of Conference USA and Georgia Tech out of the ACC. Last November Florida won the tournament beating Michigan State and Rutgers. Tickets go on sale Thursday, March 11, at noon.

On Saturday, March 20, the Marine Mammal Stranding Center (MMSC) will celebrate the International Day of the Seal. Visitors may stop by the MMSC between the hours of 10am and 2pm to tour the facility, enjoy activities for children and visit their museum/gift shop.
The tour includes displays of how seals live in the wild and the equipment used by MMSC stranding technicians for rescue. You will also learn about the many types of seals and other aquatic animals that are cared for at the center. Kids activities include demonstrations of how seals stay warm in cold water, feeling their soft fur and making a seal mask to take home.
For more information, go here or call the MMSC at (609) 266-0538.
The MMSC is located at 3625 Atlantic-Brigantine Blvd. in Brigantine, just across the street from Prudential, Fox and Roach Realtors and just before the Lighthouse Circle on the left (heading north).

Rants and raves about burning topics that have caught my attention midweek, be it greedy corporate shenanigans, frustration or joy in regards to the Philly sports teams, a movie, show or DVD that has fired up my imagination, an intriguing personality, or my on-going battle to lose weight in our fast food world. — Lori Hoffman, Associate Editor, Atlantic City Weekly

It became official on Monday, March 8.  New ownership led by Carl Icahn took over the Tropicana Casino & Resort, signaling a new era. Multi-billionaire Icahn has been a wheeler-dealer in the Atlantic City market before. Back when the Sands Casino Hotel filed for bankruptcy in 1998, he swooped in two years later and bought controlling interest in the property, winning in bankruptcy court over Park Place Entertainment. At the time Icahn also wanted to purchase the Claridge, but eventually Park Place Entertainment won that battle. Park Place Entertainment, now known as Caesars Entertainment Inc., owns Bally’s/Claridge, Harrah’s Resort, Caesars and Showboat/House of Blues.

Carl Icahn

Icahn, who has been described as both a corporate raider and a corporate savior, sunk significant money (reported at $65 million at the time) to try and improve the bottom line for the Sands. Still, the smallest casino in town, once home to Frank Sinatra and Cher as regular entertainers, continued to lose money. Eventually Icahn sold the Sands to Pinnacle Entertainment in 2006.

The Tropicana has a lot going for it as a destination casino with the dining, shopping and nightclub complex, The Quarter, and 2,129 hotel rooms. Despite that, the previous owners mismanaged the property into the loss of its casino license and bankruptcy. In essence, Icahn and his partners have brought a property sold for 2.75 billion in 2005 for the fire sale rate of $200 million of the property’s mortgage for equity.

The Tropicana has managed to survive quite a bit of chaos the last decade and Icahn should certainly bring financial stability.

In a press release, Mark Giannantonio, president and C.E.O. of Tropicana Casino & Resort said, “It’s a whole new year, new energy, new era at the Tropicana. Now, with a great partner like Carl Icahn at our side and our staff of dedicated and hardworking employees, we can really move the Tropicana forward as the pre-eminent entertainment resort in Atlantic City.  We’re thrilled about the possibilities.”

To see the Trop’s new direction, check out this Web site. Read the rest of this entry »