Jan. 14, 2003 - The National Football League has sacked Las Vegas' plans to gain national exposure during this year's Super Bowl broadcast. 

Convention authority spokesman Rob Powers said the organization last year approached the league about the possibility of purchasing national time slots to air its new "Vegas Stories" ads during the Jan. 26 championship football game, which will be broadcast on the ABC television network. 

But the NFL rebuffed the authority's offer in mid-December because it claims it does not want its signature event to be associated with a gaming-themed destination, Powers said. 

Oscar Goodman, Las Vegas mayor and convention authority board member, on Monday blasted the NFL's decision to bar Las Vegas ads. 

Although he said his background as a defense attorney makes him reluctant to cite individual names, Goodman said the NFL's image is already tainted by former and current players who have been accused of crimes that range from murder and child molestation to burglary and sexual assault. 

"As far as I'm concerned, (NFL Commissioner Paul) Tagliabue has the most deviant athletes in professional sports," Goodman said. 

In recent years, NFL players such as onetime Carolina Panthers cornerback Rae Carruth, current Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis, and former Green Bay Packers tight end Mark Chmura have been the subject of high-profile court trials. 

Carruth is serving up to 24 years in prison stemming from his role in the November 1999 shooting of his then-pregnant girlfriend; Lewis was acquitted of double-murder charges in June 2000; and Chmura was acquitted last February on charges he sexually assaulted a 17-year-old girl who once baby-sat his children. 

"For Tagliabue to suggest (Las Vegas' ads) are bad for football's image is a case of the pot calling the kettle black," Goodman said. "He'd better get his own house in order before he starts talking about integrity." 

Goodman also pointed out what he called the league's hypocrisy by citing a new beer ad that depicts two scantily clad women wrestling in a fountain and puddle of mud; the ad has routinely aired on recent NFL telecasts. 

"Instead of airing our tasteful ads, the NFL chooses to allow ads with girls in their brassieres and panties mud wrestling" Goodman said as he questioned the league's decision making. 

Powers also criticized the league's stance, adding newspapers in almost every major city in the United States publish betting lines on NFL games without repercussions from the league. 

"We're disappointed and feel the NFL's position is indefensible," Powers said. "Some form of legalized gaming exists in 48 (actually 47) of the 50 states, and Las Vegas is so much more than just gaming. But for some reason, the NFL feels Las Vegas doesn't reflect well with its image." 

Efforts to reach the NFL league office were unsuccessful late Monday. 

Although ABC is directly selling ads for the Super Bowl, Goodman said he believes the NFL maintains the right to censure ads it deems inappropriate. He learned of the league's anti-Las Vegas ruling late last week, he said. 

The NFL's denial prevents Las Vegas from gaining national exposure during what is routinely one of television's most popular events. 

According to the NFL's Web site, the 10 most-watched shows in television history were Super Bowl broadcasts. Last year's contest between the New England Patriots and St. Louis Rams was the fifth-most watched program in television history when an estimated 131.7 million Americans tuned in for all or part of the Feb. 3 game. 

Advertisers typically pay plenty to reach so many viewers. Monday's New York Daily News said ABC has already sold about 90 percent of its available 30-second spots for this month's game, with each spot reportedly fetching $2.1 million from advertisers such as Anheuser-Busch, Pepsi and Visa. 

Last year, Fox earned about $1.9 million per Super Bowl spot, the Daily News reported. 

The authority has previously aired advertisements during Super Bowl broadcasts in selected markets by purchasing slots directly from local affiliates of the network broadcasting the game, Powers said; this was the authority's first attempt to purchase national ad slots during a Super Bowl broadcast. 

The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority and ad agency R & R Partners plan to debut today a new 18-month marketing campaign dubbed "Vegas Stories." The new ads, which feature interviews with hundreds of local visitors who discuss their personal experiences in the city, were directed by Brian Buckley, who oversaw ESPN's popular "This is Sportscenter" campaign. 

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