It Seems Arum’s Luck Has Been All Used Up

DEL MAR —  I go where the story is, of course, and so if boxing promoter Bob Arum wants to get together where the turf meets the surf, I make the sacrifice.

But as I sat there Wednesday afternoon in the Turf Club trying to appear rich, Jenny Craig sitting at the next table betting all the money the wife spent on her diet cuisine over the years while still gaining 10 pounds, I began to wonder about this incredible story of Arum surviving a fiery plane crash.

Now I would think a guy, who has walked through a wall of fire without so much as an eyebrow being singed, would be pretty darn lucky.

But here I was sitting next to a big loser. And when I offered to take him to the windows following the eighth race to show him what it was like to collect on a winning bet, I detected some bad blood there as he stalked off.

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NOW I really got to thinking. Was the whole thing a scam? I mean, was there really a plane crash just hours before a news conference designed to get attention for the Fernando Vargas-Oscar De La Hoya fight in Las Vegas next month? Or was it some kind of publicity stunt? I know, hard to believe anyone in the world of boxing would resort to a publicity stunt, but then I read columnist Jon Saraceno in USA Today quoting Don King saying of Arum, he’s “the devil of deception,” and now what was I supposed to think?

I asked Arum, who had promoted Evel Knievel’s jump over the Snake River Canyon, if I could believe what he tells me, and he said, “sometimes.”

So I ask you--what’s more outlandish to believe: A boxing promoter surviving a plane crash on his way to a news conference, or someone losing every bet on a day so easy to pick winners that even Times’ handicapper Bob Mieszerski guessed correctly once in the paper?

The whole thing smelled like some kind of set up: He had to know I would laugh at him like I would laugh at Brian Jordan striking out four times in a row, which would certainly result in “bad blood,” coincidentally the same handle that Arum has been using to promote the Vargas-De La Hoya bout?

Con man just out to get attention for his fight, or just a horrible gambler?

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WE WERE sitting at the same table with Judy Carmel, Arum’s sister-in-law and an owner of horses, who was giving me winning tip after winning tip, and I was thinking I might be able to buy the Dodgers from Fox if this kept up--and I’d keep Jim Tracy as manager--and Arum still hadn’t cashed a ticket, and he was getting madder and madder because I was.

“Do you know how two people can really get to the point where they just hate each other?” he said. I took it for granted he was talking about himself and his sister-in-law until he mentioned Vargas’ name, and I realized he was working me in order to promote the fight. “We’re going to have a plastic shield separating the fighters at the press conference in Las Vegas. Lots of bad blood there, maybe as much as there was for the Hearns-Hagler fight.”

He said he likes De La Hoya to win the fight; he also picked Jake The Gamer to win the fifth, and I’ve asked track officials to let me know when the horse finally makes it to the finish line.

So I’m convinced he’s just a horrible gambler, who was probably in a plane crash, and darn lucky that everyone else was betting on him to survive and make this fight in Las Vegas something special.

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ESPN IS going to put an authentic anchor desk from “SportsCenter” up for bid to benefit The Jimmy V Foundation for Cancer Research. I would think it’d be a tremendous credibility boost for Fox’s Southern California Sports Report if their anchors were seen working behind a “SportsCenter” anchor desk.

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SHAQUILLE O’NEAL is scheduled to appear Friday at 1 p.m. at the Challenger Boys and Girls Club in Los Angeles to help unveil “The Biggest Children’s Book in the World.” Local bookmakers say it’s 5-1 Shaq is a no-show.

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THE DODGERS took possession of a life-like wax figure of Tom Lasorda that had been on display at Movieland, and now have the big dummy standing near the gift shop on Level 5. I had a 10-minute conversation the other night with Lasorda, and I have to tell you it’s the most fun I’ve ever had talking with the dummy--not a single interruption.

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THE CHARGERS broke training camp Wednesday, and when they begin training again next July it will be at Cal State Dominguez Hills. San Diego Union-Tribune columnist Nick Canepa is upset about this and took his wife and son on a tour of Carson recently. When his wife got out of the car, he quoted her as saying, “It smells here.” I believe that’s conclusive proof the Chargers belong in Carson.

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WITH E-MAIL help from Vick in Arcadia, I learned the Dodgers have nominated the following players for the Sporting News’ “Good Guy” award this year: Shawn Green, Eric Karros, Brian Jordan and Kevin Brown. The Dodgers said this is the fourth nomination for Brown, who for some unexplained reason, has yet to win.

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HERE’S YOUR chance to tell me where to go: The Choking Dogs play the Braves Saturday at 1--the same time as the Sparks’ playoff game with Utah.

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TODAY’S LAST word comes in e-mail from a Playboy publicist:

“Would you be interested in coming to the Playboy Mansion for the launch of the first ever Playboy slot machine, which should include some visual and fun sights--at 6 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 16?”

That’s our 30th wedding anniversary; I hope I can still get home in time to celebrate.

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T.J. Simers can be reached at [email protected]