That preening Master of the Universe wannabe you see above is Columbia Sussex CEO William Yung III, subject of a lengthy (and deeply unflattering) exposé in the Louisville Courier-Journal. The article basically explains what Missouri Gaming Commission Director Gene McNary meant when he cryptically told the Kansas City Star's Rick Alm that "There were things turned up in the investigation that did not comport with law-abiding behavior."

On a more humorous note, the Courier-Journal article refers to Yung as a "gambling czar." In an industry dominated by the likes of Kirk Kerkorian, Sheldon Adelson, Steve Wynn, Gary Loveman, and various and sundry Fertittas, Yung is -- at best -- more like a minor aristocrat whose estates are slowly going to seed. (His casino employees could certainly identify with the serfdom.)

Put on a happy face: New Jersey authorities are doing the best they can to spin the paltry number of bids (at best, three) for the Atlantic City Tropicana as a big win. We still don't know if Colony Capital actually put in a formal offer, although this newspaper didn't get the memo about the Mohegans' high-profile pullout.

A casino that was projected as selling for in excess of $1 billion could now go for considerably less. "Given where they are [relative to the market], if you were a bottom-feeder, you'd wait 'til the last dog was hung," says a source familiar with the situation, adding that the condition of the Trop may have scared off buyers: "It's basically three crummy properties and one great one smushed together."

To nobody's surprise, the New Jersey Lege passed a $90 million, three-year subsidy for the Garden State's horse racing industry, to be funded by Atlantic City casinos. You might say that the casinos are the horse in this case, lumbered with an overweight jockey in the form of the state's struggling tracks.

Lousiana riverboat gets third chance. The Hollywood Shreveport riverboat casino couldn't make a go of it under the now-forgotten Hollywood brand and then turned turtle while under Penn National's stewardship. Now, Reno-based Eldorado, which has been running the place for three years, has been approved to take full control of the vessel, which is worth roughly $40 million.

BoSox take a stand. When there's a players' strike, managers and coaches have to toe ownership's line and work with the scabs. But when Boston Red Sox ownership tried to shortchange its coaching staff, the players threatened to boycott the season opener unless their coaches were properly compensated. Now that's team spirit.

On the other hand ...

Steroid-lovin' union boss Don Fehr is demanding -- nay, insisting -- that, by golly, somebody better hire "Balco Barry" Bonds or there'll be consequences 'n stuff. Hmmmm, let's see: a decrepit, 43-year-old, surly, steroid-using player who clanks up the plate wearing a veritable suit of armor, can't play defense and is under federal indictment? Nah, I don't see any problems there. No distraction whatsoever.