A “sudden malady” it was

Last week, when pondering the largely (in the case of the Las Vegas Review-Journal) or completely (in the instance of the Las Vegas Sun) botched coverage of the simultaneous Macao scandals afflicting Las Vegas Sands and MGM Mirage, I puzzled aloud at both its gaming reporters being off the beat simultaneously. Was it, I wondered, “a sudden malady.”

Turns out that was pretty close to the truth. Both gentlemen were off the beat due to circumstances beyond their control, leading the patchwork of reportage that ensued. One of two — I’m not at liberty to disclose which — is recovering from surgery, so S&G wishes him a speedy recovery in the bosom of his family. As for the R-J, it now has a plausible argument that it might have done right by l’affaire Macao in optimal circumstances. What’s the Sun‘s excuse?

Speaking of maladies (or karma), the S&G front pages got blanked off all italics, boldfacing, links and graphics Friday, for reasons unexplained and difficult to determine. (A good thing we went to the jump-page format, where you can still the postings in their intended format). We’re working on a solution but, in the meantime must resort to that dusty excuse, “Technical difficulties. Please stand by.”