Gary Parrish Avoids Vegas Thrills, Not Skills

Gary Parrish, a regular here at the Final Four Blog, is in Las Vegas, Nevada this week to check out some of the best hoops stars in the nation. Plenty of the best incoming freshmen will be on hand for one of the many basketball tournaments hosted in the City of Sin over the summer. You can see some of the players who will be the big names in college basketball before they get to the NCAA. You can watch for all the head coaches and assistants, and, according to Gary Parrish, you can watch as some of the young basketball players- all teenagers- try to sneak into the casinos to gamble.

There’s not much to this story except that Gary’s a bit miffed that he can’t spend all day and night at the blackjack tables drinking watered down gin and tonics. And while that’s a real shame, and I’m pretty sure Gary takes his job seriously, you can’t help but compare Parrish to the likes of ESPN sportswriter Bill Simmons, who would, without a doubt, have been at the craps table as soon as he checked in. Or, at least that’s what he would have written about. Gary, we hope you actually try to have a little fun while in Vegas. So long as you don’t write about it, the stories can all stay there.

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