One of the more interesting gambling stories involves Nick Bogdanovich and Charles Barkley. The prevailing sentiment is that Bogdanovich was victimized by a cheap shot. That's one reason he'll be the sentimental favorite when he tangles with Rx.com writer Steve Fezzik in a $50,000 winner-take-all football contest.

LAS VEGAS - The son of a Nevada Test Site worker, Bogdanovich was born in Las Vegas. A standout baseball and basketball player in high school, he returned to his hometown after earning a degree in business administration from Idaho's Lewis and Clark College in 1984. His first full-time job was writing tickets in the sports book at the Sands.

Bogdanovich went on to run the books at Binion's Horseshoe, the Stratosphere, and Mandalay Bay. At the Horseshoe, he dealt with the so-called ‘wise' guys. He had the liberty to approve a six-figure bet without going through several levels of bureaucracy.

Bogdanovich was hired to run the race and sports book at Mandalay Bay six years ago. He might still be there, if not for his brush with Charles Barkley.

A half-hour before the kickoff of the 2002 Super Bowl, Barkley appeared at the wagering counter in the company of two Mandalay Bay casino hosts. Sir Charles made two separate wagers totaling $600,000 on the ultimately victorious Patriots, a 14-point underdog.

Bogdanovich had been notified by a higher-up of Barkley's imminent arrival and assumed that the requisite markers had been signed. This was not the case. When the mix-up was sorted out, he became the scapegoat.

Bogdanovich's last position at a gaming establishment was as the sports book manager at the Golden Nugget. This was a good fit. The new owners, Tim Poster and Tom Breitling, were mavericks that pitched the property to high-end gamblers. But they quickly sold the property to a Houston-based conglomerate with a more conservative business approach. Once again, Bogdanovich was let go.

One would guess that Bogdanovich was forever soured on his chosen profession, but he would welcome the chance to run another book if the situation was right. Nor does he feel that the good old days are gone forever.

He thinks the day will eventually come when casino owners seek to recapture their share of the sports wagering pie and regulators are persuaded to loosen restrictions that inhibit betting.

Since leaving the Golden Nugget, Bogdanovich has carved out a living as a professional sports gambler. Victories in two handicapping contests have better enabled him to keep his head above water.

Last year, Bogdanovich won a college basketball contest with a $5000 prize and a football contest with a $40,000 prize.

With a $25,000 buy-in, Bogdanovich stands to lose most of his winnings if he comes up short in his head-to-head duel with Fezzik. The format will require each contestant to make six weekly pro or college picks against the spread for the duration of the 2006 college season. The competition will be formatted into the radio show hosted by John Kelly and Leroy's marketing director Jimmy Vaccaro.

In the championship round of the 2005 basketball contest, Bogdanovich was pitted against prominent college hoops handicapper Alan Boston. Going into the match, Boston acknowledged that a part of him was rooting for his opponent.

Boston didn't need to elaborate. The low-key Bogdanovich built up a lot of good will during his bookmaking days. Las Vegas is full of highly capable individuals forced to scuffle after being bounced out of good casino jobs. Bogdanovich is a survivor with whom they can well identify.

It's not as if the forthcoming Bogdanovich vs. Fezzik competition has a defined hero and villain. However, there's little doubt that my colleague Fezzik will have fewer folks rooting him on.