Hanging With Mr. Cyr

There are upwards of 500 hosts who cater to gamblers in Las Vegas. I know about 30 of them. Them most eccentric and fun guy amongst them is Steve Cyr. Steve knows every big player in the world and if he doesn't he will find them.

            Steve has a magnetic honest personality. He's upfront and will tell you what he believes to your face. Sure, a host has to kiss butt and woo the hard to please, and yes get them what they want. But Steve will also tell you if you're a pain in the butt.

            Money is the ultimate aphrodisiac; people pursue the power it brings. They go hand in hand. To say a high roller is out for
a big weekend, means gambling, expensive dining, drinks and if the gambler's a male....women! With an emphasis on expensive. Steve and I are friends. He lives on the edge and every day is an adventure. Las Vegas may be out of the organized crime era,
but all the crime and corruption rears its ugly head daily. If you are there, or within shouting distance, it can suck you in as fast
as a roll of the dice.

            Steve tells me you can easily be at the wrong place at the wrong time. When millions of dollars are involved, somebody
is going to want it and that somebody can easily be a criminal.

            Like I said, "The Edge is sharp and if you walk it you could get cut."

            Today Steve introduces me to a professional fighter...Derrick Harmon, a baby faced guy with all the enthusiasm of a
go-cart racer. Last summer Steve introduced me to Alex, an ultimate fighter champion with a heart of gold. They are a strange
trio as they work out together and trash talk to one another. These are three great guys. They don't let their work affect who
they all are and for all intentional purposes, they could all be just a bunch of carpenters in a gym in the Oakland YMCA
insulting each other. But they are all heavy hitters in their worlds.

            Derrick recently fought for the World Championship and you can't help feeling this is a guy the whole world should
root for. He is, as my wife said, a sweet gentleman....baby faced and excited about his future. He's respectful and generous
and deserves to be one of the good guys that win. But, you can't help thinking maybe he is too nice to be a fighter. Nah...
this guy must rock to be ranked in the top ten in the world.

            Alex is quiet and introspective. He is the guy who is comfortable with his abilities and doesn't have to brag. I
imagine he is businesslike when he knocks someone out and lets his fists do the talking. Alex has donated a lot of money
and his purses to Montel Williams' M.S Foundation. He has a sister with M.S. and he speaks lovingly of her.

            I am joining this gym to work out and bringing along some of the Action! Girls.   We can all use a little buffing out
and Derrick will probably throw in some great training.

            It should be a lot of fun and stories as we watch the guys climb to the top and ...oh yeah... listen to all the weird
happenings that Steve encounters in Las Vegas.   I'll keep you posted.