Barkley plays these cards right

Ignoring the credo, “What Happens in Vegas Stays in Vegas,” Charles Barkley went on Phoenix television Monday and announced that he had won “about $700,000” playing blackjack and betting on the Super Bowl.

“That was all profit [from] blackjack and I bet on the Super Bowl. I had the Colts,” Barkley said in an interview with TV station KTVK. “I played a lot of blackjack.”

Barkley, who lives in the Phoenix area, said that during a six-hour period last year, he lost $2.5 million -- about what it cost for a 30-second commercial on this year’s Super Bowl telecast.

In an ESPN interview in May, Barkley estimated that over the years, his gambling losses totaled about $10 million -- the equivalent of what Peyton Manning makes annually in endorsements.

“It’s a stupid, bad habit. I have a problem,” Barkley said. “But the problem is when you can’t afford it. I can afford to gamble.

“I didn’t kill myself when I lost $2 1/2 million.... I like to gamble and I’m not going to quit.”

The Basketball Hall of Fame, which inducted Barkley last year, must be thrilled.

Trivia time

Who is the only professional football player to have played for three teams in three leagues in the same city?

Thanks for the memory

Vin Scully attended Monday’s Southern California Sports Broadcasters annual awards luncheon to pick up two awards and also introduce Peter O’Malley, who was presented one of two special achievement awards. The other went to Bill Redell, the football coach at Division III state champion Westlake Village Oaks Christian High.

When he went to the podium to accept his award, Redell said, “It’s good to see Vin Scully is here. I’m sure he doesn’t remember this, but my wife and I met him at a function in Miami Beach in 1973.

“We briefly introduced ourselves. And then at the end of the night, we walked by him again and he said, ‘Nice meeting you, Bill and Cheryl.’ I was amazed that he remembered our names.”

When Scully took his next turn at the podium, he said, “It’s sure nice to see Bill and Cheryl again.”

Same suit, same time, next year

Longtime publicist Chuck Panama, a member of the sports broadcasters’ group, presented Lee Hamilton the Irv Kaze Memorial Radio Talk Show Host award.

Panama, who presented Hamilton the same award last year, said, “I reached into my pocket, looking for something to write on, and there was the envelope from last year. That tells you how long it has been since this suit has been cleaned.”

Trivia answer

Kicker Ben Agajanian played for the Los Angeles Dons of the old All-America Football Conference in 1947-48, the NFL’s Los Angeles Rams in 1953, and the AFL’s Los Angeles Chargers in 1960.

And finally

From David Letterman’s “Top Ten Chicago Bears Excuses” for losing the Super Bowl:

9. “Hard to be motivated by a guy named Lovie.”

8. “Spent every huddle talking about ‘American Idol.’ ”

7. “ ‘Peyton promised to put us in a commercial if we let him win.’ ”

6. “ ‘We’re not used to bad weather.’ ”

5. “ ‘Colts players were shoving us.’ ”

3. “ ‘Like the rest of America, we wanted to see Peyton finally win the big one.’ ”

1. “Worried about sharing locker room with Prince.”

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mike.penner@latimes.com