Columnist Ruthe Deskin: Ya gotta have heart — and they do!

Ruthe Deskin

Thursday, March 16, 2000 | 8:33 a.m.

Ruthe Deskin is assistant to the publisher. Her column appears Thursdays. Reach her at deskin@vegas.com.

Did somebody say heart?

The skeptics with their negativity about the current Rebel basketball team will have to admit these young players have heart.

They have bounced back from devastating losses and a constant stream of criticism to prove detractors were wrong when they predicted that UNLV would not be a participant in the NCAA tournament.

Calls for Coach Bayno's ouster and boos from fans have been silenced as the faithful gather 'round to cheer a gutty team.

At this point no one knows how the Rebels will fare in the tournament. They face a tough opponent, Tulsa, in the first round.

But the important thing is, they got there, and we congratulate them on a winning season and the Mountain West conference championship.

Just for the record: From where I prognosticate, next year's team should be awesome with the returning players and new recruits.

Basketball is in the air during March Madness and some of that madness seems to have overlapped into the NBA.

NBA brass is considering allowing TV cameras in locker rooms. Players are balking, and rightfully so. Olden Polynice of the Utah Jazz said it best: "There's no need for people to know everything that goes on. If that's the case, then maybe we should have cameras in the board room at Microsoft. Especially at half time, if things aren't going well, it can get heated in there. Our approach has always been that this is work -- this is our job. It's not fun and games."

Another innovation is to put microphones on coaches during games. Some coaches have been fined large sums for refusing to wear the microphones. The idea is to get the fans as close to the players as possible, but coaches and players are much too involved in game preparation and playing to worry about the whole world watching and listening.

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to understand why coaches would object, as there is a lot of emotional stuff going on during a game and the whole world doesn't need to know.

Meanwhile the networks will do anything for ratings -- even staging a marriage between strangers.

Sen. Harry Reid stands tall.

In disclosing the sources of "soft money" donors to the Searchlight Fund, Sen. Reid has set an example for others to follow if they truly believe in campaign reform.

The "soft money" funds are legal, but questionable. Sen. Reid's integrity and honesty have never been in question. His recent actions prove it.

The golden voice of Joe Marine has been silenced. Joe died after a tough battle with a devastating illness.

For 15 years he was a lead vocalist with the Fred Waring Pennsylvanians. Even after retirement to Las Vegas he would make occasional appearances with the band.

We often ran into Joe when the Sun and McKesson Liquor, where Joe worked, were neighbors on Martin Luther King Boulevard. It was always a pleasant occasion.

Joe never really stopped singing. With his good friend and pianist, Russ Black, he entertained at several local spots.

I was privileged to spend musical evenings at the home of Russ and Aggie Black, where we were entertained with Joe singing and Russ at the piano. Occasionally we would all join in the singing. They were nights to remember. To his wife, Ruth, his daughters, Kate Hitt and Lori, and to his many friends: my sincere condolences.

Whenever I hear music in the air, I will remember Joe Marine.

A friend has a concern that should be shared by anyone going to the hospital. When her father was hospitalized for cancer treatment she became aware of unsanitary habits of some doctors, nurses and technicians. They were not washing their hands before administering to patients.

This situation is especially alarming when reports of hospital deaths due to infections become more available.

My friend brought the problem to the attention of Dear Abby, who wrote: "Proper hygiene practices are an essential part of high quality medical care. No one should settle for less."

Can you tell the difference? A restaurant in San Jose, Calif., is being sued for serving pork and claiming it was veal. It was using pork tenderloin in Italian dishes like veal Parmigiana and veal scaloppine. The chef claimed the pork is more tender.

So why not call it pork scaloppine?

Commenting on the fast-approaching deadline for filing income tax returns, a friend asked, "Whatever happened to January and February?"

All I can say is, "Just when I get used to yesterday, along comes today."