Columnist Ron Kantowski: R-J confirms partial ownership of 51s

Tuesday, April 10, 2001 | 9:40 a.m.

Ron Kantowski's notes column appears Tuesday. Reach him at ron@ lasvegassun.com or 259-4088.

To paraphrase Charlestown Chiefs goalie Denis Lemieux in the old hockey movie "Slapshot," inquiring minds want to know "Who own da 51s?"

Well, the answer is Mandalay Entertainment Sports, Hank and Ken Stickney and, as of a quiet transaction that transpired sometime since the end of last baseball season, the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

R-J general manager Allan Fleming confirmed that the morning newspaper has purchased a 10 percent interest in the 51s, Las Vegas' triple-A baseball franchise which last week opened the Pacific Coast League season with a new name and major league affiliation.

That might explain the gigantic R-J advertisement plastered across the left-field wall at Cashman Field and the R-J patches being worn by beer vendors at the stadium.

Fleming said the R-J hopes to use its partnership with the 51s to improve circulation through cross-promotion with the newspaper's marketing department.

On Opening Day, R-J sportswriters joked that they'd have 51s manager Rick Sofield fired if he didn't make the right moves between the lines. But Fleming insisted the newspaper's partial ownership of the club would not affect the way the R-J covers the 51s any more than the Chicago Tribune's ownership of the Cubs influences that newspaper's baseball writers.

"Absolutely not," Fleming said.

So far, that has been the case. Only two of the 51s' first four games were covered on the front page of the R-J sports section, although in a Sunday package on the 51s' new affiliation and marketing strategy, the R-J did not disclose it had purchased part of the club.

This is the second time in the past two years the Review-Journal has dabbled in ownership of one of Las Vegas' minor league sports franchises. It also had an interest in the defunct Bandits of the International Basketball League but that was based on a tradeout of advertising for game tickets.

"This is different," said Fleming, who added that the franchise's switch in affiliation from the San Diego Padres to the Los Angeles Dodgers piqued the R-J's interest in purchasing part of the club.

I don't know whether Bryant is named for Anita Bryant or former Los Angeles Ram Cullen Bryant. I do know that regardless of how far the UNLV hoops program has slipped, under no circumstances would it turn to a Division II guy to be its next coach.

Not that Good didn't do the Rebels a solid by stepping up under difficult circumstances and returning some class and dignity to a program that sorely needed some.

Ringside observers said Saturday's Marco Antonio Barrera-Prince Naseem Hamed featherweight bout at the MGM generated more electricity than the Mighty Thor during a severe thunderstorm, yet there wasn't a single major title belt at stake.

And nobody in attendance seemed to mind -- or even notice.

Just call Barrera the Sansabelt champion.

On the other hand, my tolerance for fuzzy mascots was exhausted long ago by Ted Giannoulas (a k a "The Famous Chicken") and the Phillie Phantic, and the 51s have more mascots (2) than prospects this season. But at least one of them -- "Roswell" -- is aptly named, given the franchise's spaced-out attitude these days.

And while I know the 51s were trying to pay homage to their big league affiliate by putting red uniform numbers on the front of their jerseys, it doesn't work when you have a number for a logo. Depending on the wearer's position, the front of the Las Vegas uniform looks either like an address ("3851") or a tribute to Bobby Thomson ("1951"). ...