Columnist Dean Juipe: Bowl game exceeds expectations

Dean Juipe

Wednesday, Dec. 26, 2001 | 9:29 a.m.

Dean Juipe's column appears Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday. His boxing notebook appears Thursday. Reach him at juipe@lasvegassun.com or 259-4084.

As far as I'm concerned, all the fears and advance negatives pertaining to the Las Vegas Bowl can be bundled up and set out by the side of the road with the rest of the post-Christmas trash.

The event, in spite of any number of earlier misgivings, was a huge success.

Tuesday's terrific Chamber-of-Commerce-ordered weather was certainly a factor, exhilarating those in attendance. But, in truth, the festive atmosphere that permeated Sam Boyd Stadium would have been evident under any conditions.

The 10th rendition of a bowl that locals usually treat with indifference and sometimes even equate with the plague, was an enlivening experience. I'm telling you, it couldn't have been any better.

Christmas Day is not only just fine for a football game, it's a welcome diversion on an otherwise boring afternoon. The Las Vegas Bowl is contracted for an additional three years of Christmas games on ABC and anyone who saw Utah upset Southern California 10-6 can verify this claim: At last, this bowl has found its niche.

Of course the greatest concern going into the day was the belief that large pockets of the grandstands would sit empty, thereby embarrassing Las Vegas in its role as a tourist destination. But there were no such gaps, as Southern Cal fans in particular turned out in a show of force that proved to be a pleasant surprise.

That those USC fans, as well as those supporting the Utes, were vocal and exceptionally tuned in to a competitive game was another significant plus. There was a feel-good aura swirling through the stands and it was substituting for the cold breeze and bleak predictions that many had expected, envisioned or read about earlier in the month.

This is a bowl that hasn't always done well and is usually seen as second class. And maybe it will always find itself fighting an uphill battle for respect and attention, even within Las Vegas.

But they don't just throw this game together and hope for the best. There's a noticeable attention to detail, and those charged with caring for the game and its participants need to be commended for appearing to do it with class.

I haven't been to every Las Vegas Bowl but I've been to enough to know the majority have been cold and intermittently dull. But this one was neither, the 12:30 starting time allowing the sun its moment of glory and the Utes and Trojans taking care of the rest.

They played hard, setting aside another pregame concern that one or the other would lack the initiative to put forth a strong effort on such an unusual day and with so little at stake beyond pride. The score was close throughout and the outcome wasn't certain until the very end.

Both teams and their supporters can look back with pride and, perhaps, share the fond memories of an afternoon that had a captivating spontaneity to it.

I went in with no preconceived notions and left convinced that this is where and when this annual game should be played. It was fun, and no one involved seemed to begrudge the interruption it had on the holiday.

To the contrary, it added to the occasion.

As endorsements go, this one comes without a petty complaint. Unsolicited, I'm happy to lead the applause.