Columnist Ron Kantowski: Afternoon delight at UNLV

Tuesday, Oct. 16, 2001 | 9:57 a.m.

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

Thanks to UNLV, 4 o'clock no longer is the least appreciated of the 12 hours.

Until recently, 4 was lightly regarded in comparison to midnight, noon, 9 to 5, 6 and 11 (the nightly news hours), 7 or 8 (good times for dinner or a show) and even 2 or 3, which, when followed by the a.m. designation, are often used to describe a late evening.

Other than steelworkers, who used to punch out when the 4 o'clock whistle blew, or drinking a Dr. Pepper (remember those old soft drink bottles with the numbers 10, 2 and 4?) there weren't many activities associated with that time of day -- until the Rebel football team started kicking off at 4 p.m.

This is only a recent phenomenon, as dictated by TV. Before John Robinson arrived in Las Vegas, about the only way for the UNLV football team to get on TV would have been to take Tom Brokaw hostage.

For the longest time, everyone around here thought Chicago was talking about the starting time for Rebels home games when it asked, "Does anybody know what time is it? Does anybody really care?"

But the 4 p.m. kickoffs, in concert with an infinitely more exciting team, seem to work.

The odd starting time leaves enough time for Rebels fans to mow the lawn before the game and take in a movie after it. In addition, the weather for the first three home games of 2001 has been not-too-hot during the first half and not-too-cool during the second. And, more significantly, attendance is up (despite the lack of a local blackout).

This week's game against Colorado State also will get the 4 p.m. treatment. However, the last home game of the season against Utah, scheduled for a sometimes brisk Nov. 1, will kick off at 1 p.m.

Oh well. By then, my hedges may not need additional trimming.

Only five of the NCAA's 117 head coaches are black. Moreover, there are very few minority offensive and defensive coordinators.

Last year, there were 25 head coaching vacancies in Division I. Only one, San Jose State, went to a minority (Fitz Hill).

The only other black head coaches are Tyrone Willingham at Stanford, Bobby Williams at Michigan State, Tony Samuel at Michigan State and Jerry Baldwin at Louisiana-Lafayette -- the only I-A school with minority head coaches in football and basketball (Jessie Evans).

"I'm very grateful to the administration for giving me the opportunity," Baldwin said. "They proved being black is not a factor here. But I'm not naive; it's still a factor out there at other places. There are other minorities out there who are qualified to be head coaches."

UNLV seems willing to do its part. Although neither of its high-profile programs is headed by minorities, three of the Rebels' 12 "Olympic" sport head coaches are black -- Regina Miller in women's basketball, Karen Dennis in track and field and Deitre Collins in volleyball.

More than one observer called Sunday's Orleans 350 the best race in LVMS' six-year history, at least in terms of the quality of racing.

"We bought tickets just to see Michael Jordan," Jennifer Wittenberg told USA Today. "(But) we will try to go to some of the (UNCW) games."

The situation harkened memories to the 1996 football season, when some Wisconsin fans purchased UNLV season tickets -- the only way to see the sold out Badgers-Rebels game at Sam Boyd Stadium, after Wisconsin fans snapped up the visiting team ticket allotment.

And finally, my first introduction to Larry Johnson came from a friend and former Colorado State assistant coach who, upon witnessing the 1989 national junior college tournament, called to say that UNLV (having signed Johnson) was on the verge of becoming great again. Reggie Theus fans may disagree, but "Grand-mama," who retired after 10 injury-plagued NBA seasons last week, was the greatest Rebel of them all.