Columnist Ron Kantowski: Promoters gambling on Grambling

Thursday, July 25, 2002 | 9:12 a.m.

Ron Kantowski's insider notes column appears Tuesday and his Page One column appears Thursday. He can be reached at ron@lasvegassun.com or (702) 259-4088.

When it comes to sports, Las Vegas is like a giant wall. Promoters keep throwing stuff against us, seeing what will stick. Only our wall must be made of Teflon.

Regardless of how many Las Vegas sports franchises/events come and go, optimistic promoters keep coming back for more. Or when it comes to spectators in the stands, less.

In the past month alone, we've hosted a basketball tournament featuring 300-pound Magic Johnson and a bunch of his drinking buddies, an off-road race held in 119-degree heat, pro soccer featuring club teams from Mexico, at least a dozen martial arts butt-kicking contests and a 344-team high school basketball tourney that requires 26 local gymnasiums.

Do yourself a favor. Don't ask "Who's got next?" You may get stampeded.

It has been a sports cornucopia around here recently. Or at least a horn of not-so-plenty. And let's not forget the chuckwagon races are less than two months away.

Las Vegas may be the Entertainment Capital of the World, but when it comes to sports, we're closer to "Let's Make a Deal." One of these days, Monty Hall is going to come down the aisle and ask local fans if we'd like to trade the 51s for what Jay has in the box.

This week, it's the Silver Dollar Classic, a college football game featuring black school powers Grambling and Tennessee State Sept. 21 at Sam Boyd Stadium, that is competing for our limited attention.

The Rebels will be at Toledo that day, so the game will provide UNLV with a way to make some easy cash on a "track rental." Unfortunately, that will probably be the Silver Dollar Classic's legacy.

That's too bad, because on paper, this one has something to offer. For starters, it's a chance for locals to become acquainted with a proud Grambling program that over the years has sent more than 200 athletes into the pros.

It's also a chance for the local African-American community -- and for that matter, the non-African American community -- to become acquainted with the Historically Black College and University (HBCU) experience.

Silver Dollar Classic vice president Earl Harris grew up in Gary, Ind., before settling in Los Angeles, meaning he has been exposed to the Jackson 5, but not to the Grambling 11.

"To me, black college football is UCLA or USC or Long Beach State," he said.

Not exactly the same thing.

And nothing against the Southern Cal marching band, which has played on Fleetwood Mac albums and at presidential inaugurations. But not even KC and his Sunshine Band can shake their booties like the Tiger Marching Band, the first to be inducted into the NCAA Hall of Champions in Indianapolis.

Organizers say 10,000 tickets already have purchased, as alumni and boosters of the teams seem more excited to partake in the Las Vegas experience than the other way around. So maybe there's a chance this one will stick.

But fearing that a press conference in late July to promote a black college football game wouldn't entice enough media attention, Doug Williams, the Grambling coach and former Super Bowl MVP, was planning to marry Dr. Lisa Judge in the Sam Boyd press box today.

And here I thought coming up with a clever lead paragraph was the most glorious thing that ever transpired up there.