Columnist Ron Kantowski: Serve beer drinkers in paper over plastic

Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2002 | 9:04 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.

Like the UNLV football team, we thought about making this a "bye" week for Tuesday notes. But then that would just prolong the agony.

If UNLV is sincere about making the fan's -- and that includes the visiting fan's -- experience at Rebels games more enjoyable, it needs to do one of two things:

A) Separate the visiting fans and marching band from the rowdies in the end zone seats or

B) Start serving beer in paper cups instead of plastic bottles.

Saturday's UNLV-Air Force game was marred by fisticuffs and beer tossing precipitated by an exchange between the hops and barley majors in the cheap seats and visiting fans. According to my unofficial count, it was the third time in six home outings that such shenanigans have developed.

All UNLV has to do to rectify the situation is seat the visitors around the 25-yard line on the scoreboard end of the field, closest to the visitors' dressing room.

The moron who hurled a full beer into the Air Force band during the third quarter Saturday should be ashamed of himself under any circumstances. But when you consider that the tuba and piccolo players, et al., he doused with Bud Light may be defending America in the brewing (no pun intended) war against Iraq, he deserves to have a trombone wrapped around his neck.

Here's one vote for inviting Air Force back to the Las Vegas Bowl on Christmas Day. Not only is the Falcons' option attack fun to watch, it keeps the clock moving. Saturday's first half was played in an hour and the game itself in just a shade over three.

Bring AFA back for the holidays, and everybody will have plenty of time for turkey dinner at the in-laws.

Hmm ... On second thought, are there any run-and-shoot teams that are bowl eligible?

Now that I've seen him up close and personal, I'll be the first to admit that Air Force quarterback Chance Harridge is tougher than Jim Brown's 5 o'clock shadow. Next to UNLV's Dominique Dorsey, Harridge was the smallest guy on the field Saturday, yet he carried 21 times for 114 hard-earned yards and accounted for four touchdowns running and throwing.

What's even more impressive is that Harridge almost never makes a bad read on the option despite getting knocked down more often than Prince Naseem Hamed.

Prior to Saturday's game, I was telling someone that Harridge was only the sixth-best Air Force QB I had seen, behind (in no particular order), the Morgan brothers, Dee Dowis, Marty Louthan and Mike Thiessen.

Maybe that's still the case. But he's as tough as any of them.

While recruiting hometown athletes sometimes isn't as easy as it seems (heck, part of the attraction to going to school is getting away from home), UNLV certainly would be a lot better team if it could build a fence around Nevada.

According to local prep authority Alex Shelton, you could almost put together two entire platoons with Nevada high school products who have gotten away from the Rebels for one reason or another:

Offense: Tim Gilligan, WR, Boise State (Elko); Jeff Rowe, QB, Nevada-Reno (McQueen); Steven Jackson, RB, Oregon State (Eldorado); John Ream, C, UCLA (Chaparral); Anthony Park, WR, Air Force (Las Vegas); Tim Day, TE, Oregon (Western); Graham Siderious, K, Washington State (McQueen).

Defense: Lynn McGruder, DL, Oklahoma (Cheyenne); J.J. Milan, DL, Nevada-Reno, (Wooster); Marcus Levi, DL, San Diego State (Western); Jon Pollard, LB, Oregon State (Las Vegas); Richard Siegler, LB, Oregon State (Chaparral); Kellen Marshall, DB, Oregon State (Cimarron-Memorial); Arnold Parker, DB, Utah (Cimarron-Memorial); Lawrence Turner, DB, Oregon State (Cheyenne); James Sims, DB, Washington (Valley); Chris Carr, DB, Boise State (McQueen).

The last time anybody spotted Greg "Shoes" Vetrone, the former UNLV basketball assistant was trying to erase Lamar Odom's extrance exam score so he could play for the Rebels.

Vetrone surfaced last week in Cincinnati as head coach of the One World All-Stars, one of those touring squads of basketball nomads which gave nationally ranked Xavier a tussle.

On the positive side, Vetrone is back home in New York City where he works for the American Cancer Society's Coaches vs. Cancer division, organizing games and special events in that series.

"I still love UNLV in my heart," Vetrone said.

Around the horn: The Reno-Sparks Convention & Visitors Authority has recommended spending up to $300,000 in each of the next two years to bring ESPN's Great Outdoor Games to Northern Nevada. As if there aren't enough flannel shirts up there already. ... ... Former New Mexico basketball coach Fran Fraschilla, whose Back East style never meshed with the adobe and green chile set in Albuquerque, will serve as analyst for ESPN's Atlantic 10 college basketball broadcasts this winter. ... Former UNLV star Ickey Woods will shuffle back to town this weekend, where he will sign autographs from 9-10:30 a.m. Sunday at Caesars Palace. ... In this week's ESPN The Magazine, the ubiquitous Dick Vitale ranks UNLV No. 37 and North Carolina No. 49. That might mean a little more if the Tar Heels weren't coming off an 8-20 season.