Las Vegas Sun

March 29, 2024

Columnist Steve Guiremand: Rebels fans show no class in booing QB

Steve Guiremand covers college football for the Sun. He can be reached at [email protected] or (702) 259-2324.

A not-so-funny thing happened last Saturday afternoon at Sam Boyd Stadium.

What was supposed to be a football game between UNLV and New Mexico turned into a very bad imitation of the Jerry Springer Show. Or the World Wrestling Federation.

A large number of fans, no doubt frustrated by another lethargic, seemingly ill-prepared performance by the Rebels, began taking their frustrations out by booing struggling UNLV quarterback Jason Thomas.

Rebel coach John Robinson, no doubt the object of a few boos himself, called it the most vicious booing of a player he'd ever seen in his 40-plus years of coaching, college or pro. And that's a very sad endorsement for the supposed Rebel football faithful.

Hey, it's one thing to boo a professional athlete, especially one who allegedly tried to run over a meter maid or has such an out-of-control ego that he actually puts a Sharpie in his sock so he can autograph a football on the field immediately after scoring a touchdown. Those guys are paid big bucks to perform. Getting booed comes with the territory.

But booing a college kid? When did that line get crossed?

The fact that Jason Thomas was booed reflects even more badly on UNLV fans.

Thomas, after all, gambled and turned down scholarship offers from football powerhouses such as Tennessee, Nebraska and Florida State so he could help the coach who recruited him to USC, Robinson, try to turn around a UNLV football program that had lost 16 straight games. And he did.

Despite playing with what was later diagnosed as a broken foot the final half of the season, Thomas led the Rebels to a stunning 31-14 Las Vegas Bowl victory over Arkansas his sophomore season.

Last year, the program received unprecedented national attention by being ranked in the Top 25 for the first time ever by Sports Illustrated. ESPN draftnik Mel Kiper Jr. rated Thomas the No. 1 NFL quarterback prospect. It wasn't unusual for games to be televised.

That's when things began to go wrong.

Thomas quietly had off-season shoulder surgery on his throwing arm. The injury normally sidelines baseball pitchers for about six months before they can begin throwing. But Thomas, who had already agreed to help sell the football program with a Heisman Trophy campaign, decided to come back in less than two months so he wouldn't let down Robinson or his teammates.

That might have been his biggest mistake. Thomas was nowhere near the passer or quarterback he had been just nine months earlier against the Razorbacks and probably should have sat out at least the first two months of the season as his doctors had advised. This season Thomas has improved but he got off to a horrendous start in the first half of the much anticipated season opener against Wisconsin. His problem? He was trying too hard and had a couple of costly fumbles and interceptions early. Happens to everybody at one time. Ask Rex Grossman or Chris Simms.

You could -- and should -- question the offensive philosophy he has been thrust into. Is there a better open-field runner in the conference than Thomas? Then why isn't he being used the same way Colorado State uses its quarterback, Bradlee Van Pelt, and turned loose on the ground?

Used properly, Thomas should easily lead the Mountain West in rushing. There's no reason he couldn't be a 1,500-1,500 man: 1,500 yards rushing and 1,500 yards passing.

Instead, he finds himself the object of ill-advised boos.

No doubt there are a few readers out there who will defend their right to boo college players. But they should think about the consequences of their actions, especially if they hope to see UNLV succeed in athletics.

Not only were there some blue-chip football recruits at Saturday's game, but also key prospects in sports such as baseball and basketball.

"It makes it hard (to recruit)," UNLV basketball coach Charlie Spoonhour said about the Thomas catcalls. "It's not the image you want to portray to people who you want to bring to your school. It was not a pleasant scene."

Once around the Mountain West

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