Columnist Ron Kantowski: Eager Beavers show Rebels aren’t for real

Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2002 | 9:09 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.

Leave it to the Beavers to show what Wisconsin couldn't -- that UNLV is closer to being a bad football team than an improving one.

You don't have to be Eddie Haskell to deduce that the Rebels' 47-17 loss to speedy and probably vastly underrated Oregon State accounted for much of the Bad and Ugly in the local sports week. But while UNLV was getting bushwhacked on the Oregon Trail, there was some Good stuff to note, too.

The Good ...

OSCAR DE LA HOYA: I've never been a big fan of the Golden Boy, although I don't really know why. Maybe it's because he's just too good looking (although that has yet to keep me from going to a George Clooney movie).

What I think of De La Hoya is probably less significant than a review of his singing CD. But he certainly earned my respect for the way he fought against bully boy Fernando Vargas Saturday night.

De La Hoya showed more guts than the Discovery Channel during Abdominal Surgery week. He rallied from a slow start to knock out his longtime stalker in the 11th round and nearly reduced Vargas to tears in a fight that (for a change) was well worth the pay-per-view ransom.

OPRAH WINFREY (AND LEIANA OSWALD): The TV talk show host -- or least one of her assistants -- made a road trip to Chicago extra special for UNLV volleyball coach Deitre Collins and her assistants.

Anticipating the tournament at DePaul and recognizing the fondness her coach has for Oprah, UNLV junior Leiana Oswald wrote to the show, explaining that Collins was a role model for Oswald in the same way that Winfrey was a role model for Collins. Oswald hoped to surprise her coach and the team with tickets to the show.

Instead, her letter prompted a surprise visit from Winfrey herself, who featured Collins on Monday's show during a segment called "Surprise Your Angel."

"It was all about the letter," associate producer Gina Sprehe said.

Collins was more thrilled than had Gabby Reese learned she still had eligibility and signed with UNLV.

"It's really an honor to be recognized by my players like this and it's great that Leiana would write a letter to make it happen," she said prior to the show's taping. "Oprah is such an inspiration and a role model. I'm very excited."

UNLV PIPELINE: In what must be a record, seven former UNLV players were listed on NFL opening day rosters. They are Sam Brandon (DB, Broncos), Keenan McCardell (WR, Tampa Bay), Anton Palepoi (DL, Seahawks), Talance Sawyer (DL, Vikings), Kevin Thomas (DB, Bills), Keith Washington (DL, Broncos) and James Wofford (RB, Vikings).

And the next time Randall Cunningham un-retires, the total will be eight.

The Bad ...

EXPOS-ING A RUMOR: ESPN's Peter Gammons over the weekend shot down -- actually, it was baseball commissioner Bud Selig who pulled the trigger -- the rumor about the possibility of the Expos spending the 2003 season in another city (such as Las Vegas) until a permanent home can be identified.

It's not as if the rumor was unfounded or only wishful thinking by local baseball fans. Gammons confirmed that several franchise owners during a conference call last week suggested temporarily moving the Expos to Charlotte or Las Vegas.

But the Bud man reiterated what I've been saying all along: That there just aren't enough baseball fans here to support a major league franchise, even for the short term.

"I'm not going to throw out some short-term solution that becomes an even greater problem in the long run," Selig said.

The Ugly.

THE REBELS: It's too bad Lewis and Clark aren't still around, because John Robinson could have used some pointers from somebody who knows their way around the Oregon Territory -- or at least Oregon State territory.

The Rebels got nowhere close to OSU's side of the field when the outcome was still in question Saturday, which is to say all of about three minutes. Against good teams, UNLV appears to have more problems than Robert Downey Jr., with the biggest being pass defense and pass offense.

People are quick to criticize quarterback Jason Thomas, but when it comes to picking out his receivers, Thomas has less time than a lightning round game show contestant. It would also appear the Rebels' wide receivers don't know how to get open or catch the ball. Other than that, they are pretty good.

When I watch the Rebels on offense I have a recurring thought.

How long has it been since somebody ran the Single Wing?