Columnist Ron Kantowski: Sam Boyd ‘silliness’ controlled

Tuesday, Oct. 21, 2003 | 9:23 a.m.

Ron Kantowski is a Las Vegas Sun sports writer. Reach him at ron@lasvegassun.com or (702) 259-4088.

There were 11 ejections for rowdy behavior at Saturday's Utah-UNLV football game at Sam Boyd Stadium -- 13 if you count the ones on the field.

While that still may sound like 11 (or 13) too many, it would appear that UNLV's new "zero tolerance" policy, adopted after several fights broke out in the grandstands during last month's Hawaii game, was at least a marginal success, as they were no major dustups.

In fact, were it not for "zero tolerance," it's possible that some of the fans who were asked to leave the stadium would have been allowed to stay until the bitter end.

That would have put them in the minority. Most Rebels fans were long gone before the shenanigans in the grandstands began, what with UNLV hopelessly behind Utah in the fourth quarter.

Not surprisingly, that's when the mischief also began.

According to UNLV police, all of the ejections were for "silliness" and fans "acting up." Nobody was arrested and no fights were reported.

The game's noon starting time may have curtailed some of the normal pregame "festivities," as many fans were still setting up their coolers at 11:30 a.m., when partying in the parking lots was supposed to cease and desist, according to zero tolerance.

AROUND THE HORN: If J.K. Edwards and James Peters wind up having to sit out a bunch of UNLV basketball games due to making unauthorized long-distance phone calls, I'm wondering who is going to get a rebound for the Rebels before the holidays. In fact, even if those guys do play, I'm wondering who is going to get a rebound. ... UNLV safety Jamaal Brimmer and Nevada-Reno defensive lineman Jorge Cordova have been named to the College Football News Midseason All-American Team. Too bad major league baseball doesn't have mid-season awards, because the Cubs would be six-time world champions by now. ... Prediction: If UNLV beats BYU Saturday, it'll be a matter of "when" not "if" Cougars coach Gary Crowton is fired. Salt Lake City columnists were all over him last week, even before BYU lost to lowly (but improving) Wyoming. ... I've been an ardent supporter of the Mountain West Conference since its exception, but the spin doctors at MWC headqua! rters need to quit mentioning that "X" percent of its football or basketball teams qualify for the postseason. With a small, eight-team league, the MWC is almost always going to do well when it comes to the percentage of its teams that move on. ...

Maybe it was too early in the morning, but I swore I saw a picture of UNLV running back Deon Burnett on a milk carton at breakfast. Burnett, a transfer from Washington State who was expected to challenge Larry Croom for the starting nod, has carried the ball a grand total of two times this season for a grand total of 2 yards. ... Speaking of disappearing acts, where has tight end Greg Estandia been hiding the past couple of weeks? Estandia, who looked like Mike Ditka earlier this year, hasn't caught a pass since the Nevada-Reno game. ... Many sad returns: Two years ago, UNLV finished sixth in the nation in kickoff returns with a 26.4 average. This year, it ranks 117th -- dead last in the NCAA -- with a paltry 13.1 avg. ... Steve Logan, who was fired by UNLV athletic director Mike Hamrick at East Carolina last year, is one of a handful of coaches or former coaches being linked to the Duke job, after Carl Franks was fired Sunday. ... Alt! hough he has to play his first game for the Celtics, former Cimarron Memorial High and UNLV star Marcus Banks already is being compared to some of the storied franchise's biggest stars -- or at least an amalgamation of two of them, K.C. Jones and Dennis Johnson, for his defensive prowess. "From an athletic standpoint, confidence standpoint and toughness standpoint, I have no problems with him going against any point guard in the game right now," said Celtics director of basketball operations Danny Ainge. ... If the judge up in Reno really wanted to teach that Nevada-Reno fan who allegedly tossed an empty bottle or beer can at Rebels coachJohn Robinson a lesson, he could sentence him to purchase UNLV season tickets and stay to the end of every game. But that might be considered cruel and unusual punishment given the way the Rebels have been going.