Columnist Ron Kantowski: So. Nevada Sports Hall gets malled

Thursday, May 13, 2004 | 9:47 a.m.

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

During my one and only trip to the Southern Nevada Sports Hall of Fame, that John Barr guy tried to sell me a Toyota.

Perhaps that explains why it was my one and only trip to the shrine, my appreciation of local sports history notwithstanding.

I'm (sort of) kidding, of course, because were it not Findlay Toyota, there probably wouldn't be a Southern Nevada Sports Hall of Fame, or at least not tangible proof that one exists. Four years ago, the dealership in the Valley Auto Mall turned a couple of meeting rooms above the showroom floor into an attractive exhibit honoring Las Vegas' sports luminaries.

The problem was the remote location. With the exception of those who may have test driven a Camry during the past 48 months, few even knew it existed.

That changed on Tuesday when the hall of fame moved to the Findlay Automotive Store adjacent to Dillard's on the lower level of the Galleria at Sunset mall.

It's still not the ideal location -- that would be McCarran International Airport, although the folks there apparently aren't interested. The Southern Nevada Sports Hall of Fame is a nonprofit organization, which based on the price of a latte and a Danish at the D gates, doesn't fit with the McCarran business model.

But the hall of fame directors can take solace in that McCarran bosses also apparently said "no" to the Liberace Museum and Elvis-O-Rama. Otherwise, it might have spelled doom for the Duty Free shop.

Maybe it's not the ideal situation that Jim Colbert will have to steer his grandkids past the Kay-Bee Toy & Hobby Shop to check out grandpa's 7-iron. But at least at the mall, there's a chance they might see it. I mean, there's only so much time one can spend in Spencer's Gifts or teasing the hired help at Hot Dog On a Stick about their uniforms.

"We want to expose our past and sports history to as many Southern Nevadans as we can," said hall board member Steve Stallworth during a ceremony that officially announced the exhibit's new address. "We want to expose the legacy of our inductees, and this is just another way to do that."

Since its formation in 1997, 39 local sports personalities and teams have been honored by the hall of fame, with the class of 2004 -- former UNLV football coach Tony Knap, current Rebels golf coach Dwaine Knight, former Atlanta Falcons, Arizona State and Bonanza High football star Gerald Riggs, Las Vegas Motor Speedway pioneer Richie Clyne and longtime sports supporter Jack Cason -- set for induction on June 11 with the traditional golf tournament at Siena Golf Club and dinner gala at Cox Pavilion.

At some point -- maybe even before Andre Agassi retires, as it appears that may never happen -- the kids in the hall are going to need a little more space. Unless Dillard's is interested in sub-leasing half of its fragrance department to the hall of fame, it will require a more permanent home.

I can see it now. "Randall Cunningham?" the mannequin -- er, salesperson -- wearing the makeup lab coat would say. "Over there. Between Ralph Lauren and Yves St. Laurent."

Still, the mall should make an ideal temporary resting place for the exhibit. My only beef on Tuesday was that somebody had parked a Saturn in front of the Greg Maddux display.

It almost made you wish that Findlay Automotive would add a Rolls Royce dealership to its stable.