The elevator

Thursday, Dec. 29, 2005 | 8:15 a.m.

Who's headed toward the penthouse on the local sports scene -- and who's getting the shaft:

GOING UP

LAS VEGAS BOWL: Can 30,000 Brigham Young fans possibly be wrong? Not when 10,000 Cal fans join them to produce the first sellout in Las Vegas Bowl history. It sure looked great on TV -- especially if you've got PureVision, which is what game sponsor Panasonic calls its high definition set.

WRANGLERS HOCKEY: With a 16-0-1 record over their past 17 games heading into Wednesday night's contest at Long Beach, our ECHL team is skating as effortlessly as Dorothy Hamill doing school figures. Even Reg Dunlop would be impressed.

CHRIS AULT: Anybody who thinks the game has passed the UNR coach by, as some insiders were saying earlier this year, had better think again. A 9-3 record, Western Athletic Conference championship and an exciting 49-48 victory over Central Florida in the Hawaii Bowl suggests the Little General still has full command of his troops.

GOING DOWN

UNLV BASKETBALL: Forget what Brian Wilson said about catching a wave and sitting on the top of the world. The Rebels caught the Pepperdine Waves last Thursday and are now sitting on the bottom of sea, at least in the eyes of their more cynical fans, following a dreadful 75-61 defeat.

UNLV MARKETING DEPARTMENT: Selling balcony tickets to the Pepperdine game to local school kids for $2 was a good idea. It would have been a better idea had they been given prior notice about the discount. Mine arrived via e-mail at 3:23 p.m. Tuesday, less than 48 hours before tip-off.

COLORADO STATE FOOTBALL: Any team that gives up 51 points and 612 yards to Navy has no business being in a bowl game. Even if it is only the Poinsettia Bowl.

Ron Kantowski can be reached at 259-4088 or at ron@lasvegassun.com.