Columnist Ron Kantowski: Sun’s sports roster rises to the occasion with unique coverage

Monday, Oct. 3, 2005 | 9:04 a.m.

Ron Kantowski is a Las Vegas Sun sports writer his column runs on Monday, Wdnesday and Friday. Reach him at ron@lasvegassun.com or (702) 259-4088.

For loyal Sun subscribers who have been keeping score at home, there's really no need to continue reading. You already know what we do back here in the toy department of the newspaper and how well we do it. So get yourself something cold to drink from the refrigerator and get ready for another Monday night of John Madden breaking down the West Coast offense. Your participation here is no longer required.

But to the 160,000 of you who might be picking up the Sun for the first time, perhaps it is worth going over a few ground rules before throwing out the first pitch for another exciting chapter in the evolution of Las Vegas' only locally owned daily newspaper.

For starters, to paraphrase Mark Twain and the 2004 Boston Red Sox, the reports of our demise have been greatly exaggerated. The Sun not only will continue to cover local sports, but we plan to cover them like they've never been covered before.

Boring game stories rehashing what you had just seen hours before?

Gone.

Mundane previews of meaningless games featuring the same old, tired quotes about "giving 110 percent"-- even if the percent-o-meter, like Rafael Palmeiro's post-nutritional supplement batting average, only goes to 100?

Eliminated.

Daily injury updates about an offensive tackle's pulled groin muscle?

Forget about it.

Oh, we'll continue to report on the big stories on the local scene, such as those happening on the football field and basketball court at UNLV, out on the banked oval at Las Vegas Motor Speedway or between the ropes on fight night. But instead of telling you what happened, which you probably already know, we'll tell you why it happened.

If you're interested in irrelevant statistics in Lasik-sized print, there's always USA Today or The Sporting News. But if you're not losing sleep over the batting average of the 51s' second baseman with runners in scoring position during Tuesday night games in Tacoma, why should we?

Instead, maybe we'll tell you what he likes for breakfast, or that he once had a crush on Laurie Partridge. Or that perhaps the reason he hasn't been hitting with runners in scoring position during Tuesday night games in Tacoma is due to his new prescription lenses.

You get the idea. In the new Sun, you'll get to know the players, not just their statistics.

Like every successful team, the key to success in the newspaper business is putting players in the right positions, and that's just what we have done with our new batting order at the Sun. We've got a lineup of heavy hitters that would do Cecil Fielder proud.

Brian Hilderbrand, our man in the fast lane at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, will cover auto racing and UNLV football with weekly look-ins as well as keep tabs on the local golf scene and the 51s.

Rob on Roundball takes center stage after the bowl games, as veteran college basketball writer Rob Miech will report on UNLV basketball of both persuasions (Rebels and Lady Rebels) as well as keep abreast of Wranglers hockey. He'll also get his kicks with a regular soccer report, a new feature of the Sun's redesigned sports coverage.

If it's a fight you're looking for, then Jeff Haney is your man. He will continue in his present roles as boxing and sports gaming writer, adding a second weekly betting roundup. And you'll want to go all-in for Jeff's new poker column that runs on Wednesdays.

As for high school sports, nobody covers the big stories better than the Sun's Nick Christensen. He will continue to be true to his schools with regular reports on the issues shaping prep sports.

As for this writer, it's simply more of the same. Four columns a week, all year, with the goal being to entertain and enlighten -- hopefully, but not necessarily, in that order.

Fresh. Different. Interesting. Think of us as the Dennis Rodman of local sports journalism.

Only without the boa and pierced body parts.