THE ELEVATOR

Wednesday, Aug. 9, 2006 | 7:39 a.m.

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

GOING UP

Greg Maddux

Since the ivy sprouted leaves at Wrigley Field, the Las Vegan's dastardly change-up has looked more like a Wiffle Ball that doesn't wiffle. Then Maddux gets traded to Los Angeles and in his very first start makes the Cincinnati Reds look like they were swinging those skinny yellow plastic bats by throwing six no-hit innings.

USA Basketball

Outside of those playing for Puerto Rico on Thursday and a few dozen fans in the upper reaches of the Thomas & Mack Center beating tambourines for them, anybody associated with Team USA's world basketball training camp in Las Vegas would have to agree that it was a wonderful idea. Ticket to watch some of the best basketball players in the world hoop it up at the Thomas & Mack: $12. Getting the opportunity to boo Coach K during player introductions: Priceless.

Cornering speeds at Las Vegas Motor Speedway

The new 20-degree banked turns at the speedway means Ricky and Bobby and Junior and Jeffy and anybody else who drives a stock car for a living will be flying around the track like bats out of H-E-double hockey sticks during next spring's UAW-DaimlerChrysler 400. Let's just hope the W-A-double hockey sticks can withstand the punishment.

GOING DOWN

Hasim Rahman vs. Oleg Maskaev

Can you remember when a heavyweight championship fight automatically created a buzz? It's not too late, Ken Norton. Come on back and clean up the division.

We got next

Let's see, instead of calling "winners" for the game at the Orleans Arena pitting reigning NCAA basketball champion Florida against Kansas, UNLV would rather play a home game against Northern Arizona in St. George, Utah, the following weekend. Makes perfect sense to me. It's local basketball fans I worry about.

Burger King uniforms

Did you notice that the jerseys the Puerto Rico players wore in their world basketball exhibition game against Team USA at the Thomas & Mack Center featured the Burger King logo? Hold the pickle, hold the lettuce. Special dunkers do upset us.