Ron Kantowski on how the diversion of sports disappears when we hear about something important, such as Kruger’s operation

Friday, Aug. 3, 2007 | 7:30 a.m.

One of the reasons I think we like sports so much is that on the whole, they tend to soothe and comfort. While homemade bombs continue to blow holes in the roadside - and our fighting men and women - in Iraq and cars fall off bridges in Minnesota, we eventually switch the channel to ESPN or some superstation, because Barry Bonds is in the on-deck circle or the Cubs are playing the Phillies with first place on the line.

That's not the way it should be, just the way it is. And you have to admit that a home run chase or a big ballgame can act as insulation from the real world; a proverbial drink of water and a tucking in from mom in the middle of the night after a bad dream.

Of course, that only holds if said calamity transpires far from home, or at least in one of those states where it gets real cold at Christmas.

It was a little past 11 Thursday morning when we learned that in fewer than 15 minutes, UNLV basketball coach Lon Kruger would be having multiple heart bypass surgery at St. Rose Dominican Hospital, Siena Campus.

Suddenly, it didn't seem to matter that the Phils were swatting Sean Marshall's pitches to every nook and cranny at Wrigley Field.

It never does when the really important stuff hits so close to home.

Kruger was "resting comfortably" at the time of this writing, although "comfortable" is not the word that immediately comes to mind after they put you up on one of those cold metal gurneys, open up your chest with a knife and start poking around your vital organs.

According to a news release, Kruger had sextuple bypass surgery during a four-hour operation.

That sounds pretty serious. When the same thing happened to David Letterman, first we got reruns. Then we got Regis Philbin (and others) as guest host for a lengthy spell.

It's too early to know how long Kruger will be away from the UNLV program, other than as long as is necessary. Dr. Victor C. Smith, who performed the surgery, told the coach's family that the surgery went well.

Kruger could be released from the hospital next week, UNLV officials said, and he anticipates being back at work and with the team prior to the beginning of the season.

"We caught it early, and we're fortunate," said Barb Kruger , the coach's wife, as she maintained a vigil at the hospital with son Kevin, the Rebels' shooting guard last year, and Cindy Henson, the wife of Rebels' assistant Steve Henson.

Kruger, who will turn 55 later this month, looks as if he could still fit into his old Kansas State jersey and is in tip-top physical condition. But his father, Don, had a heart transplant before he died in 1997.

Last week - just before the sudden death of Wake Forest coach Skip Prosser, who suffered a fatal heart attack while jogging a day after returning from an AAU basketball tournament in Las Vegas - Kruger had a routine stress test that revealed abnormalities.

He was in the office earlier this week and appeared his normal self while commenting on a story on Rebels recruit Beas Hamga. But after he underwent an angiogram on Tuesday, doctors immediately scheduled Kruger for surgery after tests apparently revealed "four or five blockages."

The last time I heard that term used in conjunction with the Rebels, it was in regard to Joel Anthony's blocked shots in the NCAA tournament.

Here's hoping the next time I hear it, it's about Beas Hamga versus BYU.

The UNLV Athletics Department requests that all cards and well wishes be sent to the UNLV men's basketball office at the following address:

UNLV Men's Basketball Office

4505 Maryland Parkway

Las Vegas, NV 89154-0011