Ron Kantowski on winning Rebels, arena plans and Mayweather; losing Rebels, arena delays and Gladiators

Thursday, Dec. 27, 2007 | 7:19 a.m.

Deep into the holiday season, we've wished peace on Earth and good will toward men, although let's not forget Danica Patrick and those who play golf on the LPGA Tour. Now we're counting down to the new year. 7-6-5-4 ... But before we implode 2007, it's a perfect time to look back on the year in local sports, if for no other reason than by the time you read this, the last runner will have crossed the finish line at the Las Vegas Marathon, Bishop Gorman will be beating somebody, somewhere, by 20 points, and a Ricky Hatton fan will be standing in line for a beer.

It was a good year ...

For the UNLV basketball team. Although nobody saw it coming, the Rebels made it back to the NCAA Sweet 16 for the first time since Jerry Tarkanian was coach. Lon Kruger and his collection of Ready for Prime Time Role Players produced 30 victories and brought fans back to the Thomas & Mack Center in droves.

For Las Vegas Motor Speedway, which added a high-banked track and a fan-friendly infield garage area that certainly won't hurt its chances to land a second NASCAR race.

For Las Vegas as a potential major league sports city. By hosting the NBA All-Star Game, we proved the idea of attracting an NBA or NHL team in the not-too-distant future isn't as far-fetched as say, Oklahoma City attracting one next year.

For new sports arena plans. A few days after REI Neon/Warburg Pincus announced it would build a 22,000-seat, $500 million downtown arena as part of a $10.5 billion project that would include a hotel and condominiums, Harrah's Entertainment Inc./Anschutz Entertainment Group announced it would erect a 22,000-seat sports complex of its own in the shadow of the Las Vegas Strip.

For Floyd Mayweather Jr. The fighter who makes his home in Las Vegas is almost universally despised for the bad-guy persona he projects. But he's also now universally respected for the way he boxed the ears off Oscar De La Hoya and Ricky Hatton in 2007 megafights that returned some of the luster to the fight game's tarnished image.

For the Mountain West basketball tournament, which staged a triumphant return to the Thomas & Mack Center, and for the Las Vegas Bowl, which sold out Sam Boyd Stadium for the third consecutive year, thanks to BYU's loyal legions (and a few from UCLA).

It was a bad year ...

For the UNLV football team. The Rebels played nationally ranked Wisconsin tough, then rolled over against everybody else en route to their second consecutive 2-10 season. It has been awhile since the Rebels have been bowl eligible - they are 6-29 in Mike Sanford's three years as head coach.

For the quality of racing at the Las Vegas 400. There were nine caution periods for 40 laps and the drivers didn't exactly give the new high banks two thumbs up. Especially Tony Stewart, who used other fingers.

For Las Vegas as an NBA All-Star postgame party spot. Much of the good will generated by the game was destroyed by a hail of gunfire during a visit to a local strip joint by Tennessee Titans defensive back "Pacman" Jones and his posse. When the smoke cleared, a bouncer lay critically injured with a bullet in his spine and the city was applying a cold compress to another black eye it didn't need.

For breaking ground on new sports arenas. The downtown project seems to be running out of steam and/or financial backing while the one on the Strip has yet to be OK'd by the Clark County Commission. Both developers said they would be up and running by 2010 but that is looking more ambitious than Fresno State's nonconference football schedule.

For Chuck Liddell. The former Ultimate Fighting Championship poster boy suffered a pair of devastating defeats in 2007 that left the still-growing mixed martial arts game looking for a new hero.

For the inaugural Las Vegas Grand Prix, which will not be back despite drawing thousands of fans to its high-speed romp through Glitter Gulch, and for the Las Vegas Gladiators of the Arena Football League, who will not be back. Period.