The Elevator

By Ron Kantowski

Saturday, Sept. 20, 2008 | 2 a.m.

Who’s headed toward the penthouse on the local sports scene — and who’s getting the shaft.

GOING UP

Mike Sanford

Actually, the UNLV football coach is going down in CoachesHotSeat.Com rankings — but that’s up, when you’re riding in The Elevator. Sanford was No. 7 on the hot seat when the college football season started. But after the Rebels upset No. 15 Arizona State 23-20 in overtime last week, he dropped all the way to No. 43 — the far edge of the hot seat. If he drops/improves just four more spots, he’ll be off the hot seat altogether. Then the Rebels may have trouble keeping him.

Lighting the lamp

A Las Vegas kid scoring goals for the USA National Hockey Team? Holy Zamboni! Jason Zucker beat the goalie like a rented mule from the right side of the crease in the third period to cap the USA National Under-17 Team’s 5-1 victory over Bismarck in the opening game of the North American Hockey League Showcase on Wednesday. He lit the red light twice in a 7-1 win over the Owatonna Express on Thursday. Zucker, who will play for NCAA powerhouse University of Denver in 2010, is the first native Nevadan to compete in the National Team Development Program.

Geno Odong

Utah State lost to Utah 58-10 last week but it could have been worse — I think — had the former Valley High standout not recovered two fumbles. Odong’s given name is Eno-obong Odong, which might be the coolest appellation since Englebert Humperdinck. Or Prince.

GOING DOWN

Arena delays

Harrah’s is out — mostly — as partner of the Anschutz Entertainment Group, which plans to build an NHL hockey arena (with the odd rodeo and U2 concert thrown in) just off the Strip. The 20,000-seat, $500 million facility was supposed to open in 2010. Now it looks more like 2012. By then, Jason Zucker (see Going Up, Item 2) will be old enough to play.

Dennis Erickson

After his Pop Warner game plan — run the big kid up the middle until somebody tackles him — failed miserably in a stunning loss to UNLV last week, the Arizona State and former Seattle Seahawks and San Francisco 49ers coach was asked whether games such as tonight’s against No. 2 Georgia were the reason he decided to stay in coaching. “Actually,” Erickson said, “it’s games like last week that make you want to retire.”

Busch’s league

Last week, before the first race of the NASCAR playoffs, Las Vegas’ Kyle Busch was the greatest thing since sliced bread with a Tiger Woods-ish eight victories in 26 starts. But after one race in the Chase for the Cup, he’s practically toast, having slipped to a distant eighth in the points after something on his car broke and he tapped the wall in New Hampshire. Like Jason Giambi’s mustache, that doesn’t seem right. But that’s the way it is.